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removing "Yamaha" from XS650 primary cover

10K views 34 replies 14 participants last post by  repoguy 
#1 ·
I'm about to remove the "Yamaha" lettering from an XS650 primary cover. I'm building a jig to hold the cover in place for my vertical mill can remove the very shallow writing. I'm then going to use a belt-sander to restore some roundness to the cover, as the mill will have just left a flat spot.

Here are two photos - the first one is of my old XS650/750 racebike (machined for external plumbing) with ugly-ass text in place and the second, swiped from Bob Bertaut's website, shows a cover with the text removed. I didn't do the 2nd cover; it's just there for demonstration purposes. Many people simply fill the female letters in with JB Weld and paint over with glossy black paint, but then you can't have a shiny aluminum cover.




Here's a question for other XS650 owners, or owners of any Japanese bike with company name similarly engraved into engine covers. Does anyone do this commercially? If not, what would such a service be worth to people on this forum?

I've got equipment, a little spare time, and a desperate need for cash. I'm a (damn near) starving third-year law student and could use a humble source of income that I can then invest back into a chopper project.

Any insight, advice, or cash donations graciously accepted!

Scott in Springfield, Massachusetts
 
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#6 ·
Hey Sporticus,

Im almost positive that I've read that this is REALLY easy to do, that the metal is pretty soft and since the letters really areant that deep, they go away pretty easily. In other words, looks bigger than it is. Curious to see how true this is though.
Good Luck!!
XCS
 
#8 ·
A few years back I was restoring a 74 TX650 and was hanging around the 650 forums. Since Yamaha was a new subject for me, I started hanging around the old XS650 list and corresponded regulary with many of the members. One of the was Bob Bertaut and I started watching his site on a regular basis. Since I had an ever growing pile of excess 650 parts, I tried removing the YAMAHA from one of the "parts" covers following the posted directions. Actually, it worked great! I can't weld aluminum for shit, so for me it was easier to sand and recontour the cover then it was to weld and try to dress up the resulting mess. LOL!
Hank
 
#9 ·
JasonMcElroy said:
You can fill the letters with alum filler rod and a TIG torch.
No TIG and marginal skills with MIG. I'd be afraid that there would be color differences and the fill would be too obvious. Is this a legitimate concern?

Like Apehanger Hank, I too saw Bob Bertaut's documented "Yamaha" exorcism. I was active on the Micapeak XS list when I was racing my XS powered sidehack and 750 cc solo bike. I recall Bob saying that there was plenty of material that could be removed without affecting the integrity of the cover. I've seen a lot filled with putty and painted black. I like to make things difficult for myself.

I should have the time tomorrow to fixture the cover and mill away.
 
#14 ·
I personally like the look of the Yamaha removed...Looks cleaner...If it wasn't so damn ugly i would leave it on...I love to piss off the RUB's with my $400 piece of jap shit...anyone dumb enough to think an XS650 is a triumph isn't anyone I want to associate with anyway...
 
#15 ·
I ground mine off with a 4 1/2" grinder and polished it up. Piece of cake.

Probably not worthwhile to offer as a service here, being that most would do it themselves, but you'd probably do OK on Ebay.

But I'd suggest buying up 3 or 4 of them, grinding and polishing them, then offering them on Ebay with or without a core charge for their old covers.

One thing I did learn when welding fins on the other cover of mine, the aluminum must have some sort of coating. It welded like shit- lots of bubbles. That made me decide on grinding rather than weld/ filling it.

My 2 cents.
Rob
 
#16 ·
Nappy said:
.

One thing I did learn when welding fins on the other cover of mine, the aluminum must have some sort of coating. It welded like shit- lots of bubbles. That made me decide on grinding rather than weld/ filling it.

My 2 cents.
Rob
Nap,
You have fins on the other side cover? Never noticed that before, how could I have missed those.. Post a pic if ya could. Id love to see those... Or could just go back and look at the pics you posted before.... Naaaa.

XCS
 
#17 ·
XCabbieS said:
Nap,
You have fins on the other side cover? Never noticed that before, how could I have missed those.. Post a pic if ya could. Id love to see those... Or could just go back and look at the pics you posted before.... Naaaa.

XCS
Here ya go, Cabbie. They're pretty amateur looking with the pits, and probably not worth the trouble of doing. Live and learn...
 

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#18 ·
You know...as cool as they look (and we all know I get distracted by shiny things) I'd almost rather see "Yamaha" left in there....hell make it BIGGER and wear a t-shirt that says something like "Fuck yeah its a Yamaha."

I dunno...I know its just me but when its kind of like wearing what was referred to as "birth control glasses".
Kind of a "Hell yeah, I wear glasses. It doesn't bother me so it shouldn't bother you!" kind of attitude.
"Yamaha" "Honda" "Kawasaki" hell even "Yamasonda" or whatever it just makes it that much cooler.

I know, I know...its just me.

*again this is more proof of why I shouldn't type without enough coffee.
 
#19 ·
Nappy said:
Here ya go, Cabbie. They're pretty amateur looking with the pits, and probably not worth the trouble of doing. Live and learn...
Rob, the fins look good man! Havent seen that on an XS before. Nother question for ya, what/ how did you do your "oil" tank/ elec box? Looks good. I need to hide my wiring and have quite a few ideas, but Im not sure yet. Seen em done a bunch of ways, just curious.

Thanks!
XCS
 
#21 ·
Nappy said:
Here ya go, Cabbie. They're pretty amateur looking with the pits, and probably not worth the trouble of doing. Live and learn...
That's cool as shit, and you couldn't purchase that cover from any catalog with all the money in the world. Seeing stuff like those fins restores my faith.

I found that you can't polish those covers without using paint remover and a wire brush first. There's some type of coating (clear-coat, varnish, etc.) on them that looks like hell when it yellows and starts to peel.
 
#22 ·
XCabbieS said:
. Nother question for ya, what/ how did you do your "oil" tank/ elec box?
The electrical still isn't done on my bike. But I welded in a battery tray made from angle iron and started by cutting up 2 hub caps. Was hoping to use a piece of stainless in the center, making a "tube" to which I'd attach a hub cap on each end. This would hide the battery and whatever else I could shove in there. The hubcap tube thingy would just be a cover and open on the bottom to slide over the battery tray. This is all theoritical, however, and subject to change until I actually finish it.

I think Sporticus hit the nail on the head with the engine covers- they're probably fine to weld on if you remove the clearcoat shit. I didn't before the 'finning' and it didn't go well.
 
#23 ·
Tonight I milled a spare primary cover I had laying around. After I was done I smoothed it out with flapwheel on my angle grinder. Came out fine. I could have done it without the milling machine, though. A belt sander with a coarse grit would have worked just as well.
 
#25 ·
repoguy said:
I think it would be cool to fill it or grind it off, and then re-do the "Yamaha" letters in a Triumph-like script.
ehhhhh, All I can say is Why? Its a yamaha, not a Triumph. Thats like the guys who re-do the decals on their Honda Shadows with a HD like shield and bar but it says Honda instead. Be proud of what you ride, why try to make it into something it isnt for someone else...
XCS
 
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