IT BEGINS!! Death and Ressurrection of an 83 XJ750M

Yesterday i got the itch, pulled my bike into my dining room, and started turning out bolts. I got the whole front end out, save for a couple broken bolts everything is going ok. Ok on that note im ready to start the rear tire removal. Gunna get some pics later today with tires off and only thing remaining is frame and engine. 8)

 

i voted other, because i saw the most unique (in a good way) bike in a magazine a few days ago......

it didnt have any tins on it, so im not sure what color those were going to be, but the frame was pc'd an immitation copper color, it looked really close to real polished copper. it looked AWESOME!

if not, i was actually thinking blue or gray myself.

if you chat with your local PC shop they will show you a few tricks they have for making different colors. also, dont be afraid to ask them to make a sample of some different combos. i have had a few frames cone in silver metallic, with a candy on top and it really looks fantastic. the last frame i did had a very fine metallic silver, and it had a very smooth look to it. if i have some money to do it this winter, i am going to have them make me a sample of bright white, and a candy coat of purple, burnt orange, canary yellow, and my safe favorite....blue. i think those would look wild on top of a bright white.

 

Great suggestion Zook. A friend had a new 750 GSXR that went down at low speed on the pavement a couple of years ago. Just enough damage to require new plastic and paint. I suggested at the time he go for flat black and copper... still a fav of mine, and might end up on my bike.

GG

 

not a fan of copper, the color of the bike was a reddish copper when i got it, i really dont care for it, by the way the bike is completely tore down except remocval of the engine. Gunna hit up the local color shop some time this week and pick my colors. Im leaning towards an anodized blue type finish myself. painted the footpeg holders that color earlier this year and really like the way they turned out. The only problem is its a 3 step procces for painting. A first coat of a silver metalic, then a blue tinted clear, then a full clear. Very time intensive, but very beautiful.

 

The frame color is a very complicated thing to give a color choice on. To me, it totally depends on the color(s) of the tins. A buddy of mine just painted his Magna. He did the tins in metallic blue with pearl white stripes and graphics. He decided to powder coat his frame and wheels a color of brown I just can't describe. The only thing I can say about the color scheme is that it actually works.

To me, as long as it compliments the tins, just do it.

My only other comment is that, black is soooooo over done.

 

my tins will be pearl white with blue and red accents, my eagle graphics like on one of my previous posts. BTW, i think all my chrome will disappear, not sure yet.


Also, heres some pics of the bike all tore down, ready to paint the frame next weekend, and get the airbox repaired and painted next weekend.

 

Black, silver, gray and to a lesser extent white are considered neutral frame colors and should go with most color choices for the tins. If you don't want to use one of them then you need to decide what color you want to use on the tins first, and then explore what frame colors will complement the color of the tins.

On my Seca currently the frame is the stock black. I'm going to paint the tins and faring a dark metallic blue to match my car. Eventually I'd like to have the frame powder coated silver, but the black also works with the blue.

 

wha wha what? you actually took your motorcycle into the dining room holy poop! You must be single or have an understanding wife, or you wear the pants, but lord knows u probably dont, holy poop. i just thought u made some joke about your garage being a dining room cuz thats where u spend all your time or eat there idk, wow... i hope your bike project goes well... if i was in your situation i would make my bike look just like painter d'd but its your choice, yup good luck

 

J if your talking about the dupli color anodized blue My X was actually that color for a few weeks after some dip wad stole the emblems off the tank. I kept getting one spot on the tank(my inexperience at painting) that would bubble up thats when it went to a pro. But the color is very sweet I think if you do the white with a light(as in not a heavy pearl) blue pearl and the frame the anodized blue you would have one friggen sweet combination.

 

i got the duplicolor paintshop blue and white paint today with a metallic intermediate clear, hope it looks good when im done.(i paint everyday at work, so i doubt there will be any paint issue, other than the colors) frame will be blue with white tins and a touch of red scattered throughout. now the issue is the frame, started to scuff it this afternoon, found out the last coat of paint went directly over the original, they didnt smooth out any of the rock chips or anything. got raw fingers trying to smooth just a few out, so Tomorrow i will go get a few cans of the spray on chemical stripper and get it bare metal and go from there.

 

striped the frame mostly today, had to nix the idea of the blue anodized once i thought of how much that stuff costs, so its going a deep blue, possily gunna take the frame to a friend of mine and have red pinstripes put along the outside of all the visible rails. And schooter, my gf is actually helping me with this project alot, she hated the old frame color even more so than i did, and since she paid for the bike for me, she has been helping me a lot to get it running and looking good. all the practice i had this summer just keeping the thing running and trying out a few paint colors on the tank and side pannels ive gotten to know the bike very well. I tore the bike compltely down in about 5-6 hours without even consulting a manual(putting it back together will probly be another story). well wish me luck all, my goal is to have it under the tree and ready to ride on christmas(an annual thing ive been doing for about 5 years, dress up in my santa suit and ride around for about 3-4 hours).

 

Frame painted, got dark outside on me or else i would have some pictures up, will post some pics tommorow. In my opinion it turned out excellent. Beautiful color blue with about 6 coats of clear. Gunna try getting a little bit of reassembly next week after the paint has had a few days to cure.

