Last year I bought a 1981 Yamaha XJ550 Seca for $1000. It was cheap, ran well, and gets 60 mpg. It’s a fun ride and should pay far itself in fuel savings (vs. the 2001 Chrysler Minivan) some time next summer.
So far I’ve not done much work on the bike. I pulled off the bikini fairing right away, and had the carbs
rebuilt (at The Shop in Bay View), and lost they key… That’s right, I lost the key. So as of January, 2008, I’m waiting for Yamaha to send me a new set.
In the mean time, I’ve started planning, with the help of a few friends, the next year of work on the bike. I’m going with a Curtiss P-40 theme, complete with the ’sharkmouth’ paint job, and custom gauges, switches, lights… all the good stuff. There is a lot of work to be done… I guess I’d better get started.
Here is the current project list:
- Sharkmouth paint job
- Ground lights
- New (used) clubman handlebars
- Acquired, but not yet installed Installed and removed. They don’t actually fit well on the bike w/o a riser, and that’s just lame.
- Acquired, but not yet installed Installed and removed. They don’t actually fit well on the bike w/o a riser, and that’s just lame.
- Seat replace w/ cafe-style seat
- Forward facing air scoops w/ ducting to engine (maybe) After doing some research on this, I would only see any improvement in performance in speeds in excess of 80mpg and then only marginal improvement. Plus, I don’t go 80mph.
- Custom Speedometer/Tachometer a la Altimeter
- Custom Fuel Gauge/Voltmeter a la Artificial Horizon/Pitch/Yaw
- Custom (LED) Rear lighting and directionals
- Feature: Brightness/size/shape of light will be based on deceleration.
- Custom switches for off/run/off, starter
- The damn starter button actually came off in my hand the other day.
- Additional on/off toggle with cover
- Safety cover for key switch
- v LED directionals
- The new handlebars are already setup to accept bar-end mirrors
- 12-volt accessory receptacle
- emergency phone charging
- alternate battery charger access