Unmarked Side Covers for Clutch and Crank

brockmub · New Member Joined: Mar 22, 2006 Posts: 5

I'm looking to tap into this great wealth of knowledge on this forum, hoping that someone can help me out. I recently started riding my first project bike and looking for a couple of finishing touches.

The bike really needs unmarked clutch and crank covers to clean up the bike. There have been a couple of people that have mentioned grinding them off because there is enough thickness behind them. Or some people have been filling and powder coating them black. Others have suggested buying new custom covers, but I've never seen one for sale.

Any information or suggestion would be great. I'd also like to know what anyone thinks of my project.

Thanks

mo650chopper

MikesXS sells a blank alternator cover. As far as the clutch side cover I've come to the conclusion that I going to live with the big "Yamaha" on it. Welding in the letters or grinding them off, to me, isn't worth the problems it would cause. The welding causes too much heat and usually is too porous to chrome or polish. Grinding it down leaves it too thin, from what I've gotten from people I tend to trust.

brockmub · New Member Joined: Mar 22, 2006 Posts: 5

I've looked all over MikesXS website and haven't found any blank side covers? Can you tell me where you found one?

Phred

It's here (under electrical:charging system-either one):

www.mikesxs.com/mikesx...ory_id=2.3

Part #24-2649 $24.00

Hope this helps...

brockmub · New Member Joined: Mar 22, 2006 Posts: 5

OK... so the alternator cover can be done. But now what about the other side?

Phred

The side cover can be ground down with a belt sander and polished. This would probably look nice and be simple, but would be much more likely to break if you drop the bike. The letters can be welded in-this is what I tried, and the results were very disappointing. The welder at work (VERY good with a TiG) did it for me, and when I ground the welds flat the metal was extremely porous. The cover was essentially ruined. Filling the letters and powdercoating is a good option, but you will have to do it properly. First, to get good adhesion with the filler, you should sandblast or beadblast the black paint out of the letters. Next, make sure the filler you use is "lab metal". This is available from Eastwoods, and other places. Other fillers can't take the heat of the curing oven or will "outgas", leaving bubbles or pinholes in the finish. Ask your powdercoater if you have any questions about this. Of course, you can always break out the scotchbrite and aluminum polish and buff the cover up.

Good luck whatever you decide....

Joseph · Full Member Joined: May 22, 2007 Posts: 767 Location: NY

www.650central.com/ has covers for engine case to cover yamaha, The case would need to be drilled and taped. I've also seen coustom diomond plate steel cover the yamaha. Mikes sells altonator covers wich can just replase the yamaha stamped one.

xsjohn

What is the big deal with removing the Yamaha....Afraid some Harley guy will see it......He already knows we eat rice......Well he ate the bank and will still look down his nose at it......

John

ttmaniac · Full Member Joined: Dec 22, 2006 Posts: 468

The big deal is the Logo is lame. I dig the tuning forks but not the butt ugly square YAMAHA logo. I think the harley guy is afraid to see it. If you blow by him on a 500 bike labeled YAMAHA he is going to s*** a brick after shelling out 15 grand on a piece of trash bike. I have tried to race every sportster on the island. They won't even glance in my direction. One guy was actually nice enough to say hi and compliment my bike. The only cool harley dude on the island. Do you know why Harley is selling so many baggers? You can fit all the tools in em to fix it! I hate those pieces of s***. Yeah John, it's your fault. You got me going. I've noticed the Harley riders passengers (old ladies) seem to notice me more than the fat old pig they ride with!!!!!

jp1979

I agree with ttmaniac that it is ugly.... I like any bike to be badge free, it is a much cleaner look. Has any one tried bondo and then paint the side cover? As far as the Harley comment.... I like Harleys and know a lot of people that ride them (Most of my family) but to me two wheels is two wheels, I just love to ride no matter what it is.

Xumi

jp1979 wrote:

I agree with ttmaniac that it is ugly.... I like any bike to be badge free, it is a much cleaner look. Has any one tried bondo and then paint the side cover? As far as the Harley comment.... I like Harleys and know a lot of people that ride them (Most of my family) but to me two wheels is two wheels, I just love to ride no matter what it is.

I've never filled up the logo before, but once I punched a hole in the clutch cover of my old kz750.. JB Weld did a beautiful job. Might work well for this too.

xs1961

Ive tried a couple of times in the past filling in the logo with weld but no matter how good the welder-man was we could never manage to completely irradicate pinprick holes ... Rolling Eyes

One r/h cover was also distorted by the heat despite being bolted to a flate steel plate! Crying or Very sad

Agree about Harleys & their riders...they never wave or nod ,something all bikers do here in the UK/Europe, the born-again/rich so-called Harley riding weekend warriors ride past with their noses in the air (I dont mean overtaking,Harleys cant) with a misguided feeling of superiority,just like the four-wheel (USV's?)drivers..
grr..rant/rave etc... Twisted Evil

ghostyder

Ive just got started on my 650 build. wanted to for a long time. years ago I took a disc sander (that goes in a drill motor) and sanded off the Suzuki on covers of cool little bobber I did. There was plenty of material left for me to engrave my own personalized phrase with a dremel and I had no problems. Im plannin on doing the same thing with this bike unless someone gives me a good reason not to. Im not gonna engrave anything but I agree with ttmaniac about the badges. I like the tuning forks.

