Please help me feel better...I think my bike sucks...

About 5 or 6 months ago I bought a '85 XJ700 Maxim-X for $770. The longer I've owned it and the more I've learned about it and learned to ride it well the more I figure out what all is wrong with it. The list is extensive...

No big deal list:
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-no mirrors
-no ignition or tank key (screwdriver-ed cos I lost the key & got desperate)
-broken rear signals
-broken speedometer casing and drive/cable?
-minor dry rot on front tire
-big dent in side of tank, as of tonight new small one up front from a slipping come-a-long hauling my dead bike home in the back of my truck tonight
-F'd up the headlight alignment putting a new bulb in and messed up the screws

Big deal list:
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-just learned my clutch has begun to slip at high RPM's in 3rd,4th,5th
-my right foot collects oil
-the crankcase cover has a missing screw that broke off leaving a HOLE in the crankcase and cover that I JB welded (no oil leaking presently)
-just discovered that the charging system has failed completely so if I ride any distance my bike will die at a stop and refuse to crank or even bump/run start as the battery is COMPLETELY drained

I had never bought a used bike before and didn't really know what I was getting into. I knew the bike ran and the wrecking yard that sold it to me made me think it was better than it was. Not sure if I just didn't notice the HOLE in the crankcase or if an idiot friend of mine (or hell even me) dropped it on something. The little stuff is no big deal but now that I know I have clutch problems and charging system problems I'm just feeling overwhelmed and depressed. At this point I'd like to get away from this thing but in it's current condition I don't think I could even get $500 for it. So am I just a complete idiot (or at the very least ignorant fool) and pretty much screwed? I'm not that mechanically inclined so it's going to be pretty hard for me to figure out how to fix all this crap. Not to mention the cost of all the parts is probably going to add up to more than the bike would be worth in the first place. Just looking for a little encouragement or maybe a reality check and thinking perhaps I should give it up, chalk it up as a loss, and move on. What do you think guys.

On a more positive note all of you guys are the most extremely supportive, nice, helpful, informative, and just plain awesome people I've ever run into on a forum. Hats off to you all for creating such a great community.

 

What you need to do is pick of some of the simple jobs, but take your time & fix them properly, suddenly it won't seem so daunting. Wiz.......

 

Don feel bad man. I just dropped a grand on mine, and am starting to regret it. It runs good, sounds a little loose though. I am just going to keep changing it until I like it. I am sure you will to.

 

First... That JB cold weld is probably going to last a long time on the crank case as long as it has a good bond. I hear so many negative things about it but usually by people who have never used it. I put 8,000 on a plymouth sundance beater (which is still on the road today collecting more miles) with a completely home made thermostat housing. Long story. But its all JB weld. You can even tap it, drill it, bolt onto it, etc. Might I add... this housing includes a patch over where the previous owner had drilled into a coolant jacket. Doesn't leak a drop. So if it isn't leaking and you gave it a good clean bond, I'll bet that will be the last of your worries.
The clutch on these bikes aren't like a car. It's not like a fly-wheel, friction plate, diaphram, transmission deal on a 5 speed car. I can't give you advice on the clutch because I have no experience there... but I would not be affraid to rebuild my own.
There are guys on here who can walk you through every tiniest detail, show you pictures, answer what you think are the dumbest questions in the world and reanswer when you still don't get it...

