Tag Archives: Yamaha XJR1300

After the tailend of Hurricane Katia had blown through last weekend leaving a trail of devastation amongst the fully foliaged trees, big G was certainly in his heaven today. Blue skies from daybreak augured well and I had my chores done and ready for the road by twelve noon.

Dry roads and sunshine – perfect! My first stop was around the fifty mile mark at Seven Mile Beach by Sandhead —

The beach swings all the way round the top of Luce Bay, most of it designated Military Area and Luce Bay itself is marked as a Bombing Range on my Ordinance Survey map. There was no military activity but I wasn’t tempted to go for a swim and soon had the helmet on and back on  the road again. The approach to the picturesque small town of Drummore was my next port of call —

I could have photgraphed my bike under the palm trees along the front but I thought that the Pampas grass at the far end of the beach past the harbour was more sympathetic —

I was ready for a coffee by this time and tried the local cafe which had a few enduro bikes spread about the place. The Wild-West theme above the door certainly suited my image of Drummore but the coffee was good and the lemon merangue came real cheap. The biker girl who owns the joint rides a CBR400 and collects Speedway trivia – programmes and suchlike.

I happened to set the lamp swingin as I tend to do on such occasions and reminisced about having seen the Templeton brothers, Dougie and Willie sliding round the shale oval at Meadowbank Stadium in Edinburgh back in the sixties. Would you believe it! Biker girl had a Match Programme there on the table from 1966 with the Templeton boys figuring in it!

Coffee downed and biking yarns exchanged it was time to mount up the old XJR and head outta town.

Okay – next stop was the Mull of Galloway lighthouse —

Best thing to do is to head on down to the most southerly point in Scotland and see it for yourself. The Gaillie Craig visitor centre at the Point will be open till end October with limited opening in November and February. Closed December and January.

One thing that never closes is the RSPB managed Mull of Galloway Nature reserve which goes all the way out to the cliffs at the point. It’s a perfect place to view the seabird spectacle with more than 3,500 pairs breeding in the area. Perhaps by Oct/Nov I’ll be tempted to head back down in the car but today was made for motorcycling.

There are a few pics lost all together but the bulk of it is there so that’s another Post saved after my fiasco with the photo gallery. Sorry about the ads that WordPress tag onto all my posts but it would cost me thirty bucks per year to employ a gateman to keep ’em out. 🙂

By ‘Legend’ I could be referring to my first XJR1300SP for she was a bit special in my eyes —

But – I am in fact referring to the Legend Race Car —

The bike and the race car have something in common in that Legends raced in the UK are powered by 1295cc air-cooled motors culled from the XJR 1300 road bike —

The chassis are imported from the USA and assembled complete with the XJR motor and gearbox units —

at Scotland’s Knockhill Race Circuit in Fife —

The motors have all been stripped – checked – and rebuilt to an identical state of tune —

so all you have to do is pay your money and go racing —

Here; http://driving-experience.knockhill.com/3rd-gear-legends-experience.php

A Legend

Yamaha have announced their XJR1300 for 2013.

But where’s the excitement?

It doesn’t look much different to this ’99 model I sold to my friend Ratboy a few months ago —

Fuel injection instead of carbs – single sider exhaust – adjustable shocks – more black paint and that’s about it.

I admit I do like that retro style and wouldn’t say ‘no’ to another one if they were still selling at around six grand new 🙂

But I’ve already had this fella —

another like this —

plus this one —

and a 400cc version of this —

So maybe I should go for something different – like this instead —

The latest Yamaha T-Max scooter. She costs more than the XJR but it couldn’t be a mistake to buy one – not when she is one of the biggest sellers in Europe – could it?

Yamaha XJR1300 for 2013 v the new T-Max

Found a couple of photos from fellow XJR owner Victor hard at work in the north of Western State – Australia when I checked my e-mails this morning.

This one with the dozer made me envious and reminded me of my time in muckshifting. A tough life – especially overseas – but I enjoyed it.

You must be a big lad Victor – you make that D10 look like a Tonka Toy. I reckon you are taking the operator’s tea-time order – milk and three sugars please 🙂

Thanks for the pics Vic.

Caterpillar D10

Tomorrow marks the end of an era! I’ve ridden the mighty 1300XJR since the year 2000. Scrapped and fought with sports bikes in Wales. Joined group rideouts all over England – seen mates crash – had friends die and I’ve toured as far as Dubrovnik on what is basically a naked street bike.

