OK... New here and need a little advice...

Hey all...

Over the last 2 weeks I have acquired 2 xj's...

I have a 81 Midnight Maxim 650cc with about 30k on it... Previous owner tore it down and hardtailed the frame and thats as far as he got... Have all the parts in milk crates... This bike is titled... and wants to be a bobber when it grows up =)

The other bike is a 82 Maxim 750cc... this bike is all together and runs... it does need a new headlight shroud and some tlc... but it is close to road worthy... this one has 24k on it... but it does not have a title... My understanding is that in Wisconsin getting a new title when you are not the previously registered owner is a pain in the arse... anyone have any Wisconsin title experience?? BTW this bike has not been registered since 92...

Ok so to my questions...

1. Are these engines swappable?? Looking at the frame and mounts they do appear to be... but would like to get a for sure answer...

2. If they are swappable... is one of these engines better than the other?? The 650 does not have the YICS technology in it... the 650 has more miles on it but I would say that it was taken better care of than the 750...

3. Anyone out there that has made a bobber out of a maxim... did you run new wiring?? or did you use the original wiring harness?? If you did your own... any chance you made a wiring diagram =) and would you care to share ... lol

I was originally gonna try to get these both on the road... but I am starting to change my thoughts on this... I think I may focus on the bobber ( the midnight maxim )... taking the things i need from the 750 to get the bobber rolling... And if i can ever get the title stuff squared away I may try to get the 750 on the road at a later date... i only have $250 into the 2 of them so far... but my budget is tight... so using the 750 for parts right now seems like a good idea...

Any input would be greatly appreciated!!

Peace

David

 

Can't help with engine swap questions. Have read posts of folks updating the original harness, using original and removing anything not wanted or replacing with new and simplified harness. Use "search" option for "simplified wiring". There's a complete diagram floating around here, if that's what you want...

skillet

 

Thanx Man!!

I will do that...

 

I only own a 750, so I'm prejudiced, but the 750 does have about 10 more horsepower.

YICS doesn't do much for power, but it does help a bit with fuel economy. Probably makes up for the extra 100cc's.

One thing to keep in mind on the "simplified" harness, at least the one on here that I know of, is that it also removes things, like turn signals and the horn, that are required to get a registration in some states.

 

REAL good point! Didn't think about that ...

skillet

 

Re: OK... New here and need a little advice... Which motor??

Anyone have an opinion on these motors???

 

Solid power plants, well engineered and built to last. Regular maintenance is all it takes to see 100k+ on these things without problems.
Two weak links, the starting clutch chain guide and the starter clutch itself. The guide drops into pieces after 25 years or so and the clutch springs tend to get tweaked at a similar time interval. A weekend and some home-built tools will fix either of these problems.

 

So you do not think one has any advantages over the other??

Does the 650 not having YICS make it easier to tune the carbs??

 

One point - swapping engines will give you an upside-down shift pattern due to the Maxim 750's linkage. If you "borrow" the carbs, you need to re-jet (keep the jets with the engine)

"Does the 650 not having YICS make it easier to tune the carbs??"
You won't be blocking off a non-existant YICS port, so yes.
The Maxim 650 also has milder cam profiles, giving less performance.
You will find a very small list of parts that will swap, as the bodywork, suspension, and brakes are all (alot of) different components.

 

Thanx alot! This is the kind of stuff I was looking for... I have been going around and around in my head trying to decide what to do... I think that swapping the engines is OUT... doesnt make much sense since it would only be me on the Midnight Maxim ( bobber ) and it would be me and my wife on the 750...

I will get a pic up tonight of the midnight maxim frame as it is right now...

I wish I didnt need to get the 750 on the road asap... i would rather be workin on the 650...

Peace

David