Smithers XS650 Bobber

[Dennis]

On another posting, I showed what I picked up for free from a guy in Smithers.  Since these XS650s are so popular right now with the chopper/bobber crowd, I thought this would be the time to build one.  I have documented three builds thus far and I think they make for some good gearhead entertainment.  They also expose me to delays, and keep me motivated.

So here goes with the Project Smithers XS650 Bobber.  The goal will be a steet legal hardtailed bobber by Father's Day Show 'n Shine, 2014.

Another pic of what I am starting with.



Last night I started poking around with disassembling it.  I investigated the charging and ignition systems first.  The xs650 went through some changes over the years in both its charging system and ignition system.  This one has a solid state reg/rec which would have been correct for the year (1980 as far as I can tell).  The ignition system in 1980 was a "black box" capacitor discharge system that used a sensor on the stator, and a single coil with two spark plug leads.  The old system was mechanical points located at the cam shaft,  with two separate coils.  On the bike was the single coil, but no black box. 

Thought I'd take a look ...



The black bulby thing on the stator is the sensor for the electronic ignition.  Check out the top ... mechanical points.

I have no history on this bike.  I cannot imagine what the previous owner was doing or thinking.  I have no idea how the bike would end up with both the mechanical points and the electronic sensor, unless the head was replaced and the points were simply left in.  Maybe the "black box" fried and he/she tried to retrofit points.  Maybe this is why it ended up at the landfill.

Peace & Grease, Dennis

[Sr.X]

Looking forward to following this build, will keep my eyes open for any XS650 stuff for free out this way. Will be driving through P.G. in early October and then coming back from Kamloops Vernon area, if transport of parts is needed please let me know.

  Later, Bob

[Dennis]

I am now the registered owner of this 1981 XS650. 

I went through the usual steps of establishing prima facie legal ownership with ICBC in order for them to tell me who the current registered owner is.  No record in BC but they did say their was a record in Alberta.  I then did the Alberta search which confirms it is still actively registered in Alberta, but they do not say who the owner is.

At Hub International, I worked with Vicki.  After a call to Head Office, the official word was I had to have it inspected first.   When I first wrote to ICBC I explained how I wanted the bike registered before I spent time and money fixing it up.  Vicki agreed and promised to make some more inquiries.  She called me on Friday to say she had the green light to proceed.  The bike is now officially registered as mine.  No inspection necessary.

Some of the new members to the Club and/or this forum may not have read the previous posts about getting our old iron registered.  The short version is that we have been assisted a great deal by Hub International and their staff.  A few years ago, Cora-Lee from Hub International attended one of our meetings and described the whole process.  This is a blatant plug for a local business who is very helpful and knowledgeable. 

Peace & Grease, Dennis

[Dennis]

Between my shop being too full to work in, and spending time on the 883 Sportster, I have not been able to do much recently.  However, on the weekend I pushed the bikes outside to make some room and got to work.

These are Ya Mama pipes from Pandemonium.  A great little fab shop.  The owner, Daniel does the fabrication and his girlfriend does all the paper work and business side of things.  He answers his phone and emails personally.



I pulled off the rear wheel.  No brake shoes or springs inside the brake drum.  Should not be hard to find replacements.



Once everything was stripped, out came the Sawzall to work its magic.



Peace & Grease, Dennis

[fast1]

  Looks like they copied Russ on the pipes. Course he has the cool heat shields. That beautiful job on the frame and you just cut it off! Just goes to prove one man's junk is another man's treasure. Literally. Can't wait to see what you do with it! CHEERS.

[Dennis]

Since I still have another XS650 relatively unmolested, and the Chopper Boyz all seem to be acquiring XS650s, I thought I would make a reusable frame jig for making my hardtail.  When I did the XS650 Flattracker, I made a one-off frame jig that I had to cut up just to get the frame off the jig once the hardtail was fabbed up.

This one turned out great. 



The jig for holding the axel plates is reusable.  I built it first for the Drag Bike, and it was used on the XS650 Flattracker, and Elliott's (Young Gun on the Forum) hardtailed Honda 750.



Here is the reusable jig with the frame secured in it.  With all those nuts, it was super easy to get the frame centered.



Crappy blurred photo.  Not sure what's happening with my camera.   The long rod from the steering neck is not for holding the frame; I used it as a gauge to help me center the frame.



I need to do an inventory of my tubing, and will need Jeff to make me some tube slugs before I can do much more.  Gives me time to work on the 883 Sportster which is coming along just fine.

Peace & Grease, Dennis

[Dennis]

Spent most of the weekend cleaning up and organizing the shop.  It was just too cluttered and too dusty so everything got sorted,  vacuumed and wiped down.  Unused stuff dumped or put in deep storage.  Once I had some breathing room, out came the Sawzall to make short work of cutting the frame now that it is secure in the jig.



Because I am splitting my time between this and the 883 Sportster, I decided to start a thread on that build.

Peace & Grease, Dennis

[Dennis]

There was no way I was going to spend all this time chopping this bike without knowing the internal condition of the engine.  A top end tear down was a minimum.  I got the top end off and dis-assembled.  I have not measured the barrels yet, but I am optimistic that I may get away with just new rings.   The valves will need some lapping, the guides are good, and I will replace the seals. 



I plan to have the barrels, head and rocker box cleaned with hot detergent at an engine shop.  Its been recommened by my nephews and I promised them I'd give it a try.  However, the rocker box had a fairly thick coating of spray bomb black enamel.
I wanted to get off as much as I could first.  I used paint remover first and a finished scrub in the laundry sink.



