First timer

Howdy all,

I'm getting my first motorcycle, an '85 Maxim-x and I need some help.
It's been sitting for over a year and it's up to me to fix it up. I've done plenty of auto repair, so I understand some mechanics, but the only motorcycling I've done is a little dirtbiking.

So, I'm looking for some input on what to do to make sure I get the thing running. I have the service manual, but I've never worked on a bike before.
I know carbs are a pain, so for someone who's never seen the innards of a bike up close, any words of advice?

 

Welcome captluv,
Does the bike run at all? It may be possible to drain any gas out of it. Add fresh gas and get it running. It's only been a year so it may be possible that it hasn't varnished up in the carbs which would save you a lot of headache. Look inside the tank for rust and give it a "SMALL" whiff. I would say if it smells ok, drain the tank and float bowls and try the fresh gas. If you can, do a compression test. Make sure you have a"Good" fully charged battery in it. There is a few other things to check and I'm sure others will "chime" in and give more input. Good Luck.

 

WELCOME!!! There are how-to's (with pics) here on most of the important things (cleaning and syncing carbs, setting valves, forks and such). The folks that did them really know what they're doing. I KNOW, I've used most of them :lol: ! Depending on how old your rear brakes are, you might want to check them soon (shoes delaminating).
Follow the how-to's close, be patient, ask questions (no such thing as DUMB question) and Good Luck...

skillet
BTW enjoy your bike!!!

 

Thanks for the warm welcome and the advice!
I'm picking it up this weekend and will attempt to drain the tank and bowls and see if it will start. The battery is dead, but is relatively new, so it should hold a charge.
Now, about those float bowls...can someone explain how to do that?

 

There is a screw on each carb bowl. Just turn it and the fuel will drain out of it. They should all be where you can see them unless some idiot took it apart before and did not put it back together the right way.

 

Welcome there captluv. When you start on any of those screws bear in mind that they are some real soft steel and easy to wring off or waller out. Make sure you have a perfect fit on those screw slots and save a lot of heartache. Might even use a little heat if you're brave.

 

Hey capluv,

I bough the same bike for my first motorcycle last June. I'd never even ridden a motorcycle, and I didn't ride this one until I'd taken a class in July. Anyway, you've picked a great bike. I hope it runs well. Mine didn't. I kind of got into a rats nest because I was ignorant and eager. That's a bad combination! LOL

Anyway, I'm not a mechanic by any stretch of the imagination, but I'm not afraid to dig in and learn something new. The carbs are the first things I worked over. I followed the tutorials I found on this site (RickCoMatic has an awesome carb tutorial with lots of photos). The worst part of the carb experience, honestly, was putting the suckers back on. It is a pain to get the airbox boots on. So, if you have a few bucks, and you find that your airbox boots are hard, I'd buy a new set from Chacal (he's the sponsor of this site). Otherwise, pulling them off and cleaning them up was a piece of cake. Just took some time.

Seaguy is absolutely right about those screws, though. Go get a brand new slot screwdriver at Sears and grind the edges down with a file or a dremel or something, so that they fit EXACTLY into the fuel mix screw holes (screw holes on the top-front of the carbs). That will make the job easier.

Anyway, I'm still working on my bike, unfortunately. I think I'm close, though. Hope yours is in better shape, because the few months of riding I had were awesome! Post if you get stuck on something. There's a ton of info on this site and some really great folks to help if you need it.

One more thing, go to the XJ Chat site and open the sticky about how to order the XJ CD. Its only $10, but it has loads of info, including a shop manual for our bike. I use it a lot. Also, go to www.maxim-x.com to find more info and some inspiration.

 

Thanks to everyone for all the advice. I finally got the bike this week and drained the bowls. The old gas inside was the color of whiskey. I take it that's bad.
The tank was empty. I looked inside and there's a bit of surface rust there. Do I need to be worried about that, or will it be alright if I put some fresh gas in it?

I have the battery charging right now, but it won't be until next week that I'm able to try starting it.

So, with the float bowls drained, is there any reason I shouldn't try to start it to see what happens?

Thanks again to all.

 

I would pull the carbs off and clean them. Rickomatic has a great walk through on how to clean them. It really is not as bad as it seems. If the bike sat with old gas in them that long they really need it. You will be happy you did it. Trust me! As far as the tank goes as long as it is not flaking off it shouldn't be to bad. But make sure you put an inline fuel filter on to ensure no crap gets in your carbs. Good luck and keep us posted.