I bought this about six months ago but have only just got around to working on it. I bought from the original owner who had bought it in Sydney, NSW in 1979. It was registered for the first year but when he moved back to the family property at Coonabarabran, NSW he let the rego expire. It remained on the farm until he moved to Tamworth in 2016, when he advertised it for sale. We did a deal for the bike and some spares he had gathered over the years and I brought it home. It has had a few knocks and dents, some dodgy replacement bits and many years of dirt and sheep sh*t, but it only shows 4,400Km on the speedo which I believe to be true. Have replaced the handlebars (originals bent and cracked), washed years of crap off, lubed all cables, heated and straightened footpegs, bent sidestand back into correct position, etc. Have ordered new air filter, mirrors, tail light, bulbs, etc. The seat cover is original and the paint work and plastics not too bad. Has near new tyres and the chain and sprockets will go a bit longer yet. Engine runs sweet and will be getting an oil change, valves set, new plug and carb clean to make sure it is running it's best. The standard muffler had rusted out years ago and some 'farm welding' had been applied to it to stop it scaring the sheep, but it needed some attention to bring it up to the standard of the rest of the bike. This is what it should look like.
I bought a piece of 75mm exhaust tube from the local muffler shop. I measured the circumference at both ends of the original and marked onto the new pipe. I cut out the 'V' with my plasma cutter to get the right diameters. Clamped back together and welded. I bought some fence caps from the big green hardware store and cut out the centres and flanges to give me the right looking end caps. Then cut a piece of 1.6mm sheet to seal the front end, some 32mm tube for the first tube and some 25mm for the out tube. These I welded so that they overlap to make the sound/gasses change direction twice before they escape to atmosphere, and the front plate and end cap welded on too. The sizes I had worked out years ago with other bikes seem to work the best, so used the same here. Welded together and smoothed off. Here with a muffler from a 250R. Look much the same to me.
I cut the old bits off the bike and the fitting from the remains. Clamped into position and tacked. When happy with alignment I fully welded it all together. Some heatproof black paint and fitted the original heatshield. I think it will do.
Got the heat shield on the right way. The tool box had lost its lid somewhere along the journey of the last 40 years and needed to make another one. I found a piece of 6mm plate close to the right size and traced a line from the end of the box. Cut out with the plasma cutter and ground smooth with flap disc in grinder. Cut some 1.6mm aluminium sheet to about 6mm bigger than box and clamped to steel plate in vice. Worked the edges over with a planishing hammer to form the edges. Cleaned up with a file and fitted nicely. I found some 1.2mm steel strip and made some hooks to hold a strip of tube rubber and riveted to sides of box. Some black paint, stuffed the original tools in the bag in and fitted to bike.
Today I fitted new tapered roller steering head bearings to replace the 'nochy' originals. I could not find a piece of pipe/tube of the correct diameter to seat the new bearing onto the stem, but found a piece of pipe to fit the old bearing race I had just removed so I used it to seat the bearing and the pipe to drive the old race. To put the bearing cone into the frame I used the old race to drive the cone to the bottom of the machined section. This caused the old bearing race to also stick into the frame, but a hit with the same long driver I used to get it out worked again. Bearings greased and steering assembled, forks with new seals and oil slid into place and tightened all down. Wheel fitted ready for a ride.
Went for short ride this morning and very unimpressed with the new rear shocks (remind me of a pogo stick ride) that I bought from Brisbane (have to be a Chinese copy) to replace the leaking originals. The Honda ones were never that good when new (but these are worse than the worn out ones) so back to some 1970's technical fix. I removed the springs and seats and drilled a 4mm hole in the bottom of the shock body. Tipped upside down and pumped the oil into a measuring jug. These had 110ml in each one. Using a 50ml syringe I refilled the body with 80w-140 gear oil, pumping the shaft to get air bubbles out as the oil was pushed in. It is important not to put more oil back in than was taken out (ie don't overfill the oil chamber) as this may hydraulic lock and push the seal out. I then welded the hole with the MIG welder to seal it. Reassembled the spring and back on the bike. I put the welded hole to the inside so cannot be seen, and after a ride through some mud will not be visable anyway. Now they work like shocks should.
Needed a battery cover and unable to find one, so back to the tools. Using some 1.5mm alloy sheet I folded two flanges. Then with some cutting and snipping, a couple of folds and I had the shape. Some welds on the corners, clean off and paint and fitted when dry.
After the last trail ride for the year it is now time to find out why the engine is down on compression. I fear it may be a cracked head as it has very little comp when cold (and takes a lot of starting) but gets some comp when hot and is down on power when riding. I took the seat and tank off and gave all a good wash so no bits of dirt will drop into the engine. Pipes took a bit of getting out, carb off and top of head removed. Found three head bolts came out ok but the fourth one came half way then bound up tight. I worked it back and fourth and gained a little more but as they go through head and barrel into the crankcase I didn't want to push it and snap it off. I lifted the copper washer and dribbled WD-40 down the shank of the bolt and will leave until tomorrow to let it soak down. While that is soaking I sandblasted the pipes and gave them a couple of coats of high temp paint.
