BaldWonder's 1982 XJ650J Maxim Bobber

Re: BaldWonder's 1982 XJ650 Maxim J - Bobber/Chop

Just got back from a quick ride to test out the brakes. Everything is just grand! Ohio even gave me some low 70's to ride around in. Thanks, Ohio!

So just to keep the list up to date...

1. Get SS brake lines and level master cylinder Done
   • Rebuild/clean caliper Done
   • Strip and repaint caliper Done
2. Replace rear brake pads Done
3. New alternator brushes Didn't need replacing. Cleaned rotor with pencil eraser instead.
4. Perform valve clearance check Done, passed!
5. Perform compression check Done, also passed!
6. Bar-end mirrors Done
7. Rear fender patching Holes filled with hardened epoxy. Needs to be filed down smooth next.
   • Repaint
   • Clear coat
8. Saddle Boxes
   • Brackets
   • Rear turn signals
   • Lid pistons
   • Liner and compartments
   • Painting
9. Hide wiring and electronics
10. Battery strap/cover
11. Chop front fender, reattach
12. Leather cowl
13. Get 750 tank Done
    • Strip Started
    • Pull out dents
    • Paint
    • Fuel level connection to speedo
14. Inline fuel filter
15. New crankcase filter?
16. Front bumper/guard
17. Paint engine, someday

Feeling pretty good.

 

Re: BaldWonder's 1982 XJ650 Maxim J - Bobber/Chop

Any new Final Fantasies coming out for PS4?

What paint/coating did you end up using after you discovered the first one was not resiliant to gas and oil? I ran into the exact same thing on my tank haha...luckily I just spray bombed a stripe on it in like two seconds for no reason. But, when I want to finish it I want to know what to use!

Your maintenance checklist is money, I may steal it

 

Re: BaldWonder's 1982 XJ650 Maxim J - Bobber/Chop

Also, I see this was on your list - I just purchased it, fits perfectly

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000OO ... UTF8&psc=1

 

Re: BaldWonder's 1982 XJ650 Maxim J - Bobber/Chop

No idea. Last new FF I played was FFXI. Never got past level 14. Though I did start FFIII on my phone recently. The revamped graphics are cool, and I never had a Nintendo as a kid, so the story is new to me. I'm currently getting over having the sea serpent kill my whole team. I hadn't saved for a while.

I really like that color brown (Rust-oleum Metallic Flat Chestnut), so I'll be using it again. This time around I'll put a clear coat on it, but I want to keep it flat/matte, or at least semi-gloss, and finding a non-high-gloss clear that's oil resistant in a spray can is proving pretty difficult. I'm pretty much putting it off until I strip and un-dent, repaint the brown, and add the striping design to the 750 tank. I'll probably call some local paint shops and see what they say/think. Here's hoping they don't just laugh and say matte clear doesn't exist or is a bad idea. As I'm typing this though, I'm wondering if you could just sand a high-gloss clear into matte. Whatever happens, I'll definitely report back here.

Steal away! Be sure to hit "quote" so you can see how the BB code is done. Took a long time to figure out what this forum prefers. It seems to differ from every other BB code standard out there.

Indeed it does, until you tighten the hose clamp down so hard that it bites straight through the collar of the filter like I did! Sorry to mislead, but that list item is more of a "decide if it's bothering you enough to get another one." Thanks for the input and the link for a new one, though.

Originally I had it connected to the post coming out of the crankcase. Now I've got the old breather tube attached with the filter sitting on the end of it with gravity and friction holding it in place. It looks like a snorkel for a Land Rover.

 

Re: BaldWonder's 1982 XJ650 Maxim J - Bobber/Chop

Nice job Bald Wonder! Tastefully done!

 

Re: BaldWonder's 1982 XJ650 Maxim J - Bobber/Chop

Baldwonder,

Im having a bit of a time securing the rear fender to the frame...
Can you tell me if you welded the TSC fender to the frame or did you bolt it?
If it was welded, where did you weld?

I want to secure it enough so i can put a small cushion to ride my wife on occasion...

