My XJ550 Project - Old Skool, New Roolz

Ive decided that I need to do something with the bike.

Ive sat and thought about it and have come to the conclusion that the project needs to be as close as possible to what I have in my minds eye, with no compromise over the quality of the work. What I want to achieve is the styling of the early 1980's streetfighter, but with a heavy hint of modern design. The finished bike should have aggresive looks, sound awesome, and although I aint bothered about performance, she needs to look a bit quick. Here is what I need to do to her to get it something close:

1. Frame and Swing Arm - full strip, blast, reweld if required, powder coat Satin Black

2. Engine - Rebuild and re-black with heat exchanger fins polished at the edges and all engine covers highly polished.

3. Wheels - Powder Coat Satin Black

4. Lighting/Electrics - remove and replace headlight with a custom twin round or preferably rectangular arrangement (must be twin), Front indicators to be LED type on bar ends. Rear Indicators to be close mounted onto rear light cluster which is to be another small twin LED arrangement. The whole bike is to be rewired. The current instrument cluster is to be ditched and something else sourced with a better more aggresive look, might even make my own inside a carbon box or something.

5. Tank - The fuel tank is to have two small intakes moulded to the sides to give the impression of a larger more aggresive fuel tank, similar looking to the air intakes on a Harrier Jump Jet, but obviously not as big

6. Exhaust - 4 single exhausts with no silencers made from bare stainless steel with neat TIG welds to give that aggresive look. The exhausts should follow the same lines as as the originals but finish just behind the riders feet and slightly bend round to point outwards and slightly upwards.

7. Seat - looking to have a single seat conversion for this one, but not a long cafe racer style, just a nice small snug one.

8. Brakes - front discs to be replaced with "toothed" type for a more aggresive look. existing calipers will probably be chromed. All brake lines to be braided in a colour yet to be decided.

9. Oil Cooler - a new mocal oil cooler with anodised alloy fittings and stainless braided hoses.

10. Paint - all paint to be satin black.

11. front fender - shortened and painted

12. Handlebars - custom made to my specification.

13. Air Box - to be ditched and replaced with single K&N's on each carb.

14. Suspension - Rears to be replaced with a slightly longer coil damper to lift the back end a little. Front shocks to have uprated springs and highly polished or painted satin black - not decided yet.

So thats just the start of it. As I get started I will obviously add things to the list as I get going.

My main problem is going to be the lack of XJ Parts in the UK so I will be looking for assistance from the U.S.

I can do more or less all the work myself apart from the powder coating and the exhaust so I can save alot of money that way. I will post pics of the rebuild when I get started.

Any assistance with parts would be great. I figure my main stumbling block is going to be the single seat. Was there such a thing in the U.S for the Seca?

Thanks for your interest.

 

Sounds like we are going to be doing some of the same mods, some are different. For the headlight, you might want to look at the ET Wave headlight, it kinda reminds me of WALL*E's head (from the PIXAR movie) and is what I bought in Black off of EBAY.

Im using a solo seat from a 2000 Road Star, some judicious cutting with a dremel and mounting hardware for a Harley solo seat and VIOLA'. There are other things, but Ive 'jacked your thread enough.

 

Thanks for that. Ive looked at the ET Wave Headlight, and although it looks OK, its not what Im looking for. I really want a pair of separate lights, preferably rectangular although round would be OK. Something like the Triumph Street Triple arrangement.

Thanks for the pointer though.

 

Here are a few bits and pieces that interest me for the mods:

Twin Headlight

Bar End Indicators

Brake Discs (Rotors)

Ive ordered the headlight and bar end indicators together with a matching set of rear indicators

 

Some pics of my tinkering and meddling so far:

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Note the lack of exhaust silencer !! - sounds awesome !

 

The picture in your minds eye is very almost identical to mine. I had to google a Harrier Jump Jet to see what you were talking about. I like that V-max look. looks like you got an aftermarket bracket for your headlights. was that because of lack of room?
P.S. I'm really diggin the bar end indicators!

 

Thanks mate.

I didnt bother with the bar end indicators simply because it would cause problems for me later on with my other plans.

The aftermarket bracket was bought because of lack of room. I didnt realise until I stripped the original headlight that there were millions of wires in there. As you can see, I have mounted my horn to hide the wiring a little, but I need to totally ditch the instruments to enable me to thin out the loom alot and actually do what I want to.

I now need to find a pair of matching small single cable driven clocks, not bothered about turn signal lamps, high beam, etc etc, I can make the oil lamp and neutral lights with LED's and put them anywhere really.

 

Your headlights will fit with the factory bracket, you just have to move the wiring around. you will need to drill a couple new holes in the top of the bracket where the inst. cluster mounting studs go through, this tilts the bracket forward a little to clear the speedo/tach cables.

 

I know you've spent your cash already, but I would put a large round chrome headlight on it (XJ650?) if it were mine - or maybe two!!

 

it CAME with a large round chrome headlight on it...

 

I probably should not say this but those dual headlights remind me of Wall-e

 

Wall-E or even a mosquito haha but I like em!

 

anyone know if these tanks will fit an 81 XJ650?

 

They will bolt straight on but they are shorter than the stock 650 so there will be a gap at the front of the seat

 

awesome thanks.

 

awesome thanks.

 

Your gauges are bigger than your headlights. That's just wrong.....




:lol: