Hello from Sydney AU

Hi. I’m Paulo from Sydney-NSW Australia.

I just bought a XJ900R 1983. Bike is not running and I have no idea of its real conditions. It was sort of a barn find and no one could give me detail about bike conditions when it was parked in the past nor for how long it was stored.

Just downloaded the Haynes manual and I’ll start basic clean up this week.

Any suggestion in where to start and most important, where should I start as my initial checks?

Thanks in advance.

 

You'll want to check pretty much everything. For safety's sake, the tires and brakes hoses should be replaced. There's a manufacture date on them, and their functional life is about 5 years. Barn bikes have usually been stored longer than that! A full service on the brakes is a good idea including master cylinder and caliper cleaning/rebuild. The carbs will probably need some love too.
http://www.xjbikes.com/forums/threads/in-the-church-of-clean.14692/

Also, some reading material:
http://www.xjbikes.com/forums/threads/the-information-overload-hour.27544/

 

Oh no! You meet MattiThundrrr. He is the Thundrr from down under.

 

Thanks MattiThundrrr and lostboy.

I’ll start my readings with the recommended above.

What about the engine? After changing oil and filters, What should I do before cranking it for the first time?

 

Remove spark plugs and left engine cover and turn engine by hand.

 

Ummmm... He's on top, not down under

 

If it has been sitting for a long time I would check and make sure the oil is reasonably clean and remove the plugs and look into the cylinders to verify there is no rust. Then I would put a couple of teaspoons of Marvel Mystery Oil in each cylinder and turn it by hand several turns and let it sit for several days while you attend to other issues. It may help free up any stuck rings.

 

Just out of curiosity did you do a vehicle registration check, I think you can find out when it was on the road last by doing that.

 

hi Maxim-X

I found it was registered till 2015.

But this don’t tell much about when the bike was parked as I know people that never ride their bike but still pay for registration every year.

Thanks all for the insights.

 

Welcome aboard.

Gary H.

 

Thanks Gary

 

Hello to all!

I removed the spark plugs and was able to turn rear wheel in 5th gear.

Bad news is that I noiced some unusual textures in the engine and when I removed what I guess was epoxy filler with a dremel I found a broken cooling fin and a missing part of engine case (looks like someone had an accident)



Apart of this, engine looks good in visual inspection.

What would be the best option: Fix this engine or try to find a replacement? Pros and cons for the above options?

 

Welcome aboard , Go to the upper right corner of the page and click on xj4ever , here you will find the information overload hour and all the new parts you will ever need ,and they will be the correct parts . Chacals service is awesome . As to your engine well find a competent tig welding service they might be able to repair the cooling fin . Good luck