xj650 where it was & where it's at now (pic hvy)

well, i got this 81 xj650 from my brother-in-law for free. but that was the end of free & it has been a year (oct. 07) ,a few dollars & alot of help from all you guys on here to get her where she is today. as of now she is running good, at least in the garage, still need to fix a stuck clutch, waiting on my mc rebuild kit & need to fab a new backrest. after that it's plates, licenses & away we go. it has been a lot of fun getting her to this point & i am sure it isn't over yet. hope everyone enjoys the pics.

 

i just learned something, if you want your pics in the right order put the last 1 in 1st. duh.

 

i don't know about TN but here in PA right now is the time to send for those plates
what is a stuck clutch ?
that cardboard must be to keep your feet warm, right
lookin good

 

thanks polock, in TN it's a matter of going to the circuit clerks mini office pay your fees & they hand you a plate, pretty easy. only big deal is you have to have a motorcycle designation on your drives license to drive legally, test & driving test is all. the cardboard you mentioned is actually a folded over rug, it was the only way to get the center stand to quit sliden on the garage floor. i about wore myself out trying to pull back on the monster & balance it to. the rug helped. i couldn't figure what you were taking about till i looked at pics, it does look like cardboard.
stuck clutch is just that, it won't disengage tranny to shift. i have new cable, setup/adjusted per Rick-O-Matic's post & I have moved the actuater 3 spaces to get more throw. still no shift when clutch lever pulled in or with a wrench on the actuater.

 

we send away to Harrisburg, unless it's done when the title is transferred
the center stand is a tricky thing, think push the stand into the ground and lift up with your right arm, should be no pull back involved
take that clutch cover off and see whats going on in there, if you get new clutch plates get new springs too

 

wow, ive never seen a double seat like that, it must actually be comfortable!

 

polock, yeah, i got to do the title transfer deal but it all gets done at the same time & place?

shooter, it is comfortable only drawback is it has me sitting a little forward. i haven't got to ride her yet so not sure how that will work. had a problem with seat when i got it, didn't fit my pan, was suppose to be a direct fit. saddleman told the dealer where i ordered it to send it back to them & they would custom fit it to my pan, no charge. i didn't like it when i first put it on but i like the look now. just had to get use to it.

 

here in the land of stupid rules you can get a plate from a notary only when a title is transferred and have proof of insurance, the seller has to sign the title in front of the notary
out of state sellers have to sign the title, copy their drivers license, write a bill of sale and have the whole thing notarized
that was two years ago, they might have more rules now

 

funny you mention it gregg i have what i belive to be the original tiered seat on my 650 max and i find myself wishing it was flat so i could move my a** back a few inches! im not convinced the 650's when meant for the 6 foot range!

 

looks great from start to finish that seat it like the Cadillac of all xj seat looks very easy on the bumm but i would be worried i would fall asleep on long rides lol

 

polock, sounds like PA is alot of hassle to t&l a bike, i assume a cage is the same process. TN is a little more lenient on those things. you won't believe it but the clutch has set its self free. earlier i let it run & warmed up real good. let is sit for a hr. maybe, opened the oil fill hole actuated the clutch with a wrench & watched the plates. all of a sudden the plates just started to seperate & slide out to the pressure plate like they are suppose to & now the clutch seems to be working. will test it out after i get the mc rebuilt. should have parts this week. appreciate you comments.

xj, i know what you mean about the 6 foot thing, i'm 6-1 & this seat puts me up there a little far. guess i'll get use to it, to expensive to scrap & start over. maybe some hiway pegs & forward controls, we will see. as for now we gotta go with what we got. thanks.

4life, it feels comfy sitting on it in the garage, will find out more when i get to actually ride her. thanks.

 

i'm 6'5" people can you say forward controls lol even with flipping the mounts to get 2"down 2" forward the top of my legs sit flush with the crest of the seca tank curves....lol

 

4life, dude you need a stretch frame. put the foot pegs on the forks.

 

trust me it crossed my mind :lol:

 

I'm 5'8" and have a flat seat(mc seat). When I ride a fair distance I can only go about 1 1/2 hours before I have to stop and straighten up a bit. I can scoot back on the seat but my arms quickly become too short. Too quickly to get relief for cramped legs. It must be killer for you dudes with your heads in the clouds!

There is a great looking set of higway pegs for sale on this forum that should help with this problem.

 

Awesome job Gregg!!!!
I bet your brother in law is pulling his hair when he look at her....

 

The seat issue is one I've spoken of several times and because I've not been able to find a comfortable seat I have been forced to by another bike for those long rides. Right now I have a seat that was made from a Saddleman touring seat I bought off another inmate here. When I mounted it on my bike my knees were jammed into my fairing, so, I pulled the seat cover off and prodeced to let the foam fly. The way it is now is that there is very little room for a passenger on the back but thats ok because I ride solo 99.99% of the time. Even those I've cut that much out I still find it very uncomfortable for anything longer than 50 miles or so.

I still continue to work on this because I love the bike so much, infact there are three other bikes in the shed, a BMW, Honda ST1100, and a Buell Ulysses. I would rather ride the XJ because of the vibe of the machine. It has Soul. But the seat prevents me from enjoying it to the fullest.

On that note though I did put 1800 miles on it this past spring. As long as I can take my time and stop often it works but if I have to cover the miles it doesn't work.

The Buff

 

thanks Fishmaster, my brother-in-law hasn't seen it yet other than some pics with the tank off before it was done. i got it running over the holidays & he wanted me to call the first time I got it runnning so he could hear it.

Buff, i have read your threads on these seats before, but i had already got this one. i think it will work out, i may need to get hiway pegs & forward controls at some point. just got to focus on getting her roadable. can't hardly stand to not take it out.