Luke Mailey

Jim, The mechanic shouldn't have charged me that much - he wanted even more, but I knocked him down. His reasons were that the carbs needed a serious clean. Once he'd cleaned them, he failed to notice that the o rings were shot, so the carbs filled up with fuel. It took him at least 3 attempts to notice! I made sure he didn't charge me for the time this took, but he still said he'd spent 8 hours labour on other parts. I'd be annoyed at the price if I didn't see the tears in his eyes as he took the £430 off me (he wanted closer to £550! It's great to hear that if I have further problems I could trek up to Worcs to take it to someone who knows these bikes - much appreciated! Once I've ridden the bike for a little longer and gotten used to it, I'll begin to get a feel for what else needs doing. Thank you Luke

Thanks Jim. I'll check the sprocket dampers, but chain tension is fine. It's just had a £430 service, and the mechanic should have picked up on all the issues relating to the fact that it has stood idle for so long. It may be that the angle of the gear lever needs some adjustment. Its great of you to write that whole tract of suggestions - thanks! I'n not really sure how long I will keep the bike for. As it cost £430 to get road worthy, I don't really want to spend too much making it run great, or I will have spent more on it than the bike itself is worth! It is in great nick for its age though. It's only done 36,000 miles. The engine may have been re-built, as I'm told it was bored out to a 600cc. The gearbox feels ok - I think the gear changer is just out of line. As you may have guessed, I'm not very mechanically minded, but I have downloaded some service manuals and such in PDF's, so will look at what is best to check (on the cheap!). Luke

Hey all. Just picked up my xj. I had to travel 180 miles to pick it up, and what a ride home! so windy! I doubt I'll be using it for long trips! Just wondering if there are after market fairings to buy? I know there are screens (any one own one? Where best to buy?) but are there any real fairings for it, or will any fit from other xj's (like the diversion)? I used to ride a virago (only a 125) but this is my first 'big' bike. It may need a little work as the gears are very clunky, the front break is very spongy and the rear break is SO sensitive - just a small nudge will lock it! I'm only using this for the winter - I'd like a sports tourer for summer. I'm sure once I get used to it I'll love it. Any help would be great on the fairing/screen front. Thanks Luke

Is there any way of getting my XJ550 fully faired? The larger XJs have a fuller fairing, so can I interchange them? I know I can get the replacements from Google shopping, but will they fit?! Thanks