An introductory build thread...cafe style

If you relocate the ignition there is a spot there that a small guage can fit.

 

^ I plan on it.

 

A little update. Mike and I built a chicken coop this weekend. I basically just put the triple tree back together and we planned for a custom wiring harness so I can hide all the wires and make everything simple. I put the boots and carbs on today. I started to add the pods and they were very snug. I am starting to think they were a bad idea. I kinda like this idea, What are your thoughts?

 

You shouldn't have even asked; your thread is going to be torn up with this debate. Just take your time tuning and enjoy the look!

 

yeah I figured(puts on flame suit). The carbs already have been jetted for the pods so looks like i'm stuck with them :/

 

I got some for my bike too but I'm not telling anyone. (Oopse!)

 

Nothing big to report. I'm expecting to get the last of the paint done in a couple weeks as I am prepping the seat pan and cowl. I installed the carb setup and ignition coils this weekend. I was thinking to avoid possible headaches down the road I am going to have to check the valve clearances based on what I saw when I took the clutch apart, this bike wasn't really maintained well. I don't know how it even ran when we saw the condition of the carbs before everything was cleaned and overhauled.

 

as you guys can see that is how most of the setup will look like. I think I figured out how to get the brakes to work. 87 FZ600 front forks and calipers with XV920 rotors seem to mate up very very close to the stock wheels. I am not sure what offset to go by though(xj550= 18mm or FZ600=0mm). Any input would be helpful.

 

So I went missing for a while. It's been really hot in Florida plus I went home to NJ a couple of time but in the spirit of Labor Day, progress is slowly starting to ramp up. UPDATE: Handle bars are out being custom made by a friend in Jacksonville. The front end is on with the appropriate rotors. Paint is going to happen soon for the tank and seat (I was thinking gloss Monterey Lamborghini blue for both and some type of flat black race strip action). As you can see in the picture the bike kinda threw up the electrical system and so far it's been fairly straight forward for simplifying the wires. The grip ace controls make cutting the annoying crap out very easy. The bike with run all LEDs so no worry with relays since grip ace does the relay work(blinking, self canceling, etc.) expect more updates down the road as it comes together

 

Coming along good! Can confirm, hot as hell in FL right now

 

whered you get the swing arm for the monoshock?

 

Hot in Florida????? Oh come now. It's been a mild summer here in the delta. Got hot last week, just in time for things to start changing. It's usually so hot here, I'm surprised its not a desert.

Looking good so far.
Now get to work you slacker. hahahahahaha

 

Meh electrical is a pain but here is some paint

Wires....but first lemme take a selfie

Paint

 

Nice paint job. Enamel with enamel clear?

 

It's ppg0031, 3 stage. I'm pretty sure it's enamel.

 

Don't do it, Stu. Suicide isn't the answer. (It looks like a noose in the foreground.)

 

When you make your own harness a noose is never too far away. J/k that's the string from the garage door

 

One person on this site has used these before(can't remember who), so it will work with the right jets. I would velocity stack those puppies though.

 

well a little wiring update with a couple questions and pictures! Yes there are minor details with paint and polishing to do but that will be completed toward the end of the build. The bike does get power to the starter but it does not turn at all any ideas?

The complete mess



The Grip Ace controller that replaces some of the relays in the harness


RFID and Latching switch(no keys FTW)


The harness


All zip tied up


Am I missing something here? Its the first time I pulled the cable out of the package in over a year.

 

$467 for a carb rebuild? I hope that everything inside is NEW, not just "cleaned"........I hope he knew what he was doing, and I hope you KNOW what he did.

Dave

 

Yes everything is brand new. Done by a reputable shop and I have the bill of sale and it has the list of parts/labor plus me checking in every so often on the progress. I am pretty confident it's done right

 

You are missing the bracket for the clutch cable

 

Ok found it. Now to the starter issue. If the solenoid clicks and 12v is shown all the way to the starter, is it a safe bet that I will need a starter rebuild? It did run before I took the starter off.

 

yes, its a small bracket ,held on by a single screw , just at the back of the oil filler.
here
mines a xj600, but don't look a lot different to yours

cheers.
stu

 

You are missing the retention bracket that goes next to the oil fill cap to hold and adjust the clutch cable.

Nevermind. This new format isn't showing me most recent posts for some reason. They popped up after I responded.

 

me too.
stu

 

Hmm No 20 here maybe..

http://www.yamahapartshouse.com/oemparts/a/yam/500421b2f8700209bc787367/crankcase-cover

 

Me too

 

Well it's been a while but it still doesn't start...yet(very close). It has handlebars, tank, and seat.

