82 XJ650 Back from the dead.

Hi Guys

I am new to the site, I managed to get a hold of my first XJ, a 1982 XJ650 Seca with a 750 engine, it is in a terrible condition, hacked and chopped and covered in can spray paint, everything seized(not the engine) and a lot of bits missing, starters burnt out, carbs are gunked, with a broken Post, and the list goes on.

My options are to build a brat or Café style bik as the rear sub frame was already cut, I am leaning towards Brat.

This is not my first build but will be the hardest to date, I know my styling will not be to everyone's taste, but that's the way a custom bike is.

I look forward to chatting with you guys through out the build, I have days and days of reading to do to catch up with all the information on the site.

Thanks for having me!!!

 

Jesus... Sell the engine and carbs... then use that money on a different bike to start a project.

 

Mattynz,

Fist of all welcome to the forum and WOW do you have a challenge a head of you. Well if you have the time money and talent, you are well on your wall with a donor project bike. Keep us up to date.

 

I do kinda agree with you, but like the post says back from the dead, It will mean a lot more to get this on the road compared to buying a running one and stripping it down.

 

Thanks Timbox, I will keep updating as I go, I have some money, plenty of time, and the talent, well I guess we will find out in the end haha!!

 

I have pulled the motor and stripped the frame down, No major rust just all surface stuff, I will lightly wire brush and clear over the frame to keep the patina look.
New Bearings, Shocks, gaskets, bars, lights, carb kit,starter rebuild, Tyres, ordered, among a lot of other things.

 

Take the top-end off the motor and check for water ingress (was it sitting without carbs?) pitted bores and super-stuck rings will cost a fortune to resolve (no cheap oversize options for these bikes) I have also seen pitted cams and shims too.. then you will have to make it run properly without a stock airbox etc.. etc..
I enjoy a challenge myself but starting with 'a runner' is always a much better bet - I would take the advice of the others tbh.. this looks like more than a 'brave restoration'.

 

It's certainly do-able... You can accomplish anything with enough money and time. You have to know what you're getting yourself into... Ie.. My seca was a complete bike, but not running. Still likely spent around 2000+ getting everything refurbished / rebuilt/ buying tools etc. Yours is in FAR worse shape as a starting point.

 

Wow, your brave or as stupid as I was. This was the worst one I did....started with this:




And ended up with this.....I began on a Wed night with disassembling the carbs and started the bike at 4pm that Sunday, 5 days later and it was painted by then too....all in was eleven days later if we include the decals:





I did ALL of the work myself and of course have a deep stash of spares but it was an exhausting build and I will NEVER do that fast a project again. It took me a couple of weeks just to feel "right" again.

You have your work cut out but I have a lot of respect for a guy that can turn junk into a running bike!!

Good luck!

jeff

 

Thanks for the advice, feel free to be one of the first to say, I told you so, if it ends up failing, best mate is a mechanic so we will give it the once over.

Not to worried about the stock air box, Its a 750 (only a guess as it has no mechanical rev counter) with 32mm carbs, so if I am correct are they 650 carbs, I am still learning about the differences between models.

Yeah it's going to be a tall order, but it's winter here and I have a lot of spare time at the moment with the shift work I am doing.

 

Agreed, I know it's not going to be easy, but the harder it is the more rewarding it will be, I don't have a budget in mind, it is what it is.

 

XJ650RJ's came in both mechanical tach, non-YICS versions and electronic tach with YICS versions.
I believe the displacement is embossed on the front of the cylinder block, at least I know it is on the water cooled blocks.

 

Looks like you must of had a lot of spares!! a great effort for the time spent.

I just hope that at the end it's not still junk, it will be a running bike, but unfortunately won't look like a stock XJ,

 

Cheers, this is oil cooled, I will have a look on the block to see if I can see any marks, apart form that is there any other way to tell?
I was told it was a 750 but I don't trust anyone that lets a bike get into that sort of condition (at least it was under a tarp some of it's life)

 

Had some spare time yesterday and this morning, took about 6 layers of different paint off the tank, had to pick the lock to the fuel cap as the bike came with no key's, tanks clean inside with little to no rust, great use for a endoscope camera on my

 

Well at least it's 'only' a bike and not a car.. Good luck with it. NZ Winter doesn't look too bad so far at least.. (Come on Lions!)

 

Cheers, NZ winters are mild compared with UK ones, I have been through a couple over there. Haha, you mean good luck to the Lions, they will need it!!

 

You have a true project, keep us up to date on your progress !!!!With Pics please

 

Spent some time tiding up some parts while waiting for some new bits to arrive, clear coated the frame and the tank, have not decided what colour to do the tank yet, new tyres and bearings for the wheels.

