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"First" time rider, what am I getting into with the XJ?

Discussion in 'Hangout Lounge' started by C-AUS, Feb 3, 2018.

  1. C-AUS

    C-AUS New Member

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    Hi guys,

    A quick introduction to myself, 17, from rural Australia, but studying in Melbourne. I used ride a bit as a kid, but stopped when I went into high school, recently went riding with a friend around his farm, and I have caught the riding bug. My brother has a '82 XJ650 (not sure whether it's a seca or such) he hasn't ridden in years, he offered to give it to me for 1k AUD.
    I guess the point of this thread is to help myself and other new riders know whether to get an XJ for a first bike, and if so, what the hell we are getting into. Any info that is relevant would be a godsend (gear, maintenance, problems, will it cope in 45 degrees Celsius and down to around 2-3 degrees Celsius? e.t.c) , if there is a particularly good site or thread on this site it would be great to hear from you guys about it!
    Thanks in advance.

    Cheers,
    Charles
     
  2. Xjrider92117

    Xjrider92117 Active Member

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    Welcome aboard. Xj's are great bikes. Your gonna have to get your hands dirty though. Years of not riding means there's gonna be some work involved to get it back running. Tell your brother "you've let it sit this long..." Not sure of the value of bike way down there... Here's some info for you.

    http://xjbikes.com/forums/threads/the-information-overload-hour.27544/
     
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  3. XJ550H

    XJ550H Well-Known Member Premium Member

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    fixing and making safe a long sitting XJ is not a quick up and running thing. another 1k AUD would or could be spent
    a 650 might be a bit large for a first bike
    bikes have no problem in the temp range you posted
     
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  4. k-moe

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

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    Your XJ650 is what the U.S. got (renamed) as the 650 Seca.
    Since you rode aa s kid, you're not going to be too far from being able to handle a 650. Just go slow at first until the skills come back to you.
    David L. Hough has a great series of books that are a must-read for anyone who rides. He covrs every aspect of being a proficient and safe rider, while not ignoring the desire to ride fast.
     
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  5. C-AUS

    C-AUS New Member

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    Thanks all for the quick replies!

    This seems like an amazing community to be apart of, I hope to become a contributing member of it in the future!
    Thanks for the info and the welcome, I'm excited to get stuck into fixing the bike up and getting it ready to ride. I'll certainly have my brothers help to get it up and running, he used to always be riding it around, he loved the bike.
    I'll make sure to be extra vigilante as I reacquaint myself back into the saddle, and will certainly be taking it slow!
    Looking forward to any more replies :)

    Cheers,
    Charles
     
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  6. chacal

    chacal Moderator Moderator Supporting Vendor Premium Member

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    You're getting yourself into a whole heck of alot of fun!
     
  7. Bushy

    Bushy Active Member

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    Hello C-AUS, if you're 17 aren't you limited in what size bike you can ride on L and P plates. I don't actually know what is the max' size you can ride though. What condition is the bike in, how long has it been sitting. Depending on condition a thousand $ may be too much. And ...welcome all you need to know is here, hunt around.
     
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  8. MattiThundrrr

    MattiThundrrr Not a guru

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    "what am I getting into?"
    Nothing. You don't get into a bike, you sit on top of it.
     
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  9. C-AUS

    C-AUS New Member

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    It is legal on L and P plates in my area. The bike itself is in good condition, even though it hasn't been ridden in a while, it has been started every now and then.
     
  10. C-AUS

    C-AUS New Member

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    hahahahaha, thanks man, you just saved me from some tricky contortionist work!!
     
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  11. Chitwood

    Chitwood Well-Known Member

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    You're new and don't know Matti as well as some of the members who have been here awhile...
     
  12. Stumplifter

    Stumplifter Well-Known Member

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    My first bike is my XJ.
    As you seem to understand this community will be an important part of your reintroduction to motorcycles. Safe and reliable is job one. People here are very helpful and have the knowledge base to back it up.
    Stay here, ask questions, become your own mechanic, ride smart and enjoy.

    The Proficient Motorcycling books by Hough that were mentioned above really helped me a lot as his writing style easily transferred into "what and why" for me.
     
