What did you do to your Yamaha today?

Will do! I'll try and document the process with pics. Given that I'm a technical ignoramus it should be good for a laugh, at least. I also ordered the m.button to simplify the wiring to be run, and some m.switches for the look. In my frantic quest for knowledge I ran across Revival Cycles as they put out a few good vids on the m.unit blue. Does anybody have any experience with their regulator/rectifier or starter solenoid?

 

Supposed to be 68° here today and all I could do is look upon my Yamaha with disgust as it sits in the garage with a slipping clutch. A few other things are also going to need repairs after the weekend test rides but the clutch takes the cake. The plates and springs were new almost a year ago.

 

It might be best to ask specific questions in a thread in tech chat. The box looks straight-forward for wiring. If I was building a bigger, newer, bike I would consider upgrading to that since I'm an EE, programmer and electronics hobbyist.

 

Been near 80F here the past several days and supposed to stay warm through the foreseeable fitire. Looks like mulch will be filling up the truck this weekend and I'll be consuming a higher than normal amount of red Kratom for back pain.

 

Took a pic of the old battery, time for a new one. I hope this last winter storm will be it and get the Seca on the rd.

 

Okay so now we have a "bomb cyclone" heavy snow,rain , 50 mph winds or higher. Had 2 good days so got a little riding in. Chicago area rain and snow showers think we will miss most , but Wisconcin , Minnesota ,Dakotas are going to get hammered ...hope anybody on the forum in those locals are okay.

 

Ordered a copy of "Yamaha XJ 550, XJ 600, FJ 600 (1981-1992) - Clymer Motorcycle Service and Repair Manual".

 

replaced my voltage regulator and battery today.
needed a new battery when I installed it I checked out the voltage drop on start and then did the charging test. I was getting proper voltage at 2000 rpm but at 3000 rpm I was getting 16.7 volts.
beautiful day went riding for the second time. road last sunday got snow Monday night...……...

 

This weekend I cleaned up my shed so I finally have enough room to decently work on my bike and have my tools properly organized. It was on my to-do list for a couple of years already, but the bike finally made it worthwhile for me (don't tell my wife). I ordered a new rectifier and starter solenoid from Revival Cycles. It'll probably take some time to arrive (US --> Europe), so I can already get started on the break-down and old wiring. Got my first look at that today, and I must say I'm definitely not impressed with the PO's work. There wasn't a bolt that wasn't loose, the ignition and rectifier were glued to the custom battery housing, and that was bolted to what appears to be a piece of wooden board. So, I definitely got my work cut out for me, it appears.

 

Took all the fittings of the tank of my new 700 and hit it with KBS Kleen and removed the carbs for cleaning.

Will be doing an acid etch this evening once the tank dries

 

Bent the bottom combustion ring on one cylinder reinstalling the jugs tonight. I think this thing just wants to stay apart and get sold in pieces on eBay..

 

Oh no!
Straighten it...
Put valve cover back on, currently rebuliding petcock to reinstall on tank

 

If only.. Yet more parts to buy, stop and wait.

 

Just got email from xj4ever parts are on the way..going to replace the clutch . I've ordered several items from chacal cant say enough about his service . One part he Carrie's I fully endorse his spin on oil filter conversion. Cheers

 

I see that adapter mentioned a lot here. Why is the spin on so much better than the OEM solution?

 

The spin on filter is easier to change , the stock filter works fine ,but if you dont put it back together right can lead to problems, the center bolt can seize and , sometimes the bolt gets rounded off...

 

And, the spin-on cartridges are bigger (more square inches of filter material) than the stock filter, so more/better/longer filtration. And as many others can attest to, much easier to change!

And they look cool.

 

First real ride today! Took her for the first top-off of fuel she's probably had in three+ years, and rode to a coffee shop to do some computer work.

At this moment, I can see a baby-hipster looking at the bike. He seems confused.

Maybe he's never seen one that wasn't hacked up and jigsawed into a cafe racer?

 

I believe that is their normal state of being.

 

Getting the swing-arm ready for paint. New tire is mounted, and I'm still dinking with the swing-arm. Sheesh... getting warm this week as well!
Any recommendations after the wire brush? Some places are easy w/ sand paper. I was thinking of getting 2 1-liter bottles of coke, chopping off the top and letting the rear parts of the swing-arm each sit in it's own coke bath for a few days to eat away the rust in the hard-to-reach spots.