Hi there in Manky Monkey world.
click to view larger imageThis is my trike. It's a Yamaha XJ900. I got it four years ago when it was fitted with an XJ650 engine and it looked nothing like it does now. I totally stripped it down and rebuilt it to my taste with a little help from my buddies.
It's a custom built hardtail frame with a Suzuki Intruder front end. It looked a right wreck when I bought it, but even so, it was the shape & style of it & the sound of the engine that sold it to me.
As soon as I got home with it I had every intention of stripping it down & making it mine, but you know how it is -you've just gotta get on the road & check it out... almost a year later the engine started to smoke & it had a problem with 2nd gear.
It was time to sort it out.
I got another XJ650 engine from a breaker in Scotland, stripped it all down, had the frame sand-blasted & added extra bracing in a few places. I re-sprayed it in Dad's garage thinking it would be dry in 2 days, (ha, ha, -middle of February!). It took 4. Dad wasn't happy that his car was on the street instead of in his garage. Due to the pitch of the tank and the position of the fuel tap, I wasn't using all the fuel in the tank, so I re-positioned the tap lower down. I also got rid of the mudguards & made my own. The LED lights were bought on the internet from www.litewave.co.uk -reasonably priced & quite effective.
click to view larger imageI tried to buy a new stainless steel exhaust… WOW, pricey, but thanks to my mate, Hornet6, a supply of stainless tube & a very big lunch bag, we made one from scratch. Tried it without silencers -ouch too loud, had to put some in. Made a new sissy bar & a small rack to carry camping gear; re-sprayed the rest of it in my brother in-law's shed, (I didn't wanna ask Dad again), & had a new seat & back pad for the sissy bar made by 'Dave the Seat' from Walsall Wood, West Midlands.
The hardest part of the restoration was the electrics, (I'm a welder!), but thanks to another mate, Skally, it got sorted.click to view larger image
It's been back on the road about a year now. The 650 died in June last year. Luckily the Mrs is as addicted to it as I am & she generously brought me the XJ900 that's in it now.
We get out & about on it whenever we can.
I use it daily..."Live to Ride, Ride to Work!”
I'm now thinking of re-spraying it again. Just trying to come up with the cash to do it, I was thinking of the theme from the film 300 but I’m not too sure yet...if anyone has any ideas you think might suit it I'm all ears.

-Kev

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