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How great these bikes can look.

Discussion in 'XJ Technical Chat' started by mlwistrom, Jul 3, 2015.

  1. mlwistrom

    mlwistrom Member

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    Did a decent polish on my chrome and aluminum parts today. Just wanted to show that XJs look great even after 30+ years! Picked it up last Spring for $850.

    [​IMG]
    [​IMG]
     
    mlwistrom, Jul 3, 2015
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    EarMachine, rocs82650 and Stumplifter like this.
  2. k-moe

    k-moe Pie, Bacon, Bourbon. Moderator Premium Member

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    Nice job. That takes a lot of time and effort, which is why my rider is never pretty to look at.

    The mirrors are interesting. Have you thought about getting a set of stock mirrors for it to complete the look?
     
    k-moe, Jul 3, 2015
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  3. mlwistrom

    mlwistrom Member

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    Ive been wanting to get bar-end mirrors to go along with the lower profile handlebars
     
    mlwistrom, Jul 3, 2015
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  4. k-moe

    k-moe Pie, Bacon, Bourbon. Moderator Premium Member

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    That would look even beter.
     
    k-moe, Jul 3, 2015
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  5. wink1018

    wink1018 Active Member

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    Have a look at Emgo's low rise western bars. I've been eyeing them up, along with a pair of 30mm risers for my 81. I found them in 1". Hoping to find them in 7/8".
     
    wink1018, Jul 3, 2015
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  6. k-moe

    k-moe Pie, Bacon, Bourbon. Moderator Premium Member

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    You can bore your clamps to fit the 1" bars. Just be sure to retain their eccentricity so they clamp the bar.
     
    k-moe, Jul 4, 2015
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  7. Ribo

    Ribo Prefectionist

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    There are a lot of 7/8 bars out there - those 1" bars would need to be some sweet sweet bars for me to want to bore my clamp.

    More importantly - I think you should go to the original stock mirrors and it's got nothing to do with the fact that I've got a real nice pair that I will sell you for a very reasonable price. :)
     
    Ribo, Jul 4, 2015
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  8. fiveofakind

    fiveofakind Well-Known Member

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    these bikes do look nice when shined up......


    [​IMG]
     
    fiveofakind, Jul 4, 2015
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  9. mlwistrom

    mlwistrom Member

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    Thats clean! I hope that my gas tank will shine like that soon. I will be repainting it in a few weeks!
     
    mlwistrom, Jul 4, 2015
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  10. MattiThundrrr

    MattiThundrrr Not a guru

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    Nice photo! I can't tell, is it an ad for Yamaha, or the 7-11?
     
    MattiThundrrr, Jul 4, 2015
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  11. rocs82650

    rocs82650 Well-Known Member

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    Haven't been in a 7-11 in over 20yrs. Was a favorite spot in high school in southern cali. Chilli cheese fries with jalapenos and a big gulp...mmmmmm!

    Gary H.
     
    rocs82650, Jul 4, 2015
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  12. MattiThundrrr

    MattiThundrrr Not a guru

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    Yeah, in my town, the 7-11 switched to a Mac's. They ditched the nacho bar and fries and dogs. Those slushies too! What's the point of all night convenience if I can't get a hot meal? They don't carry alcohol in corner stores here either! Would have been helpful at about 1 this morning!
     
    MattiThundrrr, Jul 4, 2015
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  13. fiveofakind

    fiveofakind Well-Known Member

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    No ad for Yamaha nor 7-11.....I stopped in for a pack of smokes.....do you notice them between the tank & seat ??? As someone said before, chrome always looks good in the fading sun....This is my bike...I am the original owner...bought new in Colorado in '82....guilty of neglecting it for a # of years before restoration of it over the past 2 yrs.

    Big Thanks to K-Moe for testing my TCI some time ago.....one less part I had to buy for returning this bike to its original beauty
     
    fiveofakind, Jul 4, 2015
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  14. rocs82650

    rocs82650 Well-Known Member

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    Very clean.