Peace & Grease, Dennis

[fast1]

  Those machines clean awesome. Much better than what Jeff's ultrasonic cleaner did to my carbs that look worse than ever. CHEERS.

[Dennis]

Jeff wants me to try his new ultrasonic cleaning machine.   Its tempting, but I promised to try these local engine guys first, who were highly recommended.  I think they're called Northern Machine, and they're located close to my office, so it should just be a lunch hour jaunt to drop off the parts and chat them up.

Each time I do a major bike project, I glean a bunch of new information.  This time it will be the pros and cons of getting engine parts cleaned.  Long ago, I learned that it was cost effective to have a frame sand blasted by JC Powder Coating rather than spending the time to strip all the paint myself by hand. 

Its not that I want to farm out everything I do.  Its more like some jobs are just good bang for the buck to have someone else with special tools and equipment, which far exceed what I can justify owning or learning to use,  do the work for me.  Heck, why do you think I don't own a lathe and get Jeff to do all that for me.

Peace & Grease, Dennis

[Dennis]

Its been awhile since I made any progress.  My wife is away for a few months, and I am single parenting my daughter who has activities (piano, Judo, skiing, etc.) just about every night.  Between driving her around, cooking, cleaning and working full time ... I have not been able to spend much time in the shop.  I have had a few good days though, and have tried to get at least an hour in the evenings.

First I bent and fitted the lower tubes.



And then the rest of 'em.



A nice tool when working with tubing is a notcher.  It uses a bi-metal hole saw and a big power drill.



Can't resist a mock up or two.





While I have some nice tools like my welder, tubing bender and notcher, I have always cheaped out on a parts washer.  Jammie (one of the Chopper Boyz) has a nice washer that uses heated detergent.  The engine top end was nicely cleaned at Northern Machine, but since then I have smoothed out the heads and lapped the valves, so everything needed another good cleaning.  Off to Jamie's.



I am waiting for a few more parts before I tie in on assembling the engine.  My plan is to use cast aluminum paint (same paint used for the rattle can rebuild on the GS650 monoshock project) for the bottom end, and just a thorough cleaning for the top.  I'll post some photos when I assemble the engine. Until then,

Peace & Grease, Dennis

[Dennis]

I am in a bit of a quandary over my Ya Mama pipes.  I have a pair of tapered mufflers and would love the look Rusty Bucket got with his (see photo)



My Yamama pipes are parallel, but closer together than needed to go straight into a parallel pair of tapered mufflers.



The options I am considering are:

1. have a completely new set made that are parallel but spaced wider apart, and have no turn out on the end.  I have spoken to the builder by phone and email, and he is up for it.  Just might be pricey though and I am a well known cheapskate when it comes to custom building. I may be able to spread these apart enough with only modifying the bracket that holds the pips together.  I  tried once when I first got them but it appears to be tweaking the pipe/head junction more than I am comfortable with;

2. cut the sides out of both tapered mufflers and re-weld them as one (like conjoined Siamese twins), making the openings the same distance apart as the Ya Mama pipes.  This is an attractive idea, but the mufflers are chromed, so they would have to be painted in the end (I have painted chrome before);

3. fabricate (or have fabricated) a simple 2 into 1 exhaust collector and use only one muffler;

4. figure out some way of making flexible baffles to slide in past the turn out.  This is attractive, and there are flexible baffles out there ... at least on the web.  I sent an email to the web page for the maker of Powerbraidz but it came back undeliverable (see photo below).  Besides that, they were over $100 in 2008; or



5. I could simply slash cut off the turn out and install rigid baffles.  They work, but not nearly as well as the tapered mufflers which I have used before and they actually cut down the noise considerably.

Your thoughts and ideas would be greatly appreciated.  I have not even considered no mufflers or baffles.  My days of straight pipes ended in the 1980s when I was young, dumb and full of cum.

Peace & Grease, Dennis

[Dennis]

I mocked up the bike with a spare engine I have. 







I have decided that I don't like the seat and I don't like the pipes.  The seat is too narrow and too short.  It just does not look right.  I have hit up Ebay for one a bit longer and wider.

The exhaust has to go also.  The new Mikuni carbs will no doubt need tinkering.  The Ya Mama pipes are so close to the carbs, that I can invision myself getting burned trying to tweek them.



Back to Ebay.  I took the plunge and ordered a brand new set of chrome 2 into 2 with tapered mufflers.  Made by Mac.

Peace and Grease, Dennis

[british bulldog]

       Dennis how did you get that Yamaha XS650 to mark its spot?  My Beezers won't do that even with oil in them. Peace.
  It looks like the bikes are coming together and looking awesome mate.

 British Bulldog

[Dennis]

       Dennis how did you get that Yamaha XS650 to mark its spot?  My Beezers won't do that even with oil in them. Peace.
  It looks like the bikes are coming together and looking awesome mate.

 British Bulldog

This one leaks oil.  It was on an outside shelf at Honest Roy's when I bought it a couple of years ago.  I have done nothing to it since.  I am surprised there is still oil in it to leak out.  I am just using this engine for mock up while I finish off the actual Smithers engine.  I never said Jap bikes don't leak.  All my bikes leak after they've been ridden a while.  My BMW is the worst offender I have. 
Peace & Grease, Dennis