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1982 XJ650 sluggish

Discussion in 'XJ Technical Chat' started by petudy, Jun 15, 2016.

  1. petudy

    petudy New Member

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    Hello everyone,
    I recently purchased an '82 XJ650 as my very first bike. I'm enjoying the handling and overall experience, but my top speed was 120 kmph on the freeway, which is very significantly lower than the stats I could find (~200kmph?).

    I know the carbs were taken apart and cleaned last season by the previous owner as it had been sitting for a long time and wouldn't start, so I'm hesitant to point the finger there, any ideas of other common power loss?

    One hint that I don't know what to think of: I noticed that in neutral, the throttle response is sluggish. RPMs increase slowly up to around 2k, then shoot fast and slow down again, then shoot up again at around 3k. Same goes for driving in first, acceleration is sluggish then picks up...

    If anyone has tips of things I can do to restore some life to this bike, please let me know! Also let me know if you think the project is suitable for a noobie mechanic or would require professional help.

    Thanks!
     
    petudy, Jun 15, 2016
    #1
  2. XJ550H

    XJ550H Well-Known Member Premium Member

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    XJ550H, Jun 15, 2016
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    k-moe likes this.
  3. mrdawson

    mrdawson Active Member

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    Carbs .... every time...
    Stock air box etc?
     
    mrdawson, Jun 15, 2016
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  4. waldreps

    waldreps Active Member

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    Take anything the previous owner says with a grain of salt. Even if they had good intentions, they may not have had the knowledge or skills to do the job correctly. Just assume it hasn't been done and do it yourself.
     
    waldreps, Jun 15, 2016
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  5. Lightcs1776

    Lightcs1776 Active Member

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    Hey, petudy, welcome to the site. This is a great bunch of folks. The links XJ550H gave you will seem overwhelming. Take it in with deep breaths. I'm not much of a mechanic but these bikes are easy to learn on. Just take your time, ask questions, and before long you will have the bike moving along safely (most important).

    A couple of important safety items to check are the brakes, including the lines and seals, and the rear brake shoes. The rear brake shoes can delamenate, making for a scary ride.
     
    Lightcs1776, Jun 15, 2016
    #5
  6. Jetfixer

    Jetfixer Well-Known Member

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    Welcome....read alot of posts you will learn a great deal. On the upper right corner of the home page, xj4ever he sells all the new correct parts his service is fantastic.
     
    Jetfixer, Jun 15, 2016
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  7. Polock

    Polock Well-Known Member

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    consider this your first lesson in used bikes 101
    if you read that kind of backwards it says....it won't start....it sat for a long time....because he took the carbs apart
    no problem, you can fix it.
     
    Polock, Jun 15, 2016
    #7
    DrewUth, mrdawson and k-moe like this.
  8. rocs82650

    rocs82650 Well-Known Member

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    Welcome aboard. This forum has all the info necessary to make your bike a safe road runner. A fist full of $ and a bit of your time is also required.

    Gary H.
     
    rocs82650, Jun 15, 2016
    #8
  9. k-moe

    k-moe Pie, Bacon, Bourbon. Moderator Premium Member

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    ^^^THIS^^^
     
    k-moe, Jun 15, 2016
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  10. Jetfixer

    Jetfixer Well-Known Member

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    Always check it yourself!!!
     
    Jetfixer, Jun 16, 2016
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  11. Toomanybikes

    Toomanybikes Well-Known Member

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    Welcome to fellow Canuck
    As the boys have stated all the things to fix and check good luck and hope you are going faster soon
     
    Toomanybikes, Jun 16, 2016
    #11

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