The parts can get pricey, but you wont pay $750 for the clutch part or the stator, rotor, brushes, etc.
Most of this stuff you CAN do yourself. Just start on it. One thing at a time. You said your charging system is bad? Start with that. If you don't have access to one, get a simple volt/ohmmeter. If you don't know how to use it, have someone show you or help you.
Check the battery. If it is a good battery, give it a full charge. If you have a bad battery or are in question, take it to an auto parts store and have them test it. It's free usually.
Get the motor running even if you have to jump it. The easiest way to check the charging system is to have your bike die on you, unexpectedly... which you have already done. But for sh1ts and giggles, put the voltometer on the battery. You should read 14.5 volts with a healthy charging system and no resistance from the charging system to the battery. But chances are there will be resistance and you will read between 13.5 and 14.5.
There are 3 major parts to the alternator/generator. The brushes, the rotor, and the stator. You can change those yourself. They'll tick you off while you do it, but you can do it for sure.
The clutch slipping might not even be the clutch at all. It might be the oil you are using. The clutch on these bikes are soaked in the oil sitting in your crank case. You can't just use regular oil or else the plates are going to slide over eachother like any other lubricated part. Use oil made for motorcycles with wet clutches. it is motor oil but it doesn't have the same additives regular motor oil has and it doesn't cause a slippery clutch.
If your clutch still slips after riding with the right oil for a while or after the next oil change, then you might need to do a clutch job.
But really, if you like the bike and want to ride it, have some fun learning about it. Just post this topic in the XJ chat forum... "How do I rebuild my clutch?". Then wait for responses. Follow the exact directions of the people who know what they are doing and who have rebuilt some of the sorriest bikes out there. Guys like Chacal who also has any part you need, Bigfitz who, I think, may have single handedly built the XJ bikes himself and just doesn't tell us (haha), Wizard who might have been helping Bigfitz, Rickomatic, skillet, polock (even if he seems cranky), etc.
I promise, if you can make a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, you have a good shot at doing your own motorcycle work. Its just a step-by-step process.
And when you get to a rough spot (stuck bolt, unfamiliar configuration, stripped nut, mystery part, etc) stop there and come here and ask. Someone will help.
I think what you have is a bike someone really didn't give a crap about and beat it to hell. But you also have a potentially great (and rare) bike. There aren't a whole lot of xj700 maxims flying around all over the roads these days.
If you push through the initial discouragement and decide to start... you'll be happy you did. Because eventually you have a nice bike that is nice because you made it that way. And also a bike you know very well.

 

Any things possible if you are persistant it will pay off. Get a repair book and look at the jobs you think your going to struggle with and do some research. The more you have studdied the easier it will be to grasp. I would start with the charging issue if you cant take care of that why do any thing else make it rideable before you move on to the cosmetics of it

 

I'll echo Chuckles and Maliblueman, you can do it. Step back, take a deep breath and slowly blow it out. There, feel a little better?
First step, get a manual (and the XJCD, it is well worth the price!) and read it cover to cover. Learn about your machine. Do a bit of research (ie do your homework) using the search provided on the forum. Ask questions if you aren't sure of anything. There is no dumb question, only stupid answers. The key here is to educate yourself. Banish fear and build confidence with knowledge.
Second step, as mentioned earlier, make a list and tackle each problem one at a time. Do not look at the overall issues as one big mess, it will tend to lead to your feeling overwhelmed which is what I think you are feeling now.
Third step, relax and enjoy the experience. Everyone makes mistakes, everyone. Do not let fear of failure stop you from taking that first step. It is far more important to have a desire and act upon it, following it through to completion come what may. I can recall instances of frustration and the elation of success after I pressed on to finish the task. It may have taken weeks (ten plus years in one instance) but I did win the fight.
Chin up and remember, we are all here to help in what ever way we can. You are not alone in this so let's get started!

 

I'm in general agreement with all the supportive recommendations of all the great members-they want to help ;and they do. Just be cautious ,by that I mean it might not hurt to have the "WHOLE" bike looked over by a motorcycle mechanic to know what the big picture is ie."money" After that you can decide if its worth it ,or your just throwing good money after bad. This post is not meant to be negative or unsupportive-really. Just sometimes it pays to look at the big picture

 

Let's start by keeping you safe.
Just in case you didn't know, check the rear brake shoes for delamination.
Check the manufacture date of both tires. 7 - 8 years old is about 'done".
You ride without mirrors? cheapies on the bay are like $13

If you stop riding, due to the needed repairs, get some fuel stabilizer in it this weekend. If you let your carbs gum up , it's as big a deal as your whole list.

Also, the wrong oil can make your clutch slip.

 

I'll echo the positives. You can fix it yourself and with the help of manuals and this forum.

If you put up your location you may even be close to someone else who can lend a hand, knowledge and/or tools.

 

First off you need to decide what you expect from your bike.

If you expect to be able to jump on it and ride with little or problems then an old bike may not be for you.

If you enjoy working on your bike then these are great bikes to work on.

Just take it one thing at a time. I know first hand that it may seem like you are in over your head, but like everyone is saying take it one item at a time.

The clutch issue may be just the wrong oil or the cable needs to be adjusted, if not the clutch is not that hard to change. Follow the manual and you will have it done in no time.

The charging system may be as simple as needing new brushes.

