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yankeedoodle |
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yankeedoodle Nearly there...
Joined: 11 Mar 2007 Karma :
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Posted: 18:16 - 25 Jun 2007 Post subject: tell me about the xj 600 |
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as some of you may know I'm after a bike for when I pass my test.
So any details/problems/experiences with the xj 600 would be much appreciated if shared |
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Whosthedaddy |
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Whosthedaddy Super Spammer
Joined: 11 Dec 2005 Karma :
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Posted: 18:18 - 25 Jun 2007 Post subject: |
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Quote: | Although considered a sportbike in its day, the FJ seems like a standard today. With its frame-mounted half-fairings and sporty riding position, this bike is still striking today. If you can find a clean example of this elegant bike, buy it. |
Its the fore runner to the XJ, so maybe a little dated as mentioned above but looks like a comfy little tourer.
Other info on the bike:
Quote: | In the history of motorcycling, THE YAMAHA FJ600 SERIES deserve a few lines - not for being such a fabulous bike - because they really are little more than a competent UJM - but rather for being the first Japanese in-line 4 with a 600cc capacity. From this bike, came the 600 super-sports of today.
Back in the 1983, there were no 600s. Lots of 550s though, such as the Yamaha XJ550, the Honda CBX550, the Suzuki GSX550 (in various forms) and the Kawasaki GPz550. All of these bikes had essentially grown out of 500s, or in response to another Japanese manufacturer putting out a 550. Then in 1984 Yamaha released its XJ600. (The same bike was released in the USA in 1984 as the FJ600.)
The XJ600 was a refinement of the previous XJ550 - a 2 valve, air cooled engine with chain drive. The engine was narrow as the designers had put the alternator behind the motor. The XJ600 was one of Yamahas first 4 cylinder bikes to run a mono shock rear suspension design. I think the FJ1100 was the first - it was released in Australia in 1983.
Kawasaki was the first to respond, with its more powerful (but much more sports focused) water cooled GPZ600R in 1985. Honda's CBR600 was not released until about 1988 The CBR600 was substantially more powerful than any other 600 at that time. Suzuki and Yamaha also released their 600 sporties - the GSXR and FZR in the late 1980s into a market place that embraced their products keenly. The 600 super sports had really arrived...
But it was the XJ600 that started it all. It's really a sports -tourer, so it does not inflict some of the physical compromises that later 600s do on their riders. In 1984 it was faster than any other 550 on the road, and gave most Japanese 750s a solid run for their money. Indeed for about 9 months it the fastest thing under 750cc - until the GPZ600R was released. It design has aged well, as it was essentially re-released in 1993 as the XJ600 Diversion (or Seca, depending on which market your from.) |
____________________ Current : MSX 125 Past : CBR 900RR Monkeybike : c50 LAC : ZXR750 H2 : FZR600 : ZX7R P3 : YW100 : TRX850: Trophy 900 T309 : GSXR 600 L0: Monkeybike : XJ6S Whosthedaddy |
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Wafer_Thin_Ham |
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Wafer_Thin_Ham Super Spammer
Joined: 18 Nov 2005 Karma :
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Posted: 18:20 - 25 Jun 2007 Post subject: |
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Didn't someone on here get one as a hack recently?? ____________________ My Flickr |
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Whosthedaddy |
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Whosthedaddy Super Spammer
Joined: 11 Dec 2005 Karma :
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Posted: 18:22 - 25 Jun 2007 Post subject: |
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Just done a search for xj600 and it seems that quite a few people on here have or have had one at some stage.
https://www.bikechatforums.com/viewtopic.php?t=116479 ____________________ Current : MSX 125 Past : CBR 900RR Monkeybike : c50 LAC : ZXR750 H2 : FZR600 : ZX7R P3 : YW100 : TRX850: Trophy 900 T309 : GSXR 600 L0: Monkeybike : XJ6S Whosthedaddy |
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faddius |
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faddius Traffic Copper
Joined: 16 Jun 2007 Karma :
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Gazdaman |
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Gazdaman I did a trackday!!!
Joined: 12 Aug 2004 Karma :
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garth |
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garth World Chat Champion
Joined: 15 Dec 2004 Karma :
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iooi |
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iooi Super Spammer
Joined: 14 Jan 2007 Karma :
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Posted: 21:11 - 25 Jun 2007 Post subject: |
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Very nice bike. Find it stable and predictable to ride in all conditions. Not sure how it compares weight wise to say a bandit, but i have found it comfortable to move around and i'm not big and strong. MPG wise i get high 60th without trying to hard to conserve juice and that includes 2 up and the usuall traffic light grand prix on the commuting run.
Maintance wise they are easy to work on, either the faired or unfaired versions. Exhausts can be a pain as they are known to rot between down pipes and silencers, but then again so do many other bikes of the era. Motad do a 4-1 thats OK or there are some 4-2 that are better, but more £££
R reg, 28,000 on the clock still sounds as sweet as ever.
