Quick Advice Request

Hey all,

Quickie question. Going to go look at a XJ in the next few days and I am curious what you all would check before you buy - outside of the normal things to check like: battery, tires, brakes, etc..

But I was thinking of bringing my compression gauge, popping off the plugs and getting a reading on it as well as check the forks and their seals, check for oil around the filter etc...

Is there anything else I should check for just to be sure i'm not getting a lemon? I know it won't be perfect, but trying to avoid something that will need a full rebuilt in 1 season - I already got that right now ;-).

any advice appreciated!

thanks

 

To add to this, I would appreciate any metrics and measurables.

Like, I believe idle RPM is around 1050, and optimal compression is 140-150 (right?). If I measure the tire tread, whats a good depth and what indicates that they might to be replaced?

Etc..

thanks again!

 

Second Gear.

 

Rick,

Yeah, was definitely going to run it through the gears - if nothing thing else, I'm going to put it on the center stand and cycle through them.

anyone with any other experience advice on what to pay attention too? (got my flashlight to see how bad the tank is on the inside ;-) ).

 

Get the wheels off the ground & check the bearings for slack, also pull the front wheel forward, check for wear on the stearing head bearings.
Don't forget WOT when checking the compression.
Put your meter across the battery terminals, while reving at 2-3k check the output from the alternator, 14+v.
check under the headers & mufflers for metal worm.

 

Look for signs of road rash. Non-standard signals, modified wiring ...

Look in the gas tank for rust or varnish.

Open a couple of the carb bowel drain plugs and see what comes out - sediment, rust, clean gas? Or is the damn thing stripped or seized?

 

Wizard: What do yo mean, "Don't forget WOT when checking the compression" ?

Thanks for the advice all, great stuff! ;-)

 

Wide Open Throttle.

 

Got it, thanks!

 

Putting it on the center stand and running it through the gears won't 100% tell you if there is a tranny problem. Mine is fine on the center stand, but once you put it on the ground and under a load, it will pop out of second gear. Also, when you put the tranny under a load, you need to make sure you have increasing torque. If I go easy, second is fine. If I start twisting the throttle to accelerate, it pops out of second.

Hope that helps...

 

It does, thanks!

 

I would also ask alot of questions about last maintenance and repair work done. Look the bike over and see if the odometer reflects the condition of the bike. If you beleive its accuate or not.

 

A quick check that you can do is the site glass for the oil. While color may not be a indicator it can tell a little. If the oil is clear/ translucent it has been recently changed. If it is black it may not mean anything (other than it is due a oil change). I would at this point tilt the bike upright and then onto the side stand the oil level should change and flow smoothly.... if there is a sludge ring on the sight glass or it flows more like jam than oil the bike been sitting for a while or routine maintence was neglected.