I’ve had four of the breed altogether and yes it’s a heavy ol’ motha but it’s not the fact that anno domini is catching up with me it’s more to do with fuel consumption. On a good day this four carbed four cylinder bolide will only return about 42mpg. My modern fuel injected bikes will get me where I’m going in roughly the same time if not with the same smile on my face and give around 60mpg or better in the case of the XT660Z Tenere.

Time to go buddy —

End of an Era

Looks like my XJR1300 is sold to a new owner. I will be sorry to see her go but a man’s gotta eat and pay his taxes unless you are rich enough to move income offshore – or hide it in charity donations then syphon if back through an overseas connection – or just be plain bloody-minded and cheat!

No worries Black Beauty —

You will go to a good home — 🙂

!st April today and I had the XJR out there for the first time this year. Frost on the roof deck when I went out to feed the birds early on gave me fair warning as to what to expect weatherwise but I was still caught out by how cold it was when I set off on a gallop to Portpatrick in brilliant sunshine around 11.00hrs.

A shot from an upstairs window shows Black Beauty catching the rays as I get ready for the road —

With the benefit of hindsight I should have worn full winter gear. The sun had gone by the time I reached Newton Stewart 25 miles away and a petrol stop saw me buy a Sunday newspaper to stick inside my leather jacket. It certainly slowed down the onset of hypothermia and made the next thirty miles to Portpatrick a little more comfortable 🙂

I won’t spoil my day by dwelling on the price of fuel. Suffice to say it is plentiful but 5p. per litre cheaper in Newton Stewart than it is in Kirkcudbright 😦

The weather became progressively colder and cloudier as I approached Portpatrick and I wasn’t tempted to reach for my camera when I parked up. Instead I headed for the cosy Harbour Hotel for their Sunday Roast. Chef was obviously on ‘slow’ time but no worries – I just pulled the Mail on Sunday from inside my jaickit and caught up with the news over a coke in the Harbour Bar.

The meal was well worth waiting for – fresh, perfectly cooked veggies – slightly anemic but fully cooked roast potatos and delicious roast beef and gravy. My wallet was £7.99 lighter by the end but I was happy enough 🙂

The friendly landlord stopped for a chat later and it seems that he too rides an XJR1300.

It wasn’t a day for hanging around on the coast and I even ran into a cold smirr of rain around Newton Stewart on my way home – but – as I approached Gatehouse-on-Fleet the sun was out again and the dry stretch of twisties from the A75 down to Kirkcudbright and the eager XJR1300 made sure I ended my ride with a smile 🙂

The XJR ran beautifully after my fettling spell on the carbs last week and she handles better than any of the breed I’ve had before this one. She does pose me a dilema though – I have only room and sufficient income for one bike and no matter how much I cherish my XJR, the Tenere would appear to be the sensible man’s choice as a keeper.

Decisions – decisions 😦 🙂

Postie got me out of bed to sign for my new float valve assemblies this morning. My excuse for lateness is I’m still suffering with this bl**dy Manflu thing – it had me up half the night and I can’t seem to shake it off.

No worries – brilliant sunshine out there so I did my Mr Cool routine – on with the shades to hide my puffy eyes and strolled round for my morning paper and to catch a latte at Mulberries.

Wandered home the long way – putting off the carb re-build. Found fresh buds bursting in the Stewartry Museum garden —

Is it a Laburnum tree/bush? Don’t know.

OK – I’ve put today’s job off long enough. Open the jiffy bag to check what’s been sent – four complete float valve assemblies with the fragile taper needle valve dangly bits all protected in plastic condoms.

Just a minute – make that three complete assemblies and one minus the ‘O’ ring on the slug! Bugga!

Footnote; I bought the XJR late last summer. Twelve years old with a little over one thousand miles on the clock. Trouble was that having spent most of it’s life sitting around, the original unleaded fuel had evaporated and the residue had gummed up the carbs. After much work I had her running right and a flooding float bowl had been sorted.

Temporarily it seems. I drained the carbs over winter hoping to prevent a repeat of the evaporating fuel problems only to find when I ran fuel through her this spring the float bowl flooded again and my precious petrol was being dumped on the floor. Bad news but I suspected last year that the tapered rubber seal portion of the needle valves had gone brittle and I was lucky to find a fix at the time.

