xj600 overhaul for a novice

[thumper246]

Hi Guys, my xj600 has been laying redundant after a nasty divorce 4 years ago, now got the urge to get it back on the road and start enjoying life again, it needs a good overhaul i think as the engine has not been turned in all this time,i fancy trying my hand at giving my bike a new lease of life myself or would i be better taking it to someone who has a clue ? Dont have a lot of dosh but dont have much mechanical knowhow either. Any suggestions

[nightshaddow]

could you possibly post a few pics we can advise on engine but if we see the state of the outside we can also give you tips,

chances are if you give a quick sprey of wd into the barels give it an oil change and fuel change too, good service eg filters and brakes and tires lights checked etc it will start straight up but (big but) you want to go easy till the oil circulates again,

i had a cg stood for 12 years i bought it took of the head coated the barrel in 10/40 (smeared by finger) head back on new fuel and air filter new plug she fired straight up smked for 1/2 hour and never missed a beat in 2 years after, all it need for mot was brakes and tires and again big BUT each bike will be different
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"WHAT DO YOU MEAN 100 MPH THATS IMPOSSIBLE Its chinese OFFICER."
Current rides CB 125 TDE(the next project) NS125RK ( now on the road ) CB125TDC (soon to be project 17) melody ( the nephews )

[Pete.]

Standing for 4 years shouldn't hurt the engine. Change the oil and filter, check the exhaust hasn't rotted through and service the carbs. Fit a new air filter and battery. Service the brakes, check the chain & sprockets and inspect the tyres checking the sidewalls for cracks. If it wasn't used in winter and was stored inside then most of this will be easy as pie.
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a.k.a 'Geri'

132.9mph off and walked away. Gear is good, gear is good, gear is very very good

[thumper246]

thanx guys,
genuinly thought i was going to have to strip the engine / transmission etc back to every bolt etc, was reading my Haynes manual there and was shitting myself !!
Bike looks fine from the outside so nothing to see from pictures, although i have noticed the fork seals have rusted away so think i might have to replace forks and seals and manual makes it sound harder than a trip to the moon

[nightshaddow]

if your fork seals have gone they can be hard work to replace if you dont know what you are doing i suggest remove the forks and take them to a local motorcycle garage,

i got mine done for £40 but would have cost alot more if i left them on the bike,

even better if there anyone on here who is local to you they might be able to show you how its done so you can learn how, where are you located if i am near i am willing to help you out then you can see how to do things then next time you will have the confidence to fly solo
____________________
"WHAT DO YOU MEAN 100 MPH THATS IMPOSSIBLE Its chinese OFFICER."
Current rides CB 125 TDE(the next project) NS125RK ( now on the road ) CB125TDC (soon to be project 17) melody ( the nephews )

[thumper246]

Damn decent of you Nightshadow, i'm near Glasgow, have just secured a lockup for my bike, so dying to get started, though might have to take a refresher course on how not to crash

[alun111]

Here's a Video of the basic idea of how to do your fork seals, bare in mind that the internals of your forks will be different.
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Summer: '00 Honda CB600F Hornet
Winter: '93 Suzuki GSF 400 Bandit VP Variable Valve
Past Bikes: Lifan LF100-5 Lifan LF125-A Honda C70

[BanditsHigh]

[iooi]

Come join the Divvy Owners Club

Plenty of good solid advice from people who love these bikes. And a good few in Scotland as well


For a start i would buy some cheap supermarket oil and a new filter. Change the oil. Drop a small bit into each cyl, then roll the bike in gear to get that coated on the barrel. Plugs back in and then crank it over. Might need the tank emptying and fresh petrol in. Run engine for a while on tick over to get the oil flushed round the system.
Once you have the rest of the bike sorted such as brakes, forks etc.
Take it for a short ride and low rev's. Then change the oil and filter again. That should remove any crap from the system
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Just because my bike was A DIVVY, does not mean i am......

[nightshaddow]

unfortunately i am in Yorkshire so not much help but others here are in Scotland an maybe able to help with a bribe of some beers lol

iooi suggestion of the divvy owners club is a good one as they will mostly know knowledge of the particular bike type and the common problems there in.

hope you get it sorted
____________________
"WHAT DO YOU MEAN 100 MPH THATS IMPOSSIBLE Its chinese OFFICER."
Current rides CB 125 TDE(the next project) NS125RK ( now on the road ) CB125TDC (soon to be project 17) melody ( the nephews )

[Pete.]

The Divvy is a very easy and basic bike to work on. Should be no problem.
____________________
a.k.a 'Geri'

132.9mph off and walked away. Gear is good, gear is good, gear is very very good

[thumper246]

Thanks for all the great advice everyone , am sure i will be out and about by the spring, im in the south side of Glasgow BanditsHigh, right sleeves up , here we go !

[Robby]

Don't be scared of doing fork seals yourself, the haynes manual tends to be very good for explaining how to change them. Only two important bits of advice I can offer from doing lots of them:

1. Use genuine Yamaha seals. They'll probably cost £20, instead of £12 for some pattern ones. The pattern ones will leak.

2. If the haynes recommends use of a special tool, see if the divvy owners club has such a tool that they hire or lend to members.