What did you do to your Yamaha today?

$ 8. - back on the road.

 

30 mile ride. I try to get at least one ride a week of +20 miles so I don't have to winterize the bike. Was a little chilly near the end but wonderfully sunny today!

 

Currently soaking my 700’s fuel tank with evapo-rust. Cleaned the carbs and the fuel rail was plugged full of rust.
(PO used a different tank on the bike, but I’m not taking any chances. The filter on the petcock “straw” looks intact, but I had already bought the cleaner so why not).
Hoping this is the reason the bike died on him and it’s an easy fix. Waiting on carb bowl gaskets to arrive and then we’ll see where I’m at.

 

You might want to install a inline fuel filter also.
I use the brass stone type .($8)
the 90deg. one gave me a cleaner petcock to fuel rail route . [on a 700]

 

for future reference

Clean and lube the ignition switch

 

I shall. I didn't have any Dielectric Grease at the time. tomorrow I'm going to parts store for sp.plugs and oil filter. I'll pick up D. grease. then.
It's so incredibly easy to go back and do, it's a no brainer.

 

I’ve got a new inline filter to install when it all goes back together. Thanks for the tip!

 

Yes

 

Does the 'Atari' light up as a fault with the LED installed??

 

Windy, cloudy, and an early sunset this time of year. But, at 45F in Minneapolis, I had to de-winterize the XJ and get in one last ride to work. I'll re-winterize it when I'm done shoveling Tuesday evening.

 

The what?

 

My bad, realize you have a Maxim, with conventional instrument panels.....

 

Couple new guys showed up today. One obviously just for parts and the other will be determined later

 

I can see you on a 5-valve Seca!

 

Wouldn’t that be something to see!

 

yes it does there is a fix here someplace rooster wrote it up I think

 

Haha. This could come close to qualifying for the worst rack of the year award I think. From the 750 I snagged the other day. Here we go. Slowly

 

Yes those carbs are beat up...the tops look like they could go at anytime. I loved my X to work on good challenge. I didn't like the riding position. I really wanted to keep her after all the work I put into her, but just found my self jumping on the Seca all the time. I wonder why they never put that X engine into the Seca?

Great haul and you always seem to find good deals/bikes. You are in a more populated area than I am though. I still try to keep up...You are winning!

 

Because to my understanding, having once again fallen behind in the all too important 'Sports Bike Era'....at least in UK/Europe, Yamaha needed the 5 valve water-cooled engine in their upcoming GSXR750/GPz900R and VFR750 challenger > FZ750....

But I agree, this motor in a slightly beefed up chassis-wise Seca could have been great!

PS a mate of mine, 'snowy' was a legend amongst (Manchester) bike couriers, his 5 valve engined FZ750 Yamaha did a recorded 240,ooo miles, when I last saw him, and it was still going, and had never been split down, as far as I know, that easily bested my 900R at about 146,000, and even one of my XJ750's, at 220,000.. !!

 

Scored a rebuildable 700 petcock for $20.
and a rebuild kit for $15. [ebay]

 

12/10/19 Swapped motors over in the 700 from a 38000 (smoky sob) to a 13000 mile motor which hadn’t been ran since early 2000’s We shall see what happens. I bought it as I wanted the oem paintwork for the 85 X. Paint sets will be swapped from fireman red to the factory red on the X
Tearing down an untitled 86’ X this weekend with only 14024 miles. I did verify the motor ran for me. I’ll do the compression tests this weekend before disassembly. I have to get to the airbox for another member.
Took the fireman red tank to my favorite local moto shop for a clean and reline and picked up some fuel line while I was there

 

Just tried to rebuild mine on my 700 today and leaked like a sieve. Found a post on here about concaving the aluminum disc on the vacuum seal .015-.020 mm to make it seal properly. Hopefully it works first go, but if not, try that. I’m going to try it to mine Friday when I get a chance.

