My 1983 XJ900 restoration is finally finished - Pic heavy

[Alive]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x7rS64zKT20

http://i169.photobucket.com/albums/u207/AliveNZ/XJ900/XJ900126.jpg

http://i169.photobucket.com/albums/u207/AliveNZ/XJ900/XJ900125.jpg

http://i169.photobucket.com/albums/u207/AliveNZ/XJ900/XJ900124.jpg

http://i169.photobucket.com/albums/u207/AliveNZ/XJ900/XJ900123.jpg

http://i169.photobucket.com/albums/u207/AliveNZ/XJ900/XJ900122.jpg

http://i169.photobucket.com/albums/u207/AliveNZ/XJ900/XJ900121.jpg

http://i169.photobucket.com/albums/u207/AliveNZ/XJ900/XJ900120.jpg

http://i169.photobucket.com/albums/u207/AliveNZ/XJ900/XJ900119.jpg

http://i169.photobucket.com/albums/u207/AliveNZ/XJ900/XJ900118.jpg

http://i169.photobucket.com/albums/u207/AliveNZ/XJ900/XJ900127.jpg

http://i169.photobucket.com/albums/u207/AliveNZ/XJ900/XJ900128.jpg

http://i169.photobucket.com/albums/u207/AliveNZ/XJ900/XJ900129.jpg

http://i169.photobucket.com/albums/u207/AliveNZ/XJ900/XJ900130.jpg

http://i169.photobucket.com/albums/u207/AliveNZ/XJ900/XJ900131.jpg

http://i169.photobucket.com/albums/u207/AliveNZ/XJ900/XJ900132.jpg

http://i169.photobucket.com/albums/u207/AliveNZ/XJ900/XJ900133.jpg

http://i169.photobucket.com/albums/u207/AliveNZ/XJ900/XJ900136.jpg

http://i169.photobucket.com/albums/u207/AliveNZ/XJ900/XJ900137.jpg

http://i169.photobucket.com/albums/u207/AliveNZ/XJ900/XJ900138.jpg

http://i169.photobucket.com/albums/u207/AliveNZ/XJ900/XJ900139.jpg

http://i169.photobucket.com/albums/u207/AliveNZ/XJ900/XJ900140.jpg

http://i169.photobucket.com/albums/u207/AliveNZ/XJ900/XJ900141.jpg

[riffer]

Oh boy wait until Frosty finds this thread...

Beautiful work there Alive - the blue powdercoated frame in particular is a nice touch.

Is there a story behind the restoration? It'd be nice to hear it.

[Edbear]

Very nice, mate!:first: How's she ride?

[Deviant Esq]

Excellent work and attention to detail there mate, looks beaut! And yeah that blue powerdercoat looks the bizzo... but nice and understated at the same time. Pearler, thanks for sharing. :cool:

[Alive]

I know Tony... He went this funny shade of green when I told him I had bought it almost 6 months ago lol

Yes there is an interesting story behind it....

Guy bought it from new in 83-84 and rode it a little until he got a new job that came with a company car, at which point he left it on the weather side of his carport.

Everytime his brother in-law called around to see him he would ask about the bike. The owner would then decide to run it up the road and back just to make sure it was still going.

So over the next 15-20 years it basically sat in the weather and didn't get used, I know this because it hasn't been registered since 1986.

At some point the owner must have decided to strip it down for a tidyup... Which he never did. So oneday (probably around 2004) the brother in-law was asking about the bike, next thing it's in his garage in boxes.

Over the next 3 years the brother in-law 80% restored the bike (including the funky pearl blue painted frame). Then he found some huge american pickup and decided he wanted the room in his garage more than he wanted the 900 so he stuck it on Trademe with a $1000 buy now.

I get up one morning and look at my saved searches emails and there it is... used the buy now about 5 minutes later. My mate and I did a 6 hr return drive in to the deep Waikato to pick it up about a week later.