Leaking oil find where it is coming from and replace the gasket.


Post pictures of you progress. Others will encourage you with there praise of the work your doing and give you pointers to make it easier.

You’re the only one who can decide to cut your losses or enjoy the work and pride of a well running bike.

Good luck with you bike. Remember there is a lot of support and help from the good people on this forum.

 

Okay I know far less than than most people on this site. But I got a buddy who is a motorcycle genious and works on old suzuki gs type bikes. If you go to some bike swaps or groups in your area and team up with someone who can be hands on with you and your bike, that is amazing and you learn a lot.

The people on this site are also amazing and can walk you through just about anything. I guess you just ask, do what they say, and if you need to ask more questions.

Now for you screwdriver'ed key and tank. I found this on ebay. It is for an xj1100 but it might work for yours. Put a post on this site and see what they say.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Yamaha-X ... 439d7cbce0



Good luck with the bike...

 

come on men!! take one at a time, follow the advices the other guys gave you, and turn urself into a biker, not in a guy thet just ride bikes, the difference between those two is that a biker fix his bike on his own
good luck
y siempre para adelante!

 

jko is right, from what I have learned of being a biker, wich I am far from, it is that about the same amount of time riding, is spent maintaining and upgrading. It is kinda part of the deal. I can find a bit of peace and quiet when I work on mine, reflecting and focusing on the job. And looking at the list of things to do is bad, there is always something to do on it. Once you start moving and fixing it becomes a great pride of workmanship, and knowing that not everybody can do it, that is great motivation.

 

you obviously don't have safety inspections where you live. Where i live, you can't register without at least 1 mirror, all lights have to work and respond correctly and the horn has to be easily audible within 250 ft or something like that.

I echo the guys above: fix what's dangerous first, then fix the less critical stuff. my bike has an oil leak at the filter, leaks oil at the tach cable, and cylinder 3 doesn't fire most of the time. I'm fixing that right now... my brake lights don't turn off either. I haven't ridden it for the past 4 months b/c of cold&snow, but the lights is my first priority when i get it running again next month.

 

+1 on doing the safety stuff first.

For what its worth I have felt the same way about my bike, especially two nights ago when I ran it after 5 months. I did a thorough carb clean and expected it to purr - it didn't! Running a bike at 10pm which is running rough is a good way to upset the neighbours!

Will be tackling that over the weekend.

You'll find the deeper you dig, the more you find. I found a previous owner had fitted a regulator from a different model - which was why my battery kept getting cooked. There have been several posts on charging issuses lately, so try search, or you can pm me and I'll try to help - I'm an Industrial sparkie.

 

Dry rot is dry rot, nothing minor about it. Particularly on a front tire. I feel of your "no big deal list" that this belongs in the "must do asap list". Pop that tire while riding, chances are 99% that you are laying that baby down.

Otherwise, what most others have stated in their replies to you, I agree with.

Travis

 

You guys are right. I've just got to dig into each problem. Truth is I like the bike for some reason, just not into spending a lot more money at this point.

I recently removed the front fender, aftermarket mufflers, and the collector box. Just running headers at the moment and I like it! I get some seriously annoyed looks from time to time but I don't care. It sounds sweet to me -- loud as shit on heavy throttle and pops and chatters on deceleration just like I like it. I didn't have to do anything to the carbs and it seems to idle ok and has a lot of power. Just always feels like that clutch won't let go and it definitely slips at approximately 4-5-5K RPM in higher gears. If you slowly accelerate then it doesn't do it but gun it too fast and it doesn't pull anymore and just revs several thousand rpm's higher to no gain. That and it almost always pops out of first if you go to 6-7K RPM's -- pops out into neutral. I've tried adjusting at the clutch perch as well as backing it off where it meets the tranny. I'm going to keep playing with it and if I still can't change it I betcha it's just worn out. I don't think it's the oil I'm using as I'm using Valvoline 50W (I think that's the weight that's in there) 4-stroke motorcycle oil for wet clutches.

I do want a new front tire. I think that front one is dated '03 or '04 maybe. The back tire is newer and much nicer with deep tread. I had a local shop quote me basically $100 for a new front tire mounted and balanced.

