losing faith in the xs!

yamahog · Posted: August 8, 2006, 7:48 pm Post subject: losing faith in the xs!

The last couple of weeks has brought me a lot of aggravation.I guess I need to let it out.I've had my bike for 10 years. went through 4 engines, built my own chopper rear section,and other parts that are too much to mention.
It starts with the first kick,but leaks alot of oil. Engine needs a complete overhaul. the charging system died 2 years ago, So I don't run any lights. The bike vibrates from hell. You see, When I built the hardtail something happened and 3 of the motor mounts wouldn't line up. But with alittle work they could work.
I found another 650 with 3,400 miles on it. So my plan is to put that motor on my chopper, Fix the motor mounts, Buy new chain and sprockets with a higher gear ratio, and new wheel bearings. This should be a good start right????? aNY OTHER IDEAS BRO"S???????

i HAVE SOME PICS OF MY RIDE ON THE CHOPPER FORUM.
tHANX FOR LISTENING, YAMAHOG

xsjohn · Last edited by xsjohn on March 29, 2008, 3:25 am; edited 1 time in total

My biggest complaints with the xs650's is vibration and
Gearing. I run 18/29 now and that may turn into 18/28 but
I only weight 140 lbs and hardly ever ride double.

If your carbs are lean it will tear the engine up fast.

Old Yamaha Mechanic John Underwood

yamahog · Posted: August 9, 2006, 12:10 pm Post subject: Re: losing faith in the xs!

Does the 18/29 sprockets help with vibration? I was just going to go with the 18/32. I weigh 130lbs. But I'm also wanting to ride from West virginia to south carolina this fall. Would the 18/29 be better for interstate .

xsjohn · Last edited by xsjohn on March 29, 2008, 3:28 am; edited 1 time in total

Absolutely: The 29 or 28 will have to be built from martin plate sprokets.
A machinist will have to cut the hole and bolt holes. They are made from modified 1040 plate and are about 20 bucks and have just a small hole in the center and are called #50 size and can be hardened by heating to medium red and quenching. 650 central has a 30 tooth already made and I used a 30 tooth for a long time until I got tired of the revs and now have a 29 and considering a 28 that I have already purchased a 28 but havn't cut the mount holes. The 28 would require relieving a bit of the outside of the hub where the holes are.

Stock gearing Guess: 17/34 4600 rpm at 70 mph or more

18/32 Guess: 4400 rpm at 70 mph

18/30 4050 rpm at 70 mph

18/29 3900 rpm at 70 mph

18/28 3700 rpm at 70 mph

Hope this helps Old Yamaha Mechanic John Underwood

royfisk · Posted: August 9, 2006, 4:41 pm Post subject: Re: losing faith in the xs!

yamahog if your motormounts dont line up properly and they are all pushing or pulling from each other this will intensify motor vibration, break motormounts, and even engine cases . If I were in your shoes I would start with getting the engine into the frame in a state where where it is relaxed, or a neutral position. You also have intensified it with your hard tail. they do vibrate theres no doubt about it. But it seems to me that yours may be exsesive. Mayby you should consider putting your hard tail onto your new frame. This time when you do it mount a old engine lower end case into the frame before , and during the welding process. This would assure proper engine case alignment. But all the ballanceing, mounting and everything else you can do will prove useless if it does not fit in the frame correctly. I have a chopper to and it never was LIKE A HARLEY FOR VIBRATION .

midnrider · Posted: March 26, 2008, 12:28 am Post subject: Re: losing faith in the xs!

if you go mto a 18 on the front always keep the chain tight...I run a 17/32 and I feel this is a great combo

jimmythetrucker · Full Member Joined: Mar 12, 2008 Posts: 1283

Four engines in ten years is excessive motor consumption. One 650 Yamaha engine should last your typical rider (2-to-6 thousand miles per year) ten years easily. If you're going through an engine every three years, you got problems unrelated to the engine.

royfisk · Posted: March 28, 2008, 7:29 pm Post subject: Re: losing faith in the xs!

jimmythetrucker wrote:

Four engines in ten years is excessive motor consumption. One 650 Yamaha engine should last your typical rider (2-to-6 thousand miles per year) ten years easily. If you're going through an engine every three years, you got problems unrelated to the engine.

Thats a bold statement; This would depend on alot of things, oil changes done in a timely matter, what type oil useing, gearing,how riden. oil screens being properly serviced etc. Yes most people take care of them fairly well and would get good useage. But there are those who dont even check there oil, much less change it. I could blow one up easily in a weekend of bike week and burnout boards.

jimmythetrucker · Full Member Joined: Mar 12, 2008 Posts: 1283

royfisk wrote:

Thats a bold statement; This would depend on alot of things, oil changes done in a timely matter, what type oil useing, gearing,how riden. oil screens being properly serviced etc. Yes most people take care of them fairly well and would get good useage. But there are those who dont even check there oil, much less change it. I could blow one up easily in a weekend of bike week and burnout boards.

Yes, Roy. It's a bold statement. It's also a true statement. Things such as not changing oil, not servicing filters, not adjusting valves, over revving, etc. are all abusive. Of an engine that blows due to factors like that, it cannot be said that the engine is at fault. The engine did not blow because it was poorly manufactured and made of cheap materials. It blew because the operator didn't care for it properly. Hence I say "problems unrelated to the engine."

If I shoot a guy in the head and he falls over dead, will the coroner say he died because his skull was defective?

Hmmmm? Smile

xsjohn · Posted: March 29, 2008, 3:44 am Post subject: Re: losing faith in the xs!

The smoother you can make them run the longer they will last.......and the low gearing on the highway can't make them last longer.........

xsjohn

mo650chopper · Posted: March 29, 2008, 8:11 am Post subject: Re: losing faith in the xs!

I'm pretty impressed with the XS650 myself. Easy to care for, repair. A blast to modify.

If there are oil leaks they should be a simple fix, at least from my experience.

Vibration is inherent to a point. Loose or misaligned motor mounts does not help. Carbs out of sync or improperly jetted can make it worse. Loose chain and wore sprockets are a big cause. My bike has considerably less vibration at highway speeds with my belt drive than it did with the chain.

Routine maintenance is a must with any mechanical device to get the most life out of the equipment.

jimmythetrucker · Full Member Joined: Mar 12, 2008 Posts: 1283

Yamahog -- Is the chain on your chopper longer than the chain on a stock bike? How much longer? How far did your hardtail set the rear wheel back?

I ask because, if the chain is too long, you get a lot of up/down snap in the middle, no matter how tight you stretch it -- and the tighter you stretch it, the more it wears your sprockets. You're gonna get a lot of vibration from the chain bounce by itself -- and if the motor mounts aren't properly aligned, your chain is twisted slightly, which puts a bind on the rollers and sprockets, which makes the bike vibrate even more.

Fix the motor mounts, first thing. Then see what you can do about the "bounce" problem at the center. Maybe you or someone you know could rig an idler sprocket to support the center of the chain -- something with an up-down adjuster on it. Of course, an idler sprocket must be perfectly aligned with the drive and driven sprockets -- but maybe you can visualize what I mean by now?

Just some suggestions -- things about that chopper to look at and consider.

Peace Smile

xsjohn · Posted: March 29, 2008, 11:42 am Post subject: Re: losing faith in the xs!

And advance.........

xsjohn

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