Matty Towel

When the daily digest of subscribed threads dropped in my hotmail in-box, at first reading I thought it was a message about my 20 year noisy leaky old XJ600 which is on ebay, and the Diversion forum, I'm hoping to get for £200-£300 for that bike. I paid £625 for this Diversion, it's now running and I've had it out, all I need now is oil and filter change, end section of rear mudguard and I'll be away, I'll probably balanced the carbs and check the valve clearances as well. It's only done 15000 miles so far, if I sell it next year I might get near £1000, so thanks for the offer, but I'm keeping it . M

Well, I've had it running, fitted a new air filter on Friday afternoon. I refitted the tank (is there a knack to that - I had to turn the tap to prime to get it on and off, and I wouldn't want to do that if it was full), and it still ran. Have ordered oil filter and oil. Tomorrow (Sunday) I'll take the Divvy out to try. The old XJ is now on Ebay and I hope soon to be rid of it and all the scrap spares I've collected. If you want to see how much a problematic bike can fetch, go and look for '1991 XJ600 used daily' Would you pay for it? Matthew

Hello other users. I bought a low mileage 1995 Divvy, which has been in a drop and has had the bars exchanged for pink renthal ones, which clashed with the fairing (physical clash, the colour clash of pink bars and maroon fairing pales into insignificance when I get on the bike, yellow dayglow giant that I am LOL). Anyway, the bars are too wide and made the bike feel more like my little brother's Transalp than my old XJ, more importantly they're too wide for filtering, so I've bought original ones to replace them. I've took a photo, but don't know how to add it, the Brake hose is routed from the master cylinder, down the front of the top yoke, between the right fork and the steering head, around the right fork again, back through between the fork and the steering head again, behind the bottom yoke then down to the caliper. Surely that loop around the right fork between the top yoke and the bottom yoke is not right, and it wasn't half a job getting all the equipment off the renthall bars when there was no slack in the cables or hose. Which way should the cables and hose go? If you can describe the routes and send photos that'd be great, and if you can supply info for all the other handlebar cables as well, I can check that whichever numpty did the job in the first place didn't cock something else up. I suspect he did because some other cables are getting rubbed betwixt the top yoke or forks and the fairing. Thankyou all Matthew

Thanks barkwindjammer (whatever that means) Daylight again, and descendants either happily playing with lego or asleep. New battery charged and fitted. That tanks awkward to get off. Drain bowl from each of the carbs in turn and saw fuel come out of lower end of the drain hose, but couldn't undo screw of carb 4 300mm long spare hose fitted to outlet of the pump, turn engine over and some fuel comes out, not a lot but some. point hose upwards and turn engine over, see the level rise in pulses, so pump works at least to some degree. Using funnel from my camping stove and the spare hose, rig a direct gravity fed fuel feed to the carbs. Holding funnel in one hand press start button with other, engine turns over, and vacuum is applied to the fuel pump which then pumps the residual petrol out onto the gearbox. Disconnect the vacuum pipe, try again, engine tries to start. Need another hand, but wife is at concert practice and awake child is not the most helpful one. tip petrol from funnel back into fuel flask and lay funnel/pipe assy over airbox. hold finger over end of fuel tap vacuum hose, turn engine over. It tries to start, and sounds better than last go. with one hand mostly manage to cover ends of 2 vacuum hoses, and turn engine over. Almost starts. Plug ends of vacuum hoses with screwdriver bits, turn choke off, put petrol in funnel again, turn engine over again, doesn't try and start, put choke back on, again nearly starts. put most hoses back where they should be, and feed fuel from the funnel to the filter. try again doesn't come as close to starting as it did before. pour petrol into safe containers and store safely in shed, waited 15 minutes for spilt petrol to evaporate and vapours to clear away, then fitted optimate to battery, to recharge, ready for another go at that fueling problem tomorrow or during the week. the bike was sold as struggles to get past 60mph. When the fuel pump fails, does it completely fail or can it become less effective? I'm going to look for some answers to another problem in other threads, or may start another unrelated one - which subsection should I post new technical queries in? Thanks for your help Matthew

At last got some daylight to work in. Tank doesn't hiss. 2 days ago, in the dark I drained the tank through the filter, by disconnecting hose between filter and vacuum fuel pump and turning tap to prime. Put that petrol in old XJ, and it has run fine for last 2 days, so fuel was alright, tap is alright (at least on prime) and filter allows fuel to flow through it. Next step is pump, but I've never dealt with one of those. I think the Haynes manual says vacuum pump is irrepairable, so may have to find replacement. How can I test the pump? Today I tried sucking on the vacuum hose to the pump whilst turning over the engine, but to no effect. later read some stuff in net and maybe the pump requires an oscillating vacuum (like supplied by the hose from the carb). In the absence of a replacement pump can I hoist the tank up high and have the carbs gravity fed like my old XJ? Matthew

Have you seen Shrek? Big, strong and green on the outside, sounds like Cameron Diaz. Comfortable inside, oh wait that sounds dirty.

