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Thread: '98 Suzuki FX 650 Freewind.

  1. #16
    Join Date
    24th November 2015 - 11:20
    Bike
    GSX-S1000GT/DR 650
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    Blenheim and Welly
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    626
    As it turns out there's a 2000-model for sale here in Blenheim. I've put it on my watchlist since reading about you buying yours as I may be tempted. He wants $3200 for it (It has 47500-48000Kms on it) so that seems about right. I reckon that those motors will run for ages if you take a bit of care of them.

  2. #17
    Join Date
    24th September 2004 - 06:46
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    '76 CB550 Super Sport
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    On the road to nowhere...
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    Quote Originally Posted by Navy Boy View Post
    As it turns out there's a 2000-model for sale here in Blenheim. I've put it on my watchlist since reading about you buying yours as I may be tempted. He wants $3200 for it (It has 47500-48000Kms on it) so that seems about right. I reckon that those motors will run for ages if you take a bit of care of them.
    Sounds alright. Good luck if you do decide to get it. Hey and the young salesman said they are RARE

  3. #18
    Join Date
    24th September 2004 - 06:46
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    '76 CB550 Super Sport
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    On the road to nowhere...
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    Pulled the top triple clamps off to figure out how to lower the handle bar risers, In typical Suziki fashion it is a piece of piss. The riser is basicly in 3 portions, the bar camp, riser portion which is just ali round stock with a hole drilled through the centre and bottem portion with rubber dampers that mount on the top triple clamp. One of the security screws gave me grief so had to drill the head off to get the ignition switch off. I'll have the round stock cut at the 1/3 mark by a lathe at my favorate engineering shop. Also need the get a pair of bolts for the smaller heights. This will give me a number of height options or back to original if need be. Also I can chose not use any stock at all. Simple as that. Four height options for the handle bar risers..

  4. #19
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    24th September 2004 - 06:46
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    '76 CB550 Super Sport
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    Found this artical and it describes the XF650 perfectly https://www.motorcycle.com/features/...-freewind.html

  5. #20
    Join Date
    24th November 2015 - 11:20
    Bike
    GSX-S1000GT/DR 650
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    Blenheim and Welly
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    626
    Yep - That article seems to sum it up rather well. A surprisingly good machine born of relatively humble origins but where the result is something where the parts add up to something greater than the sum of the individual bits put together.

  6. #21
    Join Date
    24th September 2004 - 06:46
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    '76 CB550 Super Sport
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    Just going over the bike and checking bit n bobs while the bikes off the road for a few days., Pulled off the counter sprocket cover, checked the sprocket and drained the air filter run off tube. About 6 years of oil flowed out. Obviuosly hadn't been done for a while. Oil was clear thouigh which is a good sign. Sprocket is about at its 2/3s its life, same for the rear sprocket. Emailed AFC parts for pricing on tyres. Not urgent but nice to know the cost in advance.

    Opened the air box. A few bugs and the foam was quite dirty so gave it a clean in petrol, queezed as much as i cold out and left in the sun to dry/evaporate. I'll let the dirty petrol sit for a bit so the geblies can settle then seive through some rag and put aside in another container for use on my chainsaw. There was a Castrol Magnetic 10W-40 sticker on the top of the air box cover, obviously from the original owner as it has 20,000kms as it's next oil change. These bikes are made to wrench.

    Tidying the side of the fwd centre lhs cowling that was damaged in a slow speed drop. Fixed the crack and sanded back for priming.

  7. #22
    Join Date
    24th September 2004 - 06:46
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    '76 CB550 Super Sport
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    Just fucking around in the shed repairing the LH cowling. Soldering iron and tyraps repaired the crack which was about 2inches long vertically. Just bit of sanding and using a cheap orange enamel spray bomb to build the paint and will lightly sand to smooth out. Useful trick I discovered today is if the enamal doesn't stick to the underlaying surface sprey a light coat of acrylic clear then let that dry and sprey over the top of it. Also a soft brush and a bit of turps helps mooth any runs you get. Finaly found a use for the flood lamps I bought 30 years ago.
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  8. #23
    Join Date
    10th November 2004 - 19:15
    Bike
    2/'79 XR500s, 04 KLX400, 1953CycleMotor
    Location
    Nelson!!
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    375

    Twin carb?

    The article linked above states 'twin 32mm mikuni'?
    Helmet time is the best kind of time.

  9. #24
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    24th September 2004 - 06:46
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    '76 CB550 Super Sport
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    Yes it has two carbs, bigger valves than the DR650 and two spark plugs.

    There's a nice one on TM at the moment.

  10. #25
    Join Date
    24th September 2004 - 06:46
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    '76 CB550 Super Sport
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    Got some good quality Shinko Adventure tyres today at a total cost $280 including matching tubes. Basicly the price of one Metz Tourance.. Thats around 10,000kms riding.

    Current rear tyre is scraping on the inside of the rear mudguard so a few adjustments are needed to sort that out. You can also see marks on the tyre were two screws that mount some electrics poke through the rear mudguard. I'll also dremel the screws down 5mm.
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  11. #26
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    24th September 2004 - 06:46
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    '76 CB550 Super Sport
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    On the road to nowhere...
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    Turns out adusting the rear suspention spring preload on these in situ is a pita. I knew there was a reason I prefer older style twin shock suspention.
    Got some advice from DaveNav on AdvRider from down south who owns a couple of XF650s that it can be done with a bit of finesse. I'll need a long drift to do it so I'll get some brass rod. That'll do the job quite nicely without doing any damage.. My kind of maintenance proceedure. I'll evaluate the proceedure and decide after giving it a go or removing the shock wholesale would be quicker. Brass rod always comes in handy in the workshop anyway.

  12. #27
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    24th November 2015 - 11:20
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    GSX-S1000GT/DR 650
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    Blenheim and Welly
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    626
    I'm assuming that it's the same procedure/set-up as the DR which is a PITA. The Freewind will be worse owing to the extra bodywork I'd imagine...

    Apart from that is all well with the mighty F'Wind?

  13. #28
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    24th September 2004 - 06:46
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    '76 CB550 Super Sport
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    When I got the bike I noticed the LH driving LED didn't quite look correct. On examination today it looked like the LED mounting screw on the frame mounting bracket had unscrewed allowing the LED to dangle on it's lead. Instead of just undoing the LED mounting bracket some Bozo just sprayed instafoam in the general mounting area then stuck the LED to it, sprayed a bit of black gloss paint and that was that. I pulled the LED off the foam, cleaned as much foam as I could off the LED body and bike frame. Undid the proper LED frame mount and removed it from the frame. The frame mount was then attached it to the LED properly using the screw which had unwound. Mounted the whole assy correctly back on the bike, positioning the LED, then tighten the frame mount screws. I then applied some black silican sealent around the mount and LED screw. The screw wont undo again. Took 10 minutes and the job was done.
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  14. #29
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    24th September 2004 - 06:46
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    '76 CB550 Super Sport
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    Looking at the rear suspension preload problem I found it relatively easy to adjust. Remove the LH side cover, rear foot peg mount and the countershaft sprocket cover. Then you have plenty of access to the nuts from various positions, including just above the top rear engine mount, with a soft drift.

    I've had far worse accessability issues working on aircraft.

  15. #30
    Join Date
    24th November 2015 - 11:20
    Bike
    GSX-S1000GT/DR 650
    Location
    Blenheim and Welly
    Posts
    626
    Blimey - Let's hope you don't have to adjust it too often in that case. As for the LED mounting... Words couldn't really do it justice me thinks...

    How's the bike riding? What sort of fuel economy are you managing to get from it?

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