My XJ650J stock to bobber build

Greetings to all. I am the proud owner of an '82 XJ650J I bought from a buddy of mine this past summer. I have always wanted a bike and the deal he presented to me was a deal I had no intention of passing up. It has been sitting for the last 6 years and it was running when he parked it for its long hibernation. I have been busy working on it and it is totally apart now and being worked on although I was able to get it started and running before I totally tore it down. I have worked on antique autos and I am looking forward to the challenge this presents. I will be posting more pics as I go along. I know I will have plenty of questions and look forward to your answers.

 

going to need a lot of elbow grease to get this to look good

 

king and queen seat is off as well as the sissy bar.

 

tank is off and cut back part of frame off & fenders are gone...waiting for some parts i got off ebay to arrive

 

bought drag bar off ebay....loving the prices so far....trying to keep it low cost conversion

 

drag bars are on and put tank back on temporarily to get a look.

 

another ebay buy....came off a 2014 Yamaha Bolt. Need to make a bracing for it to sit snug.

 

seat just sitting to see what it will look like

 

with the tank emblems gone, needed to fill in the areas on both sides and sand. love doing this kind of work. visions are starting to dance in my head.

 

Pods arrived.

 

pods are on and time to check the wiring try to start it.

 

Wasn't long after that the bike was vandalized...tank smashed, wires cut, seat slashed. I was sick to my stomach. Pretty sad when you can't have anything without someone trying to destroy it. So I brought it into my place to start to tear it all down.

 

total tear down

 

frame is off to DZ Kustoms to be cut, bent and rewelded behind the crossmember for the seat. Going for a ridgid look even though I am still keeping the shocks and the swingarm.

 

I would have gotten it running first. You could be in for a rude awakening; it wouldn't be the first time we've seen that happen.

 

I had it started and it ran like a raped ape before it got vandalized. That was a fun month too. But I totally understand BigFitz, I've read other blogs and messages on the forums about the headaches.

 

No worries. Since you said "fun month" it did apparently run for an extended period, so you're at least not building a dead bike.

Still gotta do the other stuff though, like replace original brake lines, etc. Having a solid mill is always a good starting point.

 

No doubt...Been doing quite a bit of part purchasing since I tore it down. Going to give it my personal touch. ex. 37 plymouth headlight & 37 ford tail light...set of Roland Sands ape hangers...xvs 650 speedo that will be recessed into the headlight...set of '70 newport fender turn signals to put on either side of the huge headlight bucket and a virago tank...xvs650 footboards and controls...new set of clutch and brake grips along with new brake line and front and rear brake pads. going to put a 16" rear on the front (already paid deposit for a conversion kit from Cafe-xv750 on here...fork rebuild kit...and so many more to mention right now...I am so excited about this it's killing me not to be able to get it done right now lol.

 

You're welcome to any parts I took off mine, but it sounds like to took them off yours too. Figured it was only right to offer it to a fellow NEOhioan.

 

what the f is wrong with people?! it disgusts me when people do this sort of thing. do you have any known enemies? or angry neighbors that don't like motorcycles or other junk cluttering up their neighborhood? can't wait to see it when it's done.

CN

 

Thanks for the offer BaldWonder...I have quite a few parts I am going to offer up myself

 

Cyclenoob...the only known enemy I have right now is my ex-wife. The neighbors I have around me have bikes & have all hung out & shot the bull with me, had a few beers or even turned a wrench or two. I'll keep posting photos as I go. I'm really getting excited to get the frame back right now so I can get it blasted primed & painted & put on the bike stand.

 

keep us posted on your build man. good luck

 

A few more items that I have purchased and will be doing fab work on.

 

I am really looking forward to seeing how this project turns out. are you interested in selling your drag bar? pm me.

CN

 

diggin the headlight, but cant picture the tail light

 

Going to do some fab work to it. Make a bracket to come off the rear wheel hub to hold the taillight. The bracket on the left of the light in the pic is actually the top of the taillight & will hold the license plate. It's opposite of how a model a taillight is set up.

 

can I ask where you got those pods, and the what the cost was... cheers

 

All my parts I got have been off ebay so far. Great prices too. All 4 cost me $18 including shipping. I believe they are 52 or 54 mm

 

ok great thanks, what motor mods were required to get it running ok with the pods. Re-jetting ?? exhaust issues with changed back pressure ?? any info on what you did would be great.