Right fellas I've had a 1991 XJ600 since 2006 for going to work, done 10000miles a year for last 4 and a bit years, but 20years and 70000 miles is to old for me. I've done nearly all the servicing, including changing an engine, forks, momnshock, balancing carbs, changing valve shims, so I'm not scared of getting my hands dirty, or trying new things. I wanted a BMW K75 and am still watching fleabay, but have bought a 1994 XJ600S, listed with 'struggles to get past 60mph', bought it Saturday. Has Renthall bars that clash with fairing. If you were one of the 15 people who made him an offer, this may be interesting reading Originally thought fuel-air mixture wrong. Collected bike from Crewe, had petrol in it, added redex. Lights on. all good on M6, A556, did 20 miles, including normal 3rd lane motorway speeds, got onto M56, then ran rough and when i pulled over it stopped and when I tried starting it it wouldn't turn over more than once. Battery dead I thought, must be charging problem. AA took me home, god bless'em Charged battery with optimate, showed full and happy face at 9pm so unplugged it. Sunday middayish, dvm with croc clips on battery: 12V, press starter, motor whirrs engine turns over a bit, battery dies. Move bike next to other bike (1991 XJ600) jump leads out, old'un running, new one turns over a bit, does not start. Disconnect Divvy from it's battery, connect divvy to 1991 XJ's battery, turns over labouredly - don't want to kill working bike so stopped that. Put full bifters cheap nasty 4A car battery charger on the Divvy (may not have been best plan) have my dinner, DVM now says 17V, oh dear, still only turns over a little bit before battery dies. Cup of tea Move Divvy to front garden, park next to Princess Fiona (Green 850 10v 2.5L GLE Estate, oh if only Volvo made bikes). Jump leads, start Fiona's engine. Turn Divvy over, doesn't fire. Turn Divvy over, doesn't fire. Turn Divvy over, doesn't fire. Turn Divvy over, doesn't fire. Turn Divvy over, doesn't fire. Turn Divvy over, doesn't fire. could carry on doing this for ever. Turn Divvy over, doesn't fire. Turn Divvy over, doesn't fire. Put hand over divvy exhuast, Turn Divvy over, doesn't fire, but do know that air is going through cylinders (feel pulses at exhaust). But now realise no smell of petrol, despite variations of choke, full, reserve and prime! TA DAH. (at least) 2 problems for the price of one. Divvy back under cover and locked up. Won and paid for Haynes Manual, expected later this week. Have purchased standard bars and used rectifier from local breakers (at 7pm on a Sunday). Intend to buy new battery tomorrow from Pitstop in Lowton. And now, to sleep, to dream. There's a shortcut to everything - except experience, with your experience I want to find the shortest route to getting it working properly again.

In my experience of my current XJ600 and previous kwak, the rev counter going all over the place, and power dropping out and coming back in was a failure of the coils, because one coil supplies a pulse that gets interpretted as the engine's revs for the dash.

I have not had this problem on my 1990 XJ600 (now 56000miles). The prime and reserve probably are using the same outlet from the tank, which is the lowest point of the tank, which is where are the debris and rust and sludge collect. If the bike has been unused for a while it could be clogged up, either at the entrance to the tap, or in the tap itself. Depending on your own confidence and abilities you might be able to check the valve for blockages, this is what I'd do in my garden, not in the kitchen. Run the bike till as empty as you can get it (for me this would be 160 miles from full to reserve, leaving about 4 litres in the tank). Clear the are of all flames, daft mates with ciggy's, delinquents with fireworks Put tap in the on position (with engine not running the valve should stay closed). Remove the tank (2 hose on fuel tap, one plug to the fuel level sender, one bolt beneath the seat) Slosh the tank gently to pick up any sludge in the bottom. Lay the tank gently on it's right hand side on soemthing soft (maybe on a Blackand decker workmate or planks on floor, and make sure it is securely propped up so it doesn't fall) remove the fuel tap assembly carefully, don't damage any seals that may be there (Mr Haynes is silent on this subject) Have a good look at the assembly, see if it looks clean or blocked (On my previous Kwak there was an integral filter that came out with the tap) depending on what you see you may decide what to do next. If I could think of a safe and effective way of draing all the petrol out of the tank I'd tell you, but I can't, and it's embarrassing going to casualty for swallowing petrol not to say dangerous, so don't try syphoning. I'd be interested in seeing a photo of the tank side of the tap if you were able to take one. Hope that that helps, let me know how you get on.

If anyone has fitted any of these in the past please can you post photos to show me how. Thanks Matthew How do I add photos, it isn't working? http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/YAMAHA-XJ600-FJ600-X...A1%7C240%3A1318

No, not got it fixed, going to live with it till it dies.

I bought 1990 XJ660 in Oct 2006 with 28,000 miles. From start had difficulty getting into neutral at lights, adjustments to clutch cable have helped, but the problem is still there. I use it daily for 48mile commute, it gets oils and filter changes, has had new clutch springs and clutch cable. now on 52,000 miles. It gets worse as the engine heats up, and I got told off on my advanced course for dropping into Neutral as I free-wheeled up to lights. It also vibrates a lot, which will be awful next week after my family planning op. When I went to my usual garage about the vibes they said it could be the internal drive chain tensioner being broke, and that as the chain slapped around it would make gear changes awkward. Hmmmm I am not going to spend £300 on labour and gaskets for a £250 bike that is not my favourite. Any other ideas, or even just confirmation of what the garage said, so i will put up with it for another couple of years / 20,000 miles?

Give the Redex a go. I bought my abused 1990 XJ600 in 2006 with 28,000 on the clock and used redex occasionally. Last year (48,000 miles) I stripped the carbs with an older and wiser friend and they were very clean (except where they were completely blocked so nothing got through), there was a lot of crud in the bowls, but that cleaned easily. Some previous user/abuser had adjusted the screws on the pilots, so we counted the turns on each, checked with Mr Haynes and set them all the same as the manual said. Visually checked the opening though the valves and cleaned the crud that prevented them all closing at the same time. Later borrowed a set of vacuum gauges and balanced the carbs. With my XJ, use every day except in snow, it starts with full choke, starts to complain idling after 3 minutes, if have to blip the throttle waiting at lights for the next 5 minutes, then I turn it off. Like someone else said, don't keep the starter on for long, it will also overheat your battery.