Well, I finally took my 85 xj700 Maxim X for a test ride yesterday, I forgot how much power the bike has!!!! I'm happy to say it is charging great, and thanks to everyones help and advice. I still need to tear down the carbs and give them a good cleaning, but my ride revealed another problem.... It has a horrible pull to the left side, especially when slowing down, not when using brakes, but when you let off the throttle. I then began to notice it all the time but it is most noticable at slow speeds or when decellerating... My street slopes to the left at its intersection, and you have to physically fight the handle bars from turning to the left.
I have 2 thoughts so far... For the past 2 years the bike sat on its side stand with front wheet turned to the left, I'm thinking front tire is one possibility, and possibly front forks, a lot of the weight of the bike was pressing on the left front fork in this position, possibly weakening the springs or possible fork leak? also when I first went back to working on the bike, I noticed the tire initially had a flat spot on left side of the tire, I kept rolling it to different positions and it quickly disappeared. I'm planning on replacing both tires before spring, just wiondering if anyone else has encountered this, or if anyone else has some ideas. :(

Nice - glad to back on 2 wheels I bet

HRM - well - isolate the fault - put the bike on the centerstand and have someone sit on the pillion seat - turn the bars to the left and right - do they feel smooth? If not check the tightness of the head - and it might be time for new bearings. If it feels notchy and tightening doesn't fix it... well time for new bearings

Now - the forks - check to see they are aligned - use something that is definately flat - like an off cut piece of glass... if it doesn't sit flat then twist them straight again. Unlikely the problem unless someone bumped into it where it was stored.

Now - the fork seals could be bad - age does eat them. If they show signs of weeping then it's time to replace them and the oil - probably not a bad thing to do in the near future anyhow.

Now the tires - if they show signs of cracking then it is time to replace them - if they are nearly worn out just replace them. Spin the front tire (person on pillion seat again - if it spins well the brake isn't dragging and the spindle is fine. If the rotor is warped it will pulse. If it spins freely then check to see where it stops - if one side always ends up at the bottom then it needs balancing...

Pulling hard to the left? Sounds like alignment, bearings or a bad tire...

What tire preasures are you running? I run 30 front 32 rear about. If the front is low it will be VERY heavy to steer.

Also - check the sag on the back of the bike - Have a friend measure from something solid (rear axel) to the seat (something fixed) - while standing over the bike. Sit on the bike - the difference should be ~1.5 inches. If it is more crank the suspension harder - if less - back it off a little bit.

We'll start there - good luck - and welcome back to 2 wheels
Woot.

Well, I discovered what the problem was. In my eagerness to get out and take the bike for a test ride, I neglected to check my tire pressures. Front was down to about 17 psi, and the rear was around 20 psi.... The worst part is I should have known better than to not check this first before trying to ride out on the street. Front forks still had some pressure in them but needed to be filled back up, Really appreciate advice found in another post about using the hand pump, only took about 4 pumps and had them up to about 30 psi, quickly bled the pressure off and didn't seem to do any damage. My tires look good, but I'm going to replace them anyhow, they've been on the bike for a long time, and I really want to know whats under me for sure ( the previous mentioned flat spot troubles me even though its not there anymore). Took the bike out for a second ride after doing a better safety inspection and I am pleased to say it handles great. B)