OK – I bit the bullet cashwise and order new float valve assemblies last Friday. You know the rest 🙂

A quick phone call to Allen’s Performance in Nottingham this morning and it would appear they are sending me a whole new assembly to replace the missing part!

I’ve put the job off long enough. Let’s get out there and see what I can do today.

Quick Edit;

That was a very worthwhile couple of hours spent with the carbs from the XJR. Found an ‘O’ ring from a set I bought last year and the black baby is all back together and running so sweet! No floatbowls flooding – no missing a beat just purring like a cat and answering to the throttle when called for. Magic! 🙂

Wish I could treat my ‘manflu’ the same way.

Float valve assemblies

I know many of us wonder where our old bikes that we lavished tender loving care over ended up but what about the riders? I’ve had two mates from the old days pop into this blog – guys who would turn up at a pre-arranged by internet meeting place many miles from home just to chat – ride together awhile and head for our seperate homes again. Sometimes we even went on holiday together as Bainzie and I did to visit the lonesum Javier who at that time was probably the only XJR owner in Spain. The common denominator was the XJR1300 and most of us had a love affair with that big air-cooled four

I will put up a few photos from rides and meets we did nine -ten – eleven years ago and ask the question;

Where are they now?

The remains of the group at Bala after we had scattered Gary & Co between the Ponderosa and Barmouth 🙂

The Elan Valley run led by Andy – shortly after we moved on from this fagbreak we rode past some farm buildings and a Red Kite attacked Huw’s helmet just a few yards in front of me. Must have thought it was a chicken 🙂

Tan Hill – the highest pub in England —

Gary’s bobsleigh team at Barmouth —

The Horseshoe at Oakham when we went down to greet the new licensees —

An early Broadway meet when we would park the bikes tidy and most ran standard cans 🙂

Another from Broadway —

even more — Big Azza – what a man!

Back to Barmouth with Huw – Mr Bassman & Co – that must have been the hottest day of any year – we were cooked in our biker gear — all except Mr Cool who ambled along listening to the Archers on his earphones 🙂

and even more from Barmouth —

Yes I know – the late Huw Evans (our Meatloaf lookalike) pops up in many of the pics and rightly so. Huw was an ever-present on most of my rides and no matter what part of the country we were riding he would turn up from Haerford West – do the ride and get home the same day. He was one lovely fella and is sadly missed

Another star from the past was Flo – he is on the tri-cloured XJR with the frame mounted fairing in the second of the Horseshoe pub pics. Another good guy – he was held in high regard by all who met him and the XJR Owner’s Club hold a ride in his memory every year.

OK – I know where Huw and Flo are and also this guy here – at his best marshalling the bikes into line at Broadway —

And last I heard from Mark-of-the-Lakes he had left Barrow in Furness and was de-commissioning nuclear subs under the nom-de-plume of Mark-of-the-Lochs at Coulport or sumwhere close. Which reminds me – I have a standing invitation to visit but have lost your address Mark so if you ever cruise past my blog say hello. 🙂

Where are they now?

Got lots of Birthday Wishes from the XJR Owners Club today – never thought I would reach seventy so I’ll look for a few photos from the XJRs I have owned and ridden over the past twelve years —

My first XJR1300SP – bought new from Stumpy & Grumpy in Church Stretton in 2000 —

We were waiting for the boys on an early Elan Valley Run down in mid-Wales.

With the same bike the year before outside Javier’s house in Madrid.

I prefer the ‘playing the fool pic’ —

OK – here’s Javier and Bainzie on the King’s Chair – the rock the king sat on while his palace was being built in the distance —

Then there was this serious pic on the bank at Ravenglass when Mad Mick and I were planning the route for Oli’s Memorial run —

There had been three of us the year before but young Oli Mills was killed when a motorists ‘didn’t see him’ and pulled out on him a couple of days after this next pic was taken —

That had been a happy day. We met near Skipton and rode over the Fells to Lancaster then by Kendal and Ambleside before doing the Wrynose and Hardknott Passes on the way to Ravenglass for lunch.

Sorry – didn’t mean to go back there but there’s lots of memories in my libraries.

Including these from the KrKra National Park near Skradin in Croatia on my Alps, Adriatic and Alcohol ride —

XJR1300 SP