The next thing is figuring out where the heck it's leaking all the oil from. The tip of the left side of my right toe collects oil on long rides. There's a ton of oil leaking around the oil filter. I remember when I changed the oil and filter I had to reuse the old gasket as the bike master part the Yamaha shop sold me had the wrong size gasket in it. I know for sure there's oil coming out of that gasket on the "Yamaha" logo crankcase cover on the right side. That's the crankcase cover with the missing screw that ripped a chunk out of the cover itself and the crankcase. The screw hole became a BIG hole. There's nothing coming out of the JB weld I put there though. I thoroughly cleaned the area before I applied it and reapplied it several times as it sort-of sucked into the hole as it dried. What sucks is to fix that oil leak and replace that gasket I gotta trash my jb weld job. It's also definitely leaking oil out of the far right exhaust manifold gasket where it connects to the header pipe. I think one of the other header pipe gasket thingies has a small spray leak as well. There's tons and tons of oil all up behind the engine because I overfilled it real bad TWICE. Oil poured out of the airbox for about a week the first time and nearly two weeks the second time I overfilled it.

Speaking of the airbox mine is broken. The part with the two screws that secures the sucker pipe to the box is snapped in two by one of the screws. The screw's head is completely stripped so I'm having a hard time pulling it out to epoxy it all back together. I did clean most of the oil out of the bottom of the airbox and replaced the air filter with a K&N filter. The old one was TRASHED and falling apart and it ran better after I put the K&N in.

As far as the electrical problems...Lord only knows what has been done to this thing. My battery box looks like a bad dream. I bought a reverse terminal battery so I had to wire extensions on from a wal-mart lawn&garden battery cable kit. But in general all the wiring is a mess and makes no sense in there. To be honest I've not even so much as looked at the fuse box. I don't know where it is yet. (sorry feel like an idiot) But I do have a good battery. Bike starts fairly easily if it's warm enough but I have to charge my battery often. Recently if I ride far or very long when I get somewhere and shut her down she doesn't have enough battery to even turn over. So it's like my headlight is just running it down as I ride and nothing is maintaining it's charge. When this happens I cannot even run/bump start it even on a big hill. It just chugs and sort of sputters and refuses. If I jump start it with my truck it will run so long as I keep the RPM's above 2-3K but if I let off it dies. It only does this when the battery is completely drained. I am pretty sure my brushes are bad because I get the classic motor starts when start button is let off behavior.

Another weird thing is the run/off button on the right handlebar control does nothing. Apparently someone has wired some sort of homemade kill switch that they mounted on a toggle switch on the bottom side of the left side cover next to the rectifier. With this disconnected nothing works so it has to be connected and switched on for the bike to run. I've not traced it back to see what in the hell they did. I did learn with this switch on the battery will drain down so if I want to start it after one night of sitting I have to make sure to turn this switch to "off". Weird huh?

Yep, need mirrors. Trying to find used ones on ebay. I'll have to find some way to remove the broken off metal in the threads of the right side mirror mount that's part of the master cylinder.

Speaking of master cylinder I replaced the entire front brake system. The old one was dragging on the disc so I disconnected it completely for a while. Just recently bolted the "new" system on and after a few days of spongy hardly no brake up front it took hold and now works quite well.

The tank is dented to all hell but I don't care. I've rattlecanned the whole bike flat black several times and I'll probably do it again. Speaking of the tank there's lots of rust on the inside of it. Until I do something about it and also install an in-line fuel filter I just try to keep lots of gas in the tank.

I also have no horns. I bought a used original set of maxim horns off ebay and fashioned spade connectors to them but they won't work. I also tried just hooking it up to the battery to test the horns, 12V+ to one terminal and ground to the other but no noise. Maybe my ebay horns are bad.

Need rear turn signals.

Need to "rebuild" headlight and fix alignment screw and get it right. I yanked out those springs and everything trying to put it back together cos I couldn't figure out how to wrangle it all in there.

Speedometer casing is busted all to hell. In fact the entire gauge cluster is held together and kept from rattling right off the bike by several zip ties arranged in a creative fashion. I'd like to replace the whole cluster with original parts but I dunno...The tach works fine and the temp gauge does not light up or appear to do anything. I think it's weird I have a temp gauge. I've wondered if these gauges have been replaced before. I have an air-cooled bike. So I thought only the liquid cooled Maxim-x's had that small middle gauge. Also I don't know if the drive has gone out also. I know for sure the speedo cable is shot.

