Front Wheel difficult to turn

So I purchased a 1980 XJ 650 for $325 that had been sitting for 2-3 years. The previous owner had not taken good care of it in that time. He had left the gas tank partially filled w/ gas that needless to say, rusted it out. The bike didn't run and I thought, what the hell. I have time before winter is over to fix it up and make it run again.

And I did just that. I rebuilt the starter, the carburetors which it needed badly because he had left the 3rd carb gummed up. When I took it apart, it was as if it had been that way for years (oxidized and corroded) and is probably part of the reason he didn't want it anymore (just ran off 3 cylinders). I also derusted the tank and gave it a good coating of tank sealer (POR 15) which wasnt too bad. So, now it starts right up (after coaxing because it is still very cold here on the East Coast ---> PA).

My problem is that the front wheel seems 'stuck'. I try and rotate the wheel by hand and it is EXTREMELY difficult. I'm a big guy, 5'11", 225 lbs so believe me when I say it doesnt turn freely as it should.

I'm wondering about how to go about tackling this issue. It seems to me that the brake pads are sticking and the caliper isn't releasing as it should.

Any suggestions on how to go about this?

PS--- this is my first post. This is also my first motorcycle, so I'm kind of a newbie.

Thanks in advance!

Zach

 

Seems like you should try and determine if it's the brakes, or if its the bearings.

If you remove the brake caliper, and the wheel turns freely, you'll need to rebuild the brakes.

If it's still hard to turn, you should replace the wheel bearings.

To be honest, it's really smart to rebuild the entire brake system prior to taking it on the road. Theres plenty of posts floating around this site confirming that the brake lines should have been replaced 25 years ago as a service item.

Good luck and have a blast. Theres nothing like wrenching.

 

You are correct.

You're going to need to rebuild the front brakes anyway (30+ year old components aren't safe) so that's the best answer.

Rebuild caliper, master cylinder, replace lines, hardware and pads.

 

Thanks guys. I will be sure to rebuild the front brake system. Thanks for the quick input. I'll have to post some pictures of the bike after I become more familiar here.