What the hell...here's some stuff I did to my bike recently

[Thumper3]

Hey, off topic here, but what front fender do you have installed? It looks much better to me than the ole' droopy stock one.

 

EDIT - Did some stalking around and answered my own question. XR400. How difficult is the install? (any modifications required?)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

^ I'm sure there is a thread on this somewhere...

Just cut your stock one using a jig saw....works good.

[GSBruce]

What paint did you use on your new header?

[Rich_in_Orlando]

What paint did you use on your new header?

Rust-Oleum High Heat Ultra "Extra Rich Color" Semi-Gloss Sheen . Supposed to take up to 1200 F. I have used flat back before but I think the semi gloss may shed dirt easier.

[snakeriverrangerider]

I really like the oil cooler and the little guard. Where did you get it? And who makes it?

[buddasahk]

are your grip heaters made by tusk? i just put them on my bike and i was planning on running 2 led idicator lights i figue ill need one for high and one for low? i see you only have indicator light

 

bike looks great btw

[Rich_in_Orlando]

are your grip heaters made by tusk? i just put them on my bike and i was planning on running 2 led idicator lights i figue ill need one for high and one for low? i see you only have indicator light

bround and the 

bike looks great btw

thanks, budda

 

grips heaters are Dual Star but they all work the same way. There's a common ground wire and one "coil" or multiple "coils" of heater material are energized to switch between hi and lo. I used one radio shack LED to tell me if power is engaged on either hi or lo. The switch position tells me which one. I found that it was useful more to know if it's just on or off. Sometimes I would switch it on but didn't feel any heat. After I installed the LED, I found out that the lo position required a more positive engagement to operate than I was doing. The LED helps with that.more than anything.

Edited April 21, 2014 by Rich_in_Orlando

[Rich_in_Orlando]

I had a small setback last night. After I re-jetted to a Dynojet 165 main and dropped the needle 1 clip, I went out for a test ride. Seemed much smoother and the power really comes on strong compared to before the exhaust mods.

 

I got out on the freeway to do some higher speeds and suddenly all lights except for the headlight shut off! No taillight or anything. Drivers in Florida are bad enough when they can see you but no taiilight at night was nerve wracking.

 

I spent the afternoon tracking down a short and I ended up just about completely rewiring the accessory electrics. I improved the ground connections and I tied all of the switched power to come off of the key. That's the 2-prong plug that clips into the headlight/meter holder assembly. One of the wires is always hot and the other one is post-switch but the power is directly from the main 20A fuse. I was using the switched lighting circuits for this stuff previously and I believe this was the cause of the fault. 

[Rich_in_Orlando]

Some interesting developments, I think: The last engine-related thing I did was the XL600 exhaust with the ATC250R baffle back in April. I rejetted by raising the DJ needle one clip position. It seemed to help but I really couldn't decide if it was better or worse. However, something just seemed a little off. I figured the only way to solve it would be to dyno it. Then summer hit with its hot Florida raininess, so I hadn't ridden much since May. 

 

Fast forward to a couple of weeks ago when I took the bike to the western NC mountains for a week of riding. Bike was running ok but it felt down on power. Gaining between 3 and 6k feet of altitude can do that. But what I had been feeling in Orlando was magnified, and it was easy to figure out then that it had been overly rich. What to do for the rest of the trip?

 

A few years ago, I cut three 1-1/2" diameter holes in the airbox on the right side behind the side panel to see if more intake air would yield any power gains. With the stock exhaust, it just caused the engine to run poorly so I covered over the holes with black duct tape. Hadn't used them at all. But here I was a long way from home and I really didn't want to spend the rest of the trip trying to figure out jetting. So I uncovered one of the holes. Hmmm, that's better. Rode some more. Let's try 2 holes open. Even better. What the hell, how about all three? That's more like it. 

 

With the freer breathing outlet (close to double the effective exhaust flow opening area compared to stock), it evidently needed more intake air. The three holes (about 5 sq. in. total) in the side of the airbox made all the difference. Funny thing about it was I saw a lower operating temperature as well. Probably because the engine was running more efficiently. 

[jjast]

: The last engine-related thing I did was the XL600 exhaust with the ATC250R baffle back in April.

 

So a XL600 baffle should fit in a XRL muffler? Is it a smaller exhaust exit diameter then the stock XRL baffle?

Edited August 25, 2014 by jjast

[Rich_in_Orlando]

The only part of the XL600 exhaust I used was the header. I have a stock 650L muffler other than the baffle.

[Carter Pewterschmidt]

You can get a XL600R header, The primaries on it a probably the same size as the "high flow" aftermarket headers, maybe the information is on here somewhere.

 

That's certainly not the case.

 

My original XL header

 

The XR's Only header I just installed

 

 

Not. Even. Close.

[bork]

I'll have to check my 1983, someone on here said they were the larger ones & then the size decreased in later years, but dont know what year.

[Rich_in_Orlando]

That's certainly not the case.

 

 

 

 

Not. Even. Close.

 

This is what I posted earlier about the sizes:

"...stock outside diameter averaged 28.5 mm, XL600 average 30.6 mm. Wall thickness is about 1.1 mm, so that would reduce ID to 26.3 (28.5 - 2 x 1.2) and 28.2 mm respectively. Cross sectional area is pi x d^2 /4, so stock is 3.14 x 26.3^/4 = 543 sq mm vs 624 mm, which is 15% larger flow area."

 

 

28.2 ain't 32.7 but it's better than 26.3: The aftermarket pipe has 54% higher flow area than the stock 650 pipe and 34% higher flow area than the 600L pipe. If I were racing, I'd get the aftermarket pipe. But it's not a racebike. To get the full effect, you got to get a race "silencer" which is way louder. The setup I have now has gobs of power and is not much different than the stock exhaust sound level. And it only cost me around $150. 

[bork]

Why would Honda retool for smaller headers on the later years after XL600r? To keep torque curve?    I would think they did R&D & have a dyno.

[Rich_in_Orlando]

Why would Honda retool for smaller headers on the later years after XL600r? To keep torque curve?    I would think they did R&D & have a dyno.

You'll have to ask Honda about that one. But it is what it is.

[jjast]

Why would Honda retool for smaller headers on the later years after XL600r? To keep torque curve?    I would think they did R&D & have a dyno.

 

I have read that smaller diameter headers are better for low end power.

[Carter Pewterschmidt]

I have read that smaller diameter headers are better for low end power.

+1

 

I've lost some low end since swapping in this aftermarket header, but I gained massive top end.

[Rich_in_Orlando]

Who knows, maybe the XL600 header and ATC250R baffle may be the perfect compromise. Low end power is great with this setup. Matter of fact, before I got everything tuned, and certainly before I did any exhaust mods, the bike didn't like to be in 5th gear at any speed below 50. I can run it down to 35 in 5th now and it accelerates cleanly.

[Carter Pewterschmidt]

I have a dual carb XL600 with cam, piston, and headwork.  This exhaust shifted the powerband up, but made it run way better all over.  I wouldn't recommend this big of a header on a stock motor, or at least a carb upgrade.

Edited September 22, 2014 by Carter Pewterschmidt

[Fivefive1]

I have a dual carb XL600 with cam, piston, and headwork. This exhaust shifted the powerband up, but made it run way better all over. I wouldn't recommend this big of a header on a stock motor, or at least a carb upgrade.

4-strokes have a powerband! Whoa!