I have officially decided to abandon my Parts Bin Tourer project. I put a lot of work into it, had fun, learned a fair bit and spent a lot of money. I sorted out the Bandit 600 wheel swap, the R1 electronic speedometer conversion, and proved that you can put other fairings on the XJ. But in the end, I don't see this bike fitting into my garage. I already have two other XJ's that I enjoy riding and both are capable of distance touring. Bolt a set of Givi E21 bags onto my red '92 Seca II and it'd be ready.
I've let PBT sit in my garage for the past two years and collect dust. It hasn't moved.
As I've already mentioned, I've decided to give up on PBT. But NOT give up on this bike. Instead, I am going to repurpose the project and move it in a direction that will result in something I can use. It has occurred to me that I don't want to take my two complete XJ's down dirt roads, but many of the things I want to see in Colorado require some sort of dirt travel. So this one, instead of being another pretty faired bike in my garage, would be one I could take out and go camping with, ride some dirt-roads in Utah with, or take up to Yellowstone. The idea would be, comfortable, capable, light and simple. With no pretty bodywork to worry about and plenty of places to attach racks. If you want to label it, I'd call it a Seca II Scrambler.
Some requirements for this new project are as follows:
- Use as many of the parts that I already have, as possible
- Minimize the amount of bodywork to damage or worry about scratching.
- Keep it as simple, straightforward and light as possible
- It should be comfortable enough for full-day rides, both sitting and standing
- I don't have to have the final version done on the first shot; it can be a work in progress
I have a lot of the parts to put this one together in my parts-bin, currently. I'd run the FZR600 front suspension, Bandit 600 rear wheel, build a simple new tail and custom seat, and run a round headlight with electronic gauges (remember that R1 cluster I have?). I'd fit the wheels with a set of Avon Distanzia tires.
Considering all the parts I currently have, I plan to use the following:
- 7" Delkevic headlight I have on the workbench
- Spare set of signals sitting in K's garage
- Spare set of prototype headlight brackets
- R1 electronic speedometer I bought a few years back
- FZR600 front end, that's already on it.
- Blue-dot calipers that are in my basement
- Daytona handlebars that are currently on it.
- 16mm master cylinder I accidently bought for my red '92
- Stock clutch perch from my black '92
- The stock engine, airbox, carbs and bits that came in the box with PBT when I bought it
- Stock fuel pump that's sitting in a box in the garage
- Stock header and exhaust that I removed from my black '92.
- Vstar 650 shock that I pulled off the black '92 earlier this year.
- 17" RF600 wheel I bought for PBT and have in my garage
- Bandit 1200 caliper & bracket I bought for PBT and have in my garage
- GS500 sprocket carrier I bought for PBT and have in the garage
- Custom sprocket spacer I had made last year
- The stock wiring that I bought for PBT earlier this year
- FZ-07 tail light sitting in K's garage
- Set of engine guards that I'll be pulling off of the red '92 to fit the belly pan on it.
I'd need to source or buy:
- A stock fuel tank
- A new petcock
- GS500 rear caliper
- Spacers for the rear wheel
- Suzuki Gladius sprocket
- A stock swingarm that isn't cut up
- Set of Napoleon bar-end mirrors (actually, I'd buy these for my black '92 and put its old mirrors on this one)
- A custom seat
- Pair of Avon Distanzia tires; 150/70-17 rear, 120/70-17 front