BobJJ

I like the big Yamaha logos on the covers shows what you got. I also painted XS650 on the side covers. At stop lights I've gotten a lot of comments of the bike, from Harley riders. There's not many regular bikes on the street here mostly v-twinns of all makes. I get waves all the time here. When my buddy and I park our bikes we get people looking over the bikes all the time, He has a '70 650 Triumph. I kick his ass on the hiway all the time. Love my XS.

ghostyder

I just removed the big YAMAHA logo and it was nothing like it was on that Suzuki. The Suzuki sanded off with a disc sander and some 80 grit in seconds. The Yamaha did require a belt sander and I had to start with 40 grit. The letters were much deeper and the material seemed much tougher. At this point I have sanded everything with a palm sander and some 240 grit, then hit everything with rouge and buffed out with some blue to see where I was. Its looking great, I'll probable hit it again with some white then wet sand it with 1000 and finish with blue. Should look like a mirror when Im done, its almost there now.

Blacksmithbilly

Its funny people always say "why take Yamaha off"....
When its your bike,you can do what you want.

xsjohn

Blacksmithbilly.....Wish I could aluminum weld......Would alrerady be working on adding some bit larger fins fins to the cylinders.......I could get into why but I think everyone already thinks I'm crazy.........

John

Blacksmithbilly

Its not about the big Y,alot of motors don't have a logo on them...
Aluminum is fun to work with,and my Miller enconotig was floorboarded welding the cover on....included some torch preheating as well.I had a 3/4" crs plate I bolted it to ,to keep it from warping.....which also added to the preheating

sportydriver

Just my 2 cents:
I ride a 1987 Sportster along with my 77D model. I'll wave and ride with anybody. The snobs do give all of us Harley riders a bad image but I can only be responsible for my behavior.
Sporty

xsjohn

Could be possible that we are all snobs when we are on our bikes no matter what they are......Maybe it's just human nature.......That can be an ugly thing all by it's self.......

John

Retiredgentleman

We should all celebrate the fact that we live in democratic countries (Canada, U.S., England, Scotland, Germanay etc.) that allow us to drive any type of bike we like. An XS650 driver.........a Harley driver............a Vespa scooter driver..........we're all much the same............we like the freedom of the open road.

Blacksmithbilly

Retiredgentleman wrote:

We should all celebrate the fact that we live in democratic countries (Canada, U.S., England, Scotland, Germanay etc.) that allow us to drive any type of bike we like. An XS650 driver.........a Harley driver............a Vespa scooter driver..........we're all much the same............we like the freedom of the open road.

Well said

jayel

this is from the FJR forum

It's traditional for two motorcyclists passing in opposite directions to
give each other a little wave. Sometimes just a lift of a finger will
do, but it IS the thing to do. However, if they don't wave back here are
some reasons why:

Top Ten Reasons Why Harley Riders Don't Wave Back:

10. Afraid it will invalidate warranty.
9. Leather and studs make it too heavy to raise arm.
8. Refuse to wave to anyone whose bike is already paid for.
7. Afraid to let go of handlebars because they might vibrate off.
6. Rushing wind would blow scabs off the new tattoos.
5. Angry because just took out second mortgage to pay luxury tax on new
Harley.
4. Just discovered the fine print in owner's manual and realized H-D is
partially owned by Honda.
3. Can't tell if other riders are waving or just reaching to cover their
ears like everyone else.
2. Remembers the last time a Harley rider waved back, he impaled his
hand on spiked helmet.
1. They're too tired from spending hours polishing all that chrome to
lift their arms.

Top Ten Reasons Why Gold Wing Riders Don't Wave Back

10. Wasn't sure whether other rider was waving or making an obscene
gesture.
9. Afraid might get frostbite if hand is removed from heated grip.
8. Has arthritis and the past 400 miles have made it difficult to raise
arm.
7. Reflection from etched windshield momentarily blinded him.
6. The espresso machine just finished.
5. Was actually asleep when other rider waved.
4. Was in a three-way conference call with stockbroker and accessories
dealer.
3. Was distracted by odd shaped blip on radar screen.
2. Was simultaneously adjusting the air suspension, seat height,
programmable CD player, seat temperature and satellite navigation
system.
1. Couldn't find the "auto wave back" button on dashboard.

Top 10 Reasons Sport Bike Riders Don't Wave:

10. They have not been riding long enough to know they're supposed to.
9. They're going too fast to have time enough to register the movement
and respond.
8. You weren't wearing bright enough gear.
7. If they stick their arm out going that fast they'll rip it out of the
socket.
6. They're too occupied with trying to get rid of their chicken strips.
5. They look way too cool with both hands on the bars or they don't want
to unbalance themselves while standing o the tank.
4. Their skin tight-Kevlar-ballistic-nylon-kangaroo-leather suits
prevent any position other than fetal.
3. Raising an arm allows bugs into the armholes of their tank tops.
2. it's too hard to do one-handed stoppies.
1. They were too busy slipping their flip-flop back on.

Top Ten Reasons Why BMW Riders Don't Wave Back:

10. New Aero stitch suit is too stiff to raise arm.
9. Removing a hand from the bars is considered "bad" form.
8. Your bike isn't weird enough looking to justify acknowledgement.
7. Too sore from an 800-mile day on a stock "comfort" seat.
6. Too busy programming the GPS, monitoring radar, listening to Ipod,
XM, or talking on the cell phone.
5. He's an Iron Butt rider and you're not!
4. Wires from Gerbings are too short.
3. You're not riding the "right kind" of BMW.
2. You haven't been properly introduced.
1. Afraid it will be misinterpreted as a friendly gesture.

hesredbird

It seems most riders do wave back except for the leather vest, black t-shirt, American flag dew rag wearing guys on bikes with 3 head lights. I have found I can go from a wave to a one finger salute very fast.

What Happened to 650rider.com?

Yamaha xs650