1980 XJ Cafe Project (With Completed Pictures)

Hey everyone, I figured it was time to start sharing me project with you all.

First off, this bike is actually the first bike I ever learned to ride on when I was 15!!! My father has kept it for the past 12 years with plans of restoring it and completely redoing it. Well life happened and he never got to it, so after I graduated college and got to my new station I took possession of it.

Here it is as I got it from my dad's


After a few days, cleaning the crabs, all new fluids I finally got to ride her again!!!!


My initial though twas to keep the bike stock but after a week of riding I could not do that. I wanted something different and with the blessing of good ol' pop's I began researching parts to cafe this thing. Ive been into fabricating for years now and this is the first motorcycle I am doing. I figured it would be acceptable to dump some cash into this thing since it was a free well maintained running bike.

So parts began to fly!!!!


I wanted a different front end, something a bit sportier! I opted for a set of R6 Forks, you can see the write up I did earlier in the modification section about that.


Once the forks were on it was time to get a seat made.
Started with sheet Styrofoam from homedepot for like 7 bucks.

Shaping with a grinder and flies.

Covered with tape.

Then with aluminum foil and some release wax and then fiberglass.

Boom Seat!


After the seat was done it was frame time!

Ground smooth and sealed from the bottom with some 15ga steel. All the electronics will be mounted to this plate.

After that there is kinda a jump in pictures, I was just doing a lot of waiting for parts and test fitting. Here is the exhaust mocked up and then finished welded. The components are all from Cone Eng, they are the 12"X3" cones and I also got two of their 2into1 couplers to join the headers together.



After the exhaust came the rearsets. They are from Lossa Engineering, very good looking pieces and they happened to fit in the factory holes for the passenger pegs. just had to drill the holes a bit larger and they are in the perfect position!
Clutch Side

Brake Side
https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-y2E5 ... AG1498.jpg

The gauge and headlight came from SpeedMotoCo. Just a standard 8" light with the Acewell gauge.


Once the lights were all mounted it was time for the wiring nightmare!!!! After comparing about 7 different schematics this is it about halfway done.


As it sits now, all the lights work, and it starts, I still need to hook up the new speed sensor, but that's tomorrow, for now its late and its time for bed!!!! I hope you enjoy this project, im open to all questions and comments. Have a great night.

I will post updates regularly from here on out, starting with tomorrow evening of the wiring.

-Chris

 

Re: 1980 XJ Cafe

stellar job man. im up in the air about bobber or cafe and this makes me want cafe. i always wondered about the controls. like the rear sets. and the front end. and well.. the whole damn bike. cant wait to see the completed thing.

 

Re: 1980 XJ Cafe Project

Really NICE!!!

skillet
btw One pic the exhaust looks supported in the rear and another pic it doesn't (yes or no?)...

 

Re: 1980 XJ Cafe Project

Wow! I'm was looking to bobber mine, but now i want that kind of front end!

Great job, thanks for sharing!

 

Re: 1980 XJ Cafe Project

really liking that exhaust!

 

Re: 1980 XJ Cafe Project

realllly liking where this is going!! keep it up!!

 

Re: 1980 XJ Cafe Project

Thanks guys. Skillet, the exhuast as it sits right now is unsupported. I am going to make some hangers in the next few day and mount the cones to the frame.

For now though I am still trying to get her running. It ran fine yesterday for a bit of a test ride and now nothing. Although during the ride, from off idle to about 4k rpm it was just on its face stumbling then after 4K rpm its like a rocket ship. I think im going to go get some fresh plugs this morning and try again. I removed the carbs and for the third time completely tore them down and cleaned every passage again, still no start now. I know im getting air, i know im getting spark, but for some reason no fuel....

Im no carb expert so anyone got any tips? I have the free flowing exhaust and I also Jetted it with the stage three kit from DynoJet. I know its like a black art fixing these things but I figure I would try.

-Chris

 

Re: 1980 XJ Cafe Project

Turns out all my valves are wildly out of spec! The worst one is an intake at .063 (spec.11-.15) and the closest is an exhaust at .165 (spec .16-.20) so yea all that needs to be fixed before I continue tuning.

Also while checking the shims I came across two that read 2,275, the others are are all compatible with the chart but what size are these?

