Replacing yoke (u-joint) on xj700x

So a few months back my Maxim X tore apart its U-joint in a major city (I wont say where because its still sitting on the city streets, un-stolen thus far) far away from where I live. Being unable to find a replacement, I left the bike and caught the train home. The bike is still where I left it (I called and checked) and I finally found a replacement U-joint, but I have no idea how to replace it. I get the feeling that it requires pulling the whole rear end of the bike, which I've never tried. Plus, its not as if I can go out back and look at the bike. Its 1700 miles away.
Anyone out there who is familiar with this process?

 

Its a pretty big pain in the arse. I belive you have to pull the real wheel to have enough clearence to work.

 

You have to pull the entire swingarm!

 

Get a truck and bring it home to work on it.

 

This does not compute.

I have stretched the "Prudent Man Principle" to accommodate certain stories I have heard over the years. I can't believe you would leave your Bike vulnerable to theft and vandalism for: ""A few months"" ... ""1,700 miles away"".

Are you kidding me?
What? You left the Bike someplace over a thousand miles away for three months and its still there?
A good Cop didn't notice the Bike hadn't moved for three months and didn't run the plate?
What?

Look. If this is legit. Take a day off. Rent a pick-up truck and you and somebody to help you load the bike GO GET THE BIKE.

Man, what in the Hell is the matter with you?
Asking us about fixing the thing should be the lest of your worries.
Get in touch with REALITY and GET THE BIKE.

Don't sweat the U-Joint.
I'll devote an entire evening typing-up a explicit Play-by-Play of how to fix a U-Joint and if your close enough ... come and help you do it.

This is just unbelievable.
I wish I could call 1-800-Smack This Guy

 

hahaha... Rick... oh my god.
If that was a member of stature, like, say me (haha!)
That would have been mildly rude.

But my god, that was funny.

I understand your anger too. lol. I don't even like leaving my bike with the key in it at the gas pump, even though I can see it from inside the gas station! I forget the key, I stand at the counter all nervous.

Go get the bike! Obviously 'shipping' is not worth it, but maybe rent a pickup, or a uhaul, or even a uhaul trailer and a friend with a car with a hitch...

 

1700 miles is roughly Denver, CO to New York City or 27 hours give or take.

There's got to be more to this story. Maybe more believable if it begins with... Well, I met this girl on the internet and.............. then, when I was running for my life, the u-joint on my X blew. Glad I was a safe distance away.

See Rick, it could be believable. 8O

 

OK, ... I'm cool.
I knew it was something like that.

Look, ... I don't even ride my Bike to the Movies.
Leaving it in the same place where I ain't going to be able to check on it gives me the Hee-Bee Gee-Bees.

Just like this Post did!

 

Careful with them heebee geebees rick, don't want to mess up that knee! lol.

Speakin' of that... when can I come show you the MAXIM!?

 

Probably after you get it to run right. lol. not that i have room to talk.

 

Oh no he didn't?!?!

lol...

 

all you have to do is put a sticker on it that says "Go Ahead Steal Me! this vehicle is factory equipped with an antitheft system, should you decide to steal this vehicle and try to use it you will spend the rest of your life trying to acheive proper tune "
then another sticker that says
"Warning this vehicle is insured for all $390 worth of its taxable value"

do you think the theif is going to steal it or the Honda civic next to it

 

If the wrong guys spied it ... it wouldn't be parked anywhere, any more.

It would be three or four pages on Ebay!

I saw he seat I wanted on Ebay last week: $188.00
Carbs: 2-Bills
Engine: 3-Bills
Everything else: $9.99 to Start

 

smeban01,

I suggest that you give us an approximate idea as to where the bike is. This would allow you to arrange with someone local to a) get the bike off the street and b) possibly even fix or help you fix it so it can get on the road and ride it home. People here are spread all over the states (and some other countries) and you may very well find someone within a short distance of where the bike is who would be willing to let you stay as a guest and fis the bike.

 

Alright, alright.
Deal is that I left it covered up in front of a semi respectable apartment complex (respectable enough to not have thieving rednecks, but not too respectable to get towed) next to a few other bikes that were "wintered". As of last week, it hadn't moved from that spot. I ran out of money in said city and had to get a quick loan for a train ticket back to my parent's house - No money or time to get the bike towed or professionally stored. So, I'm back on my feet and have a job that starts near said city, 2 weeks from now.
So, now that I have the u-joint, my plan is to catch the train out, fix the bike in 24 hours, and drive to said job.
It may have been a poor choice to leave it on the streets, but under the circumstances (no money, bald tires, sketchy 2nd gear, 150 lbs of luggage, broken drive train), I had to do something. AND, to prove my point, its still there!
But, I do realize that thieving rednecks do exist, as I caught two big old guys in the back of my pickup examining a Honda CB500 today.
So, I realize I'll probably have to pull the swing arm, and I realize that it probably wasnt a good idea to leave it there, but shit, its still there and I might as well go fix it, right?
SO...

 

Ohh yeah,
and I was runnin' from a 350lb man on a Harley when it broke. Thank God for 20 valves!

 

Absolutely.

But again, there isn't much we can do to help if you don't give us some idea of the area in which it is located.

If you had to get a loan to get a train ticket, how were you planning on making that 1700 mi trip home?

 

yup rear tire and swing arm has to come off. i never removed the u-joint on mine since it seems snug. but had the swing arm off for paint. hmmm I want to say you need a 27mm and a big metric allen wrench to get the swing arm bolts off. But it has been about a year so I may be off a mm or two. you also need a 12 mm, a 14mm I think the shocks are a 17 or a 19mm basically bring a pretty complete metric set and torque wrench with you. although a 12, 13, 14, 17, 19, 27 and metric allens should get you by. I can have my swing arm, wheel, shocks ans differential off in under an hour so as long as you have good weather you should be ok in the time limit you want.

 

This information seems slightly superficial.
Here's some back story, if you find it necessary. I found a Maxim X on Craigs list, got a loan, got my license, and hit the road. It seemed like a good idea. Just quit my job. No wife, no kids, no responsibility, no f***ing clue how to drive a motorcycle. I figured a 6,000 mile cross country trek would be a good way to break it (and myself) in after it sat unused or abused for many years. I got to the destination city and then the economy crashed. I found a couple of temp jobs, but nothing permanent enough to pay the rent (or my moto loan).

Present day - I applied for and got a job in that area of the country and am moving back. So to bring it back to my current home would be ridiculous when I'm moving close to where I left it.
The juicy details of how it broke, or why a 350 lb man was chasing me are inappropriate to share in a public community.
But, I feel as if I can fix this in one day, maybe two, and drive off (really really fast) into the great beyond.

 

Sweet jesus, I can do that.
Thank you!