I cut an L angle of raw metal and attached to the fender to meet up against the lateral beam right below the seat .. You can see it in this pic
The angle is in another pic but you can get an idea as to what i want to do

 

Re: BaldWonder's 1982 XJ650 Maxim J - Bobber/Chop

Its ok... I figured it out





I had to secure here also because mine is an XJ700 and its different than your XJ650



It looks like quite a bit of clearance but its suspended on the center stand and once i put it on the road and sat on it it was nice... Just wonder how it will be when my tiny wife sits on the cushion

 

Re: BaldWonder's 1982 XJ650 Maxim J - Bobber/Chop

I really hope your wife weighs less than 50 lbs! It looks like you secured the fender on well enough, but there doesn't look to be any support further down. You need some major strength added in there, like the steel tubing on the rest of the frame. Otherwise, you hit one good bump and she'll be smoking your tires.

 

Re: BaldWonder's 1982 XJ650 Maxim J - Bobber/Chop

I thought about that but wasnt sure where to put the rest of the stiffeners
the tc bros fender is quite strong but i may just bend some pipe to match the curvature of the fender and weld it to the rest of the frame or i would have to go with strut bars but that would mean i wouldnt have any cushion and it would defeat the purpose of having shocks then... ... i might just tell my wife that i wont be able to ride her on the bike.. maybe when i get a Harley after i sell this bike...

The other option was to mate the fender to the swingarm via strut bars from the lower end of the shocks but then it would be free flowing to the swingarm and that could then cause some rubbing issues.. or i would have to go back to the standard stock eye to eye 13.75" shocks

 

Re: BaldWonder's 1982 XJ650 Maxim J - Bobber/Chop

I see your other posts on your thread now, and I think the added pipe idea is your best bet at keeping the wife as a passenger. You might be best off taking the fender off again, welding the pipe onto the frame directly. I'd suggest not just doing a butt-weld, but have thinner pipe bridging the gap inside the frame tube and the new back-end tube.

Kinda like this... =-=

That way the strength isn't dependent on the quality of the weld alone. No offense to your welding abilities, but I think I read from you that you're a beginner there. I've done a lot of small-scale metalsmithing, but I'm still pretty new to full-on welding and wouldn't trust my own abilities just yet.

This guy did something similar for a cafe build on his XS (very closely related to our XJs). Something like that hidden under your fender would be much more secure.

Also, to actually answer your original question: I welded my fender on at first. Then weeks later I lifted the rear end by the fender as I tried to put the swing-arm in place, and in the process I tore the welds with my bare hands. Then I cried, cause I'd already had the powder coat put on and most of the bike reassembled. Then I stopped crying, cause that fixes nothing, and drilled holes through the frame and fender. Then I bolted it into place and sprayed some black paint in the cracks to prevent rust.

 

Re: BaldWonder's 1982 XJ650 Maxim J - Bobber/Chop

Baldi

What is the blue hose for ?



and why did you cap off the spiggets on the intake boots ?

 

Re: BaldWonder's 1982 XJ650 Maxim J - Bobber/Chop

The line pictured with the carbs is the gas line. The line pictured with the boots is the vacuum line. Both go to the petcock. The original lines were opaque black. I replaced them with the blue hose because 1. it's what was already available in my father-in-law's garage and 2. now when I run some pilot gas, I can see the flow. Plus it worked well with the hidden blue accent theme I went for.

The caps on the boots were already there. I think they're all manufactured identically (i.e. 1 & 2 are a left-handed set while 3 & 4 are a right-handed set) so that way Yamaha didn't have to make more than two molds. I imagine you could pull vacuum for the petcock from any of the boots, but I opted to stick with how it was until I learn more.

Also, the vacuum line is smaller than the gas line. I think the gas line is 1/4".

 

Re: BaldWonder's 1982 XJ650 Maxim J - Bobber/Chop

First this bike is awesome. Second on the carb boots u covered them with a bicycle inner tube??? I'm curious bc I have dry rotted boots, they're not completely cracked all the way through but don't look to good and I was trying to look into new pairs but they will be like $300 I just want them to look nicer as they function fine.

 

Re: BaldWonder's 1982 XJ650 Maxim J - Bobber/Chop

Thanks!

Yep, it's just a regular old bicycle inner tube from Walmart. I got the biggest one I could (though diameter of the wheel doesn't seem to change the cross-section diameter of the tube itself). I also bought Silicone caulk/glue/sealant to put in between the tube and the boot, but it's so tight on there that it would have been a sticky mess. Glue would have been everywhere. I opted to leave it at just the tube + boot until it becomes a problem again.

I would suggest starting with the tube right-side out, and inverting it as you roll it on. The outside is essentially tacky, and the inside is treated with a powder to keep it from sticking to itself. Dragging it on without flipping it inside out is really tough, but inverting it lets you take advantage of the powder.

