Ted's '82 XJ750 Maxim Bobber

And so it begins... :lol:

I got this bike free from my brother a couple weeks ago. The only catch was I had to drive clear across South Dakota to get it from him and hit hasn't ran in about 3 years (probably didn't run great before that).

I, of course, have grand visions of turning this into a sweet little rat-bobber in the near future but we're going for mechanically sound first.

FYI: I've already been trolling the forums here for about a month so I'm up to speed on Brake delamination, tire date codes, Valve clearance, carb synch, etc..

I changed the oil & filter, dumped out the bad gas, rinsed out the tank, filled with premium (no ethanol), and drained the old fuel out of the carbs. We got it to start up but barely idles on just a couple cylinders and when you try to give it some throttle it sputters out at about 2K. Soooo.. I ordered the carb kits and pulled them out. Thanks to the great threads here it went pretty smoothly, only took about 20 minutes to get them on the bench, got the lower ends disassembled and hit a road block with the top cover screws. About half of them don't want to bust loose and want to strip when I put a little pressure on them

I gave up on that for a bit and decided to pop the valve cover to check valve clearance. No probs there until I went to remove the left side cover to turn the crank and found one stripped screw and another that was totally busted off the case.

Done for the night.. any words of wisdom for extracting stripped screws? Any members in Sioux Falls that want to tinker on this beast and maybe have a couple beers drop me a line!

Pic on the trailer ride home.. somewhere outside Wall, SD & about 101 degrees outside:

I love this bike, hope to build something pretty similar:

Filthy emulsion tubes:

Busted filter and worn out rubber:

Busted threads in crank case:

Stripped out screw:
8)

 

Re: Bringing a '82 XJ750 Maxim back to life-might need some help

For the stripped Phillips screws, I've been having good luck with taking a hacksaw and cutting a slit across the top to use a flathead screw driver. Soak em in some pb or something similar too. I usually give the screw driver handle a good whack before I try to loosen them too.

 

Re: Bringing a '82 XJ750 Maxim back to life-might need some help

for the ones the snapped off......use a series of small drills and drill 'em out until either the drill bit catches and turns them out by by running them the rest of the way forward through the hole, or you're able to get and easy-out into them and turn them back out. Otherwise, just keep drilling up til you just get to the threads then start cleaning the threads with a chase.

For the engine Side Cover.... that bolt only needs enough tension on it to hold the cover in place. So, you can get away with making a JB-Weld repair. I'd recommend coating the bolt threads in a thin coating of grease, anti-seize, or something similar. Put the cover back on, put the bolt in, then make your jbweld patch. The grease should keep the jbweld from adhering to the threads. Once it hardens you can finalize the shape, and you can snug the bolt down just a bit more, too.

Dave F

Dave F

 

Re: Bringing a '82 XJ750 Maxim back to life-might need some help

Progress! Carbs are fully disassembled ready for some deep cleaning, clunk test, reassembly, etc.

I'm a little bit concerned, however. I have no metal plates ( c-shaped cover plate that is held on by a single screw) covering the air jets. Is this normal - can I run without them?

EDIT: Just got done re-reading Rick Massey's "Clean Your Carbs - The Whole 9 Yards" - some of these metal plates were OMITTED by the factory or by PO's. Boy, does that make me feel better! - Thanks Rick, you are the man!

Also bought an impact wrench.. gonna' give it a whack on the stripped screw.

 

Re: Bringing a '82 XJ750 Maxim back to life-might need some

Bad news boys:

Busted off the bolt. Turns out the new impact driver works pretty damn good but this one was seized. Maybe I was a little too hasty trying to beat this one outta' here eh? A little hot 'n' cold might've done me some good.

Guess this is as good a' time as any to learn about EZ-outs.. unless you guys have a better idea?




Another Stupid noob question: Where do the little rubber O-ring and the little aluminum plug in the carb rebuild kits go?

 

Re: Bringing a '82 XJ750 Maxim back to life-might need some help

Kroil will be your best friend. It works better than any other penetrating lubricant. When it comes to stuck fasteners, soak them in kroil for a couple of days, then take an impact driver to them.

