GAS TANK SWAP

I've seen a few posts regarding gas tank swaps for Maxims. Anyone have any ideas, or experience with changing the gas tank on a xj650 Seca? I have a 1982 and need to replace the tank and since I think the tank is ugly to begin with I thought I might change the type of tank....I like the shape of the Maxim tank or something similar. Any suggestions, please?

 

I'm not sure you can use a Maxim tank without some considerable modifications... The maxim and seca seats are different - meaning you'd likily need the maxim seat and maybe other bits from the rear frame area to make it work... not impossible as they are very common bikes, however, the tank - seat and rear plasticy bit are different.

I don't know what the 750 seca tank would do... might be easier than going to the maxim tank. might not be any different size wise... not up on my seca's, sorry.

 

Thanks, Woot

Yeah, I already assumed that I would have to modify or replace the seat also. I just thought someone might know if the tunnel, mounting tabs were similar enough that a Max tank would fit. I didn't consider the Seca Turbo tank...I'll have to check that out.

 

i actually had a similar question, but going the other way. how much modding i would need to put the seca tank on my maxim.
i already need to redo the seat anyway.

any ideas?

or someone in the philly area that would let me borrow a seca tank for a couple hours to see it it would be worth it?

maybe i should just buy a tank and then sell it if it doesn't work out.

 

From all the pictures I've seen, a Seca tank will physically swap with a Maxim tank, but I can't say for sure since I haven't done it yet myself. But like woot said, the seats are quite a bit different, so if you swap the seat to match the tank, then your rear fairing/fender won't match up right.

 

the previous owner botched up the seat anyway, so i need to redo it somehow. and i am making a custom rear fender, so i think it should work out.

now just to find a seca tank.

thanks for the reply.

 

I have a '82 XJ650 Maxim and was going to swap to a 750 tank. I bought one each of the 750 Seca and the 750 Maxim tanks to see which I liked better......ended up using the 750 Maxim tank (it just looks more betterer on the Maxim frame). I did test-fit the 750 Seca tank and it appears that the rear mounting pad opening (the wide oval one) is the same physical size, but either the tank is slightly longer or the position of the mounting pad is slightly different, as I couldn't ever get the Seca tank to sit down properly in the mount.....perhaps 1/8" shy---very close---but never could get it to lay in there properly. I suppose you could shave the front round tank bushings ever so slightly, and perhaps trim the rear tank opening and/or bushing ever so slightly, and it would fit fine (the tank would need to go forwaard on the frame about 1/8" for the rear of the tank to fit down over the mounting pad properly). No other interference problems that I noted. The stock 650 seat seemed as though it would fit properly, but I never tried it. The stock 650 seat fits fine with the 750 Maxim tank, and the 750 Maxim tank fits the 650 mounting pad location like a snug bug in a Yamaha rug.

The Seca tank had a certainly funky look to it, but it just didn't look "right" on a Maxim, perhaps because of the lack of the side fairings, which seem to "finish" the tank on a Seca when viewed from the side. Just my thoughts amd opinions.

 

My bike is a maxim and i bought this seca tank off ebay. It fits nicely but is a bit bulky. Im thinking on going with a cafe racer type seat and bobbing the rear fender. To darn cold here to do this now 18 Degrees Brrrr. Its tough with no garage. But you will need to either get a seat to match your seca tank or make one. Hope this helps.

 

XJ550 Seca tank should go straight on but it is shorter, I've just gone the other way and fitted the 19 litre XJ650 tank to my XJ550 seca for my "cafe racer" project

 

Hey Warwick.... How'd you get on with that 550 motor I sold you?

 

Still sitting on the garage floor, I bought another complete bike as well and are doing a pre82 race bike and a XJ550 cafe racer