jrhendryx

you know it i dont need the parts names though mervin, what i need are the part numbers that go with the parts. very few of the items on the yamaha site that I use to get breakdown diagrams actually have numbers listed (usually only if they have been superceeded (sp) by another part number)

good, i was worried that they might be worn and need replacing. one more thing to check off on the list! i contacted the people at RAASK, and they did have rearsets made up for the xs500, but they wanted $300 + $65 shipping for them. i guess if I decide to go the cafe route eventually, that I will just have to find a bike shop in town or a metal fab shop that can make some for me.

hey all, im trying to find a parts number list for my xs500b. it has to be specific to the 500b (1975) or the tx500 (a, i found this site www.yamatopdog.com and i have been looking at it trying to figure some things out, but a parts list paired with the break down pictures i have would be helpful in making sure im getting the right items. anybody know where to look (besides ebay... ive looked. they are there, but i would rather not pay $15 for a cd someone burned on their computer).

had a bit of nice luck today - a custom engine shop in town went out of business (bad for them, good for me) and is selling off all of its tools etc. walked out with a set of snap-ring pliers with 4 different size/angle heads and a metric caliper for $8.... anyway, here are the measurements drewpy... Fork OD: 34mm Spring OD: 23mm Spring ID: 13mm Spring Length: 48cm What do yours measure out to?

My thing is this - i say that no, they probably shouldnt be able to just jump on an R1 and wheelie off into the sunset. However, i dont think its an accurate idea that a smaller bike is safer. sure, it might not be able to go as fast, but you can get hurt or killed on a small bike just as easily as a large one. there are no restrictions here in the states (at least not that i know of) other than having to pass the test at the DMV, or to take a 2 day course through the DMV if you are under 21 or want to get better rates on your insurance. I like the idea of having to learn to ride on a slightly smaller bike.... you have to focus more on your handling and awareness, rather than just jamming the throttle and running like hell. I saw some moron get on his brand new R1 at a local bike shop where i was getting a new visor for my helmet. He killed it twice, wheelied, and then almost crashed, all inside the parking lot. he finally rode away, but i bet he put it to the ground on his way home considering all of the gravel lying around. i dont think being stuck on a 125 for a long time is necessary the best route either....maybe if there was some way to hit a mid-step between 125 and 500 or 600? maybe if they could get something in the middle. i dunno, but smaller bikes do tend to be a bit more forgiving of the stupid mistakes we all make at the beginning

i dont have one, and i would probably stretch it slightly and measure wrong. difference between 34 and 35mm could easily be taken up in stretch..... i did consider that though. i found a set of calipers at a local parts store for cheap, but they had to order them because they are metric....

if its a 75, im going to assume its a B. If you look at the top of the engine (right side i think) there will be a stamp that gives model number and serial number of the bike. The first 3 digits will be 371 if it is the 500b (from what i understand, they changed the 3 digit number for the c, d, and e models) how bout some pictures of it? another clue would be the wheels, brakes, side covers and gas tank (if its the original) the wheels on the 500b were wire spoke wheels, rather than alloys the b had a single disc brake on the right hand side, and drum brakes on the right rear. they switched to rear discs after 75. the side covers had rounded edges and some molding and trim made to look like air cleaner vents. finally, the gas tank was round, almost teardrop shaped, and later models had an overall more boxy look. hope that helps.

It will be a few days until i have the time to check it, probably on saturday.... that gives me a few days to get a metric caliper and something to measure length with (meter stick if i cant find a metric tape measure)

Yeah, i found that site when i was considering buying this bike. it was one of the only xs500 sites that had any substance to it. sorry to keep asking you all of these questions, but ive really got no other way to learn i assume measuring the diameter of the spring, not its length... my problem is finding the original stock length of the springs, so i can get replacements. i will just keep wandering the internet though, and hopefully i will run across one

anyone know the answer to this measurement question?

around here the dealers won't touch anything older than either 91 or 95 (can't remember which). Really annoying. Try to find an independent bike shop to help you out. Good luck.

I am looking at a slightly straighter set of bars, though I coldnt find any pictures of "vincent" bars when I looked. Could you provide one? Another question too, im not sure if the forks on my bike are the 34 or 35 mm ones. Is that an outside diameter or inside diameter measurement? I am looking for replacement springs for them, but need to know what I'm measuring.

