What did you do to your Yamaha today?

650 does not have a trunk. I did the sandwich bag screwed down to the top of the filter box at the beginning for my ins card and copy of registration before the bags.
I was thinking to take a packing slip bag from UPS to put on the bottom of the seat.

 

I just use the obvious fairing pockets on my GS. On the XJ9 I tuck them into the toolbag area.
On the XS650 I recently bought a vgc seat which has a document pocket under the seat. Haven't seen one of them in a long time, as they usually fall off or rust away.
In general, I'd look at glueing some Velcro to the seat base and attach a document wallet to that.

 

Pulled apart the start button/kill switch housing and YUCK.
Going to dig further into it when I know I have more dedicated time w/o stopping.

 

Cleaned starter button and it works, but an issue. when pulling apart the kill switch, I lost the little BB that goes into the detent.
Looked all over for it so ordered some new 4mm BBs.
Pick of button before cleaning and then all the parts (minus the BB) after cleaning. I did throw the metal bracket into the ultrasonic after this pic and it cleaned up even more.

 

I got to use that home-made valve cover gasket and did a valve adjust and installed the rebuilt carbs on the 82 XJ650LJ

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I found genuine Yamaha shims that I needed on EBay for $5 each

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Cleaned all the dust and dirt off while the fairing was removed

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I didn't rebuilt the carbs that came on the bike as the PO gave me a receipt where he had paid a local shop almost a grand to do the job. Receipt said they changed out all the brass, so I rebuilt an original set I had that still had the Yamaha brass. I think they turned out pretty good. Stripped bare, cleared all ports with carb cleaner, several ultrasonic baths, and all new rubber parts except for the covers on the enrichment plungers.

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Bench sync must have been pretty good as it fired right up and idled good. Put the upper fairing parts back on and took it for about a 25 mile test ride. Runs great, no oil leaks!

I'm undecided if I'm going to upgrade the fuel pump and regulator, and possibly the coils and wires. Bike doesn't have very many miles on it, but it has been in a collection for 40 years. Love the way it rides and would like to make it a daily rider.

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Got our first week of freezing temps at night here, but the sun was out for a bal...errr...bone chilling ride today.

Spent some time working on a fork rebuild. Then for the evening entertainment, exploded an Atari...

For reference, the little trip meter screw that you'll strip out and have to drill is an M2 x .4

 

4mm ball bearings came in today. 100 to a box on Amazonian.
Now I have 99 spare.
This was the missing BB from the detent on the kill switch for the '83 XJ650 that I lost and could not find.
Put it back together and rode the bike for a short 30 minute ride Saturday evening.

Also worked some more on my '78 XS650.
Riding it in the neighorhood I was having one cylinder go intermittant. i think it was the spark plug as after changing them out with 2 used ones from the '83 XJ, the erraticness seems to have gone away.
I can say the 78 XS650 starts easier and the engine idles nicer, but on the road the '83 XJ650 is WAY smoother. clutch feel is also better. There is something about the 1st gear on the XS, it feels more like a 2nd gear and I have to stay on the clutch longer taking off from a stop. XS also has a little more engine vibe to it. I have not done anything checking points or timing on it though. I've heard that makes a difference
Won't know until I take a longer ride. Just like the XJ, I'm taking the XS in the neighborhood only for a few miles at a time debugging stuff. If I can ride 5 miles in the neighbor hood, I'll take out onto the main roadway. My neighborhood is mostly flat so I can walk bike home if trouble.
Synched the 2 carbs. I made sure to check both gauges on the same carb to verify they had same reading before doing the synch. Made that mistake on the 4 XJ cylinders this spring as 2 gauges were off from each other till I adjusted them.
Darn schrader valve was leaking air overnight. Tubeless Dunlop 404 on a tube mag rim (Yamaha had not made tubeless mag rims for I think 1-2 years). Lip would not seat correctly on the rim so took back to cycle gear yesterday.
Seat came in and waiting on grab rail and front bars to help the transformation of this bike to a near XS650 Standard.
You can see the old bananna seat and the new stock seat here:

 

Ha! I had a similar story, covered the top part of the fork stanchions with bicycle inner tube, ostensibly to give the headlamp brackets some grip, but actually to cover rust pitting, It only lasted a few months, now they looks like hookers stockings.

 

Sad day going to put old yellow away for the winter pulled windshield off and mirrors and put next to the wall fits under shelves . It has been raining and the other day we had about an inch of lake effect snow. Still have to get my magic elixer ready I put in a 50/50 mix of Stabil and Marvel Mystry oil the oil helps in the tank been doing this with every bike I've owned . Does not look like were going to have an indian summer this year so now count down to spring will start.

 

I keep thinking it's time to hunker down for the winter, but today was another "not awful" weather so I took the 750 out for a cruise. The raindrops were getting blurry on the visor by the end though. Got a battery tender pigtail wired in when I got home.

 

Small parts clean and paint day. Working on caliper rebuild and all things front wheel related.

 

Oil change and a shake-down run for the turbo after the carb and valve work. Sunny and 60 degree day here in Ohio.

 

So I got my 750 Maxim on the road about a month ago and put probably 500 miles on it. Rode great, but had a wobble at slow speed that would sort of come and go, but never dissappear. At speed it wasn't an issue, but it was almost embarrassing to drive through town, staggering drunkenly up to stoplights. Those of you that have already been through this are screaming "STEERING BEARINGS!"

I was sure it must be something else...wheel bearings, fork alignment, swing arm bearings, tires, etc. All these things I went through several times, even thinking I'd solved it, but that was wishful thinking. My only thought of steering bearings was being too loose, but I couldn't feel any play. They are a new set of tapered bearings.

I woke up in the middle of the night last night finally convinced the steering bearings were too tight. Maybe I'd just been avoiding tearing back into that deep. Got up early today and got to work. Sure enough....too tight. What a difference a tiny adjustment made. Like a brand new bike. I can take the training wheels off again in town....

 

Polished up the wheels and mounted & balanced some new tires.....

 

Got the 750 out for the first time in a couple weeks or so. It has been giving me an occasional starter clutch rattle, but this time it went full blown box o' rocks. Of course this was mid-trip instead of at home. Finally got it to grab so I didn't have to huff and puff a push start across the parking lot, but looks like this bike is grounded until repaired.

 

Was moving my camp about 150 miles and about half way into the trip my oil pressure light came on, turns out my cam chain tensioner gasket let loose and bled oil all over the front of the cases. Luckily I wasn't more than a couple of miles away from a gas station so I pulled in, grabbed a cup of coffee and let things cool down a bit. Made a new gasket out of a piece of a Graham Cracker box and it held for the rest of the trip, I'll grab some gasket material tomorrow.

 

Starter clutch is not hard to replace since I've done two in half ( The half was helping via phone Mr Seca XJ900 his was cracked) . Winter is best time to do the deed .

 

Yep, I'm glad this popped up for a winter project. Certainly could be worse. I've already got all the parts ready, intended for another motor. 4 spare motors laying around. I need to quit the thinking and start the wrenching.

 

Had bike out for a ride and stalled it at a light (was in 2nd gear). Well, would not start w/o putting into neutral.
At home I could not hear the relay click w/ the clutch in and bike in gear. Going to have to pull the headlight out and look at the switch connections.
I was in there a couple weeks ago when I cleaned the start button and kill switch.

 

Really the only proper way to find out your clutch switch isn't working is to do it at a light with traffic behind you and everybody watching while you frantically do the neutral dance on the shifter