And She RUNS!!!!

you may have read about the 1981 maxim 550 i bought for 68$ two weeks ago in my other thread...

Well after wrestling around with the carbs and redoing all the wireing on the bike... both of wich cost me nothing... SHE IS ALIVE and running super strong!

 

Here here! Three cheers for bringing them back from the brink! Hope this is the start of many enjoyable journeys!

 

$68? How'd I miss that kinda deal? Congrats!

 

$68 bucks for a running bike! Man ain't that cool.

 

***BAR*** ***BAR*** ***BAR***

Gingle, gingle, gingle, gingle, gingle ...

Jackpot !!!

 

Wow, and I thought I got a good deal on mine, way to go in the great deal, nice to see another one come back to life....

 

Outstanding!

Now rebuild my petcock to balance the universe...

;')

 

$68!! You got robbed! I paid $30 for my XJ, and Canadian dollars to boot!

Obviously, just kidding. You got a steal. Good riding!

Rob

 

hahaha... well i still have quite a few missing parts to find and install to get her street leagal and safe to ride... but its been a dream of mine for a long time to own two xj550s i just cant wait to get this one on the road!

 

Well ... I did get my former Midnight Max ... My now Custom everyday cruiser for nothing.

The guy handed me the signed title right after I hauled it off his property.
Ran ... day one.
Completely de-blacked and de-flaked of the the gold plating.
Everything ... is new.
I overhauled the whole bike and then painted it ... my scheme!
Two years after unloading tthe pick-up ... it's got a license plate ... sticker and a SlipStreamer fairing.
Over 500 miles ridden -- this week, alone!

Total original miles: 12-something. Got it with 11-something. Not even out of Warranty if it was 1983.

It's so incredible tuned-up ... I can't resist almost breaking my wrist when we pass the slower moving traffic. I wish the speedo went past 80 -- so I know how fast its going.

 

Well I guess I got robbed because I paid USD$350.00 for my 82 XJ1100J Maxim that was setup in a container for 12 years and having a ball bringing it back to life. Now having the front finder, tank and side shields painted LASER RED(FORD MUSTANG) color. My YAMAHA, MAXIM logos are also GOLD no more. Have been wresling with a way to get the gold back. Tried gold(chrome like) paint to no avail. Also those paints say they are not for outside or clear coating. Some cars have gold emblems that are not factory, shere do they get them plated? Does any one know where I can send my logos to have them plated?
Dell82

 

The primary reason I de-blacked and de-gold plated my former Midnight Max was the "Gold Plating." The veneer was flaking-off everywhere.

I looked into re-plating the gold or having the side cover surrounds and seat rails chromed. No dice.

Unless you have a Saudi Prince's bank account; the "Unit Price" is a killer.
All the work they'd have to do for one set is the same they'd have to for a "Bigger job."

The bigger job is higher profit for the plating firm. Since the prep and time for a "Small" job requires all the steps a big job does ... they'll charge you a "Big job" rate.

BTW ... Massachusetts tightened the environmental laws to such an extent that it drove most of the plating companies out-of-state.

So ... all the plated stuff and aluminum covers ... got stripped right down to the bright alloy ... sanded incrementally until the looked great ... then, buffed with rouges until they look better than chrome.

 

I remember a TV show (overhauling or something like it) that used gold leaf on a car. Wonder if it would work on the plastic logos?

 

Sure ... stop-off at the Jewelery store ... drop-off the badges. Let the jeweler apply the leaf for the best results. Go pick-up the badges when they are done ... hand-over the bucks for the bling ... stick 'em on the bike ... park the bike someplace and go have dinner or a movie ... come back out to bike and find that sombody noticed the bling ... took it ... and is wearing it to school tommorrow.

 

RickCoMatic, What did you do for the stripped emblems? What color did you paint? Did you cover the paint with CLEAR COAT? Also looking for a good gas cap for the XJ1100J. Mine is all pitted and painted but don't know how long the paint will last., could not figure out how to get the lock out of the cap, either. I removed the back, gasket, etc and could see a brass pin down inside but could not get it to recess so lock would come out. Any suggestions?
Dell82

 

On emblems with raised lettering ... I use "The Old School Method" of adding new color.

Spray the whole thing Black. After the Black DRIES 100% ... I use a Latex Glove pulled on to my index finger ... then, I spread some of the new color on piece of white typing paper ... roll my finger in the color ... like getting finger printed ... then, "transfer" my fingerprint to the letter. The latex glove -- prevents the swirls of your fingerprint from being transferred ... and, just lays-down the paint. You need a light tough.

On letters that are cut down into the aluminum ... like on side cases ... I mash-off the top, bottom and sides of the indented lettering with vinyl electric tape ... followed by paper taped to the vinyl tape with regular masking tape. Spray new color right across the letters. Get your latex glove on and have some thinner, Kleenex and Q-tips ready to go.

Let the sprayed-on color "get tacky" ... then, latex glove a finger and wrap the finger in a Kleenex ... lightly moistened with thinner. Wipe-off the over spray as good as you can with a few passes of NEW, moist, (damp) Kleenex and clean-off the surface as nice as you can.

Pull-off all the tape.
Now it's damp Q-Tip time.
Clean the tape lines and any left-over -- over spray. Pull most of the cotton off the end of a couple of Q-Tips for a "Non-shedding" tip and hit the spots that were tough to get.

 

Thanks RickCoMatic for the technique. I have to do this on the side cases and the YICS plate with red letters. I am still considering GOLD with a catalized clear coat to protect from oxidation. Krylon said that the reason their GOLD paint is for indoors is because outdoors corrodes the gold flakes making them dull and clear coat mask the mirror shine of the flakes.
Dell 82
'82 Yamaha XJ1100J Maxim, Laser MAX