My Brat Style build: Another Craigslist find

scotts

I ran across another XS on Craigslist recently and just couldn't pass it up. It's an '82 Heritage Special and has had lots of the normal repair/maintenance work done already.
It's not another "$100 Wonder", but then again this one runs! I picked it up for $700.
The P.O. got it from a family members bike shop and all the stuff I had to do on the last bike has been done, such as:
adjusted valves/set cam chain tension
rebuilt carbs
replaced transmission output shaft seal
replaced clutch pushrod shaft seal
charging brushes
new battery
new chain
new tires
new MikesXS seat

And a couple I don't fully understand:
"cleaned and rebuilt clutches"
"tranny stabilizer spring"

The P.O. was using it to commute for the last three months. The old thing runs prett good! Even though the carbs have been rebuilt, I'll probably go through them as it pops a little on initial start-up and there's no fuel filter on the tank.
The speedo (with broken needle) shows 21K. Not a bad start, huh?

scotts

The engine runs pretty well. I had a scare on the ride home when it cut off on me, but I found a switch under the left side cover that replaced the side stand switch. It had gotten flipped somehow. The engine is leak free and very quiet.
The side stand itself is too loose for my liking. It tends to droop a little. I'll have to get a new spring from Mikes.

scotts

It's a shame I won't be using the new seat. These things are pretty nice!

scotts

And this is pretty much what I have in mind for it. Shouldn't be too hard...

Retiredgentleman

Scotts;
Real good find there scotts. That switch you found, must have been a secret engine cut-out switch...............anti-theft maybe. However, now that you've mentioned it here, the whole world knows............better re-locate it Rolling Eyes

Since the bike is an 82, could you check some wiring for me. Jayel brought up a question about the wires on the Side-stand relay. The relay is on the left side and has 4 wires. Red/white, blue/yellow, black/white, and black. I'm assuming the black wire is a ground but wiring diagram shows it connected to brown which is battery voltage. Would you put a meter or test light on the black wire at the connector to see if its grounded or not. It could also be brown in colour??

yamaman

Nice one! Every time I see a set of those rims though- bllaaahhhhh.

I'm sure you'll find a keen buyer for that seat & rack as soon as your done with it!

danno · Full Member Joined: Mar 04, 2006 Posts: 212

Dibs on the seat !

sure · Full Member Joined: May 07, 2008 Posts: 195

well if you feel the same way about those rims as yamaman feels i'll take that back one off your hands..

scotts

sure wrote:

well if you feel the same way about those rims as yamaman feels i'll take that back one off your hands..

I'll swap you for a pair of the alloys with drum brake in the rear. Very Happy

Actually, the rims have a small amount of rust...not bad, I can polish most of it out. But someone painted the drum and the spokes, front and rear. I'm going to try some polish and paint detail and see what I can do with them.

scotts

Retired Gent, I'll go take some pics of the wiring soon. Someone got happy with spray bombs on this bike, so it's hard to tell what color some of the wires were originally. I'll get back to you on this one.

scotts

danno wrote:

Dibs on the seat !

Someone on the 650Garage beat you by ten minutes. I'll tell you the same thing I told him. Let me box it up and get a weight on it. Shipping is a killer these days, but if he doesn't want it....

Retiredgentleman

scotts;
No need to chase that wiring question, weekendrider checked it out for us................thanks anyway.

pumps

Looks like a steal to me. I like the look of all those spokes...as long as they are clean. Would be a bit to keep them shiny though.

danno · Full Member Joined: Mar 04, 2006 Posts: 212

If the other guy backs out,I have a new solo seat with springs and mounting bracket that I would trade,plus I'll pay shipping on both seats.

scotts

Disassembly has begun. The good news is that the petcock works and the tank doesn't leak. The bad news is that the carbs were leaking; at least one of them, anyway.
It appears to me that the top end may have been apart at some time. The engine came from the factory in black paint. It looks like the head and cylinders have been washed in solvent or something and there's a new(er) gasket at the base. The engine is surprisingly dry.

scotts

I had noticed a slight smell of fuel in the garage. When I puled the filter of the right carb I found the source.
It may be a needle/seat, but I suspect a diaphragm. The slides don't drop slowly like they should. I'll tear into them soon and see what's up.
There was no fuel filter on the bike and the intakes had silicone or some type of sealant on them. All of that will be remedied, too.

xsjohn

Slide diaphragms won't make these leak fuel.......petcock and seat o-rings will...even after agood cleaning.....and those pods may be trouble.......

xsjohn

scotts

Yeah, I figured that out while talking to Pamco Pete today. The diapraghms are good. I cleaned the carbs completely and checked the float level. Everything seems OK.
I don't have a punch to drive the pin out OR new needle valves, so I'll have to do that later if necessary.
And the filters are going bye-bye.

scotts

Do these look like the stock "roto-tiller" handlebars to you guys? Just painted black?

xsjohn

Could be......just bent upward maybe.....I refashioned my Bucks years back so they worked for me......bent mine outward by clamping them in a vise between wood....hollow pipe for leverage......and a big friend......

xsjohn

weekendrider

I've wondered if the chrome would crack doing that.

xsjohn

My chrome didn't crack and I bent them quite a bit............xsjohn

nj1639 · Last edited by nj1639 on November 27, 2008, 9:25 am; edited 1 time in total

Yeah, bars look like they've been moved forward about an inch at their top.
Nice find and good luck. I see the '82 is missing those elusive lower side covers and plates.

nj1639

On the carbs, I turned my inlet T facing down. So much easier to replace the line if it goes bad. Gives you a bit more line to put a filter in.

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