After soaking the head stud in WD40 all night I was able to get it undone a bit further and after taking the coil off was able to get the head/barrel assy off the crankcase. The stud had rusted into the dowel between the barrel and case and took quite a bit of getting off. I guess this is what happens when things get left alone for 40 years. The stud and dowel cleaned up alright and will be usable again. The rings were over specs for end gap so new rings and gasket set ordered. Good news was that the head wasn't cracked. The bore had glazing on some parts so a light hone to remove the glaze, bead blast the head and barrel to get off 40 years of mud/crud, lapped the valves, a through wash with strong soap and very hot water and wrapped ready for reassembly when new parts arrive. Oil wiped to check no honing grit left. Waiting for new parts.
New rings arrived yesterday and got straight on to fitting them. All good end gaps so onto piston and into engine. All buttoned up with new gaskets and seal and fired and ran sweetly on second kick. Ready to hit the (dirt) road again. Loaded up my touring kit 'just to make sure it fitted'.
After getting nearly caught in the dark last weekend I have been thinking on how to put some better lighting on the XL. I thought about using one (or two) of these 18 watt LEDs as the original headlight is a 35 watt, using a by pass switch to turn high beam off when using the LED. https://www.ebay.com.au/itm/Truck-S...e=STRK:MEBIDX:IT&_trksid=p2060353.m1438.l2649 As the original system is 6 volt AC I will need to use a rectifier to DC and a 6 to 12 volt converter to run the LEDs. My question to you all is would doing it this way work, and just how bright is 800 Lumens compared to wattage in a bulb?
Those 18W light bar's seem to get used a lot on Adventure bike's, some of the guy's take the original light off and run 1 on top of the other. I haven't compared the light output to an oem light for the small light bar though, 800 Lumen's doesnt sound much, my 1157 tail light led's are supposed to put out 800 Lumen's I have run a single 110mm 27W Cree floodlight on my pitbike, they put out 2100 Lumen's The light spread out too much to light up more then 20 feet clearly., so i think a spot light version would be a lot better https://www.ebay.com.au/itm/1-2pcs-DC10-30V-27W-LED-Work-Light-Base-Floodlight-Truck-Car-Truck-Lamp-Light/113803371575?_trkparms=ispr=1&hash=item1a7f35a437:m:mxgSgsjpKLGWzxQV6N1z6aw&enc=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&checksum=11380337157559f1c44538cc41d38d38e561e3827aa3
Wiring them up shouldn't be a problem, you don't really have to use a rectifier as led's will work the same on AC or DC. I haven't looked at a XL250 wiring diagram, does it use a seperate regulator and rectifier ? And is the regulator a full wave or half wave type ? Some bike's you can simply add in a 12v reg/rect and convert it to 12v just by that (need's 12v battery and bulbs, flasher etc) The voltage output can be a little lower at idle, but come's good over 2000 rpm's Another option is you could swap out your lighting coil for a 12v, if you have the lighting coil mount dimension's i can compare it to a pit bike one, they are pretty good and it was not far off the dimensions of a Yamaha IT one i had. Swap it in and add a 12v battery, a 12v reg/rect, 12v indicator and stop/tail and dash bulb's, and a 12v flasher relay, the horn will be fine with 12v (will work better than on 6v) Is your headlight a 5 3/4", if you don't mind the look you could use one of these Led conversion light's https://www.ebay.com.au/itm/5-75-in...453859?hash=item2cefa9f4a3:g:3b4AAOSw5xpbbpvQ LED Power: 45W/High Beam,30W/Low Beam Lumens: 4000LM//High Beam,2800LM/Low Beam LED: Osram LED Chip There are a couple of angel eye type led headlights available too, so you could use the outer led ring as a parker, the outer ring has a turn signal wiring option too so it changes from white to amber but i wouldn't use it I think the top link light would be better due to having 2 projector led's for high beam Both of these are available from ebay Australia too but are 30% dearer https://www.ebay.com.au/itm/5-75-Pr...a=0&pg=2047675&_trksid=p2047675.c100005.m1851
Thanks for all that my67xr. The system runs a single wire from lighting coil to hi/low switch to bulb. I will have to take the bulb out and do some measuring. I thought that LEDs would only work with DC? That was why I was told to use a rectifier in my CTXL trials bike build to run the tail/brake lights. Looking to just fit an extra light that could be easily removed if damaged and still have a working original. More thought required.
I tested my spotlight's out with a garden 12v AC 20A power supply and they work fine I also have an automotive 20" 200w Led lightbar for lighting up my backyard that i have been running off the same power supply for a few year's now
12v Garden power supplies are DC voltage out... Single phase AC power in. Pretty much the same as PC Power supplies, Laptop power supplies etc. At 20 amp it will light up quite a few LED lights