A new project, the abandoned xj650RJ

Shhhh........don't say anything too loudly---he might finish the bike and even ride it.

Sorry, Eco.....couldn't resist. LOL

dave

 

Who knows, by the time I am done we may not have gasoline available in this world 8)

 

And the Master Cylinder cover is done. Now all I need is install the new glass window.

 

And the glass window is in. Thank you Len for all the help and providing amazing customer service.


Now on to the next step, replace the fuse box and clean terminals on the wiring harness.

 

I think you could use a little touch up on the MC cover, my personal opinion.




But this:



Definitely gets you closer to this:




(A little motivation)

 

Thanks and agreed, the MC cover could use some sanding for a better finish vs. polishing with a dremel.

I need to keep myself motivated at this point by making a list of things that I have done so far even if the bike (or parts) in the driveway do not look like much.

- Compression test, valves in spec.
- complete teardown and carb rebuilt (thanks hogfiddles for the extra hand)
- Rebuilt pet rooster
- Rebuilt Master Cylinder
- New swing arm bearings
- New head steering bearings
- New brake lines
- New fuse box
- Fresh coat of paint on rear swing arm, center stand, headlight bracket, touchup the frame.
- Almost done with body work and ready to paint gas tank, front fender, rear cowl, and side panels.

I think that is all I have done so far and still a few things to do as well as putting a lot together. I am hoping this one will be ready to ride by the time my 2 year old can take the school bus and I can ride my bike to work.

 

Today I came back from a work weekend and found a couple of boxes waiting for me. The first one is a nice set of gauges in pretty good shape.



The second one is a headlight in pretty good shape. I didn't even know the bucket came with a label on the back so this one looks great.

Soon I will have the carbs back and will start putting things back together.

 

I just read the second half of this thread and all I can say is dang, your dedication is amazing. Also for painting the swingarm etc. what kind of paint and primer did you use? It might have been stated somewhere earlier in the thread but I may have missed it. The paint looks good!

 

I have been slacking on this project but I want to get some stuff done before winter, here in North Carolina winters are not bad and could work on it most of the time.

Tonight I practiced a couple of times with my crimping tool and finally got the new terminals looking they way they should according to chacal's tutorial



And after a few terminals the new fusebox is ready to go. At some point I will print labels to make it look more official. Using double sided mounting tape worked great to turn the strip of paper into a sticker and glue it inside the cover. I have a couple of extra slots where I will save spare fuses for now but will probably add a USB port to plug/charge phone and use for navigation.

 

Looks good. Imo shrink wrap the ends to prevent corrosion.

Gary H.

 

Or use a one pin connector cover. Every wire going to the fuse box is 12V. And one of them comes from the battery and doesn't have a fuse on it (the input to the main fuse). You don't want any part of that to arc with any ground (frame or anything bolted on to the frame).

 

I finally ha deome time to put some pieces together. New brake lines and crush washers. Before I install them I wanna rebuild tye brake calipers so they will have to wait a bit to go in.

 

Purty

 

Now I am also getting into the "fun" zone. I have a tub full of parts and a jar full of bolts, nuts and washers. The challenge is going to be to figure out which one goes where. At this point after taking three of them apart I think I know what goes where but no clue about bolts. I guess it is going to be an interesting trail/error process.

I have wiring harness, brake lines, carbs and exhaust ready to go back in, just need to make sure that everything is properly fastened.

 

No prob, Eco...... If you have trouble, just ask or send a pic.....I should be able to show right where it goes----

Dave f

 

Alright, today I received caliper rebuilt kits so they can get them redone and finally put things back together. I was also looking in my tub of goodies and found the ties to secure the wiring harness to the frame.

As soon as I get rid of the flu I will be working on putting pieces back together where they belong.

 

Today I felt flu-free and it is relatively warm to work outside. Thanks hogfiddles for the picture on the wiring harness routing. Neither the hayes manual or the Yamaha service manual were very helpful trying to figure out how to weave the wiring harness into the frame.

I am also waiting on a torque wrench install carbs, secure airbox and mount exhaust system. I feel like this slow moving project is getting somewhere...

 

Never fear.....it's moving faster than some of my projects------

I don't keep track of time anymore. That way it doesn't matter how long or short something takes. it gets done when it gets done. No rush, no angst.

Dave

 

We have lived in our current house for 11 years. I started repainting and putting in new flooring a month before the actual move-in. The kitchen still isn't done.

 

I would replace the engine and the transmission