 

Forgive me if I missed this being stated earlier, but a simple carb cleaning and rebuild does not guarantee a bike that will start...
You need to check and adjust your valve clearances (should be 0.11mm-0.15mm intake, 0.16-0.20mm exhaust between the shims and cams when fully closed)
You need to have a proper bench sync done - adjust your carb bowl float levels, adjust the throttle shaft butterfly openings to an appropriate level, and adjust your idle mixture screws to the correct preset level (I believe 1.5-2 turns out from gently bottomed out).

When it comes to fuel and air delivery, you have to think of the bike as having FOUR independent one-cylinder, single-carburetor engines that have to synced for fuel mixture and then synced to each other.

Also I'm sure it has been said before, but POD filters are notorious for their difficulty in tuning. If you have a straight pipe or high flow exhaust, add an extra full turn out to your idle mixture screw settings to get the bike to kind of run OK - stock settings will likely NOT work.

 

Check and adjusted valve clearances...done.
Bench sync...doubt it

I'll start with your advice tomorrow. My concern was trying to get a spark out of it today.

 

Even that won't be enough to correct the lean condition he will have above idle. Pods + aftermarket exhaust always = rejet.

 

OK tell us more about the no-spark condition. What do you know? Stock wiring, or minimal?

 

I has been rejetted also. The no spark condition was the result of me chopping the harness apart and minimizing it. I had to isolate everything down to the connection. Now everything is sparking so I should be good to go

 

Liking this build

 

ok now I know the motor works. I'm going to organize the wires(aka tear it apart again and meticulously solder everything together and place the components in a way that they do cannot short out) since this was a proof of concept harness. I'll build the cables(throttle and brake) and then engine tuning

 

That is some beautiful noise!

 

Let's update this. Lost a job; worked a shitty job(1+ years); moved bike to friends garage instead of storage unit; got married; got old job back; more bills; cut down bills; replace daily driver(first love) suspension in the street(damn German cars and expensive suspensions); decided on one electrical setup but its to complicated; no grip ace controls; modified RFID from cheap to expensive for simplicity/space(smaller) purposes; Anti-gravity battery is shot only used it 2x...never buy one unless you race; made everything simple, no safety devices but will have headlights, brake lights, etc(this is not a daily and won't be riding long distances or everyday). I ordered all the parts for the final setup. It still needs minor welding on a few new custom pieces(headlight and handlebars); Need to buy: 5 3/4" headlight, speedo, streamline internal throttle(the one I have now does not have an internal spring for return, I'd rather have 2 springs for return(safety purposes only); hidden master cylinder does not give enough pressure so I am implementing a low profile handle bar solution; needs brake lines fabricated; new tires, tuning, safety check. Lessons learned....you think its a 1 year project max, this is going on 3-4 years.

 

That's all????? I have one that's going on about 17yrs.......lol I'm serious!

 

OK great sound like some good progress -just one thing I'm not sure about, underlined above..

 

I'd rather a one year project takes 3 to 4 years than to never be finished at all.

 

Yup, she checked all the boxes she found out about the motorcycle and was like "so where do I sit?" She def got major points there. Now I have to plan on getting something with 2 seats. Probably a HD since I've always wanted something loud and obnoxious with 1200cc's. I don't I can mod my bike to have another person with its current setup.

 

Does everyone remember the complicated wiring mess?



Here is the almost finished result minus inline fuses.

 

Looks clean. I still have reservations about housing the voltage regluator in such a confined space. It really needs more air moving over it to keep it from cooking to death. You might consider using a CPU fan and making some subtle, but tasteful, vents.

 

Not sure how I could do that. There is no more space available for the regulator. CPU fans(and anything computers are my profession) are a good idea. Maybe something to promote air flow by mounting a couple 1 in case fans on the sides or use a thermoelectric heat sink plate via Peltier Cooling?

 

Is there room to just flip the regulator so the fins are exposed to the underside of the mounting plate? It is a road bike, so mud won't be an issue. You may need to make standoffs and fill plates to keep the topside water-free.

 

Not sure if I am visualizing that correctly....just flip it over? or place it outside of the bike, underneath of the electrics tray?

 

Cut a hole in the tray, flip the regulator, re-mount. Whether the hole is for the pigtail, or the whole regulator will be up to you, and how much clearnace there is on the other side of the tray.

 

Other side of the tray....