Manky's XS650 Yamaha

[Manky Monkey]

While I nipped across town to fetch some gasket sealant from my other garage, Bob, (BayChimp), tackled the alternator brushes.
Looks like he may have found the charging problem. One of the brush wires had come adrift from it's mounting plate. The new ones I bought are supposed to be universal & fit either side of the housing, but don't appear to. Fortunately the broken one was the same as the new ones, so we fitted one new & one, (still intact), old one with plenty of life left in it's brush. Now I need to charge the battery -yes, I forgot to do it -so we can start it up again to check the charging. I've still got Mr Olds' multimeter, left behind when he was working on my truck's wiring, but haven't got a clue how to use it to check the battery's charging.

[Manky Monkey]

I've really had trouble working up the enthusiasm to work on this thing lately, so big thanks to Bob for giving up his afternoon to give me the push I needed.  
After he'd left I got back to the exhaust baffles. I've gone with the longest length of perforated tube I can fit in the pipes, which is 30". That means welding 2 sections together. I've also cut down the reducing sleeves to form plain collars at each end. Had to slit them down the side & pinch them in until they fitted the pipes. I've already ordered some basic baffle wadding from Ebay, which comes with stainless cable ties to hold it in place around the tube. Just hope there's enough room between the pipe & the baffles to use it. Oh yeah -the missing parcel containing the first lot of perforated tube turned up today. Seems it had been left next door, tucked in front of the owner's car. He's in his 90s & very unwell so hasn't used the car for a long time. The parcel only came to light when his daughter put the car in his garage for him this morning. The tube was posted a month ago.
I had a few errands to do later this afternoon, so nipped over to see Leia the welder in Berkshire & left the sections with her for stainless welding. Glad I did cos her Dad was there. He used to own the company & handed it to his daughter when he retired to France. He's over for a holiday & I hadn't seen him for years.

[Manky Monkey]

So baffles underway. Charging problem hopefully fixed. Clutch hopefully fixed.
I've got to make a new front panel & mounts for the battery box, get the rear indicator mounts welded to the mudguard strut, wire them in & also wire in the new fusebox, then get a few bits re powder-coated. I think I'm going to leave the anchor arm on the rear brake caliper as it is for now & also leave the rear brake pedal set-up well alone. Needs a new LED in the speedo, just cos it's blue & I'd like green & the tank paintwork has a run & a couple of specks of grit in it that need sanding out & polishing. Think that's about it.
I'll charge the battery over the weekend & we can try firing it up again early next week. What could possibly go wrong?  

[flc]

Am exited for you, bike looks lovely. Really nice,  soon be buzzing about on it just as it's starting to get warmer

[lunatic]

Dropped toms frame off at the coaters yesterday, the race is on! 

[Dslam]

Excellent news. It cannot be far away from rideable
Looking forward to seeing it running and riding.

[Manky Monkey]

As soon as it's roadworthy, you'll be first on my People to Visit list Andy
I was in the same road as you yesterday then Mr Loon. I'll sort out a small pile of weldy bits & come visit soon.   I suspect Archie might beat us both!

[Manky Monkey]

Exhaust wadding's arrived. Just waiting for the baffles from the welders now.

[Baychimp]

Get those sorted,and the battery charged and we'll have a go at starting it.

[flc]

"Sounds " like good progress on the baffles 

[Manky Monkey]

  Battery charged. Tom's collecting his XS frame from the powder-coaters tomorrow, so dropping off my indicators at the same time.
I'll have a few other parts to be done later.

[Manky Monkey]

Dashed over to Berkshire in the first snow flurry of the Winter, after work this afternoon. The welding shop owned by Leia, (named after a certain Princess in a Galaxy far, far away), closes early on Fridays & she'd rung to say my baffles were ready. They shut at 4.45 & I arrived at 4.44
A tidy job -& they appear to fit too, which is nice. The white stuff's the wadding. I'll only have room for a few millimetres of it around the perforated baffles, but figure some's better than none.

[Manky Monkey]

As I was leaving the welder's, Scott the engineer, (one time forum member Captain SaddleBags), rang to say my kickstart lever was done & he'd be at the workshop for a while longer before taking a few days off. So I had to dash back to Hampshire in the evening rush hour to reach him before he went home.
Nice job. He's drilled the 2 halves of the pedal & pinned them together, then cross drilled them, so a bead of weld can be run around the middle & the ends of the pin can be button welded too. Belt n braces cos I don't want to jump on the lever & have it snap off.

Old, standard pedal, powder coated black & replacement, modified one, which will also be coated black.

[minimutly]

Oddly, I would have said the new rubber should be the other way 'round?

[Tony oily bike]

Oddly, I would have said the new rubber should be the other way 'round?

"Oddly", Manky's new name - yeah, it suits!!