It seems to me that a 2 into 1 exhaust would increase backpressure and reduce the engines power delivery. Unless the total outflow and pipe diameter was bigger than stock that is. Perhaps some slightly oversized exhaust pipes/header and larger jets? I'm not much of a mechanic (just learning), but it seems like any changes to exhaust will have to be matched with changes on intake to make them count. You could also probably find a high flow air cleaner. As for handling, I'm not sure. There might be some upgrades for your bike out there, or maybe you can make it a frankencycle with some front forks off a newer bike.

gotcha

mikesxs.com is a great place for anything related to the xs650, and also some of the other xs models. he has some aftermarket carb setups and i think he also has some big bore cylinder sets.

well, i dont necessarily want to make it a cafe racer. it would be nice if i could just try out some bars for a week or so each to see how i like them and then just pick one to keep oh well.

well, im 6' and am already a little crowded, since the current handlebars have my arms pinned back a bit, i did some searching and couldnt come up with any RAASK rears for the xs500. i found them for the all of the other xs sizes though. how do the RAASK sets work? ive never seen/heard of one. does it just move the passenger pegs down and forward slightly? if so, and you are to use those pegs normally, how does one shift? would i have to switch back to the front peg to shift, and then back to the rears when just riding normally? if you use the rear pegs, is there any way to be able to shift from those pegs? perhaps some attachment to the gear selector that extends it towards the rear? thanks for all the help! ** edit** nevermind on the "how does it work" portion, after doing a bit more research, i figured out how they work the gear selector, now i just need some help finding ones that would work for my bike.

well, i have been riding on what appears to be stock replacements since i bought the bike, in dry, wet, cold, frozen, icy and snowy conditions (thought the last few were really exciting ) and im not impressed..... it handles like a top heavy wet rag anyway, and the shit tires arent helping much.... im going to try to talk my wife into letting me get top of the line tires..... my problem is this, is it really worth shelling out that kind of cash on a bike that i will probably only have for one more year? im going to be trading up to an r6 as soon as possible, though i may hang on to this as something to experiment on after that, since the return on a sale of it would not bring that much in. im still trying to sell the lady on the idea of her as a rider. also, here is a repeat of a previous post, specifically for drewpy... for some reason, when i post from my mobile, it doesnt show up as a new post. so ------ Drewpy, what kind of bars would you suggest? What is it that makes the ace bars uncomfortable at low speeds? Hand/wrist position or body position? I was trying to go for a slightly more aggressive, forward leaning position. I was in a bad car wreck last year, and for some reason a really upright seating position hurts my back badly, but I get no pain on the sport bikes I've ridden.

so, i tightened up the bearing race nuts today, just enough to take the play out, and there is no notchiness. they turn smoothly, though i did notice that the throttle cables are WAY too tight, and that they rub on the gas tank lip when turned more than 1/2 turn right, and that the electrical bundle that runs up the left side of the frame is binding. i will try to get pics to show what im saying, but it almost seems like the sheath that the wire bundle is in is too long. it has an obvious crease where it consistently bends when turning to the right. i need new handlebars desperately, and should have them soon. the roll is still occurring, but i think it should probably be attributed to the too-tight cables on the throttle side of the bike. pulls the bars right and the bike dips to the left initially. oh, and drewpy, i priced out the bt45s, and they come to about $250 for both, yet the stock yamaha replacements are only about $50 together... any idea why?

there are scooters out there that have the same displacement as an r6. it isnt the step-thru design that makes a scooter a scooter, its an automatic transmission. ive seen a scooter that i thought was a cbr, but when i got closer, i realized that it didnt have a clutch lever or gear selector. the guy riding it had been in a bad bike accident about 5 years previously and had still wanted to ride. his left leg was a prosthetic from about mid-thigh down, so he switched to the "scooter." i believe it was a honda one. 2 wheels are 2 wheels... just make sure to keep them rubber side down

yup yup... especially if its the type where you can manually adjust the acid/water levels. a charger is a good purchase.

Even with the kill switch in the off position, lights should come on. No lights sounds like you need to take the battery in to be checked. Check plugs for spark. If you don't know when they were last replaced, new points and spark plugs wouldn't hurt. If all of that checks out, you could try checking the wiring for shorts and disconnects.

Drewpy, what kind of bars would you suggest? What is it that makes the ace bars uncomfortable at low speeds? Hand/wrist position or body position? I was trying to go for a slightly more aggressive, forward leaning position. I was in a bad car wreck last year, and for some reason a really upright seating position hurts my back badly, but I get no pain on the sport bikes I've ridden.

attempted the hammer and punch option, but the metal is surprisingly soft, and it started to dent under the pressure. went out and got an adjustable c spanner, hopefully it will do the trick.

went out and started to do what you said before i realized that i dont have the right kind of wrench/spanner needed to tighten the locking nuts (8). any ideas on how i might get by without one? the metal on these is very soft, so any impact force is out of the question. i thought that they felt a little tight myself, and am planning on purchasing these handlebars when i get the chance... they have the same width, but only 4 inches of rise and a 1.5 inch pullback. ive been wanting to get rid of these since i got the bike because they arent comfortable for anything longer than 20 minutes. as for the tires, where would i find the bt45's? are they made by a specific company? can i get them in the US? im currently running some old dunlops.