When did chain drive replace the shaft?

I have had this vision in my head for a long time now, its a Sportster like cruiser with xj power. I really like the v-star 650 custom, but only a 4 in a row will do. The shaft drive of my 750 seca is pretty much a dedicated system and I wouldn't cobble up my bike to where it looks like a lowrider but handles like a radio flyer. I can't buy decent sized, ready made wheels for the thing, put them on or change the gear ratios either. If I could get a decent motor and tranny that will run 9000 rpms plus safely put it into a proven chassis, with the right gears and tires, I'll have what I want.

The most common answer is buy a newer bigger (heavier) bike, but I really don't want a bigger bike, just a quicker one. I'm 56 years old, 6'3" and have bad knees, my crotch rocket days are over. This bike isn't a pipe dream, I'm sure most of the parts exist, a belt or chain drive is the most likely missing link. (pun intended). Plus there's a power gain by eliminating the drive hub.

Going back the xj inventory (the ones I trust the most) from 85 up; 700-900cc's which ones have cradle frames and chain drives? Fuel injection or liquid cooling would be nice too.

 

I've often thought, what if you get a 600-750 sport bike, take all the crap off of it, lower it, put on a solo seat and rake the front about 9 degrees or more. I think that would be badass.

 

The Maxim was intended to be "a Sportster like cruiser with XJ power."

The only chain-driven true XJs were the first-generation motors, the XJ400/500/550/600.

The Radian was a chain-driven bike too, and I think it got up to a 700cc version, but I don't remember. I might be thinking Fazer and I dunno if it was a shaftie...

Chain drive returned with the FJ/FZ series (here in the USA.)

Those rat bastard Aussies get these, Yamaha won't sell them here:

 

I'll just have to get Wiz to buy one and ship it to me, they'll title anything in Mississippi. :lol:

 

Seeing these pics reminds me of some song..'everything old is new again'..styling wise that is. Sort of on topic it's got a shaft...1948 Sunbeam

 

Orange & black, except the rake job, You've just described my 750 seca.

I know a guy that has a fazer, it had 4 downdrafts and a chain drive, but It looks really small. I can't imagine riding it 500 miles in a day. And I had a 66 honda 160 scrabler too, It was fun and fast (80+) for its size but quick it wasn't, it had straight pipes but when the flared ends broke out at the heads their wasn't another to be found in 74. I fried the heads. I probably looked like a gorilla doin the nasty with a football riding the thing.

I really like that 1300 but you see, in my family the front pegs are where the back pegs should be and the front pegs should really be in front. (not too hard, but I'm not going to NZ or AU to get one.)

 

That's one nice resto and I've noticed a come back on those rear shocks on custom bike builds.

 

Has anyone considered doing a rear mod like that on a XJ? Hardtail look with softail advantage.

 

Well, If the New harley 48 was $2000 less and had about 50 more horsepower I would be the kind for me.

 

The 48 looks nice, I hear most of the Sportsters ride rough with the exception of the 1200 Classic. BTW have you seen the 750 Shadow lookalike?

 

Not my "cup of tea" but it sure looks like Honda has been paying attention to what people have been doing with their bikes lately: http://www.honda-motorcycles.org/2010-h ... w-phantom/

This one too, again not my style but a heck of a lot less money than a $30K bigwheel chopper, and probably a lot safer to ride: http://www.honda-motorcycles.org/2010-h ... sabre-abs/

 

I went to look at the Sabre, it's lite weight compared to the VTX but I rather get the Fury!

 

Yes to all of those questions, I'd like a xj powered vstar 650 because its low and it's a soft tail (aka monoshock) I weigh 235 so I need a stiff suspension, but shorter wheel bases handle better. The Sporties and the Honda 750s look cool but any decent xj would blow either one away. I want a bike that goes as well as it looks. that's the idea. I want a decent 12 second middle weight cruiser, The vsx 950 weighs over 600 lbs and it won't run 12/s either. I'm kinda disapointed that yamaha still insists on building engines that look like harleys when the real yamaha designs are better. And no matter how you figure it a naturally aspirated 750 at 9 grand is going to make more horespower than any vtwinn will under 1500 ccs at 4,500 or 883 at 7000. Granted torque is a different story, that's why we have transmissions.

