Hi All
 

Just joined up and wanted to say hi (Jim from Southampton, UK). I have been working on an old XT600 (43F) for the last month ready to get it MOT'd and road registered.

We have already had many 'trials' along the way (if anyone wants to know how a kick start XT600 can be started and how it runs with a completely blocked pilot jet then let me know - I can provide details down to the exact amount of excruciating pain suffered in the thigh muscles...)

It's a tatty 1984 orphan from Belgium and has already had some work done to it - all the frame joints & bearings seem good & tight. I sorted the poor starting and running issues today (basically caused by fuel left for 5 years). But I am hoping that Tuesday will see the new MOT and I can then submit the V355/5 and get a reg plate in a week or so.

Anyway - just wanted to say hi and thanks for the forum - it has been an invaluable resource for me getting this far. :thumbup1:

Thanks,

Jim

http://www.bandit127.com/images/XT600.jpg

hi bandit 127 i also have a 43f xt600 mine is a 1985 , slightly different tank stickers . its a little tatty but its my daily ride ,i bought it in a pile of parts about three and a half years ago they are great bikes a touch moody at times but i love mine , good luck with yours . zigzag:welcome:

Welcome. :clap:

That bike is awe inspiring! Can just see it out on the start line at the dakar rally (circa 1989). Sorry to hear about your thigh; I know a good acupuncturist!

Thanks for your 'hellos'. No acupuncturist needed now... The touble starting was from last weekend. Yesterday, I stripped the carbs again (for the 3rd time) and found that the pilot jet was stubbornly blocked (blowing it with carb cleaner and compressed air was not enough). Once that was fixed normal starting was restored. And after about 4-5 days, so were my thigh muscles...

Can I advise you to clean your fuel tank?

Or at least fit a small fuel filter, but this would probably be just a tempo fix as it will get blocked and need replacing..


Vando beer

That early paint scheme reminds me of the now highly sought after and collectable original XT - The XT500. :thumbup1:

That bike is worthy of being looked after. With a little TLC (and money spent) it will look lovely...

Not many early ones (XT6's) left in this original unmessed condition (most have been ridden or RTW to destruction). Pity. :(

Vando - I have flushed the tank out. Loads of rubbish came out and it was a satisfying job to do.

Kentfallen - the priority is for me to get the bike on the road so I can go out with my mate and have some fun. So, the MOT was done yesterday (I had an advisory on the tape on the headlight and a slight blow on the exhaust) and the paperwork was dropped in to the local DVLA today for registration.

I don't have much spare money, but want to keep it as original as possible. I see this as a 12 month job - doing it in bits and pieces.

However, I do feel good about having brought it up to reliable starting and MOT standard from a bike that was found in a scrap yard. TBH, it is probably worth more than the £500 I paid for it broken up.

So, hopefully the DVLA will get the paperwork out for the middle of next week and I can go and get some fun on it.

It's a bonus that I will have saved one of these from being broken, but like the original XT500, I think the main thing is the fun.

Some more pics of my XT...


http://www.bandit127.com/images/a.jpg
Grinding the weld in to shape on a repaired sidestand bracket.

http://www.bandit127.com/images/c.jpg
Mine (1984) and my mate's (Boney's 1990) XT600s... His also cost £500. My bike is now 'home' from the scrap yard and the MOT (I did book his address in as a 'place of repair' but luckily I didn't need it).

http://www.bandit127.com/images/d.jpg
Looking good together...

http://www.bandit127.com/images/b.jpg

Hi Bandit.
Nice to see another old kicker only XT. I've got an 86 2kf version, different tank plastics and graphics, and a disc rear brake. Use it daily, never let me down and costs bugger all to run.
I'd be interested to hear your opinion of your mates bike - the bloke from the local breakers, who appears to know everything about every bike ever made, said the kicker only motors were the best, later models with leccy boot had lower compression and a milder state of tune, and were a bit "bland and boring" - his word, not mine - by comparison. I've never ridden one, so cant comment. Have you ridden it? If so, what do you think?

