XJ 700-N, Custom 'Classy Rat-Bike' by a First Timer

Ok everyone i have been on this forum for a few months now, at first just reading and learning, and now posting a few things, all while working on my first ever motorcycle - my 1985 XJ700-N!

I decided, even though i have not done a ton yet, that i wanted to document all the small tasks I have checked off my to-do list. Thanks to the wealth of knowledge from this forum I have gradually dug into my bike to make it my own, and this way if other people are in the same boat as me they may have a guide (of sorts...) to follow!

Background:

I test drove it and i rode 4 miles down the road shifted through all 5 gears and got up to 80 mph, and then came to a stop using mainly the front brakes - so i was happy and maybe too eager to just buy a motorcycle. Luckily for me it was an XJ, because honestly i just bought the cheapest working(so i though) thing i could find...

I had assessed the bike and found:

- Rear brakes were shot - no stopping power
- Front brake lines were original (old) and spring 'shield covers were rusty
- Paint chips in the frame = minor rust spots (nothing structural, simply aesthetically not pleasing)
- High beams did not work
- Master cylinder viewing window was spider webbed shattered (still held fluid - really nothing upon later inspection)
- Tank was primed (needed paint)
- Minor oil drip form the oil Gallery Bolt

I bought the bike for $580 - he was asking $800 (i know people don't really talk about prices on this website, so forgive me in advance). I was on the way home (25 mile trip) 7 miles down the road bike started to bog and then it cut out! (i was pretty heart broken). I Left it in a church parking lot overnight with a note and went back the next day to get it!
Upon further diagnosis, the inside of the gas tank was rusted and had clogged the inline fuel filter so no gas was getting to the carbs.


Here is a picture of it after i rattle canned the tank a few days after getting it home (because i was not yet mechanically inclined enough to do anything else to it! lol

 

that's a 580$ bike all day long. Your mistake was riding it before you checked it out real close.

 

After figuring out what i had purchased and doing some homework on the XJ700, i realized that the mufflers i had were not correct. After i looked at them I discovered they were Harley mufflers and that they had less air restriction, so i was worried about the jets in my carbs not being correct (of course i had no idea how a carburetor even worked before i visited this site - it was almost like the more i read and discovered the more i was worried so many things would be wrong with my bike! lol).

I created a check-list of things to i needed to get done before i could really enjoy it. First and foremost was getting tanked cleaned up and lined, so that gas could get to the carbs and i could run the bike!

1.) Soaked tank in apple cider vinegar for 12 hours, then filled with fish tank gravel (small as possible) and put in dryer wrapped in pillows to tumble. This was quite an experience but it worked well - **only thing is that it is a real pain to get every little rock out afterwards -and if you use water make sure its distilled or it will flash rust on you again!

2.) Stripped paint off of exterior of tank to get professionally painted, and I discovered all the previous layers of paint and that the bike had been laid down before because there was bondo on the right side. I decided to leave the tank half stripped and then proceeded to wet sand with 400 grit sand-paper and water to give it the rat rod look.

3.) discovered the PO has JB welded his entire fuel petcock (rather than a rebuild- i am guessing due to a vacuum leak from a failing diaphragm, since he had the petcock on prime and no vacuum line hooked up). Purchased an all new OEM petcock (not cheap!)

4.) Replaced in line fuel filter since it was full of small rust pieces from the tank.

 

I thought I had talked him down to a reasonable price, but it is reassuring to hear a second opinion. Yea i was pretty eager to buy a bike and ride, and luckily the brakes didn't fail or something crazy!

 

After getting my fuel delivery situation handled, i then moved to the carburetors to make sure no rust had gotten threw to them and because it had a hanging idle that i needed to address (I know someone is going to say "you can't tune carbs until valve clearance have been checked and set", and i will get to that this winter!). I followed the 'church of clean' and found that the float bowls were actually pretty clean but the emulsion tube was dirty and the throttle plunger springs on all four carbs were rusted and causing the needles to get stuck partially open. The pilot mixture screws and springs were also rusted so tuning was almost impossible because they could not go more than 1 turn out. Lastly the air intake boot was cracked and pulling a vacuum!

1.) Completely disassembled the carbs.


2.) Soaked the carb bodies in Pine-Sol and the inner parts of the carbs (everything but the rubber pieces) in carb cleaner.



3.) Got new air intake boots from a fellow member and swapped those out, well really only the #2 boots (the one that the fuel vacuum hooks up to).

4.) I put everything back together, but unfortunately i think i am going to dismantle them again this winter to replace all the throttle shaft seals (o-rings), not beaus it seems to be pulling a vacuum but just for maintenance.

5.) Now it runs very nice!!

 

Those pictures of the original petcock, all JB-welded shut like a mummy's coffin, needs to go into the "What Did Your PO Do Today? highlights reel...........

 

Next i had to tackle my brakes.... (can't go fast if you can't stop!). I order stainless steel brake lines and a new viewing window for my master cylinder (i used a little too much gasket maker - but you can still see through the window).





While i was doing the break lines i got new forks and swapped them out because mine were kind of kruddy. I cut down my front fender and painted it black to make it look smaller and so it blend in with the tire more, in order to make the front end look more raked out and have a bobber stance to it.




The brakes stop still and the pads are good but i still have air in my lines... I opened the 'bleeding drains' at the top of each caliper and pumped the brake levers and small air bubbles came out, but the lever never got tight and the brakes do not stop when i actually ride (even at a minimal 5 mph....), and no i did not rebuild the calipers, but they were working before...

 

and that is after i took a dremel to it for 2 hours and cleaned it up! you should have seen it before! and i am still going to get that valve gasket kit i just have to wait 1 more pay check! lol

 

You got a 700 for less than scrapper price AND you're not afraid to get your hands dirty and fix stuff right. Good on ya!

If my wife saw carbs and Pine Sol on the kitchen counter, I'd be in trouble!

 

Easiest way to bleed the master is with a vacuum bleeder. The master moves very little fluid when the lever is pulled. The vacuum bleeder pulls the fluid through the system and gets it done very quickly. Just make sure to keep the master topped off with fluid.

 

Haha, i think my girlfriend has gotten used to me and my many projects, but i do know where to draw the line (only because i learned the hard way!). Yea this forum is great, i was never scared about getting my hands dirty, i was just scared that all the stuff i spend my hard earned money and time that i take apart will not be put back together correctly, but this site has resolved that fear. (there are other projects that are still in pieces all over the shed lol)

 

I watched a video on a guy who used one of those, but figured if i just hook up a fuel line to the bleeder valve at the top and pull the brake, that the fluid should flow and it did and i kept the master full as to not pull more air. I guess i will be going to the store to buy a vacuum bleeder! thanks for the help!

 

You can't just repeatedly pull the lever to bled the brakes. you need to shut of the bleed screws each time with the lever pulled in before you release it otherwise you will suck in more air. Probably a load of youtube vids on the subject..
Excellent write up by the way looks like you're having fun !

Something else I meant to ask. Can you guys just jump on a bike without taking a motorcycle competance test ? Over here it's pretty hard to get a bike these days and you get limited to power (45 bhp I think) if you're new. It was easier 30 odd years ago though when I first got one..

 

only if you don't get caught. Enforcement is fairly lax, but riding without an endorsement can cost a person their auto license, and repeat offenders can serve jail time in many states.

 

I made a homemade vacuum bleeder with my vacuum, some fuel line, and a plastic bottle, and some duct-tape, and it worked great! check out the picture (i saw a video on youtube).



I took a 2 day course (20 hours) for motorcycle school, took the written test, took the practical test, passed both, and then got my class 'M' motorcycle license. Now i can drive a motorcycle!

 

Don't hesitate to take an advanced rider's course next spring. Skills get rusty quick, and the basic course is just that; basic.

 

Ride a motorcycle

 

Drive is also a proper term for what we do with a motorcycle. Silly thing to post about.

 

Update*

I finished up my chopped rear fender. I chopped it shorter, specifically cutting it all the way back to the grab handle bolt holes. I decided to round off the corners to make them more pleasing to the eye. I then proceeded to wet sand the rear fender in order to match my tank and overall ‘rat bike theme’. I drilled holes through the end of the fender for my new ‘cat eye’ taillight to mount onto. I have to give credit to Superluckycat for the idea (his build is here: http://www.xjbikes.com/forums/threads/xj700-mods-in-progress-new-pics-of-final-product.26989/ )

This is what it came out looking like:

*(I have to go back and get a die mount for my license plate, if you look close in the picture it got crunched up by my rear wheel after going over a speed hump due to my bike being lowered from the shorter shocks lol - kind of a headache but easy fix.)

Then I decided to follow suit of Dave (Hogfiddles), and I swapped out my ear shocks for some shorter 750 Virago shocks. I believe it lowered my bike by roughly 1.5” in the rear (I cannot remember the exact length of the original shocks versus the new virago ones), either way it gives my bike a more aggressive/ chopped bobber stance.

After finishing sanding of the rear fender, and giving it a clear coat, I decided I didn’t want those bulky original taillights the stuck out so far. I swapped the original blinkers out for small LED lights that only stick out maybe 2 inches, compared to the original blinkers which stuck out around 4 inches.
I also shaved down my seat - but that still needs a little more work.



After swapping the rear blinkers I decided to do the same thing for the front to give it a tighter look. I used the housing from the original rear blinkers and swapped out the wiring from the original front blinkers (the front blinkers had 3 wires and the rear only had 2, so a straight swap would not have worked- swapping them was a pain!!). Now the front blinker are in closer with the head lamp and look like this.

 

1 45 day learners permit (30$) issued in your lifetime. if you fail the permit test 2 times you take the training course(150$) 3 days of riding and classroom.
passing class gets you a card which you trade at the DMV for a license. no restrictions on bike size