Riding at LAST!!!

7 months. Seven long, busy, frustrating months since I have had a bike in my driveway. The name of this blog is 'My Motorbike Obsessions'. I think I have done a pretty good job of explaining why that name fits through the variety of content I've put out. For the last six years I have been addicted to riding, wrenching and racing motorbikes while holding down my Navy career and trying to be a good husband and father. These past seven months without a bike has been a challenge. My wife has been pushing me to get hot on finishing up the elaborate licensing process for service members living in Japan so that I could get out and ride. A major step in that process is getting a bike. I have made that step.

Here she is! A 1996 Yamaha XJR400R with a little over 30,454 kms on the clock. It is an air cooled, inline, four cylinder, DOHC, upright naked bike. The curb weight is close to 450 lbs. It is very reminiscent of my 2004 Yamaha FZ1 back home in size and feel when picking it up off the kickstand. It is a pretty basic bike. Carbureted, no-ABS or TFT gauges. It is a six speed with 17" wheels front and rear. According to the analog tach (I love analog tachs!) it has a 12,000 rpm redline. The owner of the shop I got it from said it likes to rev a bit. The engine is rated to put out 52 Hp with 26 ft lbs of torque. The overall length is 82" and the wheelbase is 56" with a 26 degree rake.

Being a bit older, it has a couple of things that need some touching up. The left hand side cover's 'XJR' logo is broken. The left side foot peg is partially cracked where the feeler peg broke off. It does have some mild custom parts. There is a small rack attached to the top part of the sub-frame. Someone added a clear tank cover for buckle scratches. The handle bars have a cross piece to allow for the mounting of accessories. One of those accessories is a USB 5V and a 12V charger port that is switchable while the bike is off. There is also an Electronic Toll Card (ETC) antenna mounted on the bars. The card holder itself is mounted under the seat. These are really nice since all of the Japanese major freeways are toll roads. The stock counter shaft sprocket cover has been replaced with a custom aluminum piece. The front brake calipers are gold Brembo branded caliper. I'm not sure if they are any better than Yamaha blue dots. There is also a well made knock off Yoshimura style exhaust that can be repacked or if I was feeling naughty, left open. The tires are decent, but after a few miles I'll probably change them out. It starts without the choke pretty readily despite being air cooled.

All of these pics are from the seller from Facebook. It could use a bit of a wash and detail and set me back $2534 after the Yen/Dollar exchange rate kicked in. The clutch and brake lever are some Amazon style, knock off adjustable units that are worn out and floppy. The pegs put my feet a little more behind me than my FZ1 does. I'll need to get some tank grip pads for sporty riding. The Brembo calipers grip very well, if not a bit excessively. The exhaust is still a bit too loud. There are a bunch of little things to get used to like any new bike. The engine doesn't like to be below 5,000 rpm until she's warm and even then she likes the higher revs. I was able to open here up a tiny bit and I think I"ll get used to the way she rides really quickly with some seat time.

In previous posts, I talked about the family car and why I chose it. Since the purchase our 2006 Honda Stepwgn has been a bit of a challenge for us. We got it for a low price $1500, but have spent another $2200 repairing it since we picked it up. The vagaries of car ownership for overseas service members mean that if you time it right you can get a decent car for very little money, but you take your chances on condition. For $3200 it has been more than adequate and hopefully we won't need to dump any more cash into it. Getting my license first requires me to buy a bike, so I had to transport the bike from my house to the base. It was time to test out the hours of research I did to find the right car before we moved to Japan. I cleaned out the van and in no time had one of the second row seats sitting on the curb. With the help of the wife, I rolled the bike into the back. First time, no problems, quick as you please, the bike fit into the Stepwgn like a glove. My wife and I were in a bit of shock at how smooth it went. I had plenty of room for the rest of my track gear too. My dreams of going to the track have just taken a mighty step forward!

At the time I wrote this I had completed 33 of the 50 kilometers I need to get off my learner's permit and get my full license. I am trying to get all of them done in time for me to finish the bike registration process. I am sure that it will be another ordeal. The Christmas and New Year's Holiday will most completely shut down the base as well as a big chunk of the Japanese government and leave me without the ability to ride during my holiday time off. If I can knock out my kms in the next day or two, I have a chance. I just want to get the bike home and start cleaning, tweaking and fixing all of the little things to make the bike my own. As my wife tells me, I'm almost there. I just need to keep pressing forward.

Well, this post has been the most important post I've made since getting to Japan. The weather has been cold and wet. Most of my gear is California three season gear. I'll need some upgrades to make sure I can ride in comfort once I get the chance. Of course I will update the blog as it happens. Until then, if you can do it, ride safe friends!

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