 

Re: 1980 XJ Cafe Project

use a micrometer if you have one. 275 is their size in mm.

 

Re: 1980 XJ Cafe Project

Just check them with a mic and I will actually be able to reuse a few of them in other spots saving me a bit of cash. I will hopefully get the new shims before I have to go back to school. If not then Christmas break. While I wait I will be working on the seat and new tank.

 

Re: 1980 XJ Cafe Project

pm dave (hoggfiddles here on xjbikes) and he can hook you up with the shims you need.

he runs a shim pool, and for 8$ + a deposit, he'll mail you the shims you need, and then once you send him back the shims you replaced, he'll refund you back your deposit.

Its a super quick and super easy process that is a great way to save money!!

Chris

 

Re: 1980 XJ Cafe Project

Yesterday was a serious test of patience, but in the end I am very happy.

I decided I wanted to try to make my own seat pad for the bike and here it is. There is still a bit to be done but for the most part it is complete. What do you think?

Started with a test piece to see how the pattern would look with different with pleats. Decided to go with the 1.5" pleats.


This is the base layer of foam that I just glued directly to the fiberglass. It is .5" thick high density closed cell foam. Very nice stuff.


Also did some custom piping out of the same type of vinyl.


After that I made a few templates out of paper and transferred them to vinyl.


And this is as it sat last night. Very close to being finished, just need to put the snap fasteners on the back and sew the front end together then is finished.


I got the inspiration to try this from the Young Guns youtube videos. They walk you through the process of making pleats and even piping. Im just glad my sewing machine held up through all this. Let me know what you think.

-Chris

 

Re: 1980 XJ Cafe Project

Dang, that's awesome! Nice work!

 

Re: 1980 XJ Cafe Project

LOOKIN' GOOD! Seat is lookin' better and better!!!

skillet
btw NICE skills with the sewing machine...

 

Re: 1980 XJ Cafe Project

Well here it is, all the sewing is complete. I am extremely happy with how this came out for my first time ever doing this type of sewing. Also happy my sewing machine did not crap out on me! Anyways on to pics!

Figuring out these side pieces was a total game, and for a while the seat cover was winning... But alas, persistence and patience payed off!


Once the sides were finished it was test fit time!!!!!


Ohhhh yea!!!!!! It it not final glued to the fiberglass, I need to finish the body work on the seat pan before I can call this completely done. (That's why it looks a bit loose)


And just a different angle.


Hopefully i get the engine valve shims and gaskets tomorrow in the mail so I can ride this thing!!!!

Not much left, just gotta get a few loose ends tied up and paint the bare spots on the frame, and for now just rattle can the tank in a close color. Might try my hand at some pin striping gold also... we shall see.

Have a great day everyone!!!
-Chris

 

Re: 1980 XJ Cafe Project

bitchin!

 

Re: 1980 XJ Cafe Project

Thanks man I appreciate all the comments! I was rather impressed with myself also.

I got her running again also tonight. The new valve shims got here in about two days and she has never sounded better. I made a manometer tonight and will sync the carbs tomorrow morning!!!

Then I will ride!!!

Oh and one last note... Go Navy, Beat Army!!!! (Sorry if anyone's in the Army)

-Chris

 

Re: 1980 XJ Cafe Project

The carb sync should make it even that much better...

skillet

 

Re: 1980 XJ Cafe Project

Carb sync went well after a bit of playing. It idles like a champ now, sounds perfect and even responds to a slight twist of the throttle.

Still having an issue with the lower powerband though. From probably about 2-4k it stumbles, no matter what gear, neutral too. I know that the pilot circuit covers that portion but what part of it? The pilot fuel jet or the air jet? Other than that it is perfect. I have yet to play with the fuel mixtures though, so maybe that is it. I know that's the last step to tuning these things, I was gonna buy a colortune plug, any other suggestions?

-Chris

 

Re: 1980 XJ Cafe Project

That's a start, but it really only works at idle.

Pod filters?

You've probably got some re-jetting to do, especially with the changes to the exhaust system. Are you 100% sure that all of the float levels are 100% as accurate as they can possibly be?

You said something about a DynoJet kit. What's been changed, and to what?