Manky's XS650 Yamaha

[kapri]

You're right Clive, although I'd actually forgotten that, (yes, my memory is that bad). Everything's set just as it should be, but if I pull the clutch in I can still kickstart it, so the clutch isn't disengaging. The plates only move a millimetre or so, which obviously isn't enough, & the lever's very stiff. I've just ordered a new set of clutch springs for a tenner, just in case they're heavy duty race ones. Already got a new pushrod with the correct number of new ball bearings. Other than soaking the plates in oil, I'm not sure what else I can do.
Stinkey- O.K, it's too loud for me. I want to do some serious miles on it so want it sensible -planning a ride to Belgium in June.

Am I missing something or does a bike clutch work differently BUT if the bike is in gear and you pull the clutch in then you SHOULD be able to kick it over if the clutch is disngaged? Otherwise if the clutch isn't disegaged then being in gear it would try to push teh bike forward when kickstarting ( besides breaking your foot?) .

 Lack of travel to disengage? What about the handle bar size , would say using 1" bars insted aof 7/8" stop full travel ie height of pivot point compared to bar 'stop' size?

[terry t]

Have you checked the friction and steel plate thicknesses  there a difference.
steel  1.4mm or 1.6mm
friction 3.0mm or 3.4mm

[Manky Monkey]

Plates are all within tolerance Terry.
Normally with the bike in neutral & the clutch lever pulled in, the kickstart would go straight down without resistance. Mine still resists.
7/8" bars, same as the originals. The lever & mount are pattern copies of the original Yam' ones Kev.

[spanners]

mine still kicks over with the clutch pulled in  i tried it earlier tonight    and can i ask where you got youre new clutch push rod from  as mine still pee,s oil out despite fitting a new seal to it

[Archie]

Aye the first Xs used to catch me out sometimes when I had everything on the bars pulled in and go to the floor

[kapri]

Again am I missing something , there should be resistance surely ? After all you have at least one  closed cylinder with (say) 150 psi inside ?

[Tony oily bike]

Again am I missing something , there should be resistance surely ? After all you have at least one  closed cylinder with (say) 150 psi inside ?

The kick-start operates through the gearbox, not the crank (like a car’s starting handle).

By having the clutch engaged, the gearbox can turn the crank, but by disengaging the clutch, all that should happen is the clutch centre rotates.

Old British bikes that have stood for a while often require the (wet) clutch to be freed-off before using the bike as the clutch plates stick together – this is done by disengaging the clutch (thus taking pressure off the plates) and repeated kicking (which initially has resistance of the engine’s compression) until the plates break free. If this isn’t done, the machine can lurch forward when first gear is selected with the cutch lever hard against the bars!! 

[Olds]

Wot he said.

The kickstart meshes with the gearbox input shaft not the clutch basket/primary chain.

[Tony oily bike]

The kickstart meshes with the gearbox input shaft not the clutch basket/primary chain.

Wot he said 

[Manky Monkey]

Thanks for that -I was starting to doubt myself for a minute!
Yup, starting routine with my old Bonnevilles was always pull the clutch lever in, kick a couple of times to free the clutch off, a couple of times with the clutch out to circulate the oil -then switch the ignition on, prime the carbs & give it an enthusiastic kick to start.

[Manky Monkey]

Nice to see Clive this afternoon. He very kindly came over from Andover to take a look at the charging problem. He knows one end of a wire from the other & can use a multi meter so is in the ranks of Grand Masters & Wizards as far as I'm concerned.
The wiring appears to be correct, according to the colour coding & the Earth is fine, but there's nothing registering on the meter from the alternator when the engine's running. Can't check the regulator/rectifier without power from the alternator.
So it looks like I need a new stator ring or brushes. I haven't touched either during the build so they may well have been duff since I bought the bike.
Thanks for your time Clive

[Manky Monkey]

Aluminium bodied indicators. 10 quid a pair. I'll get them powder-coated black. I know some don't think chops should have flashers, but this'll be my every-day bike & I'd like some small chance of surviving in modern traffic. How many drivers now would spot, or understand, hand signals?

[Manky Monkey]

The rear ones need to be raised up clear of the exhausts, so will bolt to tabs welded into the V of the mudguard bracket, (it'll cost about a fiver to get the bracket re-coated). Yes, the jumbo sized numberplate will be going, right after the MOT.

[spanners]

hi,andy , what switch gear are you using  i missed it in youre build somewhere ,

oh and clean the alternator brush,s and slip/contact rings before condeming it

[Manky Monkey]

I've got a small aluminium switch on the left side that does indicators, horn & high/low beam, (the sidelight/pilot bulb comes on with the ignition & there's a 2nd position on the ignition switch for switching on low beam). The switch unit cost about 30 quid from a German website -think it was something like caferacer.com