xj550r seca crotch rocket project

i have had my little 550 for almost 6 months now i got it for free because the previous owner thought it was so far gone it was unfixable, but with some carb cleaner and new plugs, and lots and lots of taking the carbs apart and cleaning them i now have a very reliable bike, the only problem is i am 6'5" tall and i don't really fit on it, and i have always liked the crouch position of the newew superbikes, and because i am on a budget of almost nothing i can't just go and buy all the parts i want, so this is what i have done so,far and i was wondering if anyone has anymore ideas, i took the stock bars off turned them around backwards and upside down(you will see in the pictures) to move the hand position forward and down and cut one inch off each end took the stock seca seat off shaved the foam and re covered it with old jeans died black made a custom straightpipe with pods (yes i did rejet and its a screamer), and my buddy crashed his 2000 r6 so i snagged his turnsignals and brakelights before they insurance company took it away, and thats what i have so far, don't mind the dirtbike gas tank straped on there this is temporary, the origional seca tank is in the shop getting the inside cleaned out and recoated. if anyone else has any ideas please let me know

 

Just a question... If u like the "Crotch Rocket" lay-out! Then Y didn't u find a bike that was "Cheap" enough that was a "Crotch Rocket"!?!

I've bought older "Crotch rocket" style bikes for MAD cheap!!! I'm talkin' free 2 like $300 bux... 8O

Just 2 let u know ur bike is a "550cc"! In my eyes thats not a "Crotch Rocket" kinda of bike...

Crotch Rockets r ment 2 "Scream"... In all gears! :twisted:

Sorry!

 

yes it is only a 550cc but it would ceep up with my buddies stock r6 if we had a rolling start at about 25mph all the way up to 120, and the reason i didn't get a crothc rocket is i love the naked bikes, and you cant beat free, and honestly the newer croth rockets scare the crap out of me

 

If u were riding with me with ur "Bike" with my "Crotch Rockets". I would be hitting 120MPH in 2nd gear!!! N I'm sure u wouldn't be keeping "UP" with me... But I guess thats "Urs boys bikes n all..."

I do "Respect" the naked look of a crotch rocket aka "Street Fighter"!!!

 

those 550's have plenty of power if you keep the revs up,I think they are a blast to ride,the only time I ever wanted more hp with mine was when riding double

 

I assume you have read this thread, as it is almost an urban legend in complexity, but there are some cool ideas here.

Just do a search for the word project and you will see all sorts of hillbilly streetfighter and sportbike projects. A craftsmans delight!

Sport Bike PRoject

Also if you want Bobber or street fighter projects, KZ rider has guys that have been taking hacksaws and welders to bikes for many years. They turn them into drag racers, frankenstein gixxer rear swingarms onto them, and generally act silly. Yes I know they are kawasaki, but there are some good ides there if you search.

KZRider

 

I'd say let the guy call his bike a crotch rocket if he wants.

At least the 550 is a chain drive.

Keep up the progress dude. Don't give up on the bike until you get what you want out of it.

 

I'd like to see a better picture of the exhaust you've put on it.

 

+1.

Get a couple of daytime pics man.

 

Doesn't sound like you're "sorry," sounds like you're being a "snob." See, I can "use" "quotes" too. It doesn't "make" me "sound smarter," it makes me "sound" like an "a**;" and I'm not the only "one" it has that "effect" on.

Let the guy call his bike what he wants. Does it devalue your crotch-rocket by having him call his a project a crotch-rocket? It's like you're grabbing yourself in a bar "You call that a package? Now THIS is a package!" Give him a frigging break man. If he hits the turns hard, feels like he's flying, and has a grin on his face during the ride, who are you to devalue that? So he may not be dropping his knee to the pavement like you, he may not be able to go as fast or as hard as you, he may not have ridiculous green to spend on high-priced overcompensation like you, but he's also not the one sounding like a complete jerk. Last I checked, that elitist "I'm a real biker and you're not" bull belonged over on the Harley forums.

