Manky's XS650 Yamaha

[Tony oily bike]

"Classic Bike Meet" on August 16th ? - you guys going to the Ramsgate Sprint Revival (vintage & classic bike show, Wall of Death, Funfair, live music, Sprint Demonstrations) ?

http://www.mankymonkeymotors.co.uk/forum/index.php?topic=14522.0

http://ramsgatesprintrevival.com/index.html

[Manky Monkey]

Popham Megameet at Popham airfield.
I have to work all day on Saturdays, so it's Sunday-only events for me I'm afraid.

[stinkey]

Lovely little chop mr manky..

[Manky Monkey]

Thank you.
Not sure if I've mentioned it before in this thread, but now I'm in my 50s, I've decided I don't want to spend the rest of my life building things -I want to get out & enjoy the vehicles I've got. So my truck & my bike are my last, but they're the keepers.
I've had half a dozen XSs over the years. Lots of other bikes in between, but I keep coming back to them. They're the level of biking I'm comfortable with. Fast enough to be fun without being stupidly fast, basic enough to be fixable, stylish enough to be cool. I'm hoping this one will be a good, rideable mile muncher. If it makes me grin it's doing it's job 
Hope to have the frame powder coated & the tank painted in time for the Popham show, but it won't be finished. Not far off though.

[kapri]

"Not sure if I've mentioned it before in this thread, but now I'm in my 50s, I've decided I don't want to spend the rest of my life building things"

 Yeah, I keep saying that as well Andy but can't seem to follow it through. 

[stinkey]

I'm getting where your at dude..and feeling the same way some days..being at home every day ( albeit poor health ) does allow me more building time..defo no more hot rods for me..but iv got to do something ,life's boring otherwise

[Manky Monkey]

I'd love to have the time & money to try other stuff. Got no intention of giving up, but if I weren't always working on projects, I'd have the time & the money 
I figure if I say it often & publicly enough, people will stop me taking on anything else!

[kapri]

I'm getting where your at dude..and feeling the same way some days..being at home every day ( albeit poor health ) does allow me more building time..defo no more hot rods for me..but iv got to do something ,life's boring otherwise

Like yourself I HAVE to do something .Without doing it I'll sit about slowly seizing with increasing pain. At least if I do something I have a reason for the pain

[stinkey]

Iv Sussed it..kev and I can watch monkey build the stuff while we direct from the sideline while eating jaffas and drinking tea..   " don't do it like that,do it like this !"

[triker_Chewie]

you could be the Manky Monkey peanut gallery!

[stinkey]

Do we spit out the peanuts thru peashooters..he,he..

[kapri]

Iv Sussed it..kev and I can watch monkey build the stuff while we direct from the sideline while eating jaffas and drinking tea..   " don't do it like that,do it like this !"

That's mostly my current mode of operation but I struggle to get the staff

[stinkey]

Yes why is it they don't want to do it for us old crips?  It's not like we know it all or we're grumpy ?

[Manky Monkey]

So. With just a week or so till the Popham Megameet bike show & with the Yam' all in one piece in bare metal in the garage, it's time to pull it all apart, paint it, then panic about getting it back together in time. 
I've got a couple of wiring holes to drill & a mounting tab to make for the rear brake reservoir, but otherwise, it's just a case of cleaning up some scruffy welds around the back of the engine cradle & sorting through the pile of bike parts I've taken off to decide what needs powder coating. The frame, yokes & any small parts will all be gloss black. Hopefully I can aerosol spray the tank in green before next weekend too.
Had a minor panic when I suddenly realised the battery box is missing. I remembered taking it to the coaters about a month ago, but not actually collecting it. A quick call to them confirmed it's still sitting there waiting. So I'll pick that up when I drop the frame off on Monday. It'll be tight, but they reckon they can have everything coated by Thursday night.
While that's being done, I've been collecting some of the service parts I need -new headstock bearings, fork seals, front & rear wheel bearings, clutch cable, sprockets etc. I'll clean up & fit as many as I can while it's apart, but it's just going together again for the show. I'm not planning on having it road worthy till the Spring now. I've rented a van to take Tom's XS & mine to the show next weekend.

[Manky Monkey]

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