Got it back to my place and found it needed:
New tank
New front and rear brakes
Tyres
Carbs fitted
Plastic repairs
Tank painted and some touchup paint
Exhaust fixed and mufflers replaced
Handlebars assembled
Battery
Fusebox replacement
and a few other small jobs...

So 3-4k and 6 months later here she is :)

[Alive]

Very nice, mate!:first: How's she ride?

Rides like a cut cat... Really hates doing 50... purrs like a kitten at 100-120 and still has plenty of throttle after that.

It will run better when I get the carbs sorted properly... Running a little rich and drinking gas like water at the moment.

[Alive]

Think I better give Dave and Karen at Reflection Motorcycle Refinishers a plug for their top job on the tank :third:

A little pricey, but well worth it :rockon:

[dogsnbikes]

Thats just sooooooooo awesome well done and many years of happy riding and ownership ............just dont let it go back to Japan:Punk:

[Alive]

Thats just sooooooooo awesome well done and many years of happy riding and ownership ............just dont let it go back to Japan:Punk:

She is staying right where she is ;)

Only has 14k kms on the clock so has many many years of riding left in her and at this point in time I plan on being the rider/mechanic/maintenance man for a number of them :)

[T.W.R]

Great Job :yes:

The venerable XJ9, a classic UJM :Punk:

[Bonez]

She is staying right where she is ;)

Only has 14k kms on the clock so has many many years of riding left in her and at this point in time I plan on being the rider/mechanic/maintenance man for a number of them :)Good job. Well done. Nice to see another '80s UJM strutting it's stuff ;).

[Alive]

Can someone please explain what a UJM is?

Cheers

[riffer]

Universal Japanese Machine.

As in the archetypal naked bike.

[Alive]

Cheers Riffer

[psyguy]

well done, mate!

i find it an inspiration for my gs850 restoration going on at the moment
http://www.kiwibiker.co.nz/forums/showthread.php?t=46404

nice history to the bike, too!
:rockon:

[Alive]

well done, mate!

i find it an inspiration for my gs850 restoration going on at the moment
http://www.kiwibiker.co.nz/forums/showthread.php?t=46404

nice history to the bike, too!
:rockon:

Cheers... I'm really liking what I see in your thread.. I will be in touch when I have some spare time to call over and check it out :)

[Bonez]

Can someone please explain what a UJM is?

Cheers"Typically" transverse 4 (sometimes refered to as an inline 4) dohc air-cooled naked japper. Just like this one- http://www.kiwibiker.co.nz/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=6173&d=1104743240

XJ900s where never renouned for their economy btw.

[skidMark]

holy crap that is nice.

[psyguy]

Cheers... I'm really liking what I see in your thread.. I will be in touch when I have some spare time to call over and check it out :)
sweet, looking forward to it :yes:

[Drew]

Very cool shit man, I used to have one of those, with the bigger fairing, and I loved it. Hoisted off the throttle in first, ya can keep 'em up through third gear too.

Just as quick as an '86 GSXR 750 too!!! Nolt quite as capable through the twisty stuff I found.

[blackkatana]

Looks nice, sounds sweet. You have done a good job on that one.
Well done.:rockon:

[NZsarge]

Thats nice work mate, very sweet!

[FROSTY]

What a pile of CRAP--ou'd NEVER catch me anywhere near one of those shitboxes.
You do know they sieze their driveshafts at about 15000km and the brake calipers fall off--and and er and
But er I might be convinced to er take it off ya hands
Hey Al --I might have access to a set of stainless pipes for her from an ex cop XJ750.-gimme a yeodle later

[Alive]

What a pile of CRAP--ou'd NEVER catch me anywhere near one of those shitboxes.
You do know they sieze their driveshafts at about 15000km and the brake calipers fall off--and and er and
But er I might be convinced to er take it off ya hands
Hey Al --I might have access to a set of stainless pipes for her from an ex cop XJ750.-gimme a yeodle later

Lemmie guess.... You'll gimmie a hundy to take her off my hands so I avoid all those problems? :lol:

That's not the set that's been on Trademe for $350 is it?

