First XJ need some help long read

Greeetings,

Ok heres the deal, I've been a parts puller for my grand dads shop since I was 10, startered doing light repairs at 16 before I join the corps after high school I was doing all his engine swaps any anything electrical. fastforward 17 years later I've moved from cars to bikes for side work. Mainly due to takening less realestate, little cheaper to reapir and not as many scrapped knuckles plus I can ride and enjoy it before selling for a few hundred more then I have in it. I've loved yamaha's for a while but never owned an older one. I scan the craigslist daily and local paper, normally I pick up bikes that need alot of attention to bring back to safe riding and find it a new home. This is the first time I took a plunge with my money and gut to pick up a bike that I willing knew had frame damage. Meet the guy he was pretty cool and like most in this area really hurting job wise. I was prospecting three bikes at the time all about same price after negotiations but all completly different issuses. Decided to go with the guy who seemed pretty honest and seemed like he needed the money more then the other two.

It's a 1982 Yamaha xj650, couldn't get it to start. gauges are shot,and I'm thinking the rear drum is dragging as it was a B*tch to roll into the van and out. And he was upfront about what was sold to him decitively, a 7 inch piece missing from the bottom of the cradle where it meets the swing arm joint. But clear title and complete turning engine is getting harder and harder to find under the $500 dollar range here in panhandle of florida.

So to get to the point I've neer done frame work, I'm not an idoit I don't intend to repair something with half hearted wleding skills so I have a few welder options who aren't rediculous. I'm just wondering if any one has ran into this before. Upon further inspection and charged battery, some clean gas it fired right up. didn't want to idle but I can deal with that later. Looking over the frame after removing the exhuast I found the other side was pretty eaten up as well.


So here's my request for help, easier to repair with some tubing or maybe do a hardtial? but most hardtials are dont just behind the part that's damaged so I wouldn't know where to start. What do you guys think? I'll post pictures shortly of bike and some tear down
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Ok well I'm triyng to read the rules better and the FAQ's can't seem to post little different then most forums

 

welcome to the forums and to Xj's. im not a welder and thankfully my bike has a good frame, so i cant lend any advice for that area but im sure others may chime in. so ill get some of the other stuff out of the way that we tell all first timers.

check your brakes for delamination
check your valves and get them in spec
and put yous bikes info in your signature so we can help you better at a glance.

enjoy!

 

Sweet thanks raven Done, also awesome I have two Sr250 that I've snagged a while back hoping to do an oppisite twin thing one blacked out maybe choped other white or cream possible cafe or tracker

 

You just might be able to find another frame at a motorcycle junkyard. Here is a list in Florida... http://motorcycleviews.com/maintain/stateFLj.htm

 

yeah that link didn't work. I've looked before no one keeps a cycle yard anywhere close we had one but it got shut down really fast. One of the local auto slavage places use to carry bikes but i haven't seen a single one in about the three years Ive gone there. I go regularly to help freinds and people fix their cars

 

Hey, this was in the Jacksonville Craigslist...might be worth a call regarding the frame.. http://jacksonville.craigslist.org/mpo/4113920439.html

 

Welcome merc4now, there are 2 frames on ebay as of this post. one is $325 the other is $280

 

Honestly?

I think you have your parts bike; now go find a more solid one to recommission.

 

Wow, no one here has ever repaired a frame? $300 can buy me enough metal to build a frame. As I stated before it's hard to get a TITLED frame in my part of floirda, so I'll stick to repairing this one. ok well appreciate the few responses. I like to ask devoted model forums. Well I'll keep it posted and show my progress. I appreciate the honest remarks. Maybe I'll get more help when it comes to tuning.

 

Frame repair isn't difficult, as long as you know what you're doing with the welder. With the relatively thin wall tubing used though, it's also just as easy to booger things up. If you don't have practice doing these, then buy a junk frame and practice on it first. Heat control and cleanliness are your friends!

 

Oh like I said I'd pass it to a certiifed oil rig welder down the street, Good guy he did a engine weld repair for me really cheap, it broke but to be honest it was in a really really tight spot and was basically a standoff in a hole at an angle so I don't hold it against him. he does side welding all the time I can't count how many boats and trailers I see pulled up every other day when he's not offshore. I don't trust my newbie skils to something somones life would relay on.

 

That's a prime example of a PARTS bike right there.....

If you're really good at welding, then pick up a solid frame for cheap without title, and swap the headtube you have, since you have a title for that one.

Dave

 

It really isn't a viable enough frame to try to repair. I'd be very concerned about the swingarm bearing "pockets" and their positioning once all is said and done; and from the pic it appears as though there may be some serious rusting in that area as well.

I'd give Dave's idea some serious consideration; if the steering head area isn't rusted, it would be better to transplant that section to a viable frame. You could always grind the number off the new frame and re-stamp the correct number with a set of letter punches. Then get a matching replica VIN decal made. Nobody would look twice.

 

See I guess that's what makes bike guys different from boat guys, I picked up a boat awhile back for barter work and it had no title beautiful boat, clean running just sat for years and needed tune up, Local DMV said no go on titling since all I had was BOS from AL, I asked a boat forum I used alot and said hey I found x boat that's just a hull skin with title simialr model no good what do you guys think about swapping the vins so I can register the good one , after about 25 post of how illegal it was within minutes of my post the, I literally had a call the next day (it was posted on ctaigslist as is without title so my # was there). Warning me that someone had called my local Sheriffs department about my possible vin swapping and how it was a felony weather I could show I got both legaly or not, but if I "built" a boat and paided all the fees and registrations and new title I'd be fine. load of crap. boat was parted trailer sold and hull traded for a gocart engine to a guy in Al

I'm leaning more toward making new downtubes and hardtailing it. I had the same concerns Bigfitz52 about the swing arm pivot and where it all meets the cancer had crept pretty far up. on the downtube side the rust stops just short of the up bend, the rest of the frame is solid (from pick pokes I'll know for sure when I strip it down more

 

Meant that in a good way incase anyone read that wrong

 

When I registered and titled my bike in Florida from the previous owner (florida title) the people @DMV did not walk out and inspect the bike. As a matter of fact, the bike was red, but I painted it black and they changed the color on the title by me mentioning that to them. Being that it is a 30 year old bike, I don't think they care that much. So swapping frames without changing the vin number shouldn't be a big deal, that is unless you are planning to "flip" the bike one restored.

Of course you could look into a salvage title after a frame swap.

 

I eventually FLIP everything, And must be nice in your part of florida. Mine I can't get anything titled without all the absolute proper paperwork and anything that might be suspect has to be notorized. And they don't check if t's already been titled in florida auto or bikes normally only if the title is being transfered from another state. If I plan to sale I want the vin numbers to match.This one is titled in florida, but for some down tubes to be bent, welded and renforce the swingarm pivot point, should be able to safely bring it back to drivable condition.