There Is No Comparison to XJBikes.com

Some people just make me angry. I've found a few sites that are strictly on Honda twins like my CB350 and there seem to be some smart people out there, but not a lot of people want to share their knowledge.

Ask for a few tips and tricks of compatible or brand new parts that may add a few more horses and either nobody answers or you get stuff like "racing stripes add 10HP each!"

Ive taken the advice of one person, who told me to talk to another guy. Hopefully he is willing to share his knowledge.

Im glad I found XJ Bikes.

Thanks for everybodys help.
Bob

 

Good deal. The quality of folk here is unmatched. Be proud!

Wait, adding racing stripes or stickers doesn't up your horsepower....?

 

Damn I thought adding my Vetter Touring package and custom decals added at least 1000hp

 

Nooooo....that's 1000.....LBS!!!!......You need the tassel thingies that hang off the end of your bars ....+....the Popsicle stick in the spokes.....(and an H.D. Wifebeater vest..)

 

In reality, the majority people who drive xj bikes or cb360's etc.... dont have the money, skills, or tools to add 10 HP to these bikes....

adding 10 hp to a cb360 is probably adding 33% more hp... you cant do that without a cam, bigger valves, better springs, overbore, high performance exhaust, and probably some real flatslide or cr carbs...

so no, a K&N filter and straight pipes wont gain squat.

i'll go ahead and say it's IMPOSSIBLE to gain 10 hp on an xj without spending $1000

those forums are probably tired of questions like
"how can I gain more hp without spending money?"

when in reality the cheapest way to gain BACK the horse power the bike had when it was new is to adjust valves, cam chain, fuel mixture and balance of the carbs... SURE a 4-1 header with a super trapp adjustable muffle may change the power band, and I'll go all out and say add 2 hp... but that system new is 500..

if you want more hp... you have to buy it.. seems like mid 90's katana's and ninjas etc, are around 1500, which is the same price as a nice xj..

 

Sorry Schooter,

* A little bottle of Nitrous and fat jets should get you 40% or 30 HP,

* A simple motor swap, 750 for 650 gets you 12 HP [for $300]

* You could throw an R1 motor in a 550, with welding, for just under $1,000 in this bad economy of ours.

Then there's the Turbo modders, but they do spend over $1,000 in parts and labor.

 

well now that's bending the rules....
the motor isn't always making that extra 30 hp (safely)
I was just talking about using the same motor...

though the hardened connecting rods of the 650 turbo and better head would work nicely for NOS...

 

Fact of the matter is, if you ride like a civilized human being, anything from about a 350 (and including a 350) twin on up has plenty of HP in stock trim for virtually any traffic situation. Quite honestly, even a clean running stock XJ550 can be a bit much if you don't behave yourself.

Some of the most enjoyable miles I've ever done were aboard my '72 Triumph 500, not exactly a rocket.

I value rideability, versatility, stability, handling, economy, reliability and balanced performance over pure horsepower. A little quickness (and good brakes) don't hurt though.

None of those cost anything extra if you pick the right bike.

 

I'd kind of like to do it (give it the extra power) for a few reasons.

1. So I can say I did it
2. For the experience of rebuilding a motor
3. Not super important but I like acceleration. Being able to get up to riding speed quickly kinda turns me on if you know what I mean.

 

+1
Al

 

Amen - Been there done that ...

The other "bike forums" especially on one of the biggest sportsbike focused ones - wow. Too much of what I experienced there was bombastic, flaming, general nastiness, immaturity and massive egos. If they didn't happen to like you, your thread or the subject matter, or even the size of the font used (I kid you not) there were extremes of attempted humiliation.

Ex. a commonsense warning about ripoffs lead to an outright forum swarm, like a flock of geese attacking.
Some of the gaggle tries to peck a 'usurper' to death.

So let's not have any reality checks or real world situations discussed on these forums....

just kidding.

This is still the best mc forum for positive and creative thinkers engaged in intelligent discussion in my book.

Have a Happy Christmas everyone,
Rob and Family

 

Not taking anything from Bobby's spot-on comments about XJ bikes and the guys here........(I always thought that chrome made them faster...you know, slide though the wind better)

You're dead wrong Schooter (dang, right after I complimented you in a different thread too)....I SAFELY added considerably more then 10hp to my XJ and didn't even spend 50 bucks to do it.......I honestly have no idea how much but an educated guess would be probably 15-20 at the rear wheel and I'm being conservative.......all by adding 20 dollars in parts and setting up my boost from the "frightful" 8psi that it was when I bought it (it had no "powerup" kit) to a full 18psi. I guarantee that as that needle on the boost gage swings past 14, it WILL get your undivided attention. I don't know why since the failure testing indicated that 21psi could safely be used indefinitely, why they limited the turbo to 8, then 12 with the kit. Maybe they were afraid people would get hurt?

In the spirit of the statement, I do agree with the general premise....but the turbo is the exception.

jeff

 

Hot-up stuff not withstanding I'm a member of a few different forums but without doubt XJ bikes has a friendlier and more helpful group of members than any other forum I have dealt with,a little more old school than others but the basics of courtesy are always in fashion or should be.
Solid knowledge and a desire to help others with their project should always be appreciated and a 5 minute read has a few times sorted any drama I had pretty much straight up.
Thanks very much everyone!!

 

+1.
With the sage advice from members of this forum my XJ runs better than ever . Few attitudes and a wealth of knowledge have given me the tools and gumption to tackle most jobs I would never have even attempted.

It's nice to be able say "I did it myself".
Just my two cents worth.
Maz

 

Hey Bob, regarding the 350, the following is what was done to the 350 motor I had in my race bike of several years ago.
This motor was built for racing, so streetability (real word) would be an issue maybe. It also was set up to run on a total loss electrical system so had to make sure it was charged when not racing.
The guy I bought it from is a well known bike and engine builder and past club Pres of the VRRA here in Canada.
These were the specs for the motor in my bike:
Engine: Full 360cc with slightly modified GPZ750 pistons (bored out)
Exhaust Valves: stock
Inlet Valves: from Honda 450
Racing valves springs, Titanium valve spring caps
Stock crank and connecting rods
Mega Cycle racing camshaft
Inlet Ports 32 mm with 32mm Mikuni Carburretors
Barnett clutch and springs
Crankshaft mounted electronic ignition using ’84 nighthawk black box and pick ups. Other components designed and built by PS. Rev limiter max. RPM 10500
Last Dyno check showed 42 BHP

 

See, this is what I mean. How come some one couldn't juast have done something like this on the other site.

Thanks MaximX I appreciate it. Im not planning on makeing a racing bike but at least I know that some parts from the 450 are interchangeable.

Just wanna be clear on something, was it a 350 or a 360? Might affect that interchangeability?

Pretty bad when I get my Honda info froma Yamaha site

 

It was a 350 bored out to the equivalent of a 360.