Manky's XS650 Yamaha

[Dslam]

Let me know when your ready and I'll come and pick it up.

[Manky Monkey]

Will do Sir. 

[Manky Monkey]

New speedo cable arrived today. Spot on this time. I've tried to route it as smoothly as I can, but don't know how long it'll last. Might be fine, might snap on the first revolution of the wheel. We'll see. 

[Manky Monkey]

Easily visible from the saddle, though I'm not sure my eyesight's good enough to read it on the move! At least I know when the needle's pointing to the 12.0.clock position, I'm doing 70mph.

[kapri]

Thatas how a lot of race cars are set up Andy , 'correct' is 12 o clock, no need to read the gauge,s a quick sweep tells you immediately.

[stinkey]

Easily visible from the saddle, though I'm not sure my eyesight's good enough to read it on the move! At least I know when the needle's pointing to the 12.0.clock position, I'm doing 70mph.

Doubt you'll be looking at it that much sir..to busy enjoying the ride..

[BikerGran]

That bike is looking seriously good!

[Manky Monkey]

Why, thank you Madam

[Manky Monkey]

I know not everyone reads every section of the forum, so for those that don't, Mr Loon is moving workshops, which means he needs more storage space for all the stuff he's hoarding for future projects. So I've given up my half of the lock-up garage we share & have started renting one from a little old lady who lives at the end of the street I live in.
The bike's not quite finished, but it wasn't worth renting a van just to ferry it a couple of miles across town, so I decided to push it. Used to push broken down bikes all the time -but that was 30 years ago. I also chose the most humid & sticky evening of the year so far to do it. Took an hour or so, with lots of stops to get my breath back, but the bike's now safely installed in a garage within sight of the house I lodge in.
Not much I can do on it till the engineer machines the exhaust clamp, so I'll look at making the garage more secure & weather proof.
Catching my breath on the footpath that runs behind the local cemetery.

[the coppersmith]

Great photo's. Bit of mist and it would frighten the kids 

[Manky Monkey]

Me or the bike?
Got the finned exhaust clamp back from the engineering workshop today. They milled 5mm off the face of it cos it didn't pull up tight against the cylinder head. No idea why, but it should work now.
Having moved out of Loony's old workshop, I rent 2 lock-up garages, about 2 miles apart. One is home to my pick-up truck, my welder, (although I've got no power supply to use it), & most of my tools. The other, slightly smaller one, houses the bike & my Dad's old wooden workbench.
I spent an hour this evening driving back & forth between the 2, searching for the exhaust fittings for the bike. I visited both garages twice before finally finding them among the spare parts crates in the bike garage where I'd started. I suspect that'll be the pattern of things now -constantly flitting between garages, moving spares & tools from one to the other.
Too dark to re-fit the exhaust pipes by the time I'd sorted everything out, so I'll do it tomorrow.

[Olds]

With the darker evenings fast approaching some form of lighting in the garage might be worth considering.

[Manky Monkey]

Yeah, I've got a rechargeable LED worklamp in the other garage, so will probably buy another one of those.

[Manky Monkey]

So-o-o hot 'n' humid today. Shouldn't complain, but by the time I got home form marching round the streets delivering the Mail I was absolutely drained. Not sure if the job's getting harder -O.K, I know it's getting harder, or I'm just getting old -& I know I'm definitely getting older, but I need recovery time now between getting home & starting the afternoon's jobs. So it was tea time before I walked down the road to the garage & took a look at the bike exhausts.
No dramas fitting them, though I may replace the gasket in the lefthand port cos it looked a bit squished from last time the pipes were bolted up. Have to wait & see if it blows when it's running.
So now I've got stainless steel pipes, 1/8" bigger diameter than the old chromed ones, with 12" long conical perforated baffles in the tail end of each one. I've fitted a small heatshield to the top pipe, which I picked up at a swapmeet ages ago for a couple of quid. It's just held with 2 stainless Jubilee clips. I'd previously tried a longer one which required a couple of threaded inserts welded into the pipe, but I think the shorter one looks better & should still keep my leg off the pipe, (actually, with my foot on the peg, my leg's an inch or two off the pipe anyway).

[Manky Monkey]

The 2 pipes aren't exactly lined up, one above the other, but they only fit in one position & they're near enough that I'm not going to worry about it. The tail ends are held with chrome clamps around the pipes that bolt up to a single tab bolted to the frame, that also holds the back end of the chainguard.
Jobs left to do:
fit & tune the new Amal carbs.

Re-charge the battery & check the output to see if it drops overnight, cos last time I tried the ignition there was no life there at all, despite it being a brand new battery. Nathan, (Galaxie500), wired the bike, but hasn't given me a wiring diagram & I've no idea which fuse does what.

Rub a couple of "bits" out of the paint on the tank. Loony sprayed it in his old workshop, which was on a farm -dust in the wet paint was an occupational hazard there, but usually cut & polished out. If not, I'll sand them out & blow the tank over again on the bike in aerosol paint.

Do something with the sidestand -the bike doesn't lean over enough & stands almost upright when it's on the stand. Parking on a camber, or someone nudging it as they walk past, would see it toppling over. So it needs either heating & bending very slightly, or cutting a slice out of the middle, then drilling, pinning & welding the 2 halves back together.
As a side issue -or sidestand issue, why do kids nowadays think you should kickstart bikes while they're on the stand, by standing to the right of the bike & giving a huge, theatrical leap on the kickstart? It's a sidestand, not a kickstand. You ain't gonna look so cool when it snaps under the strain & the bike crashes to the ground with you sprawled on top of it. Stand astride the bike, flick the stand up, lean it over to the left slightly so the kickstart doesn't hit the ground at the bottom of it's stroke, & give it a firm, measured kick.
I know why they do it -cos that's what they've seen Harley riders doing on Sons of Mediocrity or whatever. You're English, riding Japanese bikes. Not necessary & looks ridiculous.  

MOT it & tax it, (it's already insured). I'm slightly concerned about the tax cos the V5C shows it as Disabled Tax Class, (tax free). I'm hoping it's just a matter of going to the local Post Office & asking them to change it.

Ride it, lots & lots. I haven't ridden at all for 5 or 6 years, but hopefully I still remember how to.