XS Hell

[rebelron]

The engine is back in the bike. I still had to adjust the cam chain even after being told that the motor was ready to go.
Leaks oil from the cooler filter apparatus that I installed. Did not leak before. Will probably modify the breather like on the other engine.

Overall not a great experience. The engine is built as promised but was still a PIA for no good reason. Can't recommend anyone using the service but mine could be a isolated incident.

Everything about this project has been a PIA. I once rebuilt a 52 Buick that wasn't the trouble this pile has been. Should have bought the Triumph.

[swinewerx]

Wow! this is why I have taught myself how to be a mechanic, welder, leather worker/ tooler, metal loving FREak!!, painter, and all around do it myself or lord help me!! I too have learned that even though you pay big money for something at a reputable shop apparently if it is subcontracted out and I/ you/ we were too young to know how to get things fixed the bst way without having to be put in jail. After that i gave in and taught myself all that I do, the major draw back is, when you go to a suplier of what ever you taught yourself usually you won't know what the names/ terminology of the items you need. The bad thing about this is, you have to learn about the terminology the very dumb/ slow person way. To this day I have not had to rebuild any of my jap crap chops, this is why I do declare myself a jap crap chop enthusiest. Really once you learn how to do everything needed to fix/ rebuild , etc this will give you the bond/ attach your a$$ to it in a loving way

[drooling-bloodhound]

Cam chain should be adjust when the engine is hot. So if they didn't start is that is why it is off. I have heard good thing about Thomas. They stuck with the deal and all is well, that is all you can hope for. I never took apart a lawn mower engine. If you are going to buy one of these bikes it is a good idea to learn how to fix it yourself. Truthfully it is really easy. The admins and members on this site can walk you through anything. Hope all is well.

[rebelron]

I am a self taught everything. I just wish there had been more riding and less cursing. The riding season is winding down here and I didn't really get to ride this bike. Winter will bring a Sparx to correct the on again off again electric gremlin and with a refurbed rear end, sprockets and chain maybe some of the XS vibration can be quelled.
Winter nights spent in the shop will fine tune the beast. Hope and warm spring days will get it to the road.

[bufallobiff]

"Side note, my core was a running, working engine."

My favorite kind. I would have left it alone. If I wanted a fast M/C, I'd go buy one.

[slothy]

ya I've tried 3 times to get some info final prices on a 750 built motor from them, not one call back.

[dps650rider]

I considered using Thomas a couple of years ago and was turned off by the person on the phone insisting that all the main bearings in the XS are the same, arguing with me about it as I stared at the crank!

After reading this thread I'm glad I had that conversation. Had the crank done by Crankworks in Arizona, the bores done by Boretech in Ohio and did the rest myself. That was almost 20,000 miles ago.

[exilemike]

Griz, he needs to take it to the Indiana Attn Gen., that is where TRS is located. I live on the southside, and I know this guy,this is the first that I have heard bad about him, but it scares me enough that I wouldn't want to do business with him, and I'm only a 10 minute drive away.

[kopcicle]

I can but don't bore . There is an extremely talented and experienced Bridgeport operator within a half hour ride that just happens to be the local Wiseco dealer . There is a CNC mill that owes me a few favors so I don't grind valve seats other than to touch up with a New-way cutter . I borrow a press and reimburse with ...

Otherwise I do it myself because I have for the last 30 years . Now before that I was at the mercy of any and every service performed on a motorcycle . I remember those years to this day and I am never going back there .

~lop

[dangelo]

A funny thing about 'Hell'... it is a state-of-mind.

Most of the Yamaha XS 'greats' are gone. But, the good news is the latest XS650 Bobber/Chopper craze is bringing back the good old days!

Up front, you have to assume that nobody knows what they are doing. The Yamaha shop doesn't care about old bikes. The guys who sell parts and services are not (for the most part) enthusiasts - they are bu$$iness men.

That means that we are on our own... but, thanks to the Internet, there is a wealth of information... It's up to us to keep the XS650 alive for as long as we can. Triumph guys have done remarkably well at doing this, and so can we.

Keeping old bikes alive requires people who have some idea what they are doing... be prepared to learn all you can... no one can 'burn' you unless you let 'em... You have Ebay, Craigslist, and countless other places to find spare parts... You have Google!

In the old days, people didn't have any of this... Yet, somehow, they managed to survive. You can survive and prosper too, if you get your mind right....

[grizld1]

Why, thank you, Mary Sunshine! That bit of uplift and wisdom has me feeling all warm and fuzzy inside, and I'm sure rebelron enjoyed it too. I'll remember it next time I have to fix some vandal's butchered bobber (pardon the redundancy, please).

The "old days" weren't so bad; there were plenty of cheap spares around because there weren't herds of newbies chasing them to make bar bikes to pose on, and you either paid your dues and learned the basics or you paid somebody else who'd paid those dues--kind of like now, really.

Know why the shops won't touch the old iron? Guys bring in Ebay and Craigslist "finds" and want 'em to "Just get it running." Right; if the shop "just gets it running" with more safety defects than you can shake a stick at, guess who's hit with a lawsuit when the scoot gets the owner into trouble? And then there's the riff that goes like this: shop puts the bike in running condition, Bozo rides for a week, bike stops, Bozo blames shop for the [tank rust in carburetors/clapped-out charging system/failed electrical contacts/you name it] that stopped the machine and wasn't stopping it before. And I've seen this number more time than I can count--shop gives proud new owner a responsible estimate on getting his barn-fresh find on the road, and he explodes: "Whaddya mean, $1500?! I only have $500 in the SOB!"--as if those figures ($500 bike needing $1500 of work and parts) were somehow unrelated.

I'm guessing you'll sing a whole new tune about the great stuff you can get from Ebay one of these days, so enjoy your euphoria while you can. Thanks for weighing in.

[5twins]

The fact is, you have to become an educated consumer when it comes to old bikes, any old bike. Many people are getting taken mostly because they're idiots. There's a 5 or 6 page thread going on now on another board about a chopper place that's selling fancy looking bobbers with untouched junk engines in them - and for 6 grand !!!! The guys are rightfully upset when they discover their new bike needs an engine overhaul, lol. Yet they're waiting in line, sometimes over a year, to buy these things. I think I'm going to contact all these guys. I have a bridge in Brooklyn I'd like to sell, lol.

[grizld1]

What are you doing trying to sell my bridge, 5t?

Really, though, what do those guys have to grouse about? They wanted "The Look," they got "The Look." If they wanted anything more than a fashion accessory, they wouldn't touch a hardtail bobber with a stick.

It's one thing to vandalize a motorcycle; but it's a depth of idiocy I can't even imagine to pay someone else to do it for you!

[rebelron]

Wow some idiot dusted this off and started it up again. I worked part time for my father in law and had to deal with the most worthless hack mechanics the world ever produced - FARMERS. For some reason the only time a farmer brought something in was after he had cobbled and hacked it into a mess. We were constantly expected to straighten the mess out and get him running again all on the cheap. Thomas posed as a pro shop but turned out to be a farmer hack. That newbie can take his peace love and understanding mantra and put it in the I don't give a f#$k museum that currently resides in his a$$.