    Gary H.
     
    rocs82650, Jul 4, 2015
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  15. dmccoach

    dmccoach Member

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    IMG_20140720_122652028_HDR1.jpg IMG_20140720_122621387_HDR1.jpg
     
    dmccoach, Jul 5, 2015
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  16. dmccoach

    dmccoach Member

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    IMG_20140720_122534529_HDR1-1.jpg
     
    dmccoach, Jul 5, 2015
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  17. fiveofakind

    fiveofakind Well-Known Member

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    very nice also.....great job on the chrome.......only thing missing...emblems......a must....
     
    fiveofakind, Jul 5, 2015
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  18. dmccoach

    dmccoach Member

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    The badges are (as you know) gold and they clash with that pearly yellow... Don't know quite what to do
     
    dmccoach, Jul 5, 2015
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  19. fiveofakind

    fiveofakind Well-Known Member

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    strip them & silver paint them by hand...they will look good......thats what I did....
     
    fiveofakind, Jul 5, 2015
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  20. mlwistrom

    mlwistrom Member

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    The emblems would look great in matte black.
     
    mlwistrom, Jul 5, 2015
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  21. EarMachine

    EarMachine Member

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    What did you do to strip them? Out of curiosity.
    -EM
     
    EarMachine, Jul 5, 2015
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  22. k-moe

    k-moe Pie, Bacon, Bourbon. Moderator Premium Member

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    Personaly I'd make plates to cover the mounting holes and put decals over the plates. The original emblems are hard to come by in good condition. It'd be a shame to strip a set of good ones just to change the color.
     
    k-moe, Jul 5, 2015
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  23. fiveofakind

    fiveofakind Well-Known Member

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    I sanded the gold flake off. I never liked the gold flake to begin with. Easy when they were 30 yrs old...
     
    fiveofakind, Jul 5, 2015
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  24. dmccoach

    dmccoach Member

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    IMG_20140720_131025017_HDR1.jpg I wish I'd filled them or left a bracket for the old round badge tuning forks
     
    dmccoach, Jul 5, 2015
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  25. rocs82650

    rocs82650 Well-Known Member

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    All allen head cap and cover screws...nice!

    Gary H.
     
    rocs82650, Jul 5, 2015
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  26. dmccoach

    dmccoach Member

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    Huh?
     
    dmccoach, Jul 6, 2015
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  27. MattiThundrrr

    MattiThundrrr Not a guru

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    Old Eagle-Eyes noticed that your carb and valve cover screws have been upgraded to hex. Sharp observations, Gary!
     
    MattiThundrrr, Jul 6, 2015
    #27
  28. dmccoach

    dmccoach Member

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    Ahhh... Yes, I did the orig screws are junk
     
    dmccoach, Jul 7, 2015
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  29. wgul

    wgul Active Member

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    Sorry about resurrecting this old post but I have to comment how pleasing it is to see this xj all cleaned, polished and with new allen head bolts
     
    wgul, Sep 13, 2017
    #29
  30. Paul Howells

    Paul Howells Active Member

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    I want new Allen head bolts now!
     
    Paul Howells, Sep 13, 2017
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  31. Tim O

    Tim O Active Member

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    I've been doing that too... whenever I need to change a boogered bolt or screw, change all that size ones to stainless.
    I should get a buffing wheel to actually start doing the covers themselves I guess...
     
    Tim O, Sep 13, 2017
    #31
  32. k-moe

    k-moe Pie, Bacon, Bourbon. Moderator Premium Member

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    Only because ham-fisted mechanics think they are Phillips screws, when they aren't.
    Nearly every Japanese bike or car I've worked on had the screw heads stripped out for the want of a JIS screwdriver.
     
    k-moe, Sep 14, 2017
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  33. cgutz

    cgutz Well-Known Member

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    JIS screwdriver is the key. The cheesy screwdrivers in OEM toolkit work better than my expensive phillips. I've still changed a lot to hex head stainless screws/bolts.
     
    cgutz, Sep 14, 2017
    #33
  34. k-moe

    k-moe Pie, Bacon, Bourbon. Moderator Premium Member

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    Oh, I have too, but allen-drive fasteners have their faults as well.
     
    k-moe, Sep 14, 2017
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  35. MattiThundrrr

    MattiThundrrr Not a guru

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    The biggest fault is those dinkey little "L" shaped wrenches. Gawd I hate those things.
     
    MattiThundrrr, Sep 14, 2017
    #35

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