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Adjust the cam chain tension.
Set the intake and exhaust valve gap.
Check and adjust the ignition timing.
If machine has breaker points, check condition.
Check the condition of the spark plugs.
Check air cleaners - clean or replace as necessary.
Lube and adjust the drive chain tension
Check tire pressures and adjust to factory specs.
Adjust clutch rod play.
Check the operation of all lights.
Check the operation of brakes.
Check spoke tension.
Lube the swingarm, brake pedal, levers and cables.
HEADLIGHT WIRING CHECK
The headlight shell is a very busy place for the wiring harness. There are a lot of wires and
connectors that are crammed into a tight space. Frequently a wire either gets pinched or wears
due to vibration and results in a short which can do major damage - or at least leave you stranded
with some portion of your electrical system not working and a blown fuse.
Whenever preparing a new bike (new to you anyway), always remove the headlight and examine
all the wires in the headlight shell. Look for evidence of corrosion, pinching or wear on insulation.
Corrosion is taken care of by dressing the components down with some very fine sandpaper and
coating with silicone grease. Pinching and worn insulation are corrected by either wrapping any
suspect areas in electrical tape or covering with shrink tubing.
When replacing the headlight shell, try to avoid putting stress on any wires and get things
arranged so they won’t get pinched by the headlight when it is replaced. This simple check will
save lots of future problems.
FUSE HOLDERS
Later years of the 650 twin used a fuse holder that sits on top of the battery. Over time the fuse
holder fingers weaken and eventually just break off. This problem can be difficult to diagnose
because the symptom can be either a total failure of power to a circuit or intermittent lack of
power to various circuits. It appears to be a bad fuse at first, but can just be weak clips.
Although time consuming, the best fix is to just replace all the holders. A very similar fuse holder
can be purchased from Radio Shack. It comes with the holders mounted in plastic. Cut the plastic
base and remove the holders. Then cut the holders off the bike wiring harness, being careful to
retain as much of the original wiring as possible. Strip back about 1/8 of the insulation and twist
the end of the copper wire. Insert the wire into the hole in the tab projecting from the new holder.
Place a drop of solder on top of the wire. When the assembly has cooled, insert it into the fuse
holder on the bike. These new fuse brackets are much heavier than original and should last
indefinitely.
Keep in mind that fuses can weaken over time and if you see fuses with sagging links, go ahead
and replace them. You can also check a fuse with an ohmeter, but an intermittent connection will
be tough to find. When in doubt, replace them. You should be carrying spares anyway.
