82 XJ750 "GS" winter project

This project started last summer when my buddy and I were watching caveman TV and thinking about off-road riding. In our alcohol induced stupor, we wondered what it would take to turn an XJ into an off-road machine. Not an all-out mud and sand slinging dirt bike but a bike you wouldn't be afraid to take on any dirt road, fire road, or class 4, non-maintained roads. Part of the plan was to put the bike on a diet and remove as much weight as possible since the big ammo cans would add a lot of weight.

I've already saved an 82 XJ750 neglected barn find which is my daily rider so it was an easy choice of project bikes when another one turned up in the classifieds last September. $300 gets you a neglected but intact bike. The result is what you see in the pictures. It's a little dirty from a couple laps around the muddy farm road but I guess that's what it's going to look like from now on.

In addition to all of the maintenance required for a neglected 32-year-old bike to make it road safe, I have upgraded the suspension using Progressive fork springs, new seals, and gaiters. The rear got stiffer and lighter shocks as well. The stock handle bars went away in favor of flatter bars to make more room when standing on the pegs (and I always hated the stock handle bar setup). The rear grab bar is gone to make room for mounting points for the custom box rack. The front and rear brakes got a full rebuild with SS lines for the front. The clutch was replaced with Barnett components. I also removed the lock chain to save another couple of pounds. The carbs were rebuilt, the petcock fixed, and the inside of the tank treated to keep the rust from getting into the carbs.

I added low-wattage but very bright LED lights to the front and wired them to the accessory light switch. The accessory light now comes on with the high beam. With a slightly whiter headlight and the LEDs, it really lights up the night. I also added extra rear red lights which are two stage and are tied to the brake light. The rear turn signals are also two stage and are always lit when the bike is on. More visibility is a good thing.

There are no actual modifications to the engine or frame. The only change I made (except for removing heavy, stock parts) was to drill several holes in the rear plastic section for new lights and two holes for the box rack support. The aluminum bar between the rear lights will hold the license plate.

The original budget for the project, not including the purchase of the bike, was $1000. I went a little over and I'm at around $1200 right now. It was never about the money; of course I could have taken that $1500 and bought a beat up dirt bike and ridden into the woods but that wasn't the point.

I know the ammo cans don't match; I have another newer one coming.

 

This is excellent. Just the info I've been looking for. I need to do something similar to my Daily Driver 81. Where I live out here in the high country of WY, I have far more farm/BLM/Forest Service hardpack that I would like to ride (some of them just to get to work) but as stock is just to squirrely.

How are those tires on pavement? What are they? Is the front also more aggressive like the rear?

Also, what exactly did you buy I am clueless), and since I would be doing this in stages while still riding every day, what sequence would you suggest for the project?

(because of the way/places I Ride, I've been looking to "up(down)grade" to a 3rd-world Single... Either a Royal Enfield (fits my riding style and aesthetics) or KLR... but if I can make my Maxxim work... YAY!)

 

I'll dig up the tire info and post it here this weekend.

What I can tell you is that the handlebar mounts are from an early 80s Virago as the stock ones have to be taken out in favor of mounts that will accept a 7/8" bar. The Virago units bolt right in. If you go with a flatter bar like I did, you'll have to replace the front brake reservoir (the stock one will hit the bar before the clamp will close). Yay, more parts!!!

There are lots of front tires that will fit our bikes and the "adventure" market is now a searchable segment on most of the popular parts websites. The rear is a tube tire that other Yamaha owners have mounted to these rims without a tube with no problems. I would have a shop do the mounting as I've heard it can be a challenge to get the bead to seat. But once it's on, it's on.

I've made many other modifications to make it my own but with the knobby tires, your bike will survive the gravel roads around you much better than street tires. Just zooming around here the last few days has shown me that the knobbies grip really well. It's not registered yet so I can't tell you how the tires perform on the street. These are not the most aggressive tires that I could have gotten but are still dirt oriented more than some other "adventure" tires that are more street oriented. The biggest problem is that this is a 16" tire and %99 of off-road tires out there only go down to 17". The choices are slim which is why I went with these.

More later.

 

As to what order to do the work, I don't know. I had mine in my heated (well, 50F) garage all winter so I had the luxury of taking the whole thing apart and working from the front to the back as the parts came in and as I found more problems. Since yours is already a daily rider, I would put the tires on first then decide how much other modification you want to do. Most of the other modifications I did could each be accomplished in a day or so or even in an afternoon if you're motivated and uninterrupted. Again, it's all bolt on stuff; the only changes were to drill a few holes in the rear end to support the ammo can rack.

 

Thanks. I'm definately not a wrench bender (I break things) so MOST of the work will be done by a shop. I don't need the ammocan mod, so that saves some trouble. It's just knowing what to tell the guys with the frame stand what I want done to the suspension to make it farm-road/oil patch capable, then do the handlebars later.

 

lol this is so mad maxx it rocks! Nice writeup, too, man, thanks!

 

Thanks. I was kind of going for something different and I think I got it without doing any serious mods. Really can't wait to get it out into the real world and see how it goes. Might have to name it........

Oh, right, here's the tire info:
Front - Bridgestone Trail Wing 101
Rear - Duro Median

 

Beauty. Thanks. Bike goes into the shop for spring tuneup on Wednesday anyway, so I can give them a shopping list.

Tyres are ordered... Looking for a Handlebar mod next...

 

Question: Did you upgrade the rear springs? If so, did you go 90lb/in or 105lb/in?

 

Ironsights,

Sorry it took so long to reply. Spring is busy for me. I don't know about poundage but I did get "heavy duty" springs when I ordered the shocks. They ride pretty well without a load.

I finally got this thing out on the back roads before all of the spring mud dried out. It handles pretty well in the muck; powerful, low, and predicable. And the boxes hold a most of a week's groceries. So far I'm really pleased with how the project came out.

 

I also had to get an electronic turn signal relay to operate the lower wattage bulbs in the rear signals. No auto cancel but at least they work.

The LED lights really light up the night as well. Probably adds 40-50% more forward light besides adding visibility during the day.

The windshield takes the weight off my chest but adds buffeting at helmet level. Earplugs are a must but it's less tiring on the highway.

Haven't gotten into the woods proper yet but it's early and I don't want to get stuck in the middle of nowhere with a 500+lb. bike to push back to where it can be trucked out.

 

Any more progress on this project? Im curious to hear how it handled the woods proper with those new tires