What did you do with your XS today?

OK, so it wasn't *today*, but I just got back from a 5-day trip down to Boston! What a beautiful ride through the Adirondacks and Lake Placid, and some back roads through VT, NH, and MA. The weather was flawless on the way down and once I was down there. Hit patches of heavy rain on the way back, so I'm glad I was prepared!

Also gave me a post-trip checklist:
1) Cleaned carbs before I went (spray can of carb cleaner). It was fine during start of trip, but now it doesn't like to start when engine is hot unless I give it full throttle. Then it takes a bit to get up to 1.5 or 2K, at which point it takes off and is ready to ride. Choke also doesn't seem to make a difference anymore.
2) Rear suspension squeaks. Check the links and grease it, or replace
3) clunking from front end (headset?) when going over bumps, but not when rocking it when parked. Tighten headset (although it doesn't move when pushing/pulling the forks while the front wheel is off the ground), and maybe rebuild the forks while I'm at it (springs making noise?).
4) Vibrations felt at a couple of speeds, but not engine/rpm related. Probably wheel bearings? Rear suspension has bottomed out a bunch with a passenger, even on max preload - could that have dented the bearing races? I don't feel any notching when I turn the wheel, but it could be hidden by the clicking of the chain. Might also need to swap out the rear suspension, even though it only has 8500km on it (which seems premature...)

Anyway, here are the pics

That first photo is beautiful. Looks like a great trip!

JaredK said:

1) Cleaned carbs before I went (spray can of carb cleaner). It was fine during start of trip, but now it doesn't like to start when engine is hot unless I give it full throttle. Then it takes a bit to get up to 1.5 or 2K, at which point it takes off and is ready to ride. Choke also doesn't seem to make a difference anymore.
2) Rear suspension squeaks. Check the links and grease it, or replace
3) clunking from front end (headset?) when going over bumps, but not when rocking it when parked. Tighten headset (although it doesn't move when pushing/pulling the forks while the front wheel is off the ground), and maybe rebuild the forks while I'm at it (springs making noise?).
4) Vibrations felt at a couple of speeds, but not engine/rpm related. Probably wheel bearings? Rear suspension has bottomed out a bunch with a passenger, even on max preload - could that have dented the bearing races? I don't feel any notching when I turn the wheel, but it could be hidden by the clicking of the chain. Might also need to swap out the rear suspension, even though it only has 8500km on it (which seems premature...)

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1) The o-ring seals on the enricher plungers may have been damaged by the carb cleaner. Check them.
2) The bearings in the swing arm pivot may be shot. Bearings are still available, but the rest of the pivot isn't...
3) You have to get the front wheel off the ground to check the headset bearings. Don't just adjust them. Replace them with tapered bearings.
4) Try Dyna Beads or Counter Act beads to eliminate tire balance as a possible source of vibration. 1oz in the front tire, 2 in the rear. The suspension is rather soft and even with full pre-load it isn't well suited to 2 up riding when new. 30 years later...

16VGTIDave said:

1) The o-ring seals on the enricher plungers may have been damaged by the carb cleaner. Check them.
2) The bearings in the swing arm pivot may be shot. Bearings are still available, but the rest of the pivot isn't...
3) You have to get the front wheel off the ground to check the headset bearings. Don't just adjust them. Replace them with tapered bearings.
4) Try Dyna Beads or Counter Act beads to eliminate tire balance as a possible source of vibration. 1oz in the front tire, 2 in the rear. The suspension is rather soft and even with full pre-load it isn't well suited to 2 up riding when new. 30 years later...

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Thanks for the feedback Dave, as usual!

1) When I cleaned it, I had the enricher plunger out on the left carb. Taking it out on the right carb requires taking the two carbs apart to get enough clearance - I didn't think I wanted to re-sync the carbs so I didn't bother separating them, but when I blasted the right side enrichment circuit I put the straw right up to the output, so it *shouldn't* have touched the plunger o-ring. I'll still check next time I take it off (and maybe I'll just fully disassemble them and boil 'em this time...)
2) There's no side-to-side play in the swing arm, so I thought the bushings should be OK, but I can still take it off and re-grease it. Are these the bronze bushings that everyone replaces, or is that just the SOHC? The diagram for the DOHC looks like it's got sealed bearings on either side. I'll get a friend to come help find the squeak, it might be in the spring linkage.
3) Yup, had the front wheel off the ground (weighted down the back). No play in it. I've tried to find the clunking elsewhere (cable on the fender, or headlight housing), but no luck. Could it be something IN the fork? Or maybe old oil?
4) I get vibration at 25km/hr, which I thought would be too slow for tire balance issues. Might also be the brakes, but I thought those are clearing fine.