Does anyone know off hand what the diameter required is for a suitable pod, is it 52 or 54mm ??

 

Great stuff so far, loving your headlight and tail light ideas. Sad to hear about your bike getting vandalized.

 

I have been very lucky so far JCTXRT...engine ran rich before hand & putting the pods on made everything run smoothly...I will be changing the exhaust with custom made so I'm sure I'll have to rejet when ready...as far as how I could tell what I needed, I used a micrometer on the inlets for the carbs.

 

Thanks Vykopal. You're right...sad that people are that angry or jealous of what others have. The high side is I can turn this into a head turner...hopefully. One day at a time.

 

Maybe come spring when we both have our bikes done we can ride and check em out, I'd love to see your finished project in person. I'm just hoping mines done by spring, I have a money problem. Well a lack of money problem.

 

Sounds good to me...besides my time into the project, I plan to do most of the fab work & part, including paint & graphics & keep the cost under $750 not including what I paid for the bike.

 

I think it'd be awesome to get a meetup of a bunch of us. Without actually looking, I've seen a handful of us Ohioans, and just as many Michiganers and Pennsylvanians. Might be time I cruised the events section of this site.

 

Count me in.

 

Yeah I know where you're coming from bryan.mudryk, I picked my bike up for 300 and I'm trying to keep my cost under 1000 total. Budget builds FTW.

Just like BaldWonder I've seen a few Ohioans on here so hopefully someone sets up a meet once warm whether comes again.

 

Hey everyone...been quite awhile since I've posted anything...had some health issues. Well, here is what I have been up to so far...much more done, just haven't had the time to take pics...will add more when I can.

Safe ride all.

 

Lovin the colors so far. Cant wait to see it completed

 

What did u use to get ur engine silver. And im from columbus, ohio im down for a meet up as well. Il be honest my bike is not pretty right now, BUT it runs like a champ. That was my goal first was get it running great then do cosmetic stuff this winter. Love the bike though. and that fat front tire is sweet.

 

Thanks Lilbigmess...

That silver paint is Dupli-color's rattle can brushed aluminum engine paint. Sprays on so nice and even it's unreal. Picked it up at AutoZone for 6.99.

I wanted to have this up and running this summer but not going to happen, which is ok. Have some more parts to paint this week so I can have a roller this weekend and still need to dish the tank, work on the seat pan, build a sissy bar, and work on a radical cut up snub rear fender.

Take your time and make your ride your own. Mine was a mess too and didn't look pretty, but my buddy who sold me the bike is kicking himself now because of my vision.

I got the conversion kit from one of the guys here on xjbikes (Cafe-XV750). With the kenda kruz 130/90-16 on the front, I only have about 3/32 on each side of the tire to the lower fork.

PM me and we can talk about our bikes and how we could meet up.

 

Thanks burger...I'm getting there...have more pics this weekend.

 

Head light looks great. Have you figured out what to do about the fork brace?

 

Thanks orange-n-black...I thought about it, but that's just been it...thinking. Not even sure how I could brace it...looked at quite a few of them and not knowing which to choose...definitely don't want to deal with a death wobble but I dont want to use one on the flip side...Any ideas?

 

X2+1!!

 

Try this site: http://www.jpcycles.com/search/search?N ... 33&Ntk=All

If none of these will work, you could make one or have someone/shop fab up one for you.

 

Took a look at the link orange-n-black...I'm going to fab one myself. I just don't want to spend the money ($$$$) when I think I can do it for a 1/3 of the price...using a modified horse shoe and a couple modified exhaust v band clamps. Weld those together, prime, paint, clear and mount. Think it will look cool.

 

Finished clearing the v star floorboards Thursday night and put them back together tonight...Mounting them in the morning and will post some pics. Hoping to have the swing arm and rear rim done Saturday provided it doesn't rain, otherwise finish it on Sunday and take it to YCS (Youngstown Cycle Supply) and have them mount and spin balance on Monday.

 

Sounds like a good idea, they are proud of those items. Mainly posted the link to give you an idea. You might find some other site that is cheaper.