'79

I got a little more work done on the XS650. I got the frame paint touched up, which actually turned out to be a coat on most of the frame. I brushed the areas near the engine first, and then sprayed the rest.


It turned out really nice. Not the "proper" way to do it, but it looks fine, and I'm trying to keep it simple and fun. My '75 XS is going to be a complete teardown, but no need to do that with this one.

Then some sandblasting on some of the other parts.

I've mentioned this before, but I use play sand from the home center. It's really cheap, and works great at removing rust and paint, while being very gentle on even thin sheet metal. It is usually too wet to use out of the bag, so I always have some drying in my basement. I also filter it with a piece of window screen since it will sometimes have small rocks that can clog the nozzle. If you ever do any sand blasting, be sure to wear a good mask since the fine particles are harmful if breathed in.

The pile of crusty parts here. The slotted rotor is from an XJ750. I had a pair of them, and used the left one on my SR500, so will use the right one on the XS.

Clean!

Even the nasty battery box came out nice.

Self-etching primer first.

My painting "tree", part of an old weight bench.

Color going on here. I'll have it all ready to go in a day or two, and make a list and get the new parts ordered by this weekend, then put the bike back together.