English is an odd language … a mongrel … a lexic melting-pot … context rules … it’s quite easy to gain a basic working knowledge of English – average daily vocab uses around 700-1500 common words (depending on the person and their circumstances … 20-40k passive vocab) … but you have to listen carefully (grammar, pronunciation, intonation, colloquialism and proficiency aside) … words in english language take on a life of their own depending how they’re used

Habit:

/ (ˈhæbɪt) /

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noun

• a tendency or disposition to act in a particular way

• established custom, usual practice, etc

• psychology: a learned behavioural response that has become associated with a particular situation, esp one frequently repeated

• mental disposition or attitude a good working habit of mind

• addiction

1. a practice or substance to which a person is addicted
2. the state of being dependent on something, esp a drug

• botany zoology: the method of growth, type of existence, behaviour, or general appearance of a plant or animal, a climbing habit; a burrowing habit

• the customary apparel of a particular occupation, rank, etc, now esp the costume of a nun or monk

• riding habit a woman’s riding dress

• crystallography: short for crystal habit

verb (tr)

• to clothe

• an archaic word for inhabit, habituate

Usable in fields such as Tradition, Psychology, Botany, Zoology, Crystallography to describe custom, state, disposition, growth, dependence, clothing, residence …

I have many habits. Depending on who you’re talking to, some good, some bad. Being not so “woke” I don’t give a flying-flick how people react – grow a set of balls – have a good look at yourselves, get a life.

One of these habits (customary practice) is to treat my favourite bike (addiction) to a birthday present. Another (behavioral response) is to listen to my angels (whether i act or not is up to me). This year, the local version of fleabay presented an opportunity to acquire a paired set of XS1 wheels. At a reasonable price, no-less. In Nelson – the ‘other’ island. No postal option. Surprised – the last few years I haven’t been able to look at a bike.

Weighing freight options I shat buckets of blood – checking local flights and booking in advance, it proved cheaper to drive (from my habitat) to Auckland, fly down to Nelson, stay the night, shuttle back to the airport and fly back to Auckland (<$100 each way) – my elderly mates widow also winning a couple of hard days gardening and newly built external stairs down to the garden … all in all 6 rather long days … gotta be getting old-this trip hurt.

Kool post-sunrise, mid-autumn flight down the west coast, Mts Ruapehu and Ngauruhoe snowy head and shoulders shrouded in mist, then over Mt Egmont/Taranaki, across Cook Strait, Nelson. 1.5 hours … the coffee was even drinkable.

Ruapehu from Taranaki … late sunrise … some Mordor scenes were shot here for Lord of the Rings

Mt Egmont/Taranaki showing Farthams Peak on southern flank

Sun was shining. A small miracle (although Nelson is renown for sun). Many major storms-rain-wind- damage in NZ so far this year (odd how in our region jet vapour trails only seem to occur just before stormy rain – or is the jet called Daniel and the trail is crack laden hot and sweaty bad breath). This weather is a real bonus. Worth a walk. Airport to city, via the waterfront – bit over an hour

nelson waterfront

for these …

XS1 wheel pair

Very clean, all there, excellent drum lining, rims appear fine, spokes are fine, even have good tyres. These wheels have had little use.

SR500 and XS1 Front Wheels

Easy set-up for later 35mm XS and SR generic forks. The SR500 model 48T and SR400 introduced into Europe and Japan in the late 80’s and 90’s had the ‘Trommel’ or Drum Brake option – basically a reconstituted XS1 drum brake, with 5 black rubber inserts instead of 6 and no chrome cover for the air-vent which itself is not open anymore, cast offset is a bit different and the 19″ chrome steel rim became 18″ aluminium. This mated to the generic forks, set up for disc brakes, using Yamaha Part Nr. 1JN-25192-01-00

SR500 Drum Brake adapter

You can find these on German fleabay (kleinanzeigen), for an arm and a leg. Also from Motolanna.

SR500T front brake lever provides Yamaha generic brake light switch and brake cable operation.

Some time ago I posted ‘How to lower those Forks‘. Have always had misgivings about this method – it reduces the ammount of fork travel. OK if you dont push your bike.

It is true that our XS650s do suffer from posture. Front is a bit high/rear a bit low.

My blue rat runs an SR500 front drum brake. One of my SR500s runs with an XS650 fork.

Comparing the XS650 and SR500 upper yokes you can see marked differences. And similarities. Fork width and tube diameters are the same. Yoke height isnt. SR500 front sits lower as the yoke is flat.

 

unpainted SR500 upper yoke – painted XS650 one … (SR500 yoke has been a little modified-handlebar has been solid mounted and instrument cluster mounts have been removed) – apart from that the geometry matches

 

you can see that the XS650 yoke mounts higher than the SR500 – translates to the fork tubes sitting lower and the front higher

 

here you can see the same – the difference is about 27mm or so

 

Can definitely gain over an inch (ca 27mm) height change very easily without compromising fork travel.