New Rider Old Bike

Hi all I just bought my first bike, an xj650j from my friends father.

thought it would be a good first bike and since it doesn't run it would give me a chance to familiarize myself with the mechanics of it while I fix it up.

I have been going through a few of the forums and was wondering
the bike sat for a good 5 months after it quit running on him... he was fixing it and got as far as determining that the problem might lay with the V/R and I have been thinking since I am new to riding and this bike I should run a thorough tune up but I don’t have a manual so if anyone knows were I can find one that would be fantastic.

I WILL CHECK THE BRAKES and most likly replace them... I did read that thread... good advice...

I would also like some recommendations on riding gear...

start working on it tomorrow morning...

 

Hi,
There is the XJCD sticky post at the top of the XJ Chat forum but I find myself using the book when I'm rolling around the floor having a good time with the XJ in bits all over the place.

I bought a service manual off ebay and a Haynes workshop manual from amazon.
It sounds like overkill but the service manual tells you everything about everything while the haynes skips a lot but the haynes manual gives you great tips on how to do some tasks without purchasing specialised equipment and tools while the service manual demands you have the special tools and gives no other option.
You will find me using the service manual mainly and heading to the Haynes manual if I need some gentler, kinder advice.

My advice on riding gear is inline with something I read here somewhere...
<STOLEN QUOTE>
It's better to sweat than bleed!
</STOLEN QUOTE>
Leather jacket with a hi-vis vest over it, leather gloves, full-face helmet, denim jeans and steel caps will hopefully stop my toes from getting squashed if I happen to lean into a corner too fast and scrape the curb with the gear lever with my foot underneath it, again.

 

You can get a Haynes 650/750 manual about anywhere, but I would recommend a factory book. XJ4Ever carries them, or you can troll eBay. They come up all the time.

As recommended above, the absolute best thing is both the factory book and the Haynes.

My day to day riding gear: Tourmaster Transition Series II armored "textile" jacket; denim jeans; Tourmaster Solutions riding boots; deerskin (not cowhide) gloves; HJC CL-SP full face helmet. I have a Cortech armored jean jacket for if it's hot out and I know it's not going to rain, plus insulated gloves and rain pants, etc., for other situations.

Tourmaster/Cortech, Joe Rocket, Icon, Fieldsheer, AGV to name a few all make a wide range of superbly engineered modern kevlar and armored jackets, in pure textile, leather, or combinations thereof. I like Tourmaster/Cortech because I'm rather lanky and need "tall" sizes, which they make.

Check out Motorcycle Superstore http://www.motorcycle-superstore.com/11 ... 4AodKDJPCw or Bike Bandit http://www.bikebandit.com/apparel-acces ... &WT.srch=1 and when you find something you might like, go the manufacturer's website and get more details. Then Google up some reviews to help with your decisions.

 

Awsome thanks all for the help...