Decisions decisions...82 XJ650 or 82 XJ750

View attachment 22673 View attachment 22674 I need some advice. This will not be my first Yamaha, but might be my last. There are 2 bikes I am looking at, both are barn finds but heated clean barns.

Bike 1 is an 82 XJ 650 with 14k. Dealer owned selling to pay off bill to get it road ready, PO ran out of funds to pay. They had already finished carb rebuild, new fluids all around, new hoses, new filters. $999 and only 2 hours drive round trip.

Bike 2 is an 82 as well, XJ750. Only 3600 miles! Bike looks really good but engine is mostly blacked out, don't think the engine came that way. Side panels and other trim also blacked out. Needs one fork seal, $800 but have to travel 4 plus hours each way, a whole days trip.

 

Are those air shocks on the rear of the 750? Personally, I like the looks of the 650 better (no atari either).

 

Not a fan of the Atari either, was going to use the difference in price to swap out the entire cluster and handlebars. Added expense, the fact it sat so long, and distance to get it is working against the 750 but she sure looks nice besides that.

 

This is a no-brainer.........get them both.

 

And this, folks, is why he has so many bikes!

 

no those are just covers over regular shocks

 

Hey, experts, are those stock bars for a 650? They look tall.. Is it the photo, or me?

 

They look to be the stock rams horns. Just rotated forward.

~Ghost

 

Agreed

 

Those prices are good for the condition of the bikes. Seriously I would get them both. You can ride one while restoring the other. Once you ride them you may find your favorite and sell the other. You will always get your money back. If you have the room having two is nice when you want to ride with a friend or a out of town relative. I realize you may only be able to have one. That said I would go with the 650. It is better looking in stock form and is powerful enough and handles great. I have seven bikes and if I could only keep one it would be painful but I would keep the 650.

 

The bars would be in the right position if you were standing up on the pegs or the seat

 

Would the bar angle make the angle on the MC a problem?

 

I made a decision. Due to the fugly bars on the 750, the Atari not being my fav look either, plus the 10 hour round trip I decided that it is off the table. It has sat for many years and the lesser mileage is actually a turn off once I thought about it more.

The 650 can have the bars readjusted for now until I get better ones. I will be looking at it on Friday.

Thanks for the advice and comments everyone! Is it just me, or are Yamaha owners just cooler than most?

 

If the bar were tilted and the MC were not "counter-tilted", yes. Given it's supposed to be half-filled, there is certainly going to be a good chance of sucking air if the MC hasn't been leveled on the bars.

 

I dunno if it's Yamaha owners in general, or more specifically, members of this forum! Either way, you're in the right spot to get that xj up and running

 

Hoping it won't be a big deal. It is stickered and ready for the road, but I will be checking the tire date codes. Dealership has gone through it but I usually play it safe. Trust but verify! The prior owner brought this to them to restore. Carbs redone, all fluids done, new plugs, and a few other items. I will be giving it a full once over and bringing a list of things to check off.

 

Be sure to check date codes on front brake lines. If those are "old", good chance you'd want to consider rebuilding caliper and MC. It's good to be sure that those front brakes will work when you need them. I re-built mine when I discovered a 35 yr old brake line still on my bike.

 

DK I am familiar with tire date codes, but never knew about brake lines. Is there a system to it, like last 2 numbers are year made?

 

yes, basically. If you look at the xj4ever catalog on this site, there's a wealth of information. Check the brakes section which includes this:

"Brake lines are designed to be "wear items"---parts that gradually wear out and need to be replaced after a period of time (the factory recommends every 4-5 years). In fact, all original brake hose is ink-stamped with the production date (month/year) of that hose somewhere along it's length (along with manufacturer's name, batch codes, country of origin, etc.)."

 

You have gotten the itch to start riding. For the price you should be able to get on the bike and ride!
Take a few steps to at least make sure the bike is safe to ride.

Brakes: included with the above note on the brake hoses.
~Check the master cylinder window. A cloudy discolored window would give a good indication that the master cylinder has not been serviced/rebuilt.
~Brake fluid condition: Brake fluid should be clear. Dirty brown brake fluid would be a red flag for the need to have the system flushed and/or caliper/master rebuilt. Brake fluid should be replaced every 2 years.
~ Rear brake shoes: If the dealer is unable to provide proof of recent shoe replacement. Make sure they pull the rear wheel to check the shoes for delamination.
~ Valves: If they rebuilt the carbs. They should have checked/adjusted the valve clearances for the carb sync. They should have the shim sizes recorded.
~Steering stem bearings: With the bike on the center stand. Have someone push down on the rear of the bike. Grab the bottom of the forks and push/pull forward/backward on the forks. Any play would indicate the steering head bearings need adjusting/replacement. Turn the handle bars. Check for any notchiness/catching. The bars should turn smooth with a slight drag.
Wheel bearings: With the wheel in the air grab the top/bottom, front/rear and push/ pull on wheel. Any play indicates bad wheel bearings. Do both front and rear.

I understand that the dealer is just trying to recover the repair bill but it is on them to also make sure it is safe!

~Ghost