XS 650 update

It's been a week since my last update because work got in the way of progress but the XS is coming on now. The motor is back in, the carbs are on and most of the wiring has been reconnected although I will have to test it all when I get the battery charged and back on. The pipes are on on one side with just a bracket to alter to make fit correctly.

Both down pipes on and looking sexy.

Carb fitted but at a bit of a jaunty angle, thats because I cocked up my right from left when fitting the inlet rubbers, doh!

Coils and wiring, getting there!

Inlet rubbers on correctly, carb and filter back on.

 

Engine case back on just to see if it goes on with the pipe fitted, it does but it still needs a polish.

A nice day out.

No pics but had a nice ride today to commemorate St Georges Day from Catfoss biker cafe to Club 41 in Hull which is the club house of the Satans Slaves MC, Hull. Good atmosphere and a good blues band on too.

The motor is in!!!

Cleaned the last few parts up and along with Tony lifted the motor in. It looks great, even popped one of the pipes on simply cos I couldn't resist. I can get on now with the job of wiring it all up and doing all the fiddly jobs that I've been putting off.

From the back.

Gorgeous looking pipes, 45mm brushed stainless down pipe and Commando style silencer.

Cheeky little view from the other side.

New project

Now my Z 650 is up and running and the XS is getting closer to being completed I've pulled my next project into the garage, I've got 2 to choose from but this is the easiest one. It's a 1979 Yamaha DT 175.  Not something that I'd normally go for but it was going to scrap and I had to rescue it. The good bits are the exhaust looks ok and so does the tank,  the bad bits are everything else, it's a pile of shit! For now.........

I've checked with Yamaha and they confirm that it's a 1979 model but it has a 1980 MX engine fitted. DVLA state that it's never been registered for the road so it looks like it's just been used off road it's whole life, so really it's not it bad shape considering.

Z 650 Heart transplant completed

What a bargain buy my new motor was, started the job on Wednesday and had the motor ready to lift out within about an hour and a half, got a lift out later in the day and then straight back in with the replacement. Had to swap over the alternator, points plate and advance and retard weights and then just bolt it up. Work stopped play for 3 days and then an hour this morning saw it finished. First push of the button and it fired up, settled into a nice tickover, quick test ride and everything was spot on.

The price...............£120 including delivery from darn sarf, a bargain.


Knackered one on it's way out.

New one waiting patiently.

New one in and running great.

Z 650

Well, having worked most of my days off for the last 2 weeks, not by choice. I managed to wangle a day off work today. I got stuck in and within 90 minutes my Z 650 motor was ready to lift out, the new motor will be in tonight after my mate Tony has given me a lift. Should be interesting as he's got a knackered elbow and I've got a knackered back but we'll get there. I won't be pretty!

1979 Kawasaki Z650

This is my Z650, I've had it for quite a few years now, it was bright pink when I got it and it quickly ended up black and now it's a subtle red, ha ha. Engine had the cylinder head changed to a 750 one as this was one of the old tuning methods, and when it's warm it runs quite well. Poor to get going when It's cold though, it really did need a rebore due to marks in the barrels but it just got a hone instead. The whole bike was in bits for about 4 years due to a divorce and house moves and I just wanted to use it so it went back together with a few changes, Metmachex swinging arm, SR 650 rear wheel etc.

This was it when I just finished it.

SR 650 rear mudguard will be going in because I don't like the other one.

The heart of the beast which is sadly knackered now, hardly any compresssion but not to worry, within the next couple of weeks a Z750 motor will take it's place. The 750 motor is sat waiting patiently in my garage. :-)

XS 650 Engine continued

Getting closer to being fitted now, needed a couple of tensioner parts and they arrived from Holland, so the head is now on and torqued down, new cam shaft seals. Just need to fit the advance and retard and then tip the engine over and change the oil strainer and then in it goes.

Mocked up with 1 carb fitted

Yamaha XS650D Rebuild - The Engine

The engine on my bike has always had a few minor oil leaks, it's also never run just as I would like and the clutch has always been knackered. It is also quite scruffy.

First job when I was stripping the bike was to remove the clutch hub nut, I expected it to be tight so that was an 'in the frame' job. The motor had clearly been stripped before and sadly the clutch had been fitted by some one with the strength of 50 men who couldn't read a torque wrench. The hub nut was so tight that not only did my clutch holding tool bend like a banana but the clutch basket smashed, bastard! Once I got it undone, out came the motor and into hundreds of pieces. The whole things was in quite good condition so various parts went for vapour blasting along with the carbs that had an ultrasonic clean.