[Forest]

Can someone please explain what a UJM is?

Cheers

Usually means a naked bike with a transverse inline four cylinder OHC engine. Described as "universal" because at one stage, every Japanese manufacturer seemed to be making them.

I used to have a UJM when I was a student - a Suzuki GSX1200EZ. Great times.

[Forest]

So over the next 15-20 years it basically sat in the weather and didn't get used, I know this because it hasn't been registered since 1986.


Was it ever de-registered? Do you get to keep the black plates?

[Alive]

Was it ever de-registered? Do you get to keep the black plates?


Not registered since 85-86 so the black plate goes... Damn it

[T.W.R]

Not registered since 85-86 so the black plate goes... Damn it


Not necessarily :yes: The old plate will be dispatched but the new one :innocent: well things can be done

Check this pic from the March hare rally of a few bikes lined up together & check their plates :Punk:

http://www.kiwibiker.co.nz/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=55421&d=1172988692

[Alive]

Hmmmm now there's a good idea :rockon:

[tri boy]

Nice work. You should be well proud of your effort.

[Alive]

Nice work. You should be well proud of your effort.

I'm very happy with it... Be even happier when I fit new fork springs and the original brakes :)

[Alive]

Ok finally got her road legal...

Interesting part was the cost:
$150 for inspection, VIN & WOF
$285.71 for 12 months REGO
Total: $435.71

Not sure where the threshold is but older bikes (current system records start around 1984) don't incur the higher costs. All I had to do was prove ownership by getting a form signed by the police stating that they had no interest in the vehicle and proof that it had been previously registered in NZ, which in my case was the original plate with an 85-86 rego sticker on it (bike didn't exist in their system).

Brass Monkey here I come :Punk:

[riffer]

Well done that man :Punk:


You enjoy that ride down to the Brass Monkey.

[kro]

Mate, a standing ovulation is in order.

But seriously, that is some extremely fine work, and on such a worthy recipient. I love XJ's big time, and that is some puuuuurty XJ flesh right there.

[Alive]

Will do Riffer ;)

Kro, you should see her in the flesh (so to speak)... Damn near bring a tear to ya eye :yes:

[_intense_]

eeeeewwww... YOU BIG FIBBER!!

[_intense_]

eeeeewwww... YOU BIG FIBBER!!

own up, its ACTUALLY a brand new bike, thats never been unwrapped since it left the factory!! :headbang:

[5cotty]

Shit hot to Buggery!!

Having done a few restores myself I know how much patience and effort is involved in getting a result like that... :first:

[Alive]

eeeeewwww... YOU BIG FIBBER!!

own up, its ACTUALLY a brand new bike, thats never been unwrapped since it left the factory!! :headbang:

I wish it was :rockon:

[ajturbo]

the OLD XJ... looks like you have done a good job....did you put the bigger engine in or the smaller one?

[Alive]

the OLD XJ... looks like you have done a good job....did you put the bigger engine in or the smaller one?


It's the original motor... No point changing it when it's only done 15000kms :)

[ajturbo]

Ok finally got her road legal...

Interesting part was the cost:
$150 for inspection, VIN & WOF
$285.71 for 12 months REGO
Total: $435.71

Not sure where the threshold is but older bikes (current system records start around 1984) don't incur the higher costs. All I had to do was prove ownership by getting a form signed by the police stating that they had no interest in the vehicle and proof that it had been previously registered in NZ, which in my case was the original plate with an 85-86 rego sticker on it (bike didn't exist in their system).

Brass Monkey here I come :Punk:
my "old " xj9 did the brass about 4 years running.... it was the 87 model, owned that 12 years and had a tear in the eye as it was ridden off by the new owner.... but i saw it again last year, still in pristine road going order!!!
still had small dent in tank from a stone ....