New to XJ's - Any advice?

[81XS1100-2006]

Sorry, I meant XJ......

[81xsproject]

side stand switch...

I had an 82 650 xj with a bad kick switch and it would start but die as soon as you put it in gear. If you want to change the fuse box, TC may still have a great blade style replacement.

[Jerry]

Center stand from the earlier XS 11s will work, but there are some differences which make it less than an ideal solution. For 1, the exhaust pipes on the XJ are shorter and slant up a bit, and the bumpers on the xs center stands are in the wrong place for the XJ. Second, the little "foot lever" is a different shape (closer to the ground) and you will loose some cornering angle on left-hand turns. Trust me on this one. Don't know about the center stands from other bikes, have not tried any, but would guess they have similar issues to the XS11 stand.

This is one of those items that come up on eBay from time to time; it is worth finding/waiting for the correct part if it isn't critical that you have it right away.

The XJ has a more complicated safety interlock system than the XS. It uses a clutch lever switch, side-stand switch, and neutral indicator to make sure you don't drive off with the sidestand down. One of the bigger problems with the XJ is getting the electronics sorted out if you have problems. On the other hand, the XJ, like some of the '81 models, does not have the mechanical vacuum advance that is a source of problems for earlier XS 11s. You win some, you loose some.....

Individual filters have pros and cons. Generally, they are believed to be lest restrictive than the stock filter, improving performance. However, they may require rejetting the carbs to take advantage of the difference in air flow. If you are comfortable pulling carbs a few times to change jetting this isn't so much of drawback. Individual filters are also louder (more wind noise) than stock components. Again, this is a matter of personal preference; I do more touring and appreciate the quieter stock pipes and air intake system. However, the stock air filter is a factory-only item, which limits you to buying from Yamaha.

By the way, another differnce in the XJ is that Yamaha swapped out the oil pressure guage for an oil level gauge. If the indicator light comes on in the instrument cluster, you are low on oil. The XJ has an oil level sensor in the oil pan, so it is a bit different than the XS pan. There is an additional green (?) wire that goes to the sensor. Wire and sensor are located on the gearshift lever side of the pan. Several XJ owners have reported cold-weather errors in this sensor, reporting low oil when the oil level is OK. May be due to age or mileage, does not seem to be a real problem but check if you seem to get false readings.

[tab1324]

Another guy in Brooklyn Park, MN... If I get mine going this year I'll ride with you guys. Starter clutch needs replacing in mine.
Nice riding bike - good power too.

Very good deal you got. I've got $1200 into mine - so far - and it doesn't look nearly that good.

Tom B.