I have briefly ridden both but riding mine was a take-it-easy affair because it hadn't turned a wheel in 3 years. So, treating it like I was running it in and listening/feeling for odd noises etc., I gently rode it to the MOT and back again. No heroics because it still doesn't have a number plate yet either.

Certainly, the rear drum brake is at least as good as the disc on the '90 and that was a surprise. And my suspension feels firmer (the rear spring is quite a bit thicker, but who knows what mods have been done to them in the last 21 and 27 years).

I submitted the V55 yesterday, so I am hoping the DVLA will cough up the tax disc and paperwork for a reg plate next week (they said 3-5 working days).

I will post back in a few weeks when I have had a better comparison.

HI Bandit. fae sunny Scotland, welcome tae the forum.........nae doubt ye be up an runnin sweet in days.......

Got my registration stuff through yesterday. I got a certificate for the reg plate to be made up and a tax disc. Also, I got back all the documents I submitted with the V55 - thanks DVLA Portsmouth:thumbup1:

So, off to my mate's early tomorrow, purchase a number plate and tax disc holder and then we are away accross some of the BOATs in Hants & Wilts...

Rock on... :biggrin:

Ride carefully and above all STAY SAFE matey. :D

It went out for a ride on Saturday. 150 miles all up and about 40 of those on green lanes.

Neil - my enthuiasm way exceeded my ability so I got dumped off the bike by a rut at about 25 mph. The rut went left, and I rather dramatically went right. I landed against that barbed wire fence and a good quality jacket saved me from more than a bruised forearm and dented pride.

The XT fared a lot better than me, with just a bent rear brake lever that kicked back in to shape.

http://www.bandit127.com/images/Binned%20it%21%20s.jpg

The bike still isn't starting right and I obviously lack sufficient fitness for 40 off road miles (sore all over today), but it was a great day and I will hopefully have recovered from all the aches and pains enogh to be able to do it all again next weekend (a bit more cautiously though...)

It's been a while since I rode offroad. These days (aged 48 with a really bad back) I tend to stick to tarmac (when my back allows). Don't worry about falling off we have ALL done this. :thumbup1:

Offroad riding skills will help your road skills too (balance, bike capability, road surfaces ect).

A helmet and pair of sturdy offroad boots is the bare minimum for greenlanes. Broken ankles are very painful and you will never walk the same again.

Why not start a new thread for your starting problems? I'm sure someone will be able to help you...

Now I have ridden both quite a bit I can comment on the differences.

The specification for compression is 8.5:1 on both bikes. However, my engine 'picks up' a lot quicker than the E does. This could be the lower overall weight (I think the steel/chrome rims, steel rear swinging arm and electric start added about 10kgs to the E). This translates to a quicker feel to the bike.

When you sit on the E, it feels much more like you are siting 'in' the bike. The seat feels way lower and the bars much higher. (Neither have lowered seats or raised bars). Not better, but certainly different.

Top speed is almost identical, as is acceleration at higher speeds.

My suspension is also much firmer than the E, which is good on road but not so good on bumpy tracks.

I can't comment that much on road handling. Mine has much knobblier tyres, so tends to have a bit more drift and less precision when cornering and braking. However, both of them will get within an inch or so of pegs down on good, dry and warm tarmac.

Despite my knobbly(ish) tyres drifting quite a lot at those lean angles, they are very predictable.

I am very impressed with the way the TW302 works on and off road actually. Despite the hellish expense, I will get a TW301 for the front when the current MT40 wears out (fairly shortly...) and then stick to them back and front.

Those tyres maybe continued to my next bike, which will be an E. Kick starting is OK for road riding but a true pain when you are out doing long lanes with many starts/stops and the odd stall. When I am completely worn out, boy am I jealous of that electric start...

Interesting stuff. I guess a livlier engine is what the bloke meant, altho he was wrong about the compression. Purely personal taste, but i reckon they look better than the E too.

Shame you havent got to the bottom of the starting problems. My 86 2KF starts 2nd kick cold and first kick hot, without fail. Havent touched the carb, keep the air filter clean and check the valve clearances from time to time. Have to wind it round to TDC on compression, but that doesnt count as kicking in my book.

Although from your description of performance above it would seem unlikely, but have you done a compression test? Low compression can cause poor starting.