Also, you'll have to get clever when it comes to making a hole for the stems. Poking a hole, then stretching, tends to lead to tearing the hole bigger if not clean through. I waited until I had pulled up enough slack that I could poke a hole and place it with the least tugging.

 

Re: BaldWonder's 1982 XJ650 Maxim J - Bobber/Chop

Oh, and take the caps off the stems as you do this!

 

Re: BaldWonder's 1982 XJ650 Maxim J - Bobber/Chop

Use a hole punch to make a perfect hole that won't tear.

 

Re: BaldWonder's 1982 XJ650 Maxim J - Bobber/Chop

Update:
Not sure if I mentioned it before, but I got the bike out for a ride a few weeks ago. My buddy was riding behind me and informed me that while my taillight was visible, the difference between running light and full brake was negligible. I grounded myself until I could address this saddening issue (I really liked my corvette taillight layout).

I hunted around for a while, and came across this taillight setup and these turn signals. Eventually I decided to actually order them, and they arrived this past Thursday and Friday.

This past weekend, I took off the old setup, and made some modifications. I drilled out the holes in the fender bigger to fit the turn signals which became the new bracket bolts. I drilled out the bracket to fit the brakelight/plateholder. I drilled out new hole for the plateholder (apparently the existing holes are meant for Canadian plates). Then I taped off parts of the brakelights and painted it all satin black.

After the paint dried, I assembled everything and went to town soldering, heatshrink wrapping, and tidying up the wires into the plastic conduit stuff I had leftover. Also, I sanded down the grill of the turn signals, so as to echo the brake caliper and valve head cover.




Incidentally, this work also included patching the previous holes in the fender, resanding, and repainting. So that's off the list now!

 

Re: BaldWonder's 1982 XJ650 Maxim J - Bobber/Chop

Nice job!

 

Re: BaldWonder's 1982 XJ650 Maxim J - Bobber/Chop

Despite my recent completion of the new brake lights and turn signals, the weather has decided that rain and cold temperatures are more important. So, I'm spending this weekend clicking my odometer to the correct mileage finally.



As you can see in the picture, I've taken the magnetic sensor and screwed it to the table. Then I taped the extra magnet that came with the speedometer to a drill bit. The drill is clamped in place with a small bench vise. So now the speedo thinks the bike is going 186.4 mph, though that's just the display's limit. It's actually registering about 460mph, as the odometer is ticking off a mile about every seven seconds. It's been a few hours now, and I've got about 5000 out of 27000 miles logged! Now if only the bike really could go that fast!

 

Re: BaldWonder's 1982 XJ650 Maxim J - Bobber/Chop

NICE!!! That's pretty cool...

 

Re: BaldWonder's 1982 XJ650 Maxim J - Bobber/Chop

Don't fall asleep on the job BaldWonder, or the mileage will look like it's been to the moon and back.

 

Re: BaldWonder's 1982 XJ650 Maxim J - Bobber/Chop

Sound advice, which is why I decided to only let it run while I'm awake and in the house.

 

Re: BaldWonder's 1982 XJ650 Maxim J - Bobber/Chop

I am curious to hear her run she's a beautiful beast..... Giving me ideas lol

 

Re: BaldWonder's 1982 XJ650 Maxim J - Bobber/Chop

I'd have made a video for you today, but you'll see in the next post why I didn't. I promise you one this week.

 

Re: BaldWonder's 1982 XJ650 Maxim J - Bobber/Chop

Well, they say a picture is worth a thousand words, so I'll just let my camera do the typing. The following is a series of shots showing how I hid the rest of my wiring today.




















Now I can finally give her a bath without being too afraid of where I splash.

 

Re: BaldWonder's 1982 XJ650 Maxim J - Bobber/Chop

Keeping up with the list: here's where I stand now.