For the one that's already broken, follow hogfiddles' advice (after soaking in penetrating lubricant). Drilling out the center of the bolt may relieve the stress that's keeping that bolt firmly in place.

As for the rebuild kit...where'd you get it from?

 

Re: Bringing a '82 XJ750 Maxim back to life-might need some

Ok, I'll try to pick up some Kroil today... never heard of it, can you get it most auto places? Thanks for the tips guys (I'll try Hogfiddles' method)!

I got the carb kits on fleabay - $59.80 for all 4 with delivery and had them in 3 days. Cheap and fast, but not good?

 

Re: Bringing a '82 XJ750 Maxim back to life-might need some help

You have to order Kroil. It's more expensive than other penetrating lubricants, but many on the forum swear by it (including me).

I ask where you got them because some sellers aren't going to be a thorough insuring you get the correct parts. I'd talk to the ebay seller, as I don't remember those parts in the rebuild. I don't remember if the float seat on my Hitachis had a copper washer or o-ring, and that aluminum plug doesn't jog any memories.

 

Re: Bringing a '82 XJ750 Maxim back to life-might need some help

Looks like a universal kit, one kit fits many carb types/styles. Use what is needed for your carb.

 

Re: Bringing a '82 XJ750 Maxim back to life-might need some help

The little aluminum slug is not needed. It's the mixture screw anti-tamper-cap installed by the factory and removed by owners once they need to adjust/rebuild their carbs.

The little oring might be for the mixture screw as well. That you'll want to use.

Look in the for sale forum. I linked a GOOD deal on Kroil thru their website. 2 cans $12 shipped.

 

Re: Bringing a '82 XJ750 Maxim back to life-might need some

A few things about your carb rebuild kit:

The float needles are probably longer than the stock needle, about 1mm. You will need to reset the float levels. Don't try to skip this step. Much frustration if you do. And wet set all four. Don'y try wet setting one and use that as reference. Again, much frustration will follow.

http://www.xj4ever.com/setting%20fuel%20levels.pdf

No sealer is needed on the bowl gaskets.

As previously mentioned you will not need the small plug and the little o-ring should be for the idle mixture screw which is under the little plug the might be still in your carb bodies, next to the enrichment plunger. Remove this plug carefully (if it's there) by drilling a small hole and threading a self tapping screw into it and pull out with a pliers. Keep in mind the idle mixture screw is located just under the plug and will be very easily damaged by a drill bit. This needs to be removed and cleaned so you can't skip this. Just be very cautious. Turn these mixture screws all the way in (don't over tighten) counting the number of turns until they seat. After cleaning and re-assembly use that number as a starting point. Should be in the 2 1/2 to 3 range. Don't forget a small dab of anti-seize.

Replace the throttle shaft seals as they are almost certainly going to be leaking. Order the from chacal. Click on the XJ Forever logo at the top right of the page.

http://www.xj4ever.com/hitachi%20thrott ... 0seals.pdf

Kroil. Get some. Always have some on hand. Awesome stuff.

http://www.kanolabs.com/google/

Good luck and have fun.

 

Re: Bringing a '82 XJ750 Maxim back to life-might need some help

idk, that o-ring looks a tad big for a pilot mixture screw. Though I've never layed one next to the float valve to compare.

 

Re: Bringing a '82 XJ750 Maxim back to life-might need some help

Yeah, I was thinking that too. But like you said it's hard to compare in the picture.

Teddy, if those are the wrong size you can get the right ones from chacal as well. In fact you can get pretty much anything you need for your bike from him. He's awesome to deal with too.

 

Re: Bringing a '82 XJ750 Maxim back to life-might need some help

Don't forget, Ted, one of our own sells every part for our XJs. Chacal is the man for parts. Click the XJ Forever on the top right of the screen.

 

Re: Bringing a '82 XJ750 Maxim back to life-might need some

Thanks for the help, guys! I did e-mail Chacal about some parts before.. I'm sure I'll order plenty of stuff from him before it's all over.