For the suspension - is it possible just to get a stiffer spring and use the same damper mechanism, or are these two paired? I know some have swapped the DOHC's monoshock with the XT250 or a Ninja 250R, but I don't have tools to weld so I couldn't use different mounts. I would also like to keep the stock airbox so I don't have to get into re-jetting...

Kinda in the same boat with brokenfang,looked for parts for the wiring harness pretty much all day then went and installed a ground cable on the jimmy.

Got my package from Mikes XS. Had to cut a couple chunks of tube to adapt the filters to the intake. Got a 17T front sprocket to lower the RPM at speed. Worked on the carbs again and dropped the needle's one notch to lean it out some (I hope). Will find out this weekend.

Got a plate on it and went riding. Not very far, and I'm sticking to neighbourhood streets for the time being because I'm still getting a feel for the clutch and throttle on this bike, but I'm on the road for real!

Fixed my electrical issue yesterday, hope to get the safety check done today and register it.

Found out that I should be able to use the stock rear master cylinder. Started looking at it and looked like it would clean up. The parts are in the ultra sonic now. Will get some stainless screws to put back in.

I buried my head into my carb issue and adjusted my fuel idle, went up yet another size in my idle jet, scrapped the boot and breather hose and put the pods right on the carbs. That gave me a much more powerful top end. Crazy how the little things on a carb change the way a motor runs entirely. New plugs too. Running like a champ now.

I'm working on chasing down a charging gremlin. I went through the wiring and made sure everything was cleaned up. My guy at the parts store checked the battery and says it's most likely my stator. Anyone have an idea on where to find a good one, preferably new, for a 79?

Or, what other years of the xs may be able to be used with my 79?

Nothing spent the day at the transmission shop getting my truck worked on.Im now pennyless for the monthNeed to make me a cardboard sign and stand on the street corner "will do odd jobs"

Scorpio1963 said:

Nothing spent the day at the transmission shop getting my truck worked on.Im now pennyless for the monthNeed to make me a cardboard sign and stand on the street corner "will do odd jobs"

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"Support a fellow 2wheeler! Will work for parts!" Lol

Scorpio1963 said:

Nothing spent the day at the transmission shop getting my truck worked on.Im now pennyless for the monthNeed to make me a cardboard sign and stand on the street corner "will do odd jobs"

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Used to be a time where I'd just yank it out & rebuild it. Not any more with all the electronic controls and crap It's better to take it in. Been in a number of Powerglides Torqflites Dynaflows & Hydromatics . The Hydromatics & Torqflites were the easiest. Give me a T H 400 any time and I'd install an aftermarket overdrive unit. You'd get the same effect as with the newer trannys with a more durable package. Hell Screw em all Give me an old M22 Rock Crusher with the same OD unit and a 2:56 rearend behind a mildly built 350. Even with a 2bbl carb I'd get close to 25mpg

Lets stay on topic guys Non-xs400 stuff is for the lounge. This thread is for What did you do with your XS today. Nothing else.

I thought this thread was all about what did you do to your transmission today (just kiddinglolYeap back on track I attempted to fix a wiring connector to the relay but the plastic housing broke in 2 pieces

Today, I mostly played with bags of baking soda and air lines to try and perfect a soda blaster to clean my carbs. First few attempts weren't promising, but I think I might have cracked it. Will post pics if it works

Yep that's me off on a tangent again. Workin on these Carbs Took your advise Chris checked the needles & jets. Made sure needles are on the 3rd clip but the jets aren't stamped or have been messed with. Didn't find any numbers on them. May have to order a new set.

Rode to work, my first properly long ride. She needs some more tuning, idling around 4000 at stoplights right now. I'm due a valve adjustment and carb sync, so that's the next step.

sjbeam2000 said:

Today, I mostly played with bags of baking soda and air lines to try and perfect a soda blaster to clean my carbs. First few attempts weren't promising, but I think I might have cracked it. Will post pics if it works

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You can get one of those gravity fed guns for around $40. You just need a larger compressor. A small one with like a 6 gallon tank would take forever