After a couple of years I realize my dream of completely rebuilding my '81 XJ500 (4v8) isn't going to happen. I don't have the skills or drive to...
High five, fellow XJ-slacker! Slow and steady sounds good to me; up until now I have just the slow part covered. But yes, we'll get there...
Really late reply, but my go-to sites for my 1981 XJ550 4V8 in Europe are: - ebay (for secondhand parts, bought an airbox, saddle, fuel tank and...
3 years since I posted here, and 3 years since I really worked on my XJ. For shame! :( Got kind of disheartened when I noticed the PO had...
Well, this thread motivated me to get some new steel brakelines for my bike. I've found a (European) site that makes complete brake line...
Awesome, I'll order it then. Another piece of the puzzle, hopefully. Thank you for taking the time to help! :-)
I'm looking for a new (to me) seat for my 1981 Yamaha XJ550 4V8 and I found this on ebay in the next country over:...
Awesome job! It was something I thought about when I was looking for an airbox for my XJ550, and noticed other people looking for parts that could...
Remember, sharing is caring. ;-)
I too was thinking about the cafe racer hype as I read this thread. And tbh, I'm styling my xj550 in that way too. In my defense, the PO had...
Heat wave over here (and my wife could bring the kids to their surf camp) so took the bike to work. It instantly makes the day better, even if it...
Tbh, I'd buy those for the brand name alone ... "Son, please hand me my King Dick 10mm wrench." The Dad Joke potential is almost endless!
Like the dark side, eh? ;-) Someone noticed! :D I'm lucky that my job sells all kind of tools and equipment, so not only do I get everything...
Continued the good work today, by starting to clean the engine block. Had to stop because it started to rain (doing it outdoors so I don't trip on...
That's sound reasoning. I hate to sound like the noob that I am, but any pointers to what to check?
Yesterday, I took the afternoon off to work on my bike. Weather was good, and that reminded me I have an unfinished bike in my shed. I've been...
First week back on the job after a two week vacation with the family. Weather was good, which cause me to feel guilty about slacking on my bike....
Interesting read, thanks. Def. something to consider before getting a British bike.
I was able to put together and bleed the rear brake yesterday, so I took the bike to work today. It makes for a better start of the work day. =)
As a European, the Imperial system confuses the heck out of me. All my tools were metric already, so pretty happy I don't have to get everything...
Worked on the rear brake. The calipers were dragging on the disc and not retracting properly, making it hard to get the brake assembly off. The...
By the time the compression set arrived, I'd already taken the head off. =/ Not my brightest moment, in retrospect.
Started cleaning the cylinder head of my XJ550. Any tips on how to easiest clean the head and pistons and get rid of the carbon build-up? I'm just...
Good to hear! ^-^ I wasn't looking forward to having to find a new (old) block.
Today I started cleaning the head. I took the valves out with my shiny new valve spring compression tool and started scrubbing that built-up...
Solid advice, friend! I'll be sure to give that a try.
Yesterday, I stripped the paint from the outside of my fuel tank. I used a chemical that you just slop on, let it do it's thing and you can scrape...
Stripped the paint from the outside of my fuel tank from the XJ, treated it with anti-rust and gave it a coat of primer. Pics are in my build...
Not to sound like _that_ guy but that doesn't sound like proper biking gear. I never ride without at least my (leather) biking jacket and gloves....
Picked up the new (old) bike today, drove it home through stormy weather. It has a fairing which helped enormously, runs good too! PO was nice...
I hadn't looked at it that way yet! It's from 1982 (Honda CB900 F2 Bol d'or) so I'll have to paint it green now, I guess. :D
Center stand for my bike arrived yesterday, found it secondhand at a wreckers. The PO took it off because reasons. This weekend I'll probably try...
So, I sealed the tank today. Pretty happy with the results! All the rust's gone and it looks nice and shiny on the inside now. :) Before: [IMG]...
I def. did something to my Yamaha today. Namely, I bought my brother-in-law's Honda CB 900 F2 (1982). In my defense, for $1000 I get a running...
(stock) Fuel tank arrived today and it looks awesome on the bike! So much better than the aftermarket one that was one there ... It'll also hold...
I found this YT channel where a guy is making his XJ650 into a cafe racer where he really shows how he's doing things. Good stuff. You can find...
Thank you for the feedback, you raise a few good points. Leave well enough alone, and all that ... A rebore would def. not be in the works. So,...
At least 65000 kilometers (+- 40000 miles) - that I know of. The gauge with the odometer wasn't stock so your guess is as good as mine. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯...
Just send a PM to Chacal; that's how I placed my order. He replies ASAP and mentions stuff you might have missed.
Bought a stator removal bolt and a secondhand (original) fuel tank.
Thank you, the seller also confirmed so I went ahead and ordered it. Another piece of the puzzle solved.
That's solid advice, imo. I don't use YT as my go-to help channel for my bike (I have this forum and my Clymer for that) and when I do, I try to...
Started tearing my engine down. Ran into an issues on the alternator as I apparently need a special bolt to remove it from the engine ... Any tips...
Ordered a complete engine rebuild kit from Chacal. It's due to arrive in the coming week(s), so I can get started on tearing it down first. Pretty...
It's good = it's the right tank for an 1981 XJ550 4V8? I hear what you're saying but as for the price, this is the cheapest one I've found so far...
So, I already ordered a set of mini m.switches to clean up my handlebars. That got me thinking about the brake fluid reservoir ... I'd like to put...
As in "putting the carbs in boiling water"? Or is this some jargon I'm completely missing?
Can anybody identify the model of this tank? The ad says XJ550 but I'd like to make sure before ordering it. I've mailed the seller, but he's slow...
WD40 is not so much a lubricant as a penetrating, anti-seize agent (WD: Water Displacement). It's fine for starters, but you need to properly...
My XJ550 has an aftermarket fuel tank. It's had its best time and I'd like to revert to stock. I've looked at various sites for a replacement but...
