Undecided!! help!!

So I've had my 82' xj for three years now and its stock standard and rides like a dream.

I'm keen to have a project bike asap and would love to build a cafe racer. The only trouble I'm having is should i do it to my current bike or get another xj to chop up??

I love my bike and am throwing on clubman bars this week, and I've got spoked wheels on their way too, but that would be for the cafe bike...

I'm just stuck, chop this one up? or get a new one?? check my gallery if you can help and tell me your opinions it'd be muchly appreciated.

thank you in advance

 

If yours is a nice stock one and all or 99% of parts are there. You could always find another one for a project and keep the stock one stock. There seems to be plenty around that are in peices already that you could build a racer up from. Just my 2 bits

 

If you chop it up, what are you going to ride while working on the new one?

 

I agree wholeheartedly. There are fewer and fewer nice,original bikes each year. If your bike is nice,I would make sure any mods done are reversible,and I would keep all the original parts. There are plenty of diamonds in the rough that can be had for a song,(as long as I'm not the one singing...that wouldn't be pretty!) that may better lend themselves as a base to build your dream bike.I love chops and bobbers,but once you chop,you can't "un"chop.

 

Nice bike, chop a Honda.
Where the hey did you get spoked wheels, especially the rear?

 

Hey thanks guys,

i must admit im now leaning towards getting another bike that needs some work for my project, I just like my xj too much and i agree wholeheartedly that there are fewer originals these days.

So i'm gonna go hunting over the next couple of weeks for a victim bike

oh and i've got wire spoked wheels coming from an early 80's shaft drive virago. Rumour has it these bolt straight on, so fingers crossed.

pics of my bike with clubmans coming soon

 

I hate to see a clean bike chopped - there are plenty of others out there. My 2 cents - the reality is you bought it you own it you can set it on fire if you want to (not a recommended practice). :lol:

 

its too often that we allow ourselves to be swayed to the opinions of others ... its a nice bike as it is, the only gain you have with keeping it stock is resale value. its your bike you have to ride it ... you can do anything you want with it. if it comes out bad you can always do it again

 

+1.

Find a rough Seca 550, 650, or 750. These make great cafe bikes with less modification than the Maxim's (IMO). If you find a rough one that needs help, you (and we) won't feel so bad about cutting it up a bit and it'll need less cutting to begin with.

 

I'm a big fan of the cafe bikes and would also like to find a rough seca to cut up, yours looks far to good to chop but like Bill said it's your to do with as you like just keep in mind that it will never be that bike again
Shaun

 

This is why I'll be modifying a different bike... I just love this too much after the Clubmans were installed Monday.

Hope you like the pic.

 

SUHWEET. There's a lot you can do to improve the bike without "hurting" it too; a set of new Progressive Suspension shocks and fork springs; braided steel brake lines; drilled floating rotors; etc. Not as visible but will make a nice bike even nicer.

 

I, personally, would not chop up that bike. It is far too nice. There are always bikes on evilbay and CL that are great condidates for that.

Just my .02

 

Big fitz, braided lines will be the next addition then a new paint job. I must admit I can't change a thing on this bike now that the clubmans are on...

 

I have pondered the question of whether or not to repaint my bike. I may still do it someday, but something I saw on TV recently made me decide to wait. Jay Leno was on a recent episode of "Rides." He had found a rare Model X Duesenberg in a garage near his shop. It had a minor dent and a scratch or two, but after he cleaned and polished it up it still looked pretty good. It needed some major engine repair, but that's all he did to it. He said "Anyone can restore an antique, but it's only original once. Sometimes it's worth it to keep it that way." After watching that, I took another look at my Maxim and decided I wasn't ready to tear it down yet. It still looks pretty nice after a good waxing, and I am impressed by that.
It's your bike, and you choose your own path, but if it was mine, I'd leave it be for now. It still looks very nice.

 

Chop up a different bike, find one that's not all there, not so nice and make it something better, there are far to few clean stock XJ's out there and cutting up yours would meen one less