New '85 MAXIM X to the site

Hello all,
This is my first post here on XJ Chat but i'm sure it won't be my last.
I'm new to this site but not new to forums or to motorcycles. I've had 3 or 4 H#NDA CB's and VF's and several MX and enduro bikes and just took delivery of my first Yamaha streeter..my "new" XJ700 and thought i'd share.
A friend's brother was getting rid of this and said he had to get $250 out of it or he'd part it (probably worth a bit more than $250 either way). He also said it hadn't been run in 3 or 4 years but that it was just the carbs. He delivered it from OH to my house in Flint MI for $20. Even though 2nd gear is hosed (lucky me) I just couldn't pass it up.

He dropped it of Sunday night...i hit it with jumper cables and a quart of gas and it fired right up...wouldn't idle off of choke and it wouldn't rev but it ran...charged the battery and then tore it apart yesterday.
Pulled the carbs off of it and cleaned all of the jets...have done this 3 times now as somehow the bowls (a different one each time) floods the cylinder. This morning #4 cyl was hydrolocked with gas...anyway, i think it's figured out(we'll see tomorrow in the morning if it'll crank).

Sure, corporate is p!ssed because.....uh, er, well, she's just p!ssed but rode it around quite a bit today (about 75 miles so far) and right now it's running pretty good. I'd have to say overall i think it's a good deal.
Safe riding to all.

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that's a super nice score... and there is more to cleaning the carbs than just cleaning the jets.... polishing the bores, cleaning the emulsion tubes, setting float height (could be your over flow problem) making sure the seat is clean and it's seating properly (another possibility) and so on and so forth...

 

Welcome, nice X.

 

If gas has leaked into and locked up a cylinder, then give your case oil the sniff test, remove the filler plug and take a good nose full. If there is the slightest smell of gas in the oil, park it until you 1: get the carbs fixxed so they don't let gas through, 2: Look at the petcock to see if the vacuum hose is attached or that it's not set to PRI, 3: When the other issues are taken care of do an oil change. Otherwise you may end up parting it out because you lunched your motor. Plus putting 75 miles on a bike that has sat for that long without at least an oil change, you're lucky you haven't done some internal damage already. Old oil can become watered down from seasonal heat changes, can become acid, etc. etc. Quit running it until you get some basic maintenance done on it.
Otherwise your $250.00 dream may become a financial nightmare, then what will Corporate think?

 

what a steal u got...damn

 

mods, sorry if this is in the wrong forum (not really tech i suppose)
Maxim-X, i wouldn't say it's necessarily a dream; more like it just fell into my lap...but i figured it's cheap enough to go ahead and plate and insure it.
Also, i guess i didn't state all the things that i'd actually gone through....i changed the oil 2 times the 2nd day i owned it (before i had 5 miles on it). first time was after the initial carb cleaning. thought all was good and then found gas coming out of the air box...drained the oil again...pulled the carbs again, cleaned them again....hydrolocked with gas and repeat entire process again.
ultimately yesterday i found a) the fuel strainer was floating around in the tank and replaced it, b)the #float seat had some gunk in it that was coming from the unstrained tank, c)the o-ring on the #3 seat had split/broke (letting gas around the seat??).
anyhow, did hop on it at 630 am this morning (34 deg i might add) and drove 45 minutes to work at a friends house....cold cold cold but it ran well after it warmed up. All told, i have about 200 miles on it since sunday.

i picked up a set of fork seals, fork oil and an oil filter and more oil (last oil change for the season i hope) and will change the final drive oil tomorrow (my fsm says GL-4....correct or should i use something different?)
anyhow, Maxim, i do appreciate the items that you bring up and it would be parked if they weren't taken care of...very good stuff to check for anyone who is starting a bike that hasn't been run in several seasons.

and ps...corporate still hates it no matter what. wants me to sell it but now that it's plated it'll be hard to get the key off of my keyring

until my next post cheers and ride safe

 

Sounds like you're good to go, even if you left out a FEW MINOR DETAILS!!! LOL!!!!!!!
I'm in the process of resurrecting my 750, scouring evilbay for bits and pieces that are good and cheap plus the occasional deal on NOS as they come up and $$$$ allows. When it's ready to go I want to do it right, then it will be decision time.....put the X back on the street and sell my 2004 Suzuki Bandit 1200, or just take better care of the X and not let it sit idle for 6 years again. When I think back, if I would have just gone out and started it once a week and maybe ran it around the block once in a while...(sigh). Oh well, shoulda, woulda, coulda I guess. Sounds like you got a great deal and a keeper for sure. Enjoy the bike.


Graham

 

What a steal. Looks like you'll be looking for 5-valve covers and a side cover.

 

You're right.....the 5-valve covers are hard to find. I have seen a few side covers but DAMN! they're expensive and this (currently) is a budget bike.
I did find and replace the #1 head pipe with a nice used one ($32 including shipping) and it makes a world of difference on how it looks.

I also need a set of seat covers or some new seats...The seat isn't horribly comfortable and the covers are trashed. Anyone know a a good source (other than ebay) for a basic seat cover or does anyone know if any other yam 1-piece seat will fit the '85 maxim-x...like maybe the same year virago or something of the likes?

All told, I've put about 500 miles on it to and from work and around town. She runs pretty decent. unbelieveable power band up around 8k.

Total $$ in bike so far:
- $ 250 bike purchase
- $ 20 delivery from OH to MI
- $ 6 O-rings for various things (float seats, coolant tubes, etc...)
- $ 6 HI FLO oil filter
- $ 22 oil for several oil changes
- $ 32 #1 head pipe shipped

I would like to get a set of 5-valve covers / right-side cover / seat cover(s)(as stated above, and i have the original chromed airbox covers), bags on the cheap (jafrum or the likes, a cheap windsheild (nat'l cycles or slipstreamer), and a back tire ....after that i think i'll be good to go!

 

I'm happy with my seat covers from B&H
http://www.motorcycleseatcovers.com/index.htm

Here they are on my X
http://s288.photobucket.com/albums/ll16 ... =Seat1.jpg

BTW< Welcome to the forum

 

your bike(s) looks great!
so does $100 get you both front and and back seat covers?

 

Thanks...many hours working and surfing Ebay.

Yes, it's $100 for the pair. They won't sell just one since it would never match.
I think I "upgraded" to the premium longrain for a bit more texture.

They aren't terribly hard to put on, BUT think about sculping your seat a little BEFORE you put the new cover on (or you'll be doing all the work again)
I wish I would have cut into the back side of the seat and made it a bit flatter to let me "kick back" a little more and sitt a little lower behind my windshield.

 

hey mike, is that a street shield ex on it? how do you like it?

 

I'm calling the cops, because you STOLE that thing, even with 2nd gear gone. Mike can attest to this, I'd buy it even with 4 x's in my garage right now, one xj700 and a vf700. It's ashame you aren't closer, I also have four engines of my own (not including your 2 mike)

 

I love the street sheild EX! It's just the right mix of breaking the wind but I can still see over it and get enough air.
Good solid mount and quick to get off.
Those 30 degree mornings would be nice to have bigger, this afternoon a little smaller would have been nice until I got on the highway.
She is smooth as silk and pretty quiet air cruising down the highway (one handed)...at 85mph (that's the speed limit in PA on Saturday afternoons)

Note to self: Do NOT wave at your buddy as he takes the exit at that speed. Damn, I about lost my arm!

 

It really is pretty!

Nice score!