For the person that posted the ebay link to the ignition and tank lid w/ key I appreciate that!!! I might just order that for real if it doesn't go too high. Also I F'd up the spring, lock, dealie under the seat so if you fiddle with the seat enough it just comes off. I just need to look at a good picture of a good seat spring/latch dealie and I can fix mine I think.

As you can see I've got a ton of stuff to deal with. It's crazy the more I think about it. Well I REALLY APPRECIATE the support guys. I'm sure I'll be asking all sorts of stupid and annoying questions but I've never had anything but help from here so I know I'll be taken care of.

Talk to you guys soon.

 

Man! That is a story! Just think how great it will feel ridin' down the highway, hair flying in the wind, bugs in your teeth, battery charging! Oh yeah. It will feel good!

Your wiring issues could very likely be causing your charging problems. With the battery discharging while you ride it has to be a PITA worrying about when you're going to have to start pushing.

I would forget about the front tire for now and invest in a repair manual with a wiring diagram and a digital meter from Harbor Freight and concentrate on sorting out the wiring issues. Park it in the meantime.

Replacing the gaskets would be a good next step even if you have to re-do your JB Weld job. Len (Chacal) at xjforever is a great source should you need a replacement side cover or whatever. Obviously get the oil filter o-ring issue resolved. This might be the source of your "foot oil".

CWHILEY WROTE: "Yep, need mirrors. Trying to find used ones on ebay. I'll have to find some way to remove the broken off metal in the threads of the right side mirror mount that's part of the master cylinder".

If you want to do yourself the biggest favor you can possibly do for yourself re: mirrors get a set of these bad boys. http://www.motostrano.com/nabarendmi.html These are WITHOUT QUESTION THE BEST MIRRORS YOU CAN PUT ON A MOTORCYCLE. Buy them one at a time if you have to but get them.

Replacement turn signals are cheap too. Aftermarket units can be had for $10. See if anybody on the site has a set of originals or aftermarket signals they would part with for cheap.

So, park it for a bit, take a logical approach to determining the order of repairs, get it running reliably, and ride it all summer like you stole it!

BTW The reason you like the XJ is because there is something special about an in-line 4 cylinder air cooled motorcycle that pulls like a freight train and flies like the wind!

 

+1. Park it. Get a manual and start off by thoroughly CLEANING the whole bike.

Oil shouldn't leak around exhaust ports unless you have a really bad valve stem seal; and quite often oil leaks come from somewhere quite a ways away from where you think they are. The oil you think is coming from your head pipe gasket is probably a valve cover leak for instance.

The only way to tell is to start with a COMPLETELY, clinically CLEAN motor, run it, and watch.

I'm very concerned about the condition of the brakes, both front and rear. Brakes don't suddenly "take hold" and start working; you have a disaster waiting to happen there. The rear brakes on these bikes often delaminate with age, the only way to know is to TAKE IT APART and look. Another major safety issue you cannot ignore. At the very least you need to completely replace the front brake fluid, and inspect the rear shoes.

STOP RIDING THIS BIKE until you deal with the brake and electrical problems.

 

I'm not very well versed in the oil discussion, but why 50W? The Owner's manual says SAE 20W40 for > 5 C (40F), or SAE 10W30 < 15C (60F). There are alot of oil discussion on the forum, but that's one weight I haven't seen mentioned. Looking at you previous posts I did notice you mentioned 20W50...so maybe that's what you meant (I've seen that one before in discussions).

Also, just a healthy dose of reality: You will likely put more into this bike than it is worth! That is true of all old bikes. Unless they are a highly prized collectors item (and most XJs aren't), no one is going to pay you what we all think they are "worth." Unless a 25-30 year old bike has been meticulously maintained, it will need lots of work...there are few "deals" when it comes to neglected Japanese bikes. If you're in the business of flipping bikes, you bought the wrong one.

However, your Maxim is a great platform to learn on. Expect to pay $1000-$2000 in parts (mostly rubber bits that aged, maybe some specialized tools) from our great parts source Chacal, and to spend many hours bringing your bike up to snuff. If it's safety related (brakes, tires, steering head bearings...basically anything that helps you control the bike) do not ride the bike until corrected. When it's all said and done, you have a basically brand new 25 y/o bike, that you know inside and out, for under $3000. How many brand new rice rocket or HD owners can say that?

Good luck