 

Looking good thus far.

 

Thanks, I'm not used to showing people my work, never posted it on a forum before, so I am a little apprehensive, I guess I will end up with some truthful opinions, there's plenty of time left to disappoint haha.

 

Anything you're doing to that bike is improving it haha. Can only get better

 

That's a really good way to look at it.

 

Got some more time over the last few days to complete so bits and pieces, carried out the health checks on the engine, she has passed, so I am happy about that, seems like I should have a runner, new oil and filter will be added, then redone after a few start ups.
A lot of parts have turned up, new starter Kit and carb kit for a 750cc, found the stamp on the front of the block that said it was a 750cc ( thanks Simmy for the info ), these are 32mm carbs and I think they are from a 650cc (please correct me if I am wrong), so with that in mind and the fact that I don't have a choice to not run factory air box ( not supplied with the bike ), and with the 4 into 2 exhaust, what would be a good starting point for the jets? Just to get it running.

I want to run a foam style filter set up later on, not really into the POD filters, although they would be a lot easier to just buy and stick on, I don't want this to turn into a fight over who likes what better, I'd just appreciate some advice on what would be the best jets for what I would like to try and run, I welcome your suggestions and experience with this.!!!!

Apart form that, all is going good, these bikes are amazingly good to work with, rear swing arm is stripped completely back and painted, ready for some new Diff oil, front forks have also been re built, along with some other bits.

To do list

Replace Fuse box, old one is falling apart.
Clean up the Exhaust manifold
Weld rear Tail loop
Make up a battery box
Replace any damaged wiring and Relays
Fit new rear shocks, (factory replacements)
And a heap more....

Got the next two days off so hopefully get some more stuff done.

Please excuse the mess in the shed!!

 

Google search: site: xjbikes.com pods success.
There is a thread here somewhere for people to post what jets they've used with which mods. As for the fight over who likes what better, good luck avoiding that! I prefer 650 Secas.

 

Both the 650 and 750 used the same carbs, just with different jet needles and main jets.

Used arboxes are inexpensive, and plentiful (though shipping may be costly).

As for pods; this may be of some help.
http://www.xjbikes.com/forums/posts/544563/

 

Moving along nicely.

 

Why is all the paint wrinkly?

 

Thanks K-moe that's the news I've been wanting to hear. Yeah shipping down here is rather expensive, and second hand parts are getting harder to come by.

Cheers for the link, I will have a read.

 

Because it's high temp engine wrinkle paint haha, I know it's not going to be to everyone's taste, but it's durable, oil and fuel resistant.

 

Cheers MattiThundrrr, yeah I know I will be lucky to avoid it, so lets pretend I never mentioned it and move on to the next issue haha.

 

What 'health checks' - out of interest..?

 

Turn you head and cough!! haha, Valve clearance checks, compression test, ect, as much as can be done without taking the head and sump off, we are happy we have a good little runner.

 

OK good starting point. While the motor is out you might want to check you can select all the gears too. I don't have this exact motor (the 550/600s are a bit different) but from what I have read there is a (primary) chain tensioner/guide that can break-up and clog the gear selector mechanism..

Wrinkly paint look cool BTW!

 

Thanks for the heads up with the gears, seems to cycle through nicely, so fingers crossed its the same when she's running.

Cheers, I like the look of the wrinkle paint, something a bit different. Got the idea from a friend using it on his timing cover in his Nissan 300zx,

 

Slowly getting there, had a few problems along the way but it's starting to take shape,

Replace Fuse box, old one is falling apart. DONE
Clean up the Exhaust manifold, DONE
Weld rear Tail loop, DONE
Make up a battery box, DONE, but will be redone.
Replace any damaged wiring and Relays DONE
Fit new rear shocks, (factory replacements) Just need to fit them.

Ideas on the paint scheme?? I have be toying with the idea of a rust (patina) look to match the frame, not to sure how it will look, that of an orange with black Yamaha writing on the side of the tank, with a couple of stripes.

Seat is one a mock up at the moment.

 

You had the engine out. Missed opportunity to paint the frame.

The silver actually looks really good with the engine painted as it is.
Take a sanding block and finishing paper to the edges of the cooling fins. Make 'em pop; bright and shiny.

 

I left the frame like that on purpose, it's already clear coated, so didn't miss out haha, I did think about doing the fins, would make it stand out more.

 

Rust never sleeps, even under clearcoat.

 

Yip, we'll aware of that.

 

Nice! Looking really good so far