Barrels before.

 Barrels after.

Once I started I got a bit carried away and got the urge for a bit more oomph, so..........The head went off with DHL to the Cylinder Head Shop. Once in the hands of Len Patterson it got a fast road gas flow, remachined combustion chambers, remachined valves and a 5 angle valve seats and then it was vapour blasted to within an inch of it's life.

The motor is now going back together, this is as it was yesterday.



Yamaha XS650D Rebuild Part 3

Once the frame was back I polished the forks, fitted some progressive springs and fitted some gaiters, both wheels were polished and the front was changed to twin disc, a sexy pair of rear shocks and it was a rolling chassis again.

This picture also shows the seat which was superbly recovered by Alan West who runs 'Well Seated' in Bridlington. An excellent job at a good price too.

Harley's that I've owned.

I've ridden Harleys for the past 16 years and during that time I've owned 4, each one has changed in appearance gradually but there's a pic of each one below.

1991 HD Sportster, started life as an 883cc but was taken out to 1200cc, it then got a wide glide front end and fat 16" wheel. These are the last pics before I sold it.

1994 1340cc Evo FXR Superglide, photo taken on the day after I bought it. It pissed down with rain on the day I collected it and I had a very wet 120 mile ride home.  The bike didn't change much but did get a very nice flame paint job and a solid back wheel, I'll post a pic of that when I can find one.

1999 Twin Cam Electra Glide, this bike had a lot of engine work done and was taken out to 1550cc, very quick for a big heavy bike. Sadly breaking my leg and having screws and plates holding me together meant it was just too heavy and had to go.

2004 Twin Cam Softail Standard, photo taken on the day I got it from Speed Superbike Centre in Devon, It's had a hard life but came cheap enough for me to put up with the neglect that was showing.

Now fitted with Vance & Hines pipes, free flowing air filter, Vance & Hines Fuel Pak and a new front wheel with stainless spokes to replace the knackered rusty one. I'm gradually working through it replacing all the rusty nuts and bolts with stainless ones. I've already got a list of jobs for next winter when the whole thing comes to bits.

Some of Tony's 2 Strokes

1976 RD 400

1976 GT 500

GT 750 Kettle

1977 Yamaha XS650D rebuild Part 2

Right.....the first thing that had to happen was it needed to be in bits and all the parts sorted out. Out came the motor that was leaking oil, all the paintwork was naff, the chrome was knackered, the rear shockers were rusty, the wheels were duller than a very dull thing, it was all very depressing.

The next step was the frame and swinging arm and various other parts were sent to Carnaby Powder Coatings for a damn good blasting and a coat of gorgeous gloss black. All the chrome went to Quality Chrome in Hull and a bucket full of assorted rusty crap went to a zinc platers and was made to look like new for £10.

The above 2 pictures show the coated frame, shiney zinc bolts and one of the half finished side panels in it's new peppermint sea green colour.

A couple of links added

Links will appear at the bottom right of the page.  The first one relates to Greasy Kulture Magazine, a great mag that focuses on well ridden bikes, home built and professionally built but definately not Orange County Choppers crap.

The second link is to the Yorkshire Strokers forum, a vintage japanese 2 stroke club that was started by my best mate Tony McGuire, who also happens to be a wicked bike restorer and painter. Some of his bikes will definately appear on the blog.

1977 Yamaha XS650D rebuild

Over the winter I have been rebuilding my old XS 650. I've owned it for a few years and basically just kept it going with the odd running repair. The bike originally came from San Diego, California directly to my house via AP Motorcycles in Derbyshire. By the end of 2010 it was a bit shabby to say the least.

Welcome to my blog

If your looking at this blog then you must be as sad as I am for creating it. I have an unhealthy interest in motorcycles and this blog will pretty much reflect that. I'm quite a busy bloke so although I will try to put on regular updates they probably won't be daily.  For the eagle eyed among you, you will have noticed the picture of a nice Triumph chop below the title, it's a shame the pic is black and white because the bike was a gorgeous candy red. It belonged to an old friend of mine Benny.

Benny died in 1986 at the age of 24, killed on his bike. It's 25 years later now and the pic is there to show we never forget.