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Barn find 1981 xj650 suggestions

Discussion in 'XJ Technical Chat' started by Damian Taylor, Feb 23, 2022.

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  1. Damian Taylor

    Damian Taylor New Member

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    Today someone give me a 1981 xj650 with 13k miles was abandoned on a rental property I don't know much about motorcycles in general getting ready to go take my test to get license pretty soon but I am very mechanically inclined I want to know is this bike a good starter bike something worth trying to get title and get running or is parts hard to find any advice would be appreciated carburetor was teken off bike and holes on intake were plugged so nothing got into engine that I am aware of I have what looks like all the parts engine does spin if that helps
     
  2. Dan Gardner

    Dan Gardner Well-Known Member Premium Member

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    Hi @Damian Taylor ! Welcome to the party.

    You are in the right place. The best place to start is right here: https://www.xjbikes.com/forums/threads/read-this-first.110898/

    In my opinion, the 650s are great starter bikes. They are big and powerful enough to be real motorcycles, but no so big and heavy to be unwieldy.

    If you've got one with 13k on the clock that turns over, you are mechanically inclined, and are willing to learn, then you should have no trouble. There is a reason why they sold so well and you still see so many around today - they are pretty reliable and pretty repairable.

    Prepare to spend a few bucks on tools - starting with JIS screwdrivers.

    Prepare to spend some money replacing worn out stuff. These machines are 40+ years old.

    The first challenge is to get those carbs in good working order. Don't try to take them apart unless you have a #2 and #3 JIS screwdriver. There is plenty of info on this site about cleaning and rebuilding carbs, along with people who have been that and done that that can answer specific questions. And if you want to outsource the whole carb project, you can find help for that too.

    Once it is running, focus on the brakes. Once you have confidence in your brakes, it's a driver. Then you can start making a list of things that need to be done, but keep in mind that not everything needs to be done immediately. Some things like good working brakes are an absolute requirement, but things like wheel bearings could be saved for later. Personally, I have a "to do" list, and I try to pick things off that list as time and money allow.

    If I was going to pick up a 650 that had not run in a while, I would make the following assumptions:
    1. Carbs need to be cleaned and rebuilt. Even if they are clean, the throttle shaft seals are probably crusty and need to be replaced, at a minimum.
    2. The brakes need attention. With any luck the master cylinder and caliper are not frozen, but again, they contain a lot of rubber seal type pieces that are probably shot. Verify that the rear brake shoes are in good condition. Even if the front brakes work, put a master cylinder and caliper rebuild along with new lines on your "to do" list near the top.
    3. The fuel petcock is probably shot. Again, rubber seals are probably shot.
    4. The valve lash needs to be checked, and the valve cover gasket and the rubber donuts that hold it down need to be replaced.
    5. Oil in crankcase and rear final drive gear is garbage. Replace as soon as convenient. Verify that you have all the correct parts for oil filter and that it is installed correctly. See: https://www.xjbikes.com/forums/threads/choosing-the-correct-oil-for-a-wet-clutch-motorcycle.43702/
    6. Front forks need to be rebuilt - seals again.
    7. Steering head bearings and wheel bearings are probably marginal at best.
    8. Tires are probably trash.

    In general, the strategy is to make sure it runs, then make sure it stops, then start working through the "to do" list.

    That's my $.02.
     
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  3. Damian Taylor

    Damian Taylor New Member

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    Thank you I feel better about it now I am going to try and get a title to it and see if it will fire off some starting fluid also need to figure out fuel tank it has rust inside need to get rid of I have used vinegar in the past and just let it set a couple days with success or should I look for a used or new tank ??? And again my number 1 concern where is the best place for parts I'm worried I will get 90% done and can't find that 1 part that is impossible to get I have had a few projects go that way in the past part availability is worrying me my local motorcycle dealer couldn't pull up anything on the vin I give him
     
  4. Dan Gardner

    Dan Gardner Well-Known Member Premium Member

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    You should be good with the vinegar treatment - assuming the tank is in good shape other than interior surface rust. If its rusted through, that's a different conversation. Get that thing as clean as you can. You should also put an inline fuel filter between the petcock and carbs, just to be sure. Any little bit of gunk gets in the carbs and you're going to have a bad time - especially after you have spent so much time making sure they are immaculately clean.

