New Rider, seeking some tips from advanced riders/Knowledgeable riders.

rofl I'm gonna fix her eventually, but right now it really seems way over my head. Everyone says how easy the bikes are to work on but I'm finding that's simply not true unfortunately.. Especially not if the first time I go through the carbs by myself it should take "16 hours" I couldn't even get halfway through the "church of clean" and even then I didn't remember a single bit of it..

 

Dillon, here's my schpiel that some have heard many times. I got my bike, I knew righty tightly and lefty loosey in regards to mechanical skills. I also knew motorcycles have two wheels . . . That was it. (Admittedly I have turned a wrench on autos; changed oil, tires, basic stuff - and was a journeyman bookbinder for many years maintaining saddlestitchers - so there was a rudimentary mechanical background).

All of the things listed sound intimidating, but a methodical, relaxed approach to each will prove otherwise. Each component that you rebuild/ refurbish will build your confidence. Get a manual, quickly realize that the manual doesn't share details that you need to attack a problem; come here and ask pointed questions; listen to the advice given and don't take any of the comments personally - sometimes we need to pry at you to get verification of the details.

Details, meticulous attention to them will make you a happy motorcycle rider. Take pictures as you work on things, take notes that you can reference so that you remember the details that don't show up in pics. Don't be in a rush - if you absolutely must have transportation right now, then maybe this isn't the right time. Looking inside your carbs spraying a can of miracle cleaner at them and saying they are good is NOT a recipe for success. Careful disassembly (JIS only please) marking which side is up and out on the butterfly valve prior to removal, pulling the shaft and finding ripped/ rotted rubber seals is an "aha moment" and the clouds will part and light will shine upon thee as you work your way towards becoming the best mechanic ever for your bike; for your safety and for your confidence that you won't have to trailer it home because it broke down on the side of the road . . . .

It's beer- thirty here, I gots to go!

 

Copy that!

 

I thank you for your wise words Beer-Sensei. I definitely was trying to rush into having her running and you're right, it's just going to make things more difficult for me. Thanks for your replies, I'll be around the forums! Can't wait till I have enough money to see her run properly though. v.v

 

I had never ever worked on any bike before I got my xj750 maxim, which had been wrecked and parked since 1992. After buying a manual and finding this site, I now have a bike that runs fantastic! The cool thing is that other than putting the new tires on the rims, I did ALL the other work myself. Yes, some of it was very intimidating at first, but with the help from the guys/gals on here it turned out not to be bad at all. Actually I found it to be quite fun! I know now all aspects of my bike and I'm sure I'll be learning even more about it in the future. There is some things I haven't had to work on yet but I have the confidence to tackle them when the time comes! Just take your time, ask questions, and I'm sure you will be fine! Welcome and good luck!

 

Hey thanks for the reply! I appreciate it! Any tips on where I could snag a physical copy of the manual without having to download it to my PC? Pretty sure we have the same bike haha!

 

Well at least you can get a idea of what the carbs are about....

http://www.xj4ever.com/inside your carbs.pdf

 

I ordered mine on Amazon. The Haynes manual. Just search for the bike year and model and it should pop up

 

lol yikes!!! Went through the whole thing and still don't really know what I'm looking at or how it works.

 

Hey guys, I found something a little strange and was wondering if it's supposed to look like this?

 

I suspect the bike was dropped, fins broke and someone tried smoothing the edges.

 

Yeah that would be my guess too

 

This could be my story. With the step by step information on this site, a small investment in a few basic tools, and the help of these experienced members, you can do the work yourself. It saves big bucks, gets it done right, and you have personal satisfaction. I can't tell you how nervous I was to remove the valve cover and check/adjust valves the first time. It took me 3 weeks after getting the necessary tools and parts (from XJ4ever of course), to actually screw up the courage to do it. Great satisfaction afterwards, and a great running XJ!

I also found that the work I did was 'cumulative' - every thing I fixed/adjusted made the bike run better and better.

 

Will this have any effect on how the bike will run safely? Is it something I'm going to need to replace before thinking about riding it on the roadways?

 

It should only affect cooling, and I'm not sure how much. There are probably a lot of other things to worry about before this.

 

A little riding tip:
When traffic don't just watch the cars and their brake and turn signal lights. Look at the driver and if you can see them in the mirror looking at you. If so that car is relatively safe as compared to the car you can't make eye contact with. Now days this harder to do with tinted windows. Watch out for the people on cell phones, they are not paying good attention. Don't drive it after having even a single drink. You may not be impaired but you will be more likely to drive in a more risky manner.
Most of all take care of the bike and have fun.

 

To add to the point about visibility, I will restate what someone posted in another thread about riding safety (I believe it was K-moe).
For some reason, if you need to get the attention of an inattentive driver, point at them. For some reason, doing this makes them aware of you. I believe it's because when you point at them, you make contact with them and engage them in a "conversation" which activates their brain to your existence.

 

I like to drink and can hold my own rather well. Ron's words are 1000% correct (at least for me); several years ago I was doing some work on my bike, had a single beer (low alcohol content Blatz) while working on it. Got on the bike just to go around the block and check what ever it was I was fiddling with. I swear I could tell that 'something' didn't feel right. I made note of that and will never forget it.

No booze for me when on two wheels. Too many variables and you have to have 'situational awareness' at all times - cause you never know when someone will try to kill you.

 

Loving the tips guys! Keep em coming! I'll be taking the MSF course very soon so any information I can learn helps me that much more to be a better and more aware rider!

 

New problem i've encountered while trying to get the bike to idle properly, anytime I rev the engine it starts to stay up in high rpm's until I play with the fuel air mixture. Is this a symptom of a greater issue?