A Scottish XJ550 Cafe/streetfighter'ish racer...

Like where you're headed. Keep up the great work.

 

What is the length of the shock your using?

 

Hi,
the shock is from a RD250/350LC RZ in the USA which has a length of 315mm if I remember correctly.

Cheers
Col .

 

Not alot to report today with progress about the 550 but I have removed the handlebar clamps from the top yoke making it so smooooooooth. Also left it with a few squarish holes where the bolts for the clamps were..
To fill or leave them as is???? Mmmmm....



In the background you can see the new 17" rims patiently waiting in their box for the stainless spokes & freshly powdercoated hubs to arrive.. :lol:

Started fibreglassing up the front of the FZR seat pan to meet the tank but ran out of resin so no photos of that just yet.. :wink:

Cheers
Col.

 

Leave the holes, makes it look sort of custom looking. Y'know, drilled rotors, drilled sidecases, that sort of look.

 

Sweet!!

Love the stance it has! Keep kickin' it into shape!

 

Ever think of putting this stuff on the indent of the tank? I have suggested this to other people, it gives the bike that old tank look from when tanks came with rubber on the sides. The nice thing is they are not a permanent mount, so you can give it a go and if it doesn't look right you can peel it off. Probably be able to sell it on to one of the local sportbike hooligans.
http://www.techspec-usa.com/overview.html
For non-specific bikes they have a general sheet that you can cut to your own shape.
http://www.techspec-usa.com/products/gs_misc.html

 

Thanks AC & Maxim,
we have the same kind of tank grip thing over here but never seen them in black which could look pretty cool. Cheers.

Little bit of welding done today on the swingarm with fitting plates to allow for paddock stand bobbins to be fitted to the underside of the swingarm at the axle. Also welded in a small plate for the sharkfin to be fitted if I put it on the track :wink: Has to be done... :lol:

Anyway after that I decided to fit the engine to see how it sat with a bit more weight in the frame & wanted to check how I was going to cut up the 4-1 Motad(heavy) exhaust to make it look a lot cooler than it would be with one of those fitted... Took the grinder to the silencer part of it to leave a Meg looking end. I may mess around with the Motad end cap & some perforated tubing to try & make a removeable baffle of a sort..

Here it is anyway .. see what you think.





I also finished of the fibreglassing for the seat pan & fitted some extra closed cell foam to it which has still to be trimmed before fitting the cover.

The last photo shows the 17" rims in their box making a break for it as they are fed up waiting on the spokes & hubs :lol:
Cheers
Col.

 

Beautiful bike man, love the style, little bit old, little bit modern, just right stance. Gonna look great!! Shoot, looks great just like it is!!

 

Thanks Joel, I'll do my best to keep it going..

Here is what I managed tonight. Not a huge amount but it all counts towards finishing it.
My battery arrived that I think will be man enough to start it & keep all things running & shining bright which allowed me to make up a battery box & fit it underneath the seat unit hump.
Now that is in place I can think about the rest of the electircs & where I may fit those in to keep a clean look to the bike.

And with the seat unit fitted showing what may be seen from behind, although you won't see much for the number(licence)plate & rear light..

Picked up my powdercoated hubs today aswell... Forgot to mention before taking them to the powdercoaters I had a moment of mad thoughtlessness & drilled more holes in the hubs... :lol:

Cheers
Col.

 

My spokes finally arrived yesterday Unfortunately I couldn't use them until tonight allowing me to build the front wheel although not true it up. I'll need to fit new wheel bearings before doing that.



Trial fit of the Aprilia disc even though I need to space it out you can get the idea on how it is going to end up looking.. 8)
Be building the rear wheel tomorrow I reckon now..

Cheers
Col.

 

With a rotor that large might I suggest one or two finger braking at most, gently, gently! :roll:
:twisted: :twisted: :twisted:

 

You coulld be correct Maxim :lol: There will be an Exup 4 pot squeezing it too. 8O
Should be enough to get it on it's nose I'm hoping, can never have enough brakes in my opinion..

Cheers
Col

 

Best get down't local and start getting some bevvies down yer neck, help keep'th arse end down!

:twisted: :twisted: :twisted:

 

:lol: Now that is a good idea Maxim... Hic!!

Spoked up the rear wheel tonight, need wheel bearings before I true it up..


Cheers
Col.

 

Completed my exhaust today so I now have a much lighter & probably louder version than Motad intended for the XJ :lol:
Removed the original silencer & the internal baffling that is also in the meg part of the exhaust. Welded up the spot welds I had to drill out & welded it back together & now with a removalable end cap re-using the original Motad part. For silencing I bought some stainless 45mm perforated tubing & with exhaust wadding that should maybe keep the noise down..



You will see in the second photo my wiring loom hanging down at parts. I've removed all the tape so I can hopefully trim the loom down to the neccessary wires as I dont want to run with indicators or the side stand cut of switch or any other bits that don't help it run any better than needed. Not my strong point wiring but hopefully I'll get there with it.. :roll:

Cheers
Col.

 

What exhaust is that and where did you get it from? If you dont mind me asking.

 

Thats a Motad - and it takes a brave man to cut up a £300 system!!!

Wemoto stock them (And Motad occasionally sell them on ebay - unused customer returns).

 

Hes made some major modifications to make a crappy motad look that good and to get that angle!

 

Thanks guys,
yes, it was a crappy heavy Motad system & luckily I never paid the £300 for it as it came with the bike. Pretty good nick it is in aswell, so I scored there with that.
Brave?? nah, I just cut things up till they look pleasing to my eye. Done a similar thing to a Motad that was fitted to a GSXR that I had too..

The angle of the meg part isn't changed a great deal although I had to cut it of the original as it had a pipe & a collar in the centre of it upto the HUGE silencer which has been binned as you can tell. Definately a lighter pipe now.

Fitted my tyres to the trued up wheels tonight & trial fitted both wheels to the bike. Unfortunately it was a bit late before I finished with it & could only get a few photos of the bike in my tight garage, dark outside. :roll:

Here is sitting a bit more level & lower with the 17"s on it instead of the 18+19's it came with originally.


You can see it with the position of the headlight now aswell. I won't be keeping the black plate on it either. Have an alloy one for it on it's way.
Cheers
Col.