 

heres the pics i promised, they dont do the color justice, betcha cant wait to paint urs like mine!!!!!!


painted the swingarm and airbox the same, gunna start on the white this weekend, gunna paint the front and rear fenders, tank, airbox side covers, and the side cover inlays metallic white, then the lower fork tubes, rear shocks, side cover trim, and gauge cluster red.

 

gorgeous!

 

very shiney, lol is that clear coat all over the grass?, oh and washington apples taste like poop

 

no the white on the grass is from sandblasting, and thanks for the compliments. Just popped open my engine to check the top end, it looks like its had a very recent chain change, the valve shims look new, but i cant find my feeler gauges to check clearances, so thats on the tool list to pick up tomorrow. took off the oil pan, besides a touch of sludge everything looks in great shape. Gunna change all the seals and gaskets out when the new ones get here(hopefully tomorrow). gunna also pick up a couple cans of flame proof blue engine paint tomorrow so when all the gaskets get on its ready to clean and paint. this project is going quite a bit faster than expected because of the care that was taken by the previous owner on maintenance. Maybe it'll be done before thanksgiving, and i can pull my honda in to rework.

 

Wait a minute here. You work on your scooter in the dining room AND yor gf BOUGHT YOU THE BIKE? I've been married to the same gal for 32 years and if I tried to work on my Maxim in the house I'd be singing soprano. In the boys choir. And she sure as heck wouldn't buy me a ride!.

Maybe I need a girlfriendb like yours!!!!!! Naw....... Then I'd be down for the old dirt nap for sure. Relish this time as it can't last forever!

 

i was married once, and i couldnt bring a bicycle into the house to work on, but now i do what i want and if she dont like it, oh well. anyways, as of to date she has helped me purchase 3 bikes, the first was an 07 v-star custom, but after about 2 years the bank doubled our payments, so we decided the bank could have it back, she felt bad i lost the v-star, so she gave me 900 bucks, and i traded 500 of it plus a couple of old firearms i never used to a friend of my for the xj, and took 400 of it and bought the nonrunning cx500. both bikes ran after just a few bucks and a few hours.

 

got the engine rebuilt last night(finally finished at 4:30 in the morning), spent all day painting a few small parts and degreasing the engine. gunna spend some time this week getting the engine ready to paint(gunna paint it a dark blue, with a little bit of silver and red touches). Hopefully next weekend i will be ready to put the bike back into a rolling chassis. have to paint up the calipers and wheels still, but that should be easy since i painted them earlier this year, they just need some touch up and details.

 

Schooter.....you're not supposed to eat Road Apples....thats where the distinctive flavor is coming from.....

 

what???, it was jsut a joke cuz michigan apples r better than washington apples, and what are road apples?

 

Mine twas also a joke.....um Ill let someone else explain road apples.

Jswag5, sorry for the slight detour on your thread....I like the color you chose for your frame, Im in the process of tearing my 650G down right now.

 

nice love the blue

 

thanks for all the compliments, gunna take the night away from the bike, but will resume tomorrow night, steam clean and paint the engine, plus i gotta get my list of parts sent to chacal, gunna be less than expected, this bike was very well maintained.

 

well, im stuck until i get a new steam cleaner. i was getting it pretty clean, took a break and forgot to unplug the dang thing, came back about 20 mins later, and it was stone cold, the stupid thermal protector they put in it burned up and now im stuck with a half clean engine, i started on the left side got it all clean, was about ready to turn it around and get the right side when it burned up, that engine would make a great befor an after pic, but my camera crapped out again, no luck, and chacal has to wait cause my gf needed a new pair of glasses. out of money and my tools keep breaking, im getting sad, i might just cry, jk, wish me luck, but it looks like im gunna be a few eeks behind schedule for a while

 

Road apples be lumps of horse poop. lol Bike is looking great.

 

everybody knows the best apples come from new england.

blue is where its at! lookin good!

small hijack - my brother and i are getting a PC oven and gun. the oven is big enough to fit a quad frame, should also fit a bike.....

 

jswag,
Pull it apart, find the thermal fuse, cut it out, take it to radioshack, tell the punk behind the counter "I want one of these". Return the blank stare you are getting. Follow him to the drawers. You want a green drawer. They've moved them around alittle since last I worked there. Spend about $3, return home, resolder the new thermal fuse. You should be good to go.

 

thanks kd5uzz, the issue with that is i have to drive my beast truck to get it, by the time i cover the gas and thermal fuse im out 20 bucks(i live out in the sticks, closest radio shack is like 25 miles), plus i had to buy my gf a pair of glasses last week and my budget is about shot for a few weeks on this project. its ok, i could use a break, let that frame paint cure up good so-s i dont scratch it up puttin the bike back together.

 

finally started reassembly yesterday, but since i gave the bike to my dad all im doing is putting it back into a roller and letting him finish it out how he wants. so far its going great.

 

well, after almost a year i rode this beast!

it needs the carbs synched and adjusted, but other than that it is running great.

i will post some video or pics tomorrow so you can all see how far its come!

 

sorry no pics yet, spent all day chasing down oil leaks and carb issues. ive just about got the carbs tweeked in, valve cover was leaking like a mudder from the little cam plug ends, so i pulled the cover and shot some rtv on the seal. it was getting late and didnt want to piss of the neighbors running my straight pipes in the garage anymore so i called it a night.

opefully can get some pics up tomorrow.