Xj 900 1987.

[xj87]

Hi.
I'm thinking of buying one from a seller who lives out of town. On that other island in fact. Anyone in Christchurch got one and got some time to tell me about them.. any quirks or things to watch out for. I'm long at one end and would appreciate the opportunity to see one of these in the flesh and work out if it's my size. (Formerly a 80's gsx owner.) Cheers

[riffer]

PM Frosty.

He's the Kiwibiker expert on XJ900s.

[Katman]

I'm not aware of any faults with the XJ900.

One of the most reliable and user friendly bikes ever made.

[MVnut]

PM Frosty.

He's the Kiwibiker expert on XJ900s.

Yeah I think he has owned most of the XJ900s in NZ at least once

[Bumblebeeman1150]

I had a 1984 XJ750 a few years ago. Great bike, and as Katman says, reliable and user friendly.

Assuming the bike is well-kept and correctly maintained, they can deliver long and very active lives; 200,000+km isn't that unusual.

Watch for worn carbs (if the bike takes a second or two to establish a smooth idle it often means the needles and seats are worn), soft front springs (easy fix and a chance to improve on stock), some have an appetite for fork seals, and the most common fault is rust in the rear of the petrol tank. The back edges of the tank are lower than the fuel pickup and water gets to sit in there undisturbed. Check for filler in a repainted tank, and expect to do a Kreem job on the tank in the near future.

The overall qualities of the things are amazing, even after 20+ years. IMO, the shaft drive has BMW's beaten hands down.

I hope your option is one of the good ones. I think you'll like it.

[Winston001]

Get it checked. I know of one sold in Chch in the past year which was in mint condition - except it was using oil. Not a big deal but that bike probably needed valve guides or something. Still ran well but did consume oil.