    If the tank has pinholes, it may be repairable.

    If the tank is no longer structurally sound (big holes), then you're going to need to look for something else. 650 Maxim tanks are not that hard to find. A 750 Maxim tank will also fit (but has an extra opening for a fuel sender).

    Getting it to fire on starter fluid is a good idea. If it'll run on starter fluid then that's a great sign. Then all you have to worry about is that tank and those carbs.
     
  5. Dan Gardner

    Dan Gardner Well-Known Member Premium Member

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    Also, as far as availability of specialized things you will need - carb parts, gaskets, fork seals, bearings, etc. - the sponsor for this site, xj4ever.com is going to be the best source. @chacal is the rep from xj4ever.com, he is around on the site and is more than willing to help.

    There are some bits and pieces still available from Yamaha - mostly small stuff that was common and used on lots of bikes. Some other stuff like master cylinders and ignition coils are available from Yamaha, but you're going to pay OEM prices. So unless you're on an unlimited budget, you're probably a lot better off getting rebuild kits or aftermarket stuff from xj4ever.com. When you get "aftermarket" stuff from xj4ever, you will know it works.

    As long as you're at it, you should familiarize yourself with the catalog. It's not just a parts catalog. There is a LOT of valuable information in there too: http://xj4ever.com/catalog/a-catalog-index.html
     
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  6. Dan Gardner

    Dan Gardner Well-Known Member Premium Member

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    As far as worrying about finding that one or two ultra rare pieces, I wouldn't worry about that. Luckily for those of us with 650 Maxims there are lots of them out there. Lots of stuff on eBay. You can find good parts bikes if you need to go that far.

    The rarest piece is probably the right side cover (battery cover). If you have that, you're golden. Everything else - between xj4ever, "wanted" requests on this site, and eBay, you should be able to find just about anything for a 650 Maxim.
     
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  7. Damian Taylor

    Damian Taylor New Member

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    Awesome well between the mud truck the 1950s 8n tractor and the $100 tercel project It might be a while getting her road ready but sounds worth it I am fond of old rusty projects function over fashion but the tank looks like just surface rust inside it's spent pretty much half it's life sitting in a screened in porch of a old Rental property with the carburetor off I am definitely going to try and save the old girl I'm more interested now more then ever you have cleared up a ton of questions will definitely keep everyone posted on progress 20220223_065807.jpg 20220223_065815.jpg 20220223_065815.jpg 20220223_065807.jpg
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  8. Fuller56

    Fuller56 Well-Known Member

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    Congrats on being gifted the bike. I will agree with everything @Dan Gardner wrote above. One thing I can see in the pictures that he forgot is the fuses. These bikes had a fuse panel that was adequate when they were new but did not stand the test of time. Yours appears to have been messed with so putting in a blade type panel that attaches to the top of the air box should be right after the carburetors in getting the bike running. It is not difficult, just fiddlely work. To get the bike road worthy be prepared to spend several hundreds of dollars but then you will have a bike that is safe and reliable and easy to ride for many, many thousands of miles.
    The easiest way to get your carburetors in the best condition, in my opinion, is to send them to Dave Fox, aka @hogfiddles. It will not be inexpensive but very worth the price. When you get them back they will be "plug and play".
    Before I put any money into the bike though I would take the VIN to your local police department and see if they will run it to be sure it has not been stolen, then start the title process. At least NC has a process for that, my home state of NY flatly refuses.
    Good luck and most importantly HAVE FUN with it.
    John
     
  9. Simmy

    Simmy Well-Known Member

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    front forks looked forked.
    Add used replacement tubes to your list.
     
  10. Damian Taylor

    Damian Taylor New Member

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    I ran the vin on the ncib it's not reported stolen but to get a title I will have to get it inspected by the theft and crime division
     
  11. Fuller56

    Fuller56 Well-Known Member

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    I know NC has the means to get a title for a vehicle such as yours but not exactly how to do it. Will they inspect it for you before you put a lot of work and time into it? Or does it have to road worthy before they will inspect it?
     

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