A Scottish XJ550 Cafe/streetfighter'ish racer...

Cheers Maxim,
That does look like a neat little headlight cowling but I was thinking more of the manx style of number plate come screen if I was going to fit anything different from what I already have on there. Going to see how it goes first before anymore modifcations at the moment.

Bike now ready for a MOT.. Should have it done on Tuesday night I hope now that I have my rear brake all sorted & working.
Thought I would put the XJ on the scales to see how much weight I've managed to lose of the little heffer.
From what I have found on the net the original bike weighed a masive 204 kg/449.7lbs :roll: Weighing my now anorexic XJ550 with basic bathroom scales initially under the front wheel then the rear I had a weight of 81.5(189.2lbs)/79.5kg(182.6lbs) front/rear giving me 161kg(371.8lbs) with oil & a round a gallon of fuel in it... :shock: 43kg lossed???? Wow!!
Now that should help the power to weight ratio I would think... :lol:

I thought of making a list of the parts used..

Honda NS125 handlebars (35mm)
Yamaha SR125 front hub
Yamaha XT550 rear hub
Double butted stainless spokes(Central Wheel Components)
Yamaha LC250/350 shock
Kawasaki GPX600 rear sets
Vespa T5 rear brake cable
Aprilia RS125 front disc
Yamaha Exup front caliper
Yamah Exup brake master cylinder(may change this)
Chinese supermoto wheel rims 2.5 front/3.00 rear(Ebay purchase @ £100 pair for the complete wheels)
Yamaha FZR400 seat (extended to suit)
Kawasaki 5 position steering damper
4 1/2 inch chrom headlight
Cateye large rear light
Sava Racer H rated tyres 100/80x17 front, 130/70x17 rear.
520 chain conversion using XT550 sprockets.

Cheers
Col.

 

So, when you do pass the M.O.T. will it be listed as an XJ 550 or a "550 Bitsa"? :roll: :wink: :wink:

 

Wow you have done a great job with that 550 man, hats of to you and your great work. What jetting are you running with that exhaust and K&Ns?
Thanks Al

 

Hey Maxim,
it's a XJ550 of course.. ;-)..

Al, at the moment I haven't run it on the road so the jetting may change but it has 125 mains & 35 pilots. Revs cleanly in neutral but as you will know it means nothing until there is a load on it throughout the rev range. I will report back once I have it all legal.
Going to be modifying a mates Motad for his GS1000S after he liked what I have done with my one. Major weight saving that was...

Cheers
Col.

 

Thanks Guys,

MOT done now & insured so only waiting on the V5 paperwork to come through from DVLA so I can get out for a wee blast to see how it goes..
Future plans will be to fit a tuned XJ/FZ600 motor & possibly FZR400/600 forks. :wink:

Cheers
Col.

 

Congratulations on passing the m.o.t

Would be nice to have a couple of pics with that stunning Scottish scenery.

 

Col..........
Congrats on passing the MOT...... Always nice when things get that far on something that has had as much work put into it as yer bike........G-50 / Manx cowl you say?........Me thinks that would fit right in......Tuned 600 lump????....Really like the path this is going down...They really are never " finished"....always is another level to reach for..........Then ya raise the bar! :wink:

 

Hey Col, just out of curiosity, what classes could you run in if you were to "Trackify" it?
Reason I ask, is we had one chap show up at the V.R.R.A. race witha bone stock KH 400, he'd litterally ride it there. Once there he'd unbolt all unnessecary bits, race for the day and then put it back together and ride home.
I can still remember him going down the front straight at Mosport and somehow he got past tech and stiil had his rear licence plate on, that got a few laughs for the spectators as well as the pits!!!!

 

Maxim,
The bike would qualify for the post classic class at my local track/club. If I had it still twin shock it could go out in Earlystocks which is for twinshock aircooled bikes but I would need to travel for that. I have a track only 6 miles from my house which makes it handy ..
Here's a RD that I used to race & still own.. being rebuilt now as the crank blew out..

The last time I race it it looked like this...


Cheers.
Col.

 

Oh how I miss those days, (sigh)...

 

Maxim!!!
Somebody has went & put a Honda badge on yer tank!!!!!! 8O :lol:
Couple of good photos there mate..

Col.

 

Hiya maxim..th number of th beast is 6x3, but what numbers are you sitting on there, on th black honda..

To quote Pink Floyd '..th thoughts of a man in his old age are th deeds of a man in his prime..' and i have some as well. Not so much track as distance

 

I initially requested that number because the other series I competed in was 999. Racers, being as thrifty as possible meant turning my numbers upside down, so, no extra costs for plates. Besides, after I got to know the corner workers they said that they would know who I was which ever way I ended up!

 

Just like Nicky Hayden with 69 Maxim..
I normally race with 66 hence the 66 in my name I use. Although the numbers on the RD aren't that. That was due to racing with another club who allocate you a number instaed of you choosing one. :-(
Is it a K4??? 250/350??
Col.

 

That RD brings back memories! If you won the £166,000,000 the other night, maybe you wouldn't miss the RD....? LOL

 

Markie,
I wouldnt need to win a tenth of that to have a shed/factory unit full of two strokes amongst many other bikes cars etc....
My carbon footprint would be MASSIVE!!!!!! :lol:

Col.

 

Any updates on this?
Al

 

Finally after 8 weeks of phone calls & hassling of the dvla I now have a tax disc for the XJ. :cheers:
Had it's maiden voyage last night upto East Fortune race track which went ok & pleased on how it handles. Already thinking of a few changes as I thin k the master cylinder needs changed & it is running a tad hot. I'l be chucking in some bigger main jets to try & sort that out. It does rev easily & gets along at a reasonable rate of knots
Had a good response from folk at East Fortune today when i was up watching the racing although the bike seems not to be chargign the battery????? Bump starting only now which is a bit of a pain.
All small teething problems I guess which I'll sort out in due course.

Cheers
Col.

 

Good to hear from ya Col..........

Happy to see ya have the bike out & about

Was wondering how the Brake/rotor/Master combo would work out.......have a R1 monoblock & 320mm rotor here for an update later if needed but not real sure about the master, or how well it would work with the 35mm Seca forks


My thoughts were a master for a pair of floating 2 pots should be about right for a solid 4 pot, and that would be the 5/8 Bandit unit on the shelf


Interested to see what yer going to change to.

 

great work Scotty - greetings from over the water lol - MacLeod 1776 - MacPhee 1806 to British North America - Skye and Colonsay off Mull - have a great riding season - probably another 4 to 6 weeks before weather improves enough here in Ontario - take care brother