All in all i love mine... Plenty of other DIVVY owners in that link. ____________________ Just because my bike was A DIVVY, does not mean i am...... |
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Gazdaman |
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Gazdaman I did a trackday!!!
Joined: 12 Aug 2004 Karma :
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_Will_ |
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_Will_ World Chat Champion
Joined: 16 Jan 2006 Karma :
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Posted: 23:14 - 25 Jun 2007 Post subject: |
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KLR600 |
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KLR600 World Chat Champion
Joined: 15 Mar 2005 Karma :
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Posted: 13:35 - 26 Jun 2007 Post subject: |
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I have a 1997 XJ600N and it's a good bike if you want a solid all rounder. I use it everyday in all weathers and it starts first time everytime. It's easy to work on although saying that I haven't had to undertake anything serious as it's been very reliable. Oil changes are a doddle and if you keep up with general maintenance then it should keep fine. I will say however that a winter of everyday riding killed my brake calipers and they needed a good service to get them back up to scratch for the summer and I had to replace the real caliper entirely as it had messed itself up so much (but I could of just cleaned more often I guess!).
I get about 50mpg average (as I ride motorways 90% of the time at about 80mph with no screen) and have had 60+ before now on good long runs on A roads. It does about 160 miles usually to a tank so you're not diving for the petrol stations every time you see one and it costs on average £13 to fill up.
It's not the fastest bike but it's quite pokey low down and will sit at 80-85mph all day on the motorway no problem. My XJ really starts to struggle after the ton but I've had about 118mph on the clock (on private roads of course...) and bear in mind I have no wind protection at all.
Handling wise I'd say it's about average. I recently had my XJ off the road as the tax had run out and it needed a few little tweaks for the MOT so I managed to borrow my mates R6 which cornered like it was on rails. After getting back on my XJ it feels a bit vague and not super confident when you're really going for it but then I guess that's a bit unreasonable because you're not going to be buying this bike for it's sports heritage! I use bridgestone BT45's on it and they cost about £165 for the pair, the rear will last about 5-6k and the front about 8-9K.
It's comfortable to sit on all day and I've done full tanks before needing to stop to get the feeling back into my bum. It's great for pillions as I take my girlfriend on it all the time as I don't have a car and she doesn't drive.
Bad points that I can think of are the headlight is about as useful as a head torch so you may want stick some fancy bulb in it and the seat on mine is starting to get a bit thin on the bum although it is showing about 27,000 miles now. Also, there's an annoying vibration between 4,000 and 4,500 revs which is about 50mph in top.
I've had this bike for about 14 months now and I've put about 23,000 miles on it in that time as it is my only form of transport. If you're looking for a reliable workhorse that won't let you down then go and buy one of these but if you're after something focused/sporty then look elsewhere. They're cheap to pick up and there are some real bargains and minters out there. If you do get one, keep on top of the calipers and other general maintenance and you'll have a cracking little bike.
https://img.photobucket.com/albums/v331/serenaur/2bikes4.jpg
HTH ____________________ Now: '00 Kawasaki ZRX1100R - Past: '84 Yamaha DT125, '89 Kawasaki KLR600, '97 Yamaha XJ600N
<My Bikepics Page> <My Yootoobes> <My Websites> <My Photos>
<Take Cool Photos!> |
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JeffT |
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JeffT Crazy Courier
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owdamer |
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owdamer World Chat Champion
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bish777 |
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bish777 World Chat Champion
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JeffT |
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JeffT Crazy Courier
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bish777 |
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bish777 World Chat Champion
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owdamer |
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owdamer World Chat Champion
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echoball |
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echoball L Plate Warrior
Joined: 29 Jun 2007 Karma :
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AN GOF. |
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AN GOF. Nova Slayer
Joined: 29 Aug 2006 Karma :
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Posted: 10:09 - 29 Jun 2007 Post subject: |
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Nothing really to add to the above comments. Had my XJ600N for a year and its never let me down. like everybody says keep on top of general mainintance and it will go on for ever. Insurance is cheap as well which is a big bonus |
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Gazdaman |
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Gazdaman I did a trackday!!!
Joined: 12 Aug 2004 Karma :
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bish777 |
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bish777 World Chat Champion
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krebsy |
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krebsy World Chat Champion
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garth |
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garth World Chat Champion
Joined: 15 Dec 2004 Karma :
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Posted: 18:45 - 30 Jun 2007 Post subject: |
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Yea, what's the deal with most being single discs? Mine has two.
____________________ You ain't a has been if you never was |
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Swim41 |
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Swim41 Trackday Trickster
Joined: 25 Jul 2006 Karma :
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iooi |
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iooi Super Spammer
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Old Thread Alert!
The last post was made 16 years, 303 days ago. Instead of replying here, would creating a new thread be more useful? |
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