hi all, looking for help

so my first post is going to be a plea for help. i picked up a 82 xj750 for $900 in cleveland. it runs pretty well but its seen better days. this is where you guys come in. i just need pointed in the right direction. see, the bike runs ok, but the clutch slips if i push the engine too hard, the odometer stopped at 31xxx mi. and i have a dream of replacing the instrument cluster. i'd like to do this mostly myself because i take a lot of pride in knowing my equipment inside and out. the thing is i have never taken an engine apart or replaced a clutch or really done any of this. i have plenty of $60 and hour help around if things get too sticky but id like to fix it up this summer with a few grand in grad money and a bunch of elbow grease.

this forum is setup in a less than easy way and i fear all the threads i need are buried in it.

any needles in this hay stack would be appreciated greatly!

 

These bikes use a wet clutch, so the type of oil you use can make all the difference in the world. A lot of times, just changing out the oil can fix what you're talking about. I'm using 20w50 Valvoline motorcyle oil. Others here use Rotella, Castrol, etc. Mostly it seems to be a matter of brand preference.

If that's not the issue, then the second thing to look into is your clutch cable. On the right hand side of your bike there is an adjustment that can be done by simply adjusting two nuts. Threading up loosens the clutch, threading down tightens it. If your clutch cable is adjusted too tight, then that can result in slipping that you're not going to notice as much at lower speeds.

If those two aren't the cause, then you'll need to disassemble and inspect the clutch plates and springs.

Someone here recently swapped out their instrument cluster with a tach and speedo from www.mikesxs.com It was a sharp look. Much better than the 750's Atari gauges.

 

Gotta agree with the Coach - Oil or cable first then worry about the clutch.

Here are some useful links.

Clean enrichment circuit
http://www.xjbikes.com/Forums/viewtopic/t=8918.html

Clean carbs
http://www.xjbikes.com/Forums/viewtopic/t=2908.html

Carb Sync
http://www.xjbikes.com/Forums/viewtopic/t=2132.html

Bench sync
http://www.xjbikes.com/Forums/viewtopic/t=6366.html

Fuel filter
http://www.xjbikes.com/Forums/viewtopic/t=6352.html

Testing a relay
http://www.xjbikes.com/Forums/viewtopic/t=6809.html

Diagnose starting issues
http://www.xjbikes.com/Forums/viewtopic/t=7828.html

Clutch adj
http://www.xjbikes.com/Forums/viewtopic ... tment.html

Float Height
http://www.xjbikes.com/Forums/viewtopic ... t+dry.html

Valve clearance check and adjustment:
http://www.xjbikes.com/Forums/vie...14827.html

 

Welcome k13fer, nice to see someone new here that it willing to spend some money and invest some sweat to make a sweet vintage XJ live again, your answer from bill also helped me find one of the threads I have been searching for. If you haven't found out yet you can PM chacal for most parts, tools and some of the really hard to find stuff. or you can find the parts and prices here in the community/forums tab under XJ4Ever - Supporting Vendor, or you can email him at info@xj4ever. com (no space between the dot and com) Not only does he have most of the parts and pieces you will need but he is also a wealth of information.

 

thanks to all!
i changed the oil as soon as i got the bike and while it did help a bit it didnt totally solve it. i'm going to work on the clutch cable now....
and i fixed it! lol just loosened up the clutch cable. all better

moving on to the instrument cluster.