They do have custom tripple trees and kits from 7-15 degrees for xj's with the rake and trail already tuned, + wide glide kits. The name of the manufacturer is ame, its made in germany and is considered safe (and legal) all the way to the top speed of the bike on the autobahn. I think 7* kits start around $800. 28*+7* is 33* with 60mm spacers installed in the forks to retain stock ride height. Otherwise the front will be 2" lower than stock. The rear can be lowered 1-2" simply be changing shocks but that leaves the narrow swingarm/drive shaft enclosure. It just sounds penny wise and pound foolish to mickey mouse a perfectly good chassis to make it different, like something else that is already in production and just needs to have a few mounts and wires changed?

The vsx 650 custom has 32* of rake, 42 mm forks and a monoshock suspension, looks like a hard tail, The shaft dosn't go through the swingarm and it came stock (at least for the past few years) with a swingarm wide enough to accomidate 200mm (8") tires and it weighs nearly identical. The xj750rh trans won't line up with the rear hub, and even if it did the splines are different. So a chain or belt would be the most likely way to do it. For thet matter a Suzuki s50 (805 ccs) weighs even less.

What I'm getting at is a 21st century xj750 maxim, Low, sweet, light (?) and full boogie. Very few cruisers will do 130 mph, and even less will accelerate like a good, old fashioned, Super Stock Dodge or 440 6 pak. I'd give up 15 mph on the top end for 1 second off my 1/4 mile time. Chain drive would make that easy

All that being said, could I take an xj650 maxim with chain drive, any year, and gut the motor, and install my complete xj750rh internals (with new rings, bearings etc.) and 750head & cam, but keep the transmission out put (counter gear), sprocket from the 650?
I've heard that the 750 xj police had 67mm pistons and I don't think 4 33mm Kenhi cr sidedraft pumpers would be too hard to install.

All things considered, the xj engine is way wider but shorter in both height and length to a Vtwinn. so I think it wouldn't be hard to install in a cradle frame made for that kind of weight. As far as width goes, shoot, when I'm on my highway bars, my ankles are already beside the timing covers and my knees are bent 90* or so.

I think the look of a big fat 4cyl engine with a brace of four pipes right in your face looks like "drink your kaopectate before you get on this thing or else you might need to change your pants."

What do you think?

 

I went out and looked at several different bikes before I got my XJ700. I thought the VStar650 was a little heavy and clumsy in the handling, I thought the Shadow750 was nice and I liked the Suzuki S50,S83 and M50. But your right about the inline 4s.

 

The classic and silverado models have less rake and a 16" front wheel, the Custom has the longer rake and 19, so they would handle differently. I'm pretty sure that an inline four with chain drive would be lighter than a v-twinn with a shaft and drive hub.

I think the s50 is the sweetheart of the bunch you mentioned at 805 ccs and under 500lbs. The shadow looks too much like a sportster for its price, although the performance of both is nearly equal, the sportster in black is lower priced and has higher resale value. My xj750 will leave all three in the dust.

I realize that my bike would be a money pit with xj power, when kawi 750 -1000 LTD, KZ and police motors with chain drive readily available in the US plus the pistons, rings, cams etc., Can still be gotten off the shelf from aftermarket manufacturers.

I just like the look of the v-star without visible springs or shocks and a big fat rear tire. I still think if Yamaha would make the vstar chassis available with r6 or r1 power they'd have the superior cruiser/ bobber. I am going to close the subject on my end, at least for now. I'm still working on my 750seca-maxim bobber conversion. I've really seen some cool bikes of this nature that were former xj750 or 900 police interceptors from Australia & New Zeland. Thanks for the input. Padre.

 

VSTAR with R1 and a 21 inch front wheel, I'll take it!

 

650 V star is the biggest dog made. Two up is not possible on the interstate, (in my experiances) get a bigger one. FJR 1200