My XJ chop

Thought I'd just post a quick picture of my XJ650 chop. I brought this a year or so ago, but it was a bit of a 'danger' back then. Spent 8 months stripping, modifying and rebuilding it.

 

Very nicely done! Did your bike start out as a 1980 model? The motor looks like the one I am using on my bobber. Also looks like an XS front end. Whatever parts you used,they sure look good!

 

Who made that frame? Looks good.

 

Sweet Bike, I love th look and style!

 

Sweet! How about sharing your jetting (sizes of jets and setting of pilot screw) specs with those pods and pipes? How's she run? How does she start when cold?

Bike looks freakin' SICK!

Here's my '81 Maxim before some other minor changes and additions. I like yours MUCH better.

 

I wanna see the other side. Looks like you have exposed the shaft, I want to do the same. Still in the brainstorming stages for a custom hardtailing of my frame other than struts.

 

Thanks for the comments guys. The shaft is exposed. I'll post more info and pics when I have some spare time

 

I'd love to see a pic of the exposed shaft side and some info onhow you've done it.

GREAT CHOP!

 

Sweeeeeet!!!

 

Very rad. I don't think I'd like the location of the foot pegs and brake, but other than that this thing is nice as hell.

 

love the frame

 

I'd better clear a few things up. I didn't actually build this bike. I spent a year or so looking for a chop that was the right shape, etc and finally found this on ebay. It was originally built around a 1981 uk model xj650. The last owner told me that the frame had been built by a member of the National Chopper Club, but I dont know how much faith should be put in that claim.

When I brought the bike it had a new MOT, but there was so much wrong with the bike that i can only assume the tester was either imcompetant or a friend of the last owner. For a start, one front brake was totally siezed and the master cylinder was almost empty, its a miracle that it had any ability to brake at all. The rear wheel was grossly misaligned and the exhaust had numerous leaks in it. Other problems included extremely weak sparks at all the plugs and a failing rec/reg unit. Also, each of the 4 carbs, it turned out, had been set up differently. The engine was on its last legs too (noisy would be an understatement). The previous owner had also drilled a few holes straight through the backbone in order to mount the tank. The electrics were a total mess, a spagetti blob of red wires, every wire was red!!! all of them. Arrgrgghhh.

So I took the whole bike apart. The frame was checked out by the guys at Redneck Trikes in Sussex. Gusseting was welded around the headstock. The rear axle plates were modified to correct the wheel alignment problem. Sleeves where welded into the backbone to give the frame a bit more strength at the tank mounting points. The positon of the number plate was moved. Had a new exhuast made up, etc, etc. I wont list everything, it'd get kinda long and boring.

I found an old midnight maxim that had been rusting in someones shed and brought that for the engine, carbs and electrics. These all ended up in the chop. I had to swap some of the gear mechanisims from the uk engine into the maxim engine so that gear change was in the correct place. I rewired the bike, using more than one colour of wire

I cant remember at the moment what the jet sizes are. I did increase the size and I've got the details written down somewhere. I'll post them when i have time to dig them out. The bike runs ok on its current carb/exhaust setup, but not quite as nicley as an xj does on a standard air box and exhaust. Fine tuning the setup is something for me to play with in the future.

Sorry, I'm rambling on in a very unorganised fashion here. I guess I'll shut up and leave you with some more pics

 

Man, now I want to do this to my XJ. These bikes look sweet! I consider my 82 Maxim in highly restorable condition so it could go either way. She runs great and looks good stock. I do like the street fighter look of these bikes.

 

Bet you gotta keep an eye out for pot holes on that bad boy! Great looking bike though man, I love simplicity and clealiness. Fantastic job of cleaning it up! Bet she can make some noise with those pipes. How wide of a tire were you able to shove in there with the shaft exposed? I think my Maxim has a 130 on it and that as wide as she can go.

 

That is one badass bike. I love it. Throw some forward controls on her and shes ready to roll

 

Dam those bikes look sweet. Would love to chop mine up...

 

I read Streefighter mag and see those tax tags on them like the 1 you have on the frount wheel right side what is that all about and that is a real sweet ride Id expect to see that in Back Street Heros mag {both UK mags}.

 

I dunno, Willie. It's a pretty cool looking machine, but I still think yours is one of the best looking bikes on here. Maybe not so crazy about your seat, but other than that I think it's perfect.

 

I'm curious about the rear tire size too. How big were you able to go by removing the shaft cover?

 

That is a bad looking bike for sure! I kinda wonder how it rides with no rear suspension and that thin seat? I tried using struts instead of shocks to see how mine rode with no suspension in the rear, and it really sucked. I can't imagine going any distance with it like that. It reminds me of back in the day on my old minibike that rode like buckboard.