1. Get SS brake lines and level master cylinder Done
   • Rebuild/clean caliper Done
   • Strip and repaint caliper Done
2. Replace rear brake pads Done
3. New alternator brushes Didn't need replacing. Cleaned rotor with pencil eraser instead.
4. Perform valve clearance check Done, passed!
5. Perform compression check Done, also passed!
6. Bar-end mirrors Done
7. Rear fender patching Done
   • Repaint Done
   • Clear coat
8. Hide wiring and electronics Done
9. New crankcase filter Done
10. Battery strap/cover
11. Leather cowl
12. Inline fuel filter Ordered
13. Chop front fender, reattach
14. Get 750 tank Done
    • Strip Started
    • Pull out dents
    • Paint
    • Fuel level connection to speedo
15. Saddle Boxes
    • Brackets
    • Rear turn signals
    • Lid pistons
    • Liner and compartments
    • Painting
16. Front bumper/guard
17. Paint engine, someday

 

Re: BaldWonder's 1982 XJ650 Maxim J - Bobber/Chop

Forgot to add that added a ring of LEDs to the headlight. I have it on the running light circuit, so now I can go to Swenson's and get the server's attention via the "headlight" without having to turn the engine on.



And if you don't know what Swenson's is, it's only the best drive in burger joint ever, located in Northeast Ohio.

 

Re: BaldWonder's 1982 XJ650 Maxim J - Bobber/Chop

Great looking build man. I'll keep checking in for updates.

 

Re: BaldWonder's 1982 XJ650 Maxim J - Bobber/Chop

Great looking build man. I'll keep checking in for updates.

 

Re: BaldWonder's 1982 XJ650 Maxim J - Bobber/Chop

Looks nice man check out my thread on the mods here I put 12000k hid kit into my xj it looks awesome anytime I switch them on lol

 

Re: BaldWonder's 1982 XJ650 Maxim J - Bobber/Chop

Thanks, both.

 

Re: BaldWonder's 1982 XJ650 Maxim J - Bobber/Chop

And as promised, here's a video. My brother in law took it for a spin around the block, and I took the chance to grab some footage and post it on youtube.

Trial run of my bobbed 1982 XJ650 Maxim

 

Re: BaldWonder's 1982 XJ650 Maxim J - Bobber/Chop

Here's one more video of getting to hear it run.

And as promised to RobbieRobot (though he's had to wait a bit longer) here are some better shots of the bike. I cleaned off a lot of the grease, oil, and dirt this morning, and if there's a cloud in the sky, I haven't noticed it.









And these next few shots are detail shots that just plain make me happy to look at.

 

Re: BaldWonder's 1982 XJ650 Maxim J - Bobber/Chop

Bike looks great! Nice job!

What did you decide to use for handle bars and are you happy with the clearance and riding comfort? They look cool as hell!

 

Re: BaldWonder's 1982 XJ650 Maxim J - Bobber/Chop

That bike of yours does look good! The paint scheme is tasty! And in my eyes the two cats eye taillights look better than the four little rounds.

Excellent!

 

Re: BaldWonder's 1982 XJ650 Maxim J - Bobber/Chop

Thanks, attardi!

I bought the "GP TOURING HANDLEBAR BLACK FIGHTER SPORT" on eBay.

Technical details:
•Width = 28"
•Rise = 4.2"
•Pullback = 4.2 "
•Center = 4.8"

I'm pretty happy with them. They are comfortable and give the look I was going for. You will need a new master cylinder though, as the stock one sits at an angle on this bar, since its more level.

 

Re: BaldWonder's 1982 XJ650 Maxim J - Bobber/Chop

Thanks, peganit2! I'm learning to accept the new brake lights, though I may try to resurrect the Corvette look on a café racer project in the future. If and when I ever find a decent Seca to build on, that is!

 

Re: BaldWonder's 1982 XJ650 Maxim J - Bobber/Chop

This. This is sexy. Great attention to detail. LOVE the leatherworking.

 

Re: BaldWonder's 1982 XJ650 Maxim J - Bobber/Chop

That's a big container man !!
But if it works then good...
I could have sent you the spare ones i still have here...

 

Re: BaldWonder's 1982 XJ650 Maxim J - Bobber/Chop

I appreciate the offer, but these already had the brackets/handles attached, and I wanted the brushed look without having to work too hard for it. I was worried that it was going to be so big that it would hit my legs, but clearance is good - they're no where near! I almost went with just one container, standing upright, but I wouldn't have had room for the fusebox. I didn't know where else to put it without having to fabricate a bracket. And then I'd still have to waterproof it, as only the top seals, but the bottom is totally exposed. This took care of it all and allowed ample wiggle room.

Additional update:
1. New, color-scheme-appropriate crankcase filter (thanks for the link, Jewishguy) is installed, and
2. Inline fuel filter is installed!