 

Chadly,
Looks like you've got your work cut out for you. I can understand the $0 budget. I might know a guy with an FJ tank that you might be able to tweak and mount on there. It would suit your purposes better than the dirtbike tank I think. I will get a hold of him and see what I can finagle. Keep an eye on your pm's.
Marko

 

hey thanks about the offer fort he tank, but i do actually have the stock tank for this bike, it is in the shop right now getting all the rust acid washed out of it and re coated

about the exhaust all it is is a piece of 3 inch exhaust tubbing cut and bent to fit on the mounts, it had the mac 4-1 exhaust on it, but the previous owner laid it down and pinched it almost shut so this suits me just fine

what the bike does need now is a new back tire, it has needed one since i first got it, but now that i moved most of the weight to over the front tire when i lean it into a corner, (and i live in the mountians so there are a lot of corners,) i can feel the back tire starting to slide out on me, and i was wondering if anybody knew what the widest tire i could fit on there and if not how to modify it so i can, or just a really grippy stock size tire

 

the dunlop 400 are awesome and come in the 140/16 size. if your looking to get a little more umph out of your bike, find a set of heads, cams, and carbs off of a fj600 or xj600. they bolt right up and use the same valves that come in the 750. id like to see a 528cc "crotchrocket" keep up with a nicely tuned seca. cheers on not letting the haters get you down

 

Where in that reply was I being a "jerk" or n "A$$"!?! Just 'cuz I used " "!!! I "over" use them sometimes! Well ALOT of the time! :? Thats just how I type it out...

Anyway, In my reply I asked chadly89 a "?" No harm there! Then I gave my opinion on the cc's. I wasn't "rude" about it. It just was my .02 cents on the matter. Then I said "Sorry!" If he or anyone had gotten "offended" or took it the wrong way. As u did.....

 

Saying sorry after something doesn't absolve the responsibility for what you said previously and how you said it, especially when you go right on in a subsequent post in the same line as you were going before the apology. Nor does phrasing something as a question white-wash all tonality from what you say. I was responding to both posts, though I didn't feel it was necessary to quote both. Even if you removed the exclamations and quotations from your posts you still come across as condescending.
*shrugs* I'm not the grammar police, and I don't feel like hijacking the thread anymore than it already is. I'll refrain from further comment on this matter.

 

Chadly, if you want wider tires, having a chain drive will help you more than a lot of the other XJ owners. You can graft a rear end of a late 80's vintage single shock rear end (possibly) like the boys on the KZ site did for their KZ's.

Please refer to the link above. It sort of got lost in the static. (hehe)

 

I have a lot of respect for this build. Chadly isn't trying to fool anybody into thinking he has a sport bike. He just wants the bike to be his own with the ergonomics and looks of a streetfighter. The lack of a budget adds to challenge. Having no money forces you to be resourceful and find parts where nobody else sees em. If I can read right, this thread was for ideas and suggestions so I'm gonna toss out a few. Visually, I think a slashcut exhaust looks better. It may not be the direction you want to go, just something to consider. Also, you're a tall guy trying to tuck a lot leg under you on a small bike. Maybe hit a junkyard and see if you can find a longer set of rear shocks to give you a taller stance. Good luck and take pics as you go.

 

Marko: Like I wrote before. I "wasn't" tring 2 come off as an A$$ or whateva. Maybe I did... But, I did have an 18 rack in me! :twisted:

chadly89: Rock on with ur build man! :twisted:

 

Chadly,perhaps you could call your bike a "Pelvic Propulsion Device",since the term "Crotch Rocket" seems to have stirred up some controversy.


Keep us posted on your progress!

 

"Pelvic Propulsion Device" ... I love it. Mind if I steal it?

Every time the non-riding folks at my office call my R6 a Crotch Rocket, I correct them and say it's a sportbike.

I think the next time it happens I'll tell them, "It's a PPD."