 

I previously had the$25 chinese 44mm flange petcock before, it leaked, and allowed fuel flow when ON, engine off. [ piece of shite ].
I installed a inline shut off valve because of it. I've grown used to turning it off at shutdowns.

 

Completed my Front end conversion along with the addition of a steering damper.

 

Wow, reminds me of a couple of Kawasaki Mach III 500 triples I had in the 80's. Totally unstable (and scary) over @90 MPH.

 

I have been assembling the bike. Put the wiring harness and other parts on the frame a few days ago. Today I got the front end on the frame and the swing arm shocks and rear wheel.

 

The harness is so much fun, right? Heh

 

Yes if it works when I eventually try and start it lol.

 

Checked my valve shims, only needed to order one and new cover bolt seals. Hoping to start the new year with a running bike! (Only to strip it back down for some paint).
Merry Christmas to all

 

what size do you need?

 

A 255 shim

 

I think I have one. Let me check.

 

I’ve already got one on its way, but thank you!

 

Ok good. The bag disappeared during the purge I have plenty of bucketa though.

 

Today I peeled the old seat skin off and recovered it. Not super happy with it(the foam was a little rough, filled the crack with other foam I had), but it’ll do for now.

Also, why does this site turn all of my pics upside down when posting?

 

Best you can do with foam in that state is to cut the rot in a full slice and replace it. You can mend it from the pan side with some vinyl scraps and 3M glue to make a saddle. if you nip and fill a core segment it will never sit right.

 

Oh.. go snag an electric knife from the pawn shop. Makes contouring easier when you block in a patch.

 

I’ve got one from making boat seats a few years ago. It was so much easier than hand-sawing it

 

Have not touched bike for few weeks short of plugging in trickle charger. Today temp hit 50 , I thought about pulling it out and going for a ride, but I have it situated just right in the garage. But I did start her up , fired right up after a couple of minutes shut off choke ,idled so smooth ...since this first day of winter,counting days down till spring .

 

Clutch pack is in, new oil filter and oil. Going to re-tune tomorrow and try to get some video of the colortune and gauges again.

Got this in today. Another video series subject for the YT channel. 82 Seca Turbo seat with bars. Going to attempt salvage and refinish. Cover is pliable so I think it'll be a good one. Will probably end up for sale.

 

The cover on my ignition switch got damaged in an accident a while back so I stripped the unit today and repaired it with the ignition switch guide on the XJ forum. Eased the plate the key goes through off the switch by bending the folds back and used a bolt head to chap the damaged cap flat from the inside. Assembled it and tested it with a multimeter, great guide that was for explaining how to do this job especially keeping those metal lock wafers in the correct order.

 

First cover repairs are almost done on the 82 Seca Turbo seat. Rear panel rip has been sewn together and leather patch glued on to hold the loose side pad. Will be filling the gap soon and making a full leather backing panel for the main section of the cover. It will be glued and sewn in for extra support.

 

So I just bought my first bike this morning. 81 xj650 bobber. It was complete this morning. Wiring is hacked, so I’m prepping to build a new harness.

 

One thing that always bugged me was the rust in this area that I didn't have a good way to refinish:


So I got so I got some reasonably beefy and sticky carbon fiber pattern vinyl and tried this:


I was on the fence, but think maybe I'll keep it?

 

looks good. another option is plasti-dip spray. change the color if you like when you feel like it.

 

Looks nice. I wouldn't like to cover rust though because it could keep rusting. Maybe try a rust remover or use the Lime-A-Way method and then hit the area with clear Rust-Oleum before covering it.

 

Krud Kutter: The Must For Rust on a papertowl. Rubber band it on and keep spritzing it. It'll eat the rust away and leave a phosphate layer behind you can cover.

 

aluminim foil and water will remove the rust then a little wax to seal it or plate it with a plating kit

 

I have used JB Weld to cover pit's where the fork seals wipe with good luck.