Just bought my first motorcycle!!

Hey everyone!

I have been thinking of getting a bike for a few years now, and last night was the night it finally happened.

Its just about winter here so I wont be able to ride it until spring, but that doesn't mean I can't detail the heck out of it as well as make sure its running in tip-top shape.

The bike is a 1983 Yamaha Maxim 750, with 14,304miles on it.

Everything looks to be in great shape, it runs smooth, shifts smooth, and it looks pretty good too

I took the front fender and side covers off to clean them in my dorm, as the buddy whose garage i am storing it in doesent have a heater or good lighting..

Anyway, I'm looking forward to learning alot, I'm 19, turning 20 in feburary, and from the central wisconsin area.

See you on the road!!


Oh! and I will get some better pics tomorrow, I finally got my gf's dslr to take some pictures with vs the crappy phone picture. I'll be working on cleaning the bike over winter so i'll post pics of that as well as im sure to have some questions during the process 8)

 

Welcome to XJBikes! Even with a low res picture that looks like a nice XJ! Congrats and this is the best time to buy-great prices and you get to fix it and make it safe before it warms up.

Search the site and you will find advice on your first tasks. Brakes, tires, valves, electrical connections etc. Keep in mind that you must make sure it is in great shape cause these machines are old and often looks can be deceiving-the only way to be sure is to do it yourself.

If your stuck with that garage over winter then I suggest getting a Mr. Heater propane heater-they work great for small spaces and don't require venting. You can get a hose and fitting for the little heater and use a 20lb tank and it will run for a very long time. A cheap shop light would light your path.

Does look like you got a nice one there! So welcome to your new addiction and the world of XJ's (aka Real motorcycles from the previous century)

 

Thanks!! I do plan on spending alot of time making sure it is safe and good to go, im sure that there is tons of valuable information here.

I also have the full service manual for it so that will be really helpful.

I see you also ride a mountain bike! Here is my other love -

 

Very nice! Not much different than my GF, except I think a fair bit newer. My Tassa still looks really good for as old as it is though. Like yours I have no suspension (unless I can't see yours) and it's a superlight. I will have to snap a shot and post it here tomorrow so you can check it out. Those look like nice tires, where did you find those?

I used to have an enduro Honda, but now I power my own off-roading, and I am way crazier riding the mountain bike. I love to climb up rough terrain to get my blood pumping and to learn the pitfalls, then I'll come back down testing my brakes and reflexes to the max! I have had a few bad tumbles, but I'm pretty good at avoiding the sudden stops (the real danger eh?)

Where I live is ideal for bike riding - we have multitudes of varying terrain and our quad city area is building a trail system that runs over 50 miles. Every year there is a huge festival in Eureka Springs (50mi)away called the "Fat Tire" with races, trials, and yes Fat Tire beer as well.

Service Manual is a must good score!

 

Nice!

Yeah, im pretty serious into mountain biking. that right there is a hand-made custom titanium bike made in steamboat springs, co. so in your neck of the woods

I love bikes, and the fact that i now have motorcycle is a dream come true!

 

Howdy from SIN CITY! are you aware of the valve clearance situation? There are other posts which go into detail about checking and changing your valve clearances; This is a very important maintenance procedure that is often neglected. In short, the valves get tighter as the engine wears, it's due to the design of "bucket and shim" Then there's the brake issues, but I'll let the XJ gurus take it from here.

 

i was unaware, hmmm... off to google now 8O

What are the brake issues?

Thanks for the heads up man!

 

Brake issues:

Here's the biggie; MUST CHECK (visually) before any riding: http://xjbikes.com/Forums/viewtopic/t=15874.html

Then, the front brakes: If the brake fluid hasn't been flushed out and replaced within the last 4~5 years, do that first, and immediately.

Then start planning your front brake rebuild. 30-year old pads should not be trusted, regardless of remaining "meat"; the brake lines have the manufacture date embossed in them. Have a look; if original they need to be replaced immediately as well.

The original brake lines had a four-year recommended service life; the caliper and master cylinder seals a TWO-year recommended life. Granted, those might be a tad conservative; but 30 years is WAAYYY beyond any designed-in "margin" for safety.

The brakes, front and rear, should be completely rebuilt before you think about seriously riding the bike. Anything less is courting disaster.

Plus, it gives you the opportunity to upgrade to braided stainless steel lines; the single biggest improvement you can make to the stock system.

 

Go through your manual and do all of the items under the maintenance section. i.e. brakes, valves, carbs, fluids, filter, tires, battery, etc.

When changing out the oil and filter use a Fram CH6003 filter, it comes with the o-rings you need to replace. And make sure you use motorcycle oil, not car oil.

When you need parts go to the XJ4Ever link in the upper right corner of this site. Len's got anything you'll need.

As a matter of fact, go there and read the first half of page one of the catalog. You won't learn it in college, and you'll impress the hell out of your buddies that you know so much about your new ride.

 

Haha, Nice looking bike!

But a quick question, how challenging and what tools do you need to check valve clearance? Does it just have to do with the cam chain or cam shaft?

 

Valve clearance check and adjust how-to with pics: http://xjbikes.com/Forums/viewtopic/t=14827.html

Part Deux: http://xjbikes.com/Forums/viewtopic/t=29209.html

These and many other "how-to" articles can be found in the "XJ FAQ Suggestions" forum.

 

Glad to have you aboard.

 

man there sure seem to be a lot of 750's out there with the "round" conversion kit installed

 

@fitz: so it's not too hard to do? Think it should definitely be done if it never has been?

 

To the point that I'm beginning to think the later 750 Max came that way; or that there was a variant of it that did. It's not just the round headlight; those bikes (if you're thinking abou the two I am) were also Atari-less, with Maxim-style (flat on the bottom) round gauges.

You mean valve clearances? Absolutely. The valve clearances were to have been checked at 3000 miles and then every 5000 miles thereafter. They were often ignored. The problem with this is that the clearances TIGHTEN with the miles, not loosen. Ignore them long enough and they'll get tight enough that you'll eventually burn a valve or two.

Did you read the pictorials I posted the links to? No, it's not all that hard; what's more important is that if you really are going to recommission and ride this bike, you'll be doing it every 5000 miles. So it's a procedure that you'll need to learn and embrace; it's vital to the health of the motor.

 

Very nice looking Maxim.
Welcome fellow cheesehead.
By all means plan on attending THIS, next year. I'll be there on an 81 XJ650.

 

WOW, i am so glad i joined this forum and posted!! I usually just like to join forums so i can read all the information, and tend not to ask questions in lieu of looking stupid.

But boy am i glad i did this time!!

I will be doing a complete front and rear brake rebuild, as well as looking at the valve clearance. That delamitation issue is downright scary. I'm glad that person who's delaminated with his 6 year old on back was at low speeds.

The brakes should be pretty simple as i have done some brake work on cars, but the valves will be something new to me. I'll have to do some research before i attempt it

 

Re: Valves-- look in my how-to articles, I did them because the bookS are sadly lacking, photo-wise. No further research needed, honest. As I've pointed out, valve clearances have to be done every 5000 miles. If you're going to actually USE the bike, 5K runs by pretty quick. It's something you need to learn to do because it's NOT a one-time thing. It gets easier every time.

The brakes are SIMPLER than most cars, by far. But a major PIA to bleed, even for the most experienced mechanics amongst us, yours truly included.

Don't worry about asking questions; we have no problem answering them as long as you actually listen to what we're saying. Quite a few of us are currently riding properly resurrected XJs on a regular basis (and loving it.) It just takes a bit of work up front; the more thorough you are the less BS you'll have to deal with once you start using the bike regularly.

Lots of good stuff in "XJ FAQ Suggestions." I try to do "how-to's" that fill in the gaps in the manuals.

 

I was intimidated by the valves at first glance, but checking them is a breeze and re-shimming was only a challenge for one of my valves and after creating a tool from a chip puller the second time around was also really easy. Truthfully if you can work on brakes then you can handle the valves and just about anything else on these bikes you will need to do. Yamaha made them easy by comparison to work on.

Don't be afraid to ask questions here. There are NO stupid questions only stupid previous owners who did stupid things because they didn't ask appropriate questions before "winging" it.

 

I think you are right Fitz, I think it was the 1983 midnight 750 maxims that came with the rounded headlights, blinkers, and 650 style Atari. Makes sense to me, I think the round looks much better.

 

not just midnight, all 1983 750's I think

 

Great tutorial on the valve clearance, it doesent seem as intimidating anymore, sounds manageable.


And you are completely right about getting my ducks in a row before i ride it as much as i plan to, because unlike some who may have XJ's for collector appeal that may just ride them every once in a while, I plan on riding as much as i can for transportation, as well as just riding. My car gets good mileage (34) but this will be much more enjoyable and fun

My sister lives 200 miles away and i plan on visiting her more now, so the 5000 miles will rack up quick at 400 miles a trip!

But thats okay! Its just like my car - 1998 ford escort wagon with 208,000 miles - i've had to learn how to service it myself as it otherwise wouldn't be cost effective to keep it running. My bike is a little different as its more of a
"classic" but i still have make sure to keep it safe.

I wish i could talk to the owner before the guy i bought it from. I guess he was an older guy who was also a car mechanic, which makes me wonder if he would have done some of these things already. The guy i bought if from bought it in june of this year to ride back and forth 2 miles each day to work. He was completely oblivious to anything mechanical, to the point that he called fuses spark plugs.... but at least he only owned it for a few months and was selling it as he was transferring to a different school.

Thanks again for the advice, It will be heeded to.

Couple questions right off the bat though:

-Where can you buy the "valve tool" - i figure it would be a good investment if im going to need it every 5000 miles.

- Where do you get the replacement gasket for the valve cover?

Thanks again!

 

Nice!! Im putting it on the calendar!!

 

XJ4Ever has both. Top right of your page there's a link. The catalog is not interactive, but it's all there and at the beginning it tells you what page to go to for specific parts. You will learn quite a bit from just reading this as well. If you place an order with Chacal, you will have it very quickly and get just what you need and expect. The update is few years back so some prices have changed. Once you PM or Email him the parts you need, he will send you a quote with the correct prices and information for ordering.

You can also try other online suppliers, but they aren't XJ specific so you might end up with something unexpected. There are lots of good used and NOS parts listed on eBay (some are way overpriced so shop wisely).

 

I did read the pictorial! How long does it take? It's one of the things to do on my list! And as with the round conversion, I don't think I'll change mine. It's not the prettiest thing out there, but it adds a uniqueness to the machine and the time era. I think I'm going to keep mine stock to with hold the nostalgia of the bike.

 

Wait, where is it?

 

Top right of the XJBikes page there is an animated gif showing XJ4Ever, that's a link to the catalog. You can also access it in the Sell, Trade, Swap, Wanted forum. Look for the post with over 800,000 views.

 

It's in the "XJ4Ever - Supporting Vendor" forum.

 

I don't think anyone notices that one. It hasn't had any posts since 2010 and the catalog has only had 200000+ views versus 800000+ for the other one. Maybe it should be bold red or moved down. Or better yet let's get an interactive one!

 

Here's some better pics - i took the side covers and front fender off for cleaning, as well as a couple other trim pieces.

 

Side cover update:

Before on the left, after on the right. I want to get at it with a buffer still, but it certainly looks alot better already, thats for sure.

 

And a question, does anyone know of a place that re-chromes plastic? The fork trim piece looks pretty rough and i think painting it would look kinda ghetto... What would you guys recommend?

See:

 

plastic chroming isnt the way to go its gotten expensive. I would just paint them so you can make sure you clean and shine them

 

Chrome it yourself.
Caswell Inc plating kits

Ghost

 

Find a nice one on eBay. If you're patient enough you'll snag an NOS one cheap.

I was going to check my NOS sources for you, but I'm damned if I can find that bloody thing in the fiche.

You try; I need a part number: http://www.yamahapartshouse.com/

Those folks won't show it as available; I just need the part number to