From sport cruiser to cruiser

Hello everyone first time poster long time lurker Ivan trying to turn my 1982 xj650 into more of a cruiser look I have seen a lot of bobber builds but still wish to carry passengers on the bike the best comparison is I have a 03 virago and want to make the maxim look more like that the its current sporty stock look and all suggestions welcome also am looking to get a digital speed teach that is close to plug and play need advice on that as well

 

Hogfiddles has a pseudocruiser look i believe the pic is in the showcase

 

Umm..... your Maxim already is a cruiser (just as the Virago is). Maybe post up a pic or sketch of what you're thinking of doing.

 

As it sits now

 

I understand it is a cruiser but oddly doesn't feel like a cruiser the bike feels more like my friends adventure bike then a cruiser to me a cruiser is more like the picture i am posting now you know straight pipes (not sounding like a street bike but like a cruiser) big seat raised bars this picture bellow i do not own but it is the closet thing i want to turn this bike into

 

Oddly enough, that is the bike Yamaha was emulating when they designed the Maxim and Virago. All straight pipes do is piss off the neighbors. You can go for the look wothout the noise, but you're not going to get a Maxim to feel or sound like anything other than a Maxim. Inline fours just don't ever feel or sound like a narrow-angle V-Twin. Ride the bike for a while and learn to love it for what it is, then see if you still want to make changes.

 

I bet if you installed forward controls you would feel more like a cruiser. Search for a build on here called "Voodoo", guy basically turned his into a harley with an inline 4.

 

Ape hangar bars and a back rest for the passenger will help with the "cruiser" look too.

 

And slightly shorter rear shocks with a heavy spring will help the look and help with 2 up riding.

 

I'm looking into getting new bars but not sure what ones to get since I don't want to change out the MC I am currently the only one working in a household of 4.5 people so money is rough right now and as for the backrest I am trying to find a king and queen seat but with no luck also going from stock shocks to an 11' shock should take out the flatness of the bike and give it a little angle to it

 

I don't think the MC would have to be changed, but the lines would if you go higher on the bars. Perhaps a rebuild or thorough cleaning if it's still the 30 year old part. Plus new fluid when you replace the lines...

 

Having been there and done that my best advice is to hold off on modifications and spend you time and money on making the bike run correctly and safely. You can modify it when finances improve.

 

it is the original from factory i have cleaned it and checked all seals they were still good thing bike was kept in a garage i just found out i need to replace the bearings on the triple tree due to a left and right jerking in the bars i have added a sissy bar rack to this bike that cost me 20 bucks at a local salvage yard

other then replacing the bearing i have gone over this thing with a fine tooth comb and it is great running condition even the jerking in the bars doesnt happen unless i let go of the bars

 

Put a 750 tank on it, and put the 1980/1981 seat on it. That will give the tank a higher line and give the seat a deeper dish. Look carefully at my black full-dress 650 in the showcase. That's a 750 tank w/ the earlier seat.

 

thank you that helps a ton with the look i am going for

 

I have a few king and queen seats and a 750 tank if you are interested? Not trying to make tons of money off of them as I have tons of extras and as I understand you don't really have the funds, so I'd sell it all for cheap. PM me and let me know your budget.

 

it wont allow me to message you due to your inbox being full but yes i would be willing to buy the parts off of you pm for prices and we will see what i am able to do

 

heh heh.. the legend lives on...lol
I really don't think anything is going to get the Maxim to ride/feel like a cruiser... I have my 750 Honda Ace,


which now sports the passenger seat and backrest...

and VooDoo,



and let me tell you....they are night and day when it comes to ride. Even with the forward controls on VooDoo, she still feels like a little sports car that want to carve up the corners all day long... the Shadow feels like a big 'ol sloppy Cadillac....a laid back comfy ride, even with 2 up. I love the the difference in the rides... it's like VooDoo says.. "Let's GO baby...vroom vroom" and Shadow says... "Meh...what's your hurry, enjoy the ride.."

As for a king/queen seat , if you're talking old school type, (and maybe ANY type for that matter) you may have to alter the frame to drop the seat pan rails to get it to fit properly. In any event, you going to have to get creative to modify any existing seat and/or the bike to get it to fit....


p.s. and yeah, the straight pipes, even with baffles, are.. LOUD

 

Try now, I cleared some room up.