pilninggas

Off to the Hague first thing tomorrow. Going on Eurotunnel and then staying in a Hostel (£18/night). Been to the Netherlands before, but not seen 'Holland', hope the weather holds out (partly why i chose it, Lux, Black Forest, Ardennes all have rubbish forecasts). Bike pretty much all loaded up for 7am start - plan to ride up the polders/dikes from Antwerp to The Hague. It'll be the first time I have toured with a topbox (nice to be able to secure the helmet at any stops). It's about 450miles each way, plus any touring around I do whilst there. Back on sunday. It's what the XJ6 was made for.....

might have been worth starting a new thread for this. having taken out, and refitted an FZR1000 engine (which is externally much the same lump) a few times, i would say it is fairly easy. Refitting you need to get it back in in the correct order, but you will see that when you refit. i lifted the lump on my own - it aint light, but it can be done. make sure you have tons of bits of 4x2, 3x2 and plywood for supporting and resting the engines as you move them around.

between the battery positive and the positive of the starter motor will be the starter relay - it switches the high current >20A needed run the starter motor. If this jams or the connections are damaged it can cause the motor to spin with the battery connected and nothing else on.

Starter relay stuck or terminals shorted?

a definitive thread http://www.carpe-tdm.net/ipb/index.php?showtopic=336

give these guys a call: http://www.electrexworld.co.uk/acatalog/Online_Catalogue_Pick_up_Coils_160.html

I have a near obsession with European Motorcycling - if i can i will ge away next week. The more you delve into it, the more you realise that 'super tourers' are irrelevant. I still chuckle when i think back to being at Dover, there was me with my FZR1000, a guy with an old nail of a Rever and 3 guys all with BMW Whales; the guy with the Revere was off to Berlin, I was off to Bavaria, the three BMWers were going to 'tour' around Pays-de-Calais. Had a similar thing last year or the year before with guys on hypertourers going to Brussels (best bit was, they had 'fast disembarkment', but all bikes get off quick anyway - they went blasting off, but then queued at the roundabout in with the trucks - i filtered past the line of traffic on the overloaded-XJ6, haha) People tour europe (and beyond) on C90s, Cossacks (good story in UBG about a guy who rode the whole of Europe on a Cossack combo @ 45mph!) etc. Nice story somewhere on the internet of 2 chaps who in the late 50s toured europe on a couple of Bantams. It's all easier now of course -you could ride to Russia before you encounter any border or visa controls. The Euro works from Brittany to Turkey, so one currency fits most/all. I'd try to do more than a weekend, whilst it is a great start - it's an expensive thing to go shorter, rather than a bit longer. A week (if you can get it off work/fit it to life/afford it), will get you a reasonable way in.

Another alternative: keep the dragstar and use the money saved to do some long distance touring - take the bike deep into Europe; if you have never done it, it will turn your motorcycle world on it's head. The dragstar will be very good in this guise - sensible twin, roomy etc. The last 3 weekends I have done 300+ miles (each w/end) in the south west and wales, and as good as it was, it does not come close to the black forest, the swabian jura, the vosges, lolloping around the ardennes/eifel or blasting round the dolomites. btw fowlers is chock full of unsold KTMs, they can't seem to sell any RC8s (those things were commanding silly money when they came out).

i have the givi plxr luggage on my XJ6 - as the panniers are solid this does not occur. I think some brackets would do the trick. have you had anyone follow you to confirm the lack of visibility of the indicators or otherwise? cheers

wrap some ptfe tape around the screw to take-up the slack.

I couldn't make Squire's (skinted out from holiday and building a garage), I do come on here most days, but i've never been a prolific poster. I still loves ya......

me?

I think you are upper end of mileages so far for the XJ6, ihave done 18000, but this on 2 of them! agree with your comments about niggles, the key/ignition stiffness affects a few yam models, also the gearchange and the starter's slow disengagement. As for the flyscreen, i bet you could get a cloudy white genuine for quite cheap (dealers will probably have NOS that they would rather sell, than continue to gather dust). here is my old white un:

Yamaha, givi monolock and kappa monolock fit this box with no further mods. There are always kappa monolock top-cases on ebay for £50 up.

I wouldn't bother, the tyre is quite wide anyway (plenty big enough contact-patch for the power of the bike). A bigger tyre will make the bike handle less well; the bike won't turn so easily. n.b. make sure you introduce yourself properly in the noobs zone.

oil and filter, plus general check...the consensus seems to be about £100 give or take.

Speak directly to the owner of Cyclone Alarms (you may need your invoice number) he will give you details about how to bypass your immobiliser.

Hate to step into all this pro-suzuki, pro-bandit nonsense (fazer and bm aside), but we are a Yam forum, are we not? I suggest the new 2009-on XJ6 - if you haven't already got something - some are now on ebay at very low money (2.5k up). Far better built than a suk and so new that it will be a while before you encounter reliability problems. All this pro-suzuki? come-on guys, what are you thinking!

If you mean the generator cover (left-side as you are sat on the bike), then be aware the coil is attached to the back of the cover and will need to be carefully taken off and fitted to the new cover (carefully as it is enamel-coated copper cabling). You will also need to drain the oil (or at a push rest the bike at more than 45 degrees, on it's side (i have done this before)). You will also need a new gasket. Either an 03-05 R6 or 05 on FZ6 cover and gasket should fit, as the XJ6 engine is a detuned 5SL engine, but i would advise you to compare schematic diagrams (personally i think it will fit 99%, but won't commit myself completely until i have to do it). This opens up the option of using an aftermarket R6 cover (around £30ish on ebay).

i'll be taking a trip along there in the next few weeks.

If you can get ABS for only a little more, it has got to be worth considering. A lot of rider-error crashes are either a locked front wheel causing the front wheel to slide out or a over-zealous rear braking, causing a lock and the back end to slide-away. Some folk will say "you need to have a non-ABS bike first to learn the ropes", but things that make your riding inherently more safe must be good. I haven't yet ridden an ABS equipped machine, but i would think it will be standard on all new bikes within 10 years.

heres what i run: a pair of Ring Polars i bought in Halfords for £10. had to use 10W bulbs as 2 x 55W was draining the battery after a long, slowish ride. works a treat.

Yeah, went up and down zig zag hill today; several times over. Great fun, particularly over the top to Tollard Royal. Did a few other nice roads - Amesbury to Old Sarum, a trot around the edge of the Blackdowns and the Aller to Othery road (very bendy). 200 miles in total. Great fun.

damn warm today - used the bike locally. if it is like this tomorrow, i'm off to zig zag hill......

Here is my luggage: http://yamahaxj6.proboards.com/index.cgi?board=tech&action=display&thread=146 i also have a givi e33 topbox. Here is my 2010 run to the Alps on my first XJ6: and my 2011 on my second XJ6: they are outstanding long-haul tourers, with decent economy to boot.