Been lurking around this forum for some time and finally thought I'd join you, as my new bike is going to be a xj!
So a brief history lesson on this guy;
Previously I've been riding a 2007 Honda VTR250 in Melbourne, Australia, which was a blast to ride. Had some amazing rides around the Dandenong ranges, and a longer trip down Great Ocean Road. I wanted a smaller bike as my first one, just to make sure I wouldn't trash either myself or my bike. So far so good, it was painful to part with the bike as I left Australia but it was time to upgrade (power-wise) anyway. I really loved the V-twin engine, but with the 32 bhp it produced it left some to be desired. Still, it was a bike that I took on long rides and really enjoyed both riding and learning to ride on. Here's a photo of the beaut:
https://flic.kr/p/oWaAeA
Now I've returned to Norway and bought my first bike back home; a 1986 XJ 600. Seeing I am trying to establish myself as a freelance photographer and designer, the cash flow isn't all that, in the beginning anyways. In Norway 30 year old vehicles are considered as a "veteran", so they're dirt cheap to insure and register. Of course 30 years old vehicles have expenses in other ways, but I'm hoping to avoid too much of that.
I've been roaming Norways version of craigslist the last weeks, and the other day a very good looking XJ600 appeared, amongst many not-so attractive bikes out there already. I really want to learn to take care of the bike myself and hone my mechanic skills, all I've been doing so far is some light work on my 50cc scooters. I've ordered Haynes book on the bike already. The XJ600 fit the bill perfectly, and as it is considered "veteran" next year it's just what I need, as it's value will rise next year.
I've bought the bike unseen, so hopefully it'll live up to the expectations! 55k kms, new tires, oil change, chain and both sprockets new 1500km ago. Also some work on the front shocks have been done. Everything is original, part from the 4-2 exhaust which is swapped for a 4-1 exhaust. I've read that some riders thinks the bike feels unbalanced with a single side exhaust, but we'll see. The owner wanted to store it and sell it next year, but he has bought a new bike and doesn't have space for it anymore.
Here's some photos:
So now I've got a one way plane ticket to pick it up this Saturday, and I'm going to ride it the roughly 500kms back home over 2 days. Wish me luck, hopefully it'll be a pleasant trip!