 

Re: BaldWonder's 1982 XJ650 Maxim J - Bobber/Chop

Last night I decided to tackle the battery cover. I got some cardboard out and wrapped it around the battery, cutting, bending, folding, and creasing it until I had a single shape that would hide the whole battery (while also splash-proofing it). I then traced that shape onto some leftover leather I had from the seat project, cut it out, and added some snap-buttons. Then I drilled out holes in the battery box to add snap-receivers.

Altogether, it took about 2 hours - but this of course excludes the months and months of off and on thinking I've done over how to do this. Now that the wires are hidden in that container, I knew which idea to go with on the battery cover. Funny how knocking over one domino leads to so many others falling just as quickly.

I'll post up some pictures tonight. Also, I wanted to add some antique finish and some resoline sealant (to help protect it from any errant acid).

In the meantime, here's the updated list:

1. Get SS brake lines and level master cylinder Done
   • Rebuild/clean caliper Done
   • Strip and repaint caliper Done
2. Replace rear brake pads Done
3. New alternator brushes Didn't need replacing. Cleaned rotor with pencil eraser instead.
4. Perform valve clearance check Done, passed!
5. Perform compression check Done, also passed!
6. Bar-end mirrors Done
7. Rear fender patching Done
   • Repaint Done
   • Clear coat Waiting to clear the tank at the same time
8. Hide wiring and electronics Done
9. New crankcase filter Done
10. Battery strap/cover Done
11. Inline fuel filter Done
12. Leather cowl
13. Chop front fender, reattach
14. Get 750 tank Done
    • Strip Started
    • Pull out dents
    • Paint
    • Fuel level connection to speedo
15. Saddle Boxes
    • Brackets
    • Rear turn signals
    • Lid pistons
    • Liner and compartments
    • Painting
16. Front bumper/guard
17. Paint engine, someday

 

Re: BaldWonder's 1982 XJ650 Maxim J - Bobber/Chop

Where are the pics ?

 

Re: BaldWonder's 1982 XJ650 Maxim J - Bobber/Chop

Yeah, sorry. I got home from work to find out we were on babysitting duty for the niece and nephew. It'll have to be tomorrow!

 

Re: BaldWonder's 1982 XJ650 Maxim J - Bobber/Chop

Alrighty, here's the pictures!

First, I made the template.



Then I traced and cut out the leather piece. I also added the buttons so I could snap it together.


Like this.


Here it is in place.


And you can see the snaps I added to the box itself to hold it on.


Then I brought it back inside to add the black antiquing finish. Not that you can really see it here, but it really darkens the cut edge nicely. You'll see that in the last picture.


Then I sprayed on the resolene on the backside only. This is basically like a clear coat for leather. Water based acrylic.


And then once it dried, I put her back on. You can really see the antiquing now.

 

I think this is my first post on XJBikes, but I've been following your build since the beginning -- it looks great! Huge inspiration for me.

 

So, as I've alluded to in other threads, I've got transmission trouble. No amount of pulling on the clutch cable will allow the clutch to disengage. It used to work, then I replaced the old fraying clutch cable with a brand-spanking-new one from XJ4Ever (thanks again, Len!), and now it doesn't. After trying many times to readjust the throwout lever, I've bitten the bullet and cracked the clutch case open. Here are the pictures. Please, oh XJ Wizards, let me know if you see something obviously wrong with my initial findings.




Yes, I know there are more rings than this picture shows. The last few were stuck with oil but I got them out (and kept them in order) after this picture was taken.



I know I've got more digging to do, but that's as far as I went today. I was also making a how-to video for the spin-on oil filter conversion. Check it!

 

I may have asked this before, but when you got the new cable did you mention that you don't have the stock bars so Len could get you a shorter cable?

They clutch looks fine. How are the clutch basket fingers (the part that the friction plate tabs slide in to)?

 

Shorter cable: yes. Len and I talked it out and I got the ...29" one? It's been too long to remember now.

Fingers: seem fine to my untrained eye, but I haven't even taken the basket out yet.

 

how did I miss this post? very cool idea! and well executed.

FU

 

did you check the cable to make sure it moves freely? also, there is a thickness spec for the clutch friction discs and the metal discs, there is also a run out spec for the metal plates. you might want to measure them to make sure they are in spec.

nice vid, it's always fun to see a face and hear a voice in an otherwise faceless forum. now I will imagine hearing your voice when I read the text you post.

FU