My wonderful 1981 550maxim

Hello,
This is my first motorcycle and I absolutely love it! However, there are quite a few problems that I am told some of you folks can help me work out (thanks RickCoMatic). I should also add that this has been my primary mode of transportation.

The Problems: Leaking Valve Cover Gasket, Broken Choke Cable (should be here tomorrow, so that'll be fixed), Needing to use ether to get it started on these cold mornings (below 32f), bad starting solenoid (arching the solenoid to get it started), the ignition can be turned using a screw driver or my trusty knife, the tank is currently held together by JB Weld and some 5minute gas tank repair, and at least one of my carbs (#1) is leaking a bit of gas, and I have a broken speedo.

The History: I bought this bike 4months bike after it had sat in a guy's garage for 2years. It wasn't running but about a week of working on the carbs we got it running, and within 2 weeks of riding it starting idling. It hasn't ran perfectly since I've had it, she is a bit tempermental and may be an up-and-coming ether addict. I love every minute of this, but I don't have a lot of money to get dump into this so I've been replacing parts as needed.

Any help you all can give me is very appreciated. I want to get this bike running as reliably as possible, and keep her that way for a long time. By the way, her name is Jasmin thanks to my little sister.

 

When you have Ignition Related Parts that are obviously broken or malfunctioning, ... replace them.
Your better-off getting yourself a good-working "Used" Part than making-do with the problems the malfunctioning parts may be causing you.

Acquire a Workshop Manual.

Plan on removing your Carbs and getting them Cleaned.
A 2-year sitter may run, ... but it will run better after the Carbs are Cleaned.

Replace the Ignition Switch.
The Ignition Switches on Jap Bikes are just-about all the same.
A Brand New Switch will lessen the chance of the bike getting ripped-off.

A leaking carb might be caused by several reasons.
To eliminate the leak from contaminating your Crank Case and being a Fire Hazard, ... stick a Briggs @ Stratton Fuel Shut-Off Valve on the Bike until you find the source of the leak.

 

Welcome spoon, I am new to motorcycles as well. One thing you will want to do when you get a chance is to properly clean the carbs. I was fortunate that the P.O. had cleaned them before selling the bike. Putting the carbs back on will test your patience or at least it was for me especially putting the rubber boots that connect the carbs to the air box.

I wish you the best of luck with the bike. I hope to see pics of Jasmin. I understand your situation as far as putting money into it. I will try to keep an extra eye out for a tank for you. I also have a used bike parts shop within 15 minutes from me. I will try to give them some time over the next couple of days to see if they have a tank.

 

poolhound, thank you.

RickCoMatic, I'm going to have Atlanta Cycles take a look at everything when I get it to them this week to replace the valve cover gasket. I'd do it myself if I had a garage, but that just isn't an option right now.

 

If you have the valve cover off, you just have to at least check the valve clearances for a "tight" valve.

And at $80/HR and NO discounts on parts, having a shop fix-up a non-running XJ is Mucho Expensive !

The valve cover job is no harder than an oil and filter change.

 

The first thing you need to do is get yourself a good repair manual and a few good hand tools if you don't already have them. Advertise in the Classified section that you need some of the parts and someone will have them.

 

You might want to take TIME'S advice; paying somebody to work on one of these (if you can even find someone) is going to quicklly run you into BIG BUCKS that you do not need to spend if you take the time to learn some of the simple maintenance procedures and do them yourself.

 

Another local! Killer

Good luck with the bike! Welcome to the site as well.

 

Let's see some pics of Jasmin!

 

TIME, I've got tools with which to do this job, but I don't have a place indoors where I can do it, and I don't feel comfortable (in any sense of the word) doing the work outside in my gravel driveway. Honestly if it were my house I'd drain the oil and clean the bike completely and roll it into my kitchen to work on it, but I can't really do that either.

 

Alright, I've gotten her back and I'll have picks up ASAP.

However, I've learned that my carbs have been Jetted. What I've been told is that once someone does this the bike may not run properly with a stock airbox, and that some pods are my best option. Is this true? And if I get pods can I still get a set of breather box covers to fit on the bike? (I'd really like to bring her back to beauty and I like the way they look, I don't have any though)
I need to fix this cold start problem as well, there has to be a way to make it start reliably in cold weather, could my lack of air filters be the problem?
The next issue, which currently can be put off, is that of the gas tank. It needs welding or replacing, and there is no one around here that will do the work for me. Are there any other tank options than a Maxim tank?

Thanks for all the help guys.

 

Dont do the pods at most put a k@n in the airbox. If it runs good don't mess with it early 80s bikes were jetted a bit lean to pass emissions as long as who ever jetted it did not go overboard you will be fine. (wait till you hear what people will tell you on the pods.)
what is wrong with the tank why it needs welding is it leaking from a seam or is the tank rotted out. ? usually its pretty rusty inside if its rotting out

 

The tank is rotted out. I've got JB weld on the left and right seams, as well as 1-1.5" above the seams and spattered over the back as well.

The issue is that I don't have an air filters on there at all, it didn't come with an air box.

 

Here are some pictures! Sorry, the cell is all I had for this.

 

looks good if i were you i would check ebay here is a complete air box with a set of carbs thrown in no bids yet $30.00 includes boots. There are others without carb boots for $15.00 i believe you can make your own boots but i am not sure chacal should have boots for it.
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/yamaha-m ... 3cb3ecb1e8
the tank is probably shot and not worth welding up. Saw a real clean one looks new on the inside here is the link
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/YAMAHA-X ... 483e2614d5

 

Good advice. Get up on eBay and get the parts you need; 550 Max tanks pop up all the time. If you wanna drop some $$$, there's a brand new one floating around somewhere on the 'bay, I saw it the other day.

And HOW "jetted?" Did the person who told you that tell you exactly what jets are in it now, so you could compare them to what's supposed to be in there?

The bike will run better and be easier to tune and maintain if you put a stock airbox back on it, even if it means changing the jets back to stock.

Since you're admittedly not "mechanically inclined" I would avoid trying to get the bike to run right with pods or open carbs; you'll go broke paying someone else to beat their head against the wall.

If you want to actually ride it put it back to stock, especially with that nice stock exhaust.

Chacal does carry carb-to-airbox boots; the airbox itself will probably need to come off eBay.