Western Massachusetts Repair?

Hey I've got an '82 xj650 Seca that runs great, but I need to do some basic updating and safety stuff, since I know the previous owner and don't trust his judgement. Some of it I can do myself (brakes, lines, fusebox) Some I'm less confident (Valves, Carbs) I'm okay with a wrench, but I don't feel too comfortable tearing into this engine just yet. Does anyone know of a good Yamaha mechanic in Western Mass? Southern Vermont would work too. I feel better about doing my own work if I know someone I can bring it to when I botch a job. I love this site, thanks for keeping it real!

 

I'm no longer in Central MA or I'd be offering to be a safety net, but just a word of advice.

I was in you shoes 5 years ago, I got a bike that definitely needed to be worked on, having no previous motorcycle mechanic experience, but felt I had nothing to lose. There is something about taking off a valve cover or clutch cover that will make you feel like you are "tearing down" the engine when you start out, but that's not really tearing down the engine.

As with EVERY new-to-you motorcycle, get the valves in spec and do a compression test. THAT will determine if you have to actually tear down the engine. Good compression means you only need to do regular maintenance, and regular maintenance is easy to do on these bikes and none of it involves tearing down the engine.

In reality, adjusting valves just requires you to un-do a few bolts, measure gaps with feeler gauges, and remove shims to measure their thickness. It really is that easy and if you go slow you'll be fine.

Carbs are really not all that different from the brake work. You have to disassemble everything, keep things organized, and meticulously clean everything and replace all the rubber bits.

What I'm trying to get at is that if you are comfortable doing brakes, you should feel comfortable doing carbs, they aren't much more difficult. And by all means get your confidence up and do brakes first, it's better that you can stop before you can go fast.

Also, neither of these jobs are something you'll want to trust most shops to do. Lots of horror stories about shops not knowing about these old valve-trains, and carbs really take a lot of time to really clean right (and time = money...lots of money). You best bet will be another member in your area.

 

Ok, Thanks. Is there a how-to around here for checking valves? and/or a compression test? I've ridden for years, but this is the first bike I've actually owned and need to maintain myself. Oh, another general question - What should the maintenance schedule be for the Driveshaft? I assume I need to lubricate it, but I don't know how or how frequently. Is there a thread on general maintenance around here so I can be sure I'm not missing any important checklist items? Thanks for your help!

 

http://xjbikes.com/Forums/viewtopic/t=1 ... xj550.html

 

Al's Cycle in Palmer Ma. has always worked on my 86 Maxim, and they are terrific.

 

ntropy, I'm probably too far for you to go, but I'm in NY near Utica. Feel free to ask any questions whenever you have trouble.

Dave Fox