1981 XJ650 Stock Project Build

Custom XJ builds, restorations, major modifications or just a topic dedicted to your own bike. Look here for long term cool projects.
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Gershwizzle
New to XJR
New to XJR
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Joined: Fri Nov 18, 2016 11:26 pm

Recently picked up two bikes, an 81 Midnight Maxim with a title and 10,000 miles and an 82 YICS Maxim with no title and 20,000 miles. Both are in similar states of disrepair, but there is enough all there to make one good running bike. Of course the cleaner of the two bikes is the one without a title, so I'll be swapping most of the parts from one to the other and then selling off the extra bike once I'm done.

I'll also add that I've only ever ridden a motorcycle twice before and this is the first I'll have ever owned, although I've fixed a handful over the years for friends and work. Kind of like the guy who can't drive a stick and works at a garage, but with bikes. Talk about embarrassing being able to fix a bike, but not ride it lol.

Now let's get to the good stuff. Fresh after picking up the bikes.
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Both the bikes came semi-stripped down, but also came with most of the parts missing. Both engines turned over as well.

Here is the 82 with gas tank and seat on to see how the final product will come out looking. Sans carbs
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I didn't take many pictures of starting to strip the bikes down, but I stripped down the handlebars, took off all the cables, gauges, ignition cylinder, removed the battery, air box, carbs. Getting ready to swap the forks over.

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The wiring harness on the titled bike looked to have been chewed by rats, cut by the previous owner and reconnected by twisting the wires together, so I stripped the harness off the bike and will be replacing it with the clean harness from the other bike. Also stripped some of the rust spots and primed over them.
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Previous owner stripped both screws on the signal stalk and my drill decided to quit on me so the bar grip will have to come off another day.

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Left the bikes in storage and started on the carbs back home. Fortunately nothing was seized, all the slides move nice and smoothly, and all the jets came out relatively easy. Wanted to finish yesterday, but the sun went down, I don't currently have lights in the garage, and I have to wait for the gasket kits in the mail anyway, so I'll probably finish cleaning and reassembly within the week.
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Upon inspection, there was rusty residue all throughout the carb, but mostly just in the fuel bowls. I blame ethanol..or something lol
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That's it for now. Next up is finishing rebuilding the carbs, swapping all of the suspension, oil change, valve check, and see if she'll run! Update will come in the next two or three days

My question to you guys is this. Is the YICS 650 motor better than the non YICS 650? Contemplating swapping the YICS engine to the titled bike, but not sure if it's worth the trouble.

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