How to hard tail a xj 750 maxim

Hey Everyone,

I just bought my first bike. A 1982 xj750 Maxim, and I'm excited to get started on it. I knew all about the shafty prior to the purchase. I prefer chains, but this bike was almost a steal.

Anywho, the bike has solid struts on it already. I think they look hideous. Almost as hideous as the grim reaper dollar store sticker on the tank. I'm looking to add a real hard tail, but I can't find any kits anywhere. I helped a friend chop his sx650 and we had no trouble finding a nicely priced kit. I need some help. Do universal kits work? And if they do how much finagling must be done to get it around the shaft?

I'm ditching the apes and switching to drag bars (lightly considering keystones), really cleaning up the front end, chopping the sissy bar, change up the exhaust (need ideas, love wrapped straight pipes), and changing the surprisingly comfy custom seat (which feels like a piece of foam wrapped in an old van halen shirt).

Any help is greatly appreciated.

Thanks!

 

I like it, How is the ride tho? Shaking kindney stone loose?

 

not too hard, no kits cuz it's a shaftie, and what chu want for the apes, clutch cable and throttle cable?

I would strongly consider savage shocks, drops it down real low, and still rides better than stock, I wont hard tail my xj cuz i think hard tailing a shaftie looks half assed, because really theres nothing you can do, you have to keep the stock swingarm

 

there are no kits for these. they are a complete do it yourself. which is what makes them that much more fun, and less like everyone elses. here's mine..... just go nuts with it and have fun. my exhaust is straight pipe meaning no mufflers, its homemade, and i likeit rapped as well.





Here is a video to the exhaust sound clip....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VzvbU9b-F6U

 

great start... hard tail it with a spring seat, homemade wrapped straight pipes, and either z-bars or drag bars will look sweet as hell. Look at TCBros for a do it yourself hardtail kit and other stuff.

If you are tossing that sissy bar feel free to toss it in my direction

 

Go to tc bros they make a universal hardtail kit. I used that one I like the looks of it better it the bends in the tubing already.

 

you used a universal hartail on a shaft drive? pictures please

 

hey what changes did you make to the carbs (jet sizes,etc) for the filter and exhaust changes.. you have a similar setup to where i want to go 'i think' .. my mind changes like the wind.. where did you get those bars from? and what is that seat off of?

 

alright. well the seat is a typical springer bobber seat that I used and just took the springs off of it. if you want it, you can have it complete with the springs for $55. As for re-jetting, I havent done so yet...becuase I know pipes that are on the bike is not my final decision. And it runs just fine the way it is now. The bars are from ebay, There Window bars basically.

 

I agree with Schooter - pics please

 

Im sure he means the Universal piping to do a hardtail kit, not a one piece design that he just made fit.

 

Yes Cmccully04 is correct it is not a one piece design it is the prebent tubing. Will try to get pics on here soon. Been away from home for work. It is a single backbone and the two tubes are welded to the backbone still building mine. But I like the looks of the bent tubes better than the straight pipe.

 

Buy a 10' stick of DOM tubing and a cheap pipe bender from Harbor Freight and you'll spend a quarter of the money you would on a universal kit. You're still going to have to cut/weld even with a uni kit. If you're pretty handy with metal skills, stretch the shaft/swingarm before hard tailing.

 

Curbside Customs sells their kit for about 100 bucks shipped on ebay. Be hard to buy tubing and a bender beefy enough to bend 1 inch dom cheaper than that.