Ian's 650

Ian's 650
featuring the Hoyt 9000 header
comments, questions email Ian

Wretched XS -BEFORE

The bike was purchased from a friend (Bill) in May of 1998 (1 year in three weeks) for $200 (the same day I logged on to the Yam650 list from the 650 Society website). I found the bike behind my buddy's garage covered with a tarp that was still frozen to the ground.

Wretched was pretty scruffy, but I liked the look of the cases, like someone had recently just gone over them. It needed a new seat, tires, battery, fork oil, fender, bronze swingarm bushings, shocks, instrument lights, handlebars, turn signal regulator unit to pass inspection. It also needed new brushes and a complete carb overhaul to properly charge and run, respectively. I swapped a chrome radiator cover for a Honda 1100 for a like-new set of 1977 BS38 carbies with the linked throttles, as well as the flat K and N handlebars and a good steel OEM seat pan. I had the seat foam cut and covered by a local upholsterer. After two months of work, I put all this stuff on (no paint though), and we passed inspection.

I put exactly 1000 miles on her last year. Last winter I removed the head and had the valves ground to three angles, as well as the seats. Then I lapped in the valves, and installed new/old OEM valve springs and guides. The timing chain was replaced, and all top end gaskets. I found that the engine had been recently bored over by 20 thousandths! The jugs had that recently honed appearance, and the cross-hatch was nearly perfect. I phoned the old owner and he thought about it; "Wait a minute!" now he tells me that he had machined the jugs and let her stand for a year, having run out of cash. He got the bike for free and was just getting his machining and piston expenses back.

Joe Caruso from Gainsville sent me a set of partially opened Sportster muffs for nada, so I linked them up to Hoyt's 9000 model headers with the GP (1 3/8" ID at head progressing to 1 5/8" ID at muff) style. I've found a ~30% increase in middle rpm power using this combination. I've retained the points ignition, but have increased the output by fitting a pair of Denton/Andrews coils (@
30,000 volts). These are linked to new NGK leads (internal resistors retained) with suppressor-type automotive (Autopar) carbon core 8 mm wire to the plugs. Other mods include: loss of
the electric starter with a fabbed aluminum plug (just 2 kicks will usually do it), as well as installation of a front fender off a 1974 TX750, for front end stability (poor man's Tkat brace). Tires:
Bridgestone SS, Oil: Mobil 1 Synth/Petroleum mix @ 20-50. I rebuilt the non-vacuum petcocks for $20 using modified Suzuki parts (plentiful and very inexpensive) for a stock look. Air breathers: K and N conical; Jets: 140 main (up 2 or 3 from 122.5 stock for 1976; bigger stockers in 1977) and one over on idle. The plugs burn like coffee (chop-test) and she does'nt backfire.

Gearing: Woody G supplied an 18 tooth american-built front sprocket; even at 18/34, its much better for highway, with no loss of acceleration out of the hole. Braking: The front brake is completely rebuilt with new seals etc. god, what a job this was. I used a front disc off an old XJ 1100 to get the drilled disc advantage.

I did all my own painting (shows too). Keep in mind that I know Jack Shit about wrenching, but have relied upon the collective advice of the list, including yourself, Spock (despite all advice to the contrary), Hoyt, Bill Denton, Dick Brewster, and Bob Scogin among many others.

Thats it, enjoy!
Ian

Below are pictures of Ian's mounting method for the large Andrews coils