What did you do to your Yamaha today?

Woke up and cried as I was walking to my truck... (right fork in shop getting a ding fixed and seal replaced). Got home from work, continued to clean and polish her, and the shop called to say it was ready a day earlier than expected. So today I put her pack together and changed out my sealed beam for a H4 conversion.

 

Cleaned the windshield, mirrors and lights. Gassed up and oiled up, light oil on fork tubes to clean. Man she gets dirty quick.

Almost rode her to work today but -8C (19F) was just too cold for my old bones. Started up when I got home but it poured rain so I drove the sedan to an appointment. Weatherman says sunny and +3C (38F) Friday, so Ridin' Season is still going strong at least for a few days here in Chilly Beach.

 

Rode home at lunch and got the bike, clear and sunny, 41 degrees. On the way back to work looked at the northern skyline and swa the black thunderheads coming in. Sweated it while working as rain sleet and a bit of snow fell. Around 2:30 everything cleared up again and I rode home at 3:00. Got home and found my Fllyscreen showed up. Installed it, it is supposed to be for a 7" headlight, but it fits around the 8" headlight on the Seca nice and snug, looks good too. Will get pics tomorrow. Next item will be to replace the Jardine 4:1 canister with the stock exhaust. Power is great but the noise is deafening. Will be selling the canister on ebay next week. cruzerjd

 

I started my XJ650H today for the first time.
You can read more about it in the It Lives post.

 

Cleaned up and then took the panniers in for the last bit of plastic welding & sourced some new locks.

 

Well I couldn't help myself..... I broke the ol gal out and took er around town.
MAN that was a cold ride

She's under wraps again now....... till I can't hold out no more

 

I got my Maxim running good today. I had to clean out the cabrs and wasn't in a huge hurry since it will be a week or so before I get insurance and a tag for it. I have someone with access to any size stainless steel metric allen-head bolts, so I have replaced almost every pilips head bolt on it. She is pretty mush ready to be ridden full time now. I will be riding all winter long.

 

Can you guy get the Acorn Nuts uses to as Cylinder Head fasteners in Stainless.

I'd like 2-pair of those for dressing the outboard sides of my Maxim.

 

Took parts from about three different rear flashers to make one working rear right flasher. All four are now mounted and work... mostly.

Rear flasher stays are bent, so they stick out at a funny angle. Also looking into getting 10 or so M3 x 0.5 x 30mm bolts to replace all of the bolts in the flasher lenses. Can't find them online any cheaper than $12 (counting shipping). I may go ahead and buy 1000 of them - possibly with 2mm allen heads - and just give the rest away to XJ-ers.

Also picked up a bolt sizing template, since I'm going to want to replace several rusted, corroded, missing, and/or stripped bolts on the old girl, including one mount on the frame that needs to be re-tapped. Everything except that weird front brake adjustment bolt is a standard size so far.

 

I'll have a look to see where those bolts are and see if my friend can get some at work. I was thrilled to replace the caliper cover screws/bolts with alen-haed stainless steel ones. They really did put philips headed ones in place they shouldn't have.

 

winter has arrived today!

 

Is this a common (minor) mod? Replacing the various bolts with allen heads? Or is it just your thing?

 

I'm not sure if it is common or not really. I'm new to the forums here. I rode the same model XJ for years in the 90's and was looking for another one when I found the forums.

The philp headed bolts/screws strip easily and rust. I had to get 3 out with a screw extractor. I wasn't about to replace them with the same phiip headed ones if I could help it. Allen headed ones pretty much take care of the striped out problem.

 

Pretty Common.

There are Complete Stainless Kits available on eBay.

My whole bike is done-up in Stainless and the look is stunning.

 

I keep trying to convince myself that winter is just a frame of mind

 

I moved the bike about six more feet into the garage and tuned-up the Sno-Blower.

I actually Colortuned a Briggs and Stratton 10-Horse SnoKing.
It ought to throw snow into another demention!

 

I was thinking along the lines of the allen cap heads. Like these:

Example 1

I can get 100 of these for the price of 10 of the Philips pan head bolts (after shipping and handling gets added). About $14 either way. Pan head is stainless, but philips. Allen head is "heat treated steel alloy" (whatever that means). Or, of course, I could get about 1000 of the zinc plated Philips pan head bolts for $30, though I can't figure out what in the world I'd do with 1000 of the blessed things...

 

The "Kits" available on eBay will do all the Cases and Mounts. There is also an additional Kit available that replaces every fastener on the rack of Carbs; too!

The Cases in Stainless look amazing. Too bad the Bike didn't come that way.
The Carbs in Stainless are exquisite. It's too bad that time ravages the Hats on the Carbs.

I hope that somebody knocks-off a thousand Hats and sells them at an affordable price. Once that happens; I'm going to be very happy with my bike for some years to come.

 

Put her away for the winter with 8-10" on snow on the way. Took off the bags to clean and paint. Next will be the fairing.

 

Man I wish I had kept up with this post. I pulled the carbs off my other x and cleaned them out a bit more. I think the fuel mixture holes were not open 100%. Got the bike to run on all four cylinders. On MY personal x, I put the airbox boots on and I believe I got her all taken care of. She started after being cold and that is a good thing. Hopefully it will fire keep up the good work.