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  13. cgutz

    cgutz Well-Known Member

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    I learned to ride on my XJ550 30+ years ago. Still riding it.

    As stated, a bike that has sat will need work.

    By comparison, my bike has been housed in a garage, and driven continuously since brand new. Even so, I've put about $1k US in parts alone into the bike in the last 4-5 years, not including labor (which I did myself). The parts were mostly in wear items like brake shoes, seals/gaskets, shims, brake lines, and other parts that degrade over time. If your bike has been sitting, it will probably need at least a similar investment, if not more, and some labor.
    With the help of this site and the fine people, you can do the work on it yourself, with a few basic tools. If I can do it, so can you.

    Start with the Information Overload Hour link above. Start your time and dollar investment with safety, then tuning, then cosmetic.

    When you have it back in safe and good running condition, you will have fun.
     
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  14. a100man

    a100man Well-Known Member

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    17 seems pretty young to be throwing yourself at the mercy of what is essentially a vintage motorbike. At your age I spent most of my money on beer and women an the rest I just frittered away. All the same - fair play to you.
    I was only a bit older (19) when I first got an XJ550 but back then it was only 2 years old - not 32 ! The key is patience and not to get disheartened if things go wrong. so much knowledg here to help you with any kind of problem.
    Good luck.
     
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  15. C-AUS

    C-AUS New Member

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    Hahaha, I know it's probably an odd thing to do, but I have a car I try to put some work into as well. I find it relaxing and I'm happy to spend my cash on that and now a bike instead of booze. Even though I'm partial to a decent dram of whiskey from time to time. ;)
    Maybe unsurprisingly, I am known as the 'old man' of my friends, as I dress in a more classic styling compared to everyone else.
    I guess that's just my style, so I'm going along with it.
    Thanks for the encouragement! I'll make sure to keep pushing along and will certainly squeeze every drop of knowledge from this forum that is possible!

    Cheers,

    Charles
     
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  16. MattiThundrrr

    MattiThundrrr Not a guru

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    :):)
     
  17. 1982 MAXIM750

    1982 MAXIM750 New Member

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    Welcome C-AUS!
    Im newer to the forum like you are, and to these xj bikes. Im 22 and I just got mine a little under a year ago, an 82 midnight maxim 750. People told me the same thing about it maybe being too big of a bike and all of that. My only prior experience was occasional dirt bike riding with friends. Let me tell you first, you have come to the right place to discuss your bike! The people here are not like people on other forums, they are very friendly, helpful, and knowledgeable! Secondly, i think these make great first bikes! One of the things that i love about them is how comfortable they are to be on. They are comparatively light weight, compared bikes you get today, like the yamaha bolt. I bought mine complete, but in rough shape. It hadnt been riden in at least 7 years i think he said. I wrench on cars and trucks, but had never worked on a motorcycle. With patience, and a lot of reading on here, i got it running like a top. If i can do it, you can too! Another great thing about them is they're pretty straight forward mechanically, and parts are readily available from all kinds of places, and not outrageously expensive either. Anyways, congratulations on your new (to you) bike! I look forward to seeing some pictures!

    Best of luck,
    Nathan
     
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  18. Ribo

    Ribo Prefectionist

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    ...and a great bunch of guys here that will help you every step of the way. Get a copy of the Hanes manual ... someone might have uploaded it here: https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B1i7Y1MKpHg1V3g1Zkd2U3hPUkU

    but I find it is also nice to have a hard copy in the garage which you can get from Amazon.

    Speaking of which - do you have a place to work on it and tools etc. That really half or more of the battle.
     
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  19. C-AUS

    C-AUS New Member

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    I have a quite large shed at home with a vast array of tools, my brother used to be a diesel mechanic and dirt bike rider.
    Thanks for the link.
    Cheers,
    Charles
     
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  20. k-moe

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

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    I've never heard someone say that an XJ is lighter than a modern motorcycle.
    The Bolt weighs almost exactly the same as an XJ750 Seca, but has 200 more cc of displacement.
    Comparing like to like, a FJ-09 (a close equivalent, both being sport touring models) weighs almost 100 pounds less than a XJ750 Seca, and has 100 cc more of displacement.
     
    Last edited: Feb 11, 2018

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