XJ550 street fighter Project, "pic heavy"... Finally DONE!!!

Re: XJ550 Project bike, "pic heavy" Updated Jan 21/07

that's staying chrome, what you see is pretty well what I'm doing, the rest of the bike is going candy red , seat pan, tank, fenders, side covers (minus the chrome piece), headlight bezel. The foot peg mounts (triangle piece that the exhaust bracket and rear foot pegs bolt to) will be painted black as well as a small tank guard/accent piece that I'm in the process of designing .

today I got my new grips, brake and clutch levers (black of course :wink: ) and ordered my new dynacoils and wires, should have them this weekend so I can fire it up to see what the pipes sound like...

stay tuned :twisted:

 

Re: XJ550 Project bike, "pic heavy" Updated Feb 07/07

Well ... I never paint bright alloy. I'm a "Sand-it-'til-it's-smooth ... then, polish-it" guy!

Take a peek at the fork tube in my gallery.

But, hey ... man!
Anybody who is puting that much soul into a project ... deserves words of encouragement and advice from those who have been to The Mount.

Don't rush anything. Wet sand your Primer with 400 followed by 600 wet; too. Wet sand the Color ... too. Then, Clear it ... and Buff the Clear.

Make all the gawkers want a bike like the one you got!

 

Re: XJ550 Project bike, "pic heavy" Updated Feb 07/07

I polished my forks a few years back (along with other things), took alot of time and elbow grease , the results were great, but the polished forks don't match with the "look" I am going for with the bike now IMO but I could always change my mind , great tips on the paint prep by the way

 

Re: XJ550 Project bike, "pic heavy" Updated Feb 07/07

man thatz lookin sweet. keep us posted as im dying to see the end project. nice job..

 

Re: XJ550 Project bike, "pic heavy" Updated Feb 07/07

heres the new coils, wires and a few new parts:


I connected the coils and came to find the gas tank wouldn't fit so I had to make a few mounts to turn the coils 45 degrees, tight fit but it works:


...so after all friday night and most of today trying to get the bike fired up I finally managed to get it going (gas problem, couldn't get the carbs primed right)...it idled way too high but at least it runs :roll: :

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bj--91v1NoA

then after much thinking, adjusting and swearing :lol: , I got the idle down but the carbs are still in need of cleaning and need to be synchronized...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hvhgq-hJfC4

now on to some electrical :?

for some reason the sound timing in the vids is off
:?

 

Re: XJ550 Project bike, "pic heavy" Updated Feb 11/07

You work is awesome and your small video inspired me to make this one of my 900

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4A-_lKt0kUk

 

Re: XJ550 Project bike, "pic heavy" Updated Feb 11/07

Right on Low,
I saw the videos, now the sound on my laptop makes it hard to really tell, but, I think it sounds like you have a sync problem and from the look of the left exhaust bank there may be some carb float issues!?
STILL SHE RAN!

IT"S ALIVE!!

 

Re: XJ550 Project bike, "pic heavy" Updated Feb 11/07

see that's what she use to run like...sounds good...did your bike always have a blue frame?, I like it...

...and Hvnbnd, I believe your right, going to have to get the carbs cleaned and in sync, was talking to my father who had the carbs apart about two yrs ago and he said the jets and seats were in bad shape, pretty gummed up and gas was only flowing through 2 of the carbs at the time :roll: , so once all this snow we have here goes ( in about 2-3 months :x ) the bike is going to the shop for a tune up.

On the up side it runs and the new dynacoils and wires work great, the bike started in -16 degrees with no problem (after I managed to prime the carbs :wink: ) , I use to have trouble starting it in +16 degrees :twisted:

 

Re: XJ550 Project bike, "pic heavy" Updated Feb 11/07

Low-1-5-0

You might want to consider doing the carb job yourself, check out the following link and you may find you can do it. Rick has a very good class here on how to clean your carbs.

As for putting them in Sync, You can make your own YICS Tool and do it yourself. Follow the links below for more info. All this info is on this site, what a wonderful life.

With what I have seen abou you, I think it would be a piece of cake.

Clean Your Own Carb's - The Whole 9 Yards - by: Rick Massey

YICS Tool

Homemade Manometer

 

Re: XJ550 Project bike, "pic heavy" Updated Feb 11/07

may try the carb thing myself, but then again I know the service manager at the yamaha dealer, and the kawi dealer, and someone at the honda dealer, shold only cost me peanuts :wink:

i'll have to see... :lol:

 

Re: XJ550 Project bike, "pic heavy" Updated Feb 11/07

When I first ran her she over revved something like yours, but after winding back the idle screws and running her several times over a few days (floats were stuck and needed a lube) she settled down to what you hear today.

The PO painted the frame blue... I quite like it too but have no touchup paint... oh well

 

Re: XJ550 Project bike, "pic heavy" Updated Feb 11/07

small update...I made the brackets to hold the r6 pipes to the frame:




they still got to be made pretty and painted but you get the idea!!! :lol:

 

Re: XJ550 Project bike, "pic heavy" Updated Feb 11/07

looks good

 

Re: XJ550 Project bike, "pic heavy" Updated Feb 11/07

Bike look great . Can you show some pic on how you made the head lite brace and how you mounted it to the bike. Keep up the good work.

 

Re: XJ550 Project bike, "pic heavy" Updated Jan 14/07

Hey man you're definately not afraid to work outside the box.

I'm from Mount Pearl (and still living here).

My project is an 83 XJ650 Seca Cafe Racer I've been working on this winter.

I'll be sure to post up some pics of her when she's done so that you'll know who to look out for sunday nights at Tim's by the save-easy.

Here's the best shot I have of my seca as it stands now (will be black with some custom decals and pinstriping by the time I ride it again).



I recognize your truck from the convention center car show last year, you worked at futureshop right?

See you on the street.

 

Re: XJ550 Project bike, "pic heavy" Updated Jan 14/07

where did you get the tail light?, "USE" to work at FS, not anymore thank goodness, truck is no more, now theres a lifted Bronco :wink:

I'll keep my eyes open for ya at tims/save easy, tues night is a big one also, I should be kicking around with the NLEXTREMEZ croud :lol: ,

 

Re: XJ550 Project bike, "pic heavy" Updated Jan 14/07

I can remember a few years back buying some mtx subs and an amp for my buddy's Lincoln Towncar (subs have since been moved to a ford focus... and driven to Alberta) off a guy who was talking about his F150 having a crazy setup... That was you I gather (not that you would remember).

Yeah I used to head up that way to meet some of my riding buddies last year (An R6, 750 GSXR, and a Triumph Daytona... AND an 89 HD Heritage Softail, hah, Strange bedfellows for a SECA I know)... Seems everyone with a bike lives in Paradise.

The Taillight is just a generic cateye taillight for a Harley that I added some tabs onto to hold the NL Licence plate (harley guys normally just cut the plates). Just search E-Bay for Cateye Taillight... Never cost much.

 

Re: XJ550 Project bike, "pic heavy" Updated Feb 11/07

man that is so totally awsome I have the same bike and am just hopeing to get it back together after I'm done ripping it apart you have inspired me to make a true custom out of her can't wait for more pics

 

Re: XJ550 Project bike, "pic heavy" Updated Feb 11/07

haven't done much with it lately between being very sick and work, just no time right now, I did however decided on the tail light (not what you see in the pics) so as soon as I get around to it there will be more pics to come!

 

Re: XJ550 Project bike, "pic heavy" Updated Feb 11/07

Ease, where did you get that seat man...I love that....I have to have one of those...if anyone else knows where to get this type of seat it would be great