I just picked up some Kroil from the local gun shop here in town.. turns out people love this stuff for cleaning guns too! Got it soaking as we speak & gonna' head out to the garage to start some carb dip on the parts and round 3 of carb spray and air-hose on the rack.

Gotta' say I'm enjoying this project so far.. can't wait to get to the really fun stuff though! 8)

Not an XJ, but here's a little eye candy for ya's... my last project (at about 90% completion:

Before:



After (photoshopped scallops.. still haven't painted them on yet):

 

Re: Bringing a '82 XJ750 Maxim back to life-might need some

Nice!

 

Re: Bringing a '82 XJ750 Maxim back to life-might need some

The O-ring in the kit is definitely not for the idle mix screw, way too big. I somehow didn't realize there was a tiny o-ring in there until after round 2 of carb cleaner spray and air pressure. I'm missing two of them now - they could've been missing from the PO but I probably sent them into orbit with the air hose... might be time to hit up chacal but I'm gonna look in town first. I'm hoping put everything back together tonight & tomorrow.

 

Re: Bringing a '82 XJ750 Maxim back to life-might need some

There's a small washer in there also. The order of assembly is 0-ring, washer, spring and then the screw.

 

Re: Bringing a '82 XJ750 Maxim back to life-might need some

Thanks Biggs - luckily I found the springs and washers before it was too late. I called the local Yamaparts dealer and they couldn't locate the part# for the o-ring because "the parts diagram looks like a 12-year old drew it with a crayon" LOL I'm gonna hit the hardware store and maybe Fastenal on my lunch break..

 

Re: Bringing a '82 XJ750 Maxim back to life-might need some

Well, I've got the majority of three carbs put back together and about to wrap up the fourth. Then just waiting on the o-rings from chacal to button it up and move on.

Question: can I set fuel levels without the air mix screws in place?

Another thing that's kind of scaring the hell out of me right now is my throttle linkage seems to be sort of bound up. Last time I checked I could grab the linkage and open/close the butterflies pretty easily. It just feels stuck. I didn't take any of that stuff apart or drop it or anything, any ideas? I even sprayed down all of the linkage with some Kroil but still seems stuck. Couple pics just in case:

 

Re: Bringing a '82 XJ750 Maxim back to life-might need some

Yes, you can set the fuel levels without the mixture screws.

As far as the linkages binding you said you didn't split the rack, is this correct? Did you dip the carbs? They look really clean. If so you probably damages the shaft seals. I don't exactly know what the dip does to the seals but perhaps they get gummy and sticky? Anyway I would now say to split the rack and replace the seals. You don't want the thing staying open.

When you re-install the butterflies go easy on the lock-tight. I found out the hard way that too much on the screws and it will find it's way onto the shafts and set up in the bores. Then you get to split it again and clean the excess lock-tight.

 

Re: Bringing a '82 XJ750 Maxim back to life-might need some

Yeah, sorry, I should have clarified.. I did not split the rack or dip it. I just sprayed it out really good with carb cleaner, then air, then carb cleaner, then more air, etc.. GD I really don't want to split these puppies but I'm afraid you're right about the seals getting gummy...

I soaked all of the smaller metal parts in the carb dip for about 45 minutes then scrubbed, rinsed, and air-dried.

EDIT: went back out & hosed down all the linkage with a little carb cleaner, then some more lube & it worked loose. Seems OK now but I have a feeling it might be locked up again in the morning if those seals are hosed. There is a slight hesitation when it closes.. should it really "snap" shut (like the clunk test) or is there normally some spring tension hesitation there?

Special thanks to Biggs for the advice so far!

 

Re: Bringing a '82 XJ750 Maxim back to life-might need some

All good things here, fellas! Carbs are together (except for air mix screws - waiting on o-rings from chacal) & I set all float heights to 17.5 mm. I'm going to get a fuel filter before I do a final fuel level check (especially important since I tossed the little dome filters on the seats - one was shot and the new seats didn't come with replacements). - thanks for the links Biggs500 they were suuuper helpful!

Also... all valve clearances are within spec! Can't tell you all how relieved I am about that. Just one less thing to worry about!

Headed back out to the garage now... gonna' try to force myself to pull the real wheel and check those brakes for delamination but I might just drink beer, listen to rock 'n' roll and stare at the bike for awhile :lol:

Cheers!!

 

Re: Bringing a '82 XJ750 Maxim back to life-might need some

IT'S ALIIIIVVVE!!! :lol:

Started right up last night - revved really high at first with the "choke" on about halfway but with just a little bit of choke it actually idled pretty smoothly. I think the idle is a little high, maybe about 1500 but it's hard to tell because the tach needle is busted off about a half-inch from the base. :roll:

The only issue I noticed right away was that it's slow getting back down to idle speed when I revved it up. All 4 carbs passed the "clunk test" with flying colors and the butterflies really snapped shut after I lubricated all of the linkage so I'm hoping maybe it's just the throttle cable and/or hand control that's a little sticky. Otherwise it was very responsive and didn't seem to miss or hesitate at all when I revved it up.

EDIT: just read another thread that suggested this type of issue could be coming from a vacuum leak. I'll try the propane test tonight.

I'm going to build a manometer and vacuum synch tonight.. any tips are greatly appreciated!!

I'm sure the air mixture screws need some adjustment too.. I would really love to colortune this thing but don't think I can shell out the $50+ bucks to get one... might try to find someone in town that has one I can borrow.

Anyways, thanks again for looking guys.. I never would've made it this far without this forum.

 

Re: Bringing a '82 XJ750 Maxim back to life-might need some

OH - almost forgot to mention, I got that busted screw taken care of using the "hogfiddles method" on page 1. Thank hogfiddles - you da' man!

Here's some proof with a shiny new screw courtesy of chacal! :lol:

 

Re: Bringing a '82 XJ750 Maxim back to life-might need some

That's a nice sound when a XJ roars to life, isn't it. However I would not waste your time trying to sync it until you track down that vacuum leak.

Keep us posted!

 

Re: Bringing a '82 XJ750 Maxim back to life-might need some

Did you find you had an easy or difficult time pulling the carbs?

I was working on a parts bike I have, and had to remove the air to carb boots on #1&4 to be able to pull the carbs out.

 

Re: Bringing a '82 XJ750 Maxim back to life-might need some

Kudos - you know, pulling the carbs really wasn't too bad. It only took about 20 minutes total (not bad for a guy that's never owned or worked on a motorcycle!). I pushed all of the boots into the airbox though so that was a huge help. I think I expected it to be a lot worse becuase of some of the threads I read on here. Putting them back on was a lot worse for me though - probably took about 40 minutes and cost me a half a fingernail and various cuts & scrapes all over my hands from trying to push those boots back through the airbox. There's probably a better way to do that part and I have a feeling it'll be easier next time if I have to do it again.

BTW, what part of Minnesota are you in?

 

Re: Bringing a '82 XJ750 Maxim back to life-might need some help

So you ended up pushing them in, rather than pulling them out?

The rubber on that parts bike must have been badly weathered - because that would have been impossible, although my runner's boots are softer.

It's too bad that airbox isn't designed to get pulled apart..

 

Re: Bringing a '82 XJ750 Maxim back to life-might need some help

High idle and reluctance to back down can also come from simply having the idle screw set too high. Turn it counter clockwise and see if that helps.

 

Re: Bringing a '82 XJ750 Maxim back to life-might need some

Well I've been picking away at things...

Turns out the "hanging rev" issue was due to the throttle linkage still being a little sticky.. lubed it up and now is snaps shut fine and is OK for the time being but I have a feeling it will be a recurring issue unless I break everything down and replace those throttle seals. It also wants to stick open at about 3/4 throttle.

I was going to take a stab at vacuum synching tonight but turns out my petcock is leaking like a MF'er. It was already in need of a rebuild but I took it off the take for a quick spray-bomb and now it leaks like a siv where it mates up to the tank... time to e-mail chacal.

Here's a couple pics for fun:

temporary rattle can job - not perfect but better than it was!


Petcock:




Home-made manometer:

 

Re: Bringing a '82 XJ750 Maxim back to life-might need some

Well I was getting ready to take a video and post it here to see if anyone could help me figure out why my throttle was sticking wide open but the old man figured it out - turns out I had the clamp for the #3 carb-to-engine boot out of position and it was rubbing and causing the linkage to hang up. Easy fix, thankya XJ gods!! Good lesson to always put things back together EXACTLY how they came apart.

I'm really surprised how smooth it's running right now after just a bench synch.. hopefully going to vacuum synch tomorrow night with the home-made manometer, maybe some light air/fuel mixture screw adjustment by ear, and tearing apart the petcock to clean and "restore" - hopefully that goes well thanks to the tutorial on here from Bigfitz.

As soon as that's done it's time for a first ride.. can't wait!!

Oh, and I completed the Basic Rider Course this weekend and got my motorcycle license today - STOKED!!

 

Re: Bringing a '82 XJ750 Maxim back to life-might need some

I AM THE MASTER OF THE UNIVERSE!!!! Don't ya love that feeling when all of your hard work finally pays off and things actually work the way they're supposed to?

While I was waiting for a petcock rebuild kit from Chacal (got here in less than 48 hrs. with express shipping) I vacuum-synched the carbs with the setup pictured above. I was actually pretty surprised how easy it was but I guess I have this site to thank for that. I didn't realize until the next morning, however, that I completely forgot about blocking off the YICS passage. I noticed a huge improvement in the way it ran so I'm tempted to leave it as-is but I may go back and try it again for kicks after everything else is done and I've put a few miles on it.

Re-assembled the petcock with new parts from Chacal and took the bike out for our maiden voyage together last night. Ran like sh**t at first and I got that sinking feeling that I would be battling carb issues for the rest of my life... then I realized that I forgot to hook up the vacuum line to the petcock, DUH! I guess I was a little too excited to go for a ride. After clearing up that little snafu she runs like a raped ape! Pulls strong and smooth.. didn't notice any burps, pops, or sputters. YAY!!!

Now just waiting on more parts.. brakes, tires, 3rd attempt at a turn signal lens, etc. Will try to post some updated pics tonight or tomorrow.

 

Re: Bringing a '82 XJ750 Maxim back to life-might need some

Finally got the new brake shoes and tires done and went for the first "real" ride last night. About a 30 minute ride with my dad. All went pretty well but when we got home it was idling high and hard to start about 15 minutes after I shut it down. I searched some forums and this seems to be a fairly common issue. I'm going to reset the air mixtures, re-synch, and maybe replace the vacuum line just to be safe. Hopefully that will help...

So far not a bad bike for "free" (I think I'm into it for about $450 now). Here's a couple of quick pics (new tires are Pirelli Routes):

 

Re: Bringing a '82 XJ750 Maxim back to life-might need some help

Somewhere along the line you checked the valve clearances, right?

 

Re: Bringing a '82 XJ750 Maxim back to life-might need some help

Yep, absolutely! All within spec - but good looking out, BigFitz!

 

Re: Bringing a '82 XJ750 Maxim back to life-might need some help

Congratulations on getting it going!! I'm jealous - my bike is still in the "is it worth all of this effort" stage.

I have the exact same bike so it's been fun to follow your progress.

 

Re: Bringing a '82 XJ750 Maxim back to life-might need some

Thanks WileyDan.. it feels good to know I'm not the only one looking at this thread! Good luck on yours man.. I checked out your thread & definitely looks like you're making some good progress!

I ordered a used XJ1100 headlight from andreashweiss from the"parts for sale" threads... should be here within the week and I'm hoping to ditch the square lights and guages to clean things up and just go with the single round headlight..

does anyone know if I'll be able to bolt that right on to the factory mounts from the square headlight or is it going to take some modification?

Also - my speedo doesn't really work. It usually hangs out around 20-25 but jumps up and wigs out every once in awhile. I'm not too concerned since I'm going to ditch the atari guages eventually anyway & I just velcro'd my Garmin GPS over the speedo! Actually seems to work really well and doesn't look toooo ghetto.

Rode the bike to work today.. first time going down the interstate. I was surprised that it was still up around 5K RPM's doing around 70 MPH. I know these are high-rev so I wasn't too concerned but does that seem normal?

Winds picked up throughout the day.. gusts over 30 should make it an interesting ride home.. cheers!! 8)

 

Re: Bringing a '82 XJ750 Maxim back to life-might need some

Yes. High strung SOBs. Get used to hearing it more like 6k, and constantly lifting on the shifter, hunting for one more gear...think everybody with one does that.

Looks good! Like the valve cover respray

 

Re: Bringing a '82 XJ750 Maxim back to life-might need some

I am converting mine to round gauges and lights. I also changed to the round buck horn style chrome bars too. It is not just plug and play. There is a whole lot of re-wiring to do, and one biggie is the headlight plug. On the 82 750 Maxim, the healight plug is from the Atari. The round gauges on the other models and years are not that way. I haven't done the bucket wiring yet, but when I do I can let you know what I do if you do not come up with something first.

I didn't even try the original square light bracket on mine since it was in such bad shape and rusty. But...what I can tell you is the round light brackets do not fit the 82 750 Max triple tree properly. The lower mounting bolt is on the opposite side. I have a post about it somewhere in by build thread.

But fear not, there is a quick and easy for parts swapping that will make it all work properly and be plug and play , so to speak.

1) Get the upper and lower tree and wiring harness hoop from an 83 750 Maxim. (if you wanted to use the round style bar as well) If you wanted to keep the original aluminium bars, then use the 82 upper tree with the 83 lower. Yamaha only did the Atari and square light on the Maxim 750 in 82.

2) For the gauges, the round style from 82 and up for the 550, 650, or 750 will work, but 81 and prior have a mechanically driven tach and the 82 is electrical.

3) If you are not into wiring and do not want to fool with all the cutting, splicing, re-routing, making new terminals (or taking out the wiring and re-arranging them in the plugs), then the quick and easy on the wiring end is to get your hands on a good harness from an 82/3 650, or 83 750.

As for the 1100 headlight, I am not certain if it is the same size or not.

 

Re: Bringing a '82 XJ750 Maxim back to life-might need some

[/quote]

constantly lifting on the shifter, hunting for one more gear...
Like the valve cover respray[/quote]

:lol: Yep.. spent plenty of time looking for "6th gear when I got on I-29! Funny that you mention the valve cover.. that's one of the few things I haven't resprayed yet! :lol: PO did it.. it actually looks pretty rough in real life and is the biggest eyesore on the bike. I'm going to redo it eventually but waiting until I have the cash flow to replace the gasket and seals at the same time.

 

Re: Bringing a '82 XJ750 Maxim back to life-might need some

Got my new headlight in the mail today and it's already installed (plus got rid of the Atari guage cluster). This was waaaaaay easier than I even expected it to be and only took about 45 minutes for the whole swap. I followed instructions from this thread (thanks cturek!):
http://www.xjbikes.com/Forums/viewtopic ... art=0.html

The only issue I have is no light for the rear (foot) brake but the front brake light is good to go. Any ideas?

For those who are interested ~ this is the factory headlight from an '83 XJ1100 and bolted right on to the existing ears from the square bucket with no modification necessary!

Here's a couple pics.. I might be interested in selling the square lights and cluster if anyone is interested but they're not in great shape. The tach needle is broke off and the speedo never quite worked right. The large headlight has a crack in the top of the housing that was duct taped and the smaller aux light is in good shape but I think it needs a new bulb.

 

Re: Bringing a '82 XJ750 Maxim back to life-might need some

Going out tonight to look at a Vstar solo seat from craigslist.. I'm hoping it will work without much modification. I can't wait to hack the rear end off this thing and give it a little attitude. It's bad enough that the rear end and seat on these were built ugly from the factory but the damn seat isn't even comfortable!! I know others have complained about this but it's like the friggin thing is pushing you up towards the tank. :evil:

Here's a pic of the seat from CL - the guy is asking $35 OBO.. great deal, hope it'll work, I'll keep ya's posted!



In other related news; I was cruising through town Saturday night, minding my own business and enjoying the new view from my seat, and this little #@$%&^ SOB popped out of the darkness in a city park on my right side, wound up and chucked a "Big Gulp" full of ice right at my newly installed headlight! :evil: It didn't really do any harm but in the right circumstance could've been deadly. I turned my head back and yelled some expletives (that he probably couldn't hear or understand through my helmet). I can't even explain how badly I wanted to pull over and smash his face into the curb but I'm sure he had the rest of the basketball team hanging out in the shadows behind him with a small aresenal of shanks, gats, spears, or whatever.

Long story short - be careful out there guys! There's a lot of A-holes out there and ya never know what's gonna' come at ya'!

 

Re: Bringing a '82 XJ750 Maxim back to life-might need some help

You're a wiser man than me. I once had a bum throw a bag of trash in the road in front of me. I could *see* his friends were there. Didn't keep me from stopping and giving him a "talking to"

 

Re: Bringing a '82 XJ750 Maxim back to life-might need some help

Yeah, I can't help but feel like I should've done something. At least called the cops on him or whatever. I can tell ya' next time I ride through his side of town I'll be making good use of my concealed weapons permit.

 

Re: Bringing a '82 XJ750 Maxim back to life-might need some

The Vstar seat was a no-go.. waaaay too wide. I'm sure if a guy had the time & tools you could make one work but not me. I'll probably go with one of these:

http://www.rustyriders.net/seats/new-so ... 13-x9.html

but really wish I had the dough for one of these:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/LaRosa-Rustic-B ... 7b&vxp=mtr

Stuck at work now but hopefully I get sometime to squeeze in a "birthday ride" tonight! Happy birthday to me!!!

 

Re: Bringing a '82 XJ750 Maxim back to life-might need some help

Happy Birthday TTT

 

Re: Bringing a '82 XJ750 Maxim back to life-might need some

Well between my birthday on the 28th and getting married on Sep.2, it's been a hectic couple of weeks but now back to business. I spent some of our wedding gift money on some '82 Virago bar clamps from fleabay and some new handlbars from TC Bros. choppers. I paid a little extra for express shipping so hopefully they'll be here tomorrow or Saturday.

I know a lot of people like to replace these goofy 2-piece bars and it's hard to find any good info on how to do it. I'm going to try to take a lot of pics and document the process so, if it works, can be a good guide for others.

Here's a couple pics of the bars and clamps. I hope these look good.. I wanted something a little different but these could be either really cool or even goofier than factory. 8O I might go with some drag bars or something lower profile eventually if I bob/hardtail it.

 

Re: Bringing a '82 XJ750 Maxim back to life-might need some help

hmm, not sure how those virago clamps work, usually guys just take the triple tree from an 83 and use that to convert to 7/8" bars.

And just a suggestion for if you are planning to run the garmin most of the time - fab up a nice mount into the bars or buy a motorcycle mount, replae the original fusebox with a blade style box, and then wire in a 12v plug into the extra bank on the new fusebox. I just ran a jumper from another wire that was hot when the key was "on"

then you dont have to worry about pulling it off the bike to charge it or worry about long road trips.

happy birthday and congrats on the wedding as well!

 

Re: Bringing a '82 XJ750 Maxim back to life-might need some help

Thanks buddy!

I like where you're heads at on the garmin - I actually got a mount (again from ebay) that I'm hoping I can squeeze it in between the clamps on the center of the handlebars. Great idea on the accessory plug though - I think I'll do that for sure.

I saw an old thread on here a few days back with a guy ( I think it was "the dude" with the purple '82 XJ750) that said he used 80's virago bar clamps and they worked like a charm.. we'll see. I'm hoping it will work but not holding my breath. From what I've seen I should just be able to pull the studs for the adjustable bars and put the Virago clamps back in the same hole but I may need to drill the hole out a little bigger and/or make a spacer to get the right thread depth. Either way, you guys will be the first to know!

Garmin mount: