XS650

I got some of the maintenance items done this morning on my "new" XS650. I adjusted the cam chain and valves, and changed the oil. No surprises on it, and it seems like a very healthy engine. A proper oil change on an XS650 is a bit more involved than some bikes. The "filters" on these are just screens, so it's important to do it right and change the oil regularly.

Here is what I got from MikesXS, a new sump filter and gasket, the right hand cover filter and two gaskets, and new copper crush gaskets for the two drain plugs.


Pretty much what you'll always find on the stock sump filter is a tear in the spot shown below. This one may have never been cleaned or inspected before.

The new improved filter from MikesXS fixes this. I've heard of quality problems with some of these Fuji filters, but this one looked fine.

Afterward I went for a nice ride. I stopped for lunch, and then hit some back roads. The bike handles excellent, and is great fun to ride, even with the sketchy front tire. Other than the front tire, the bike needs all the typical things like chain and sprockets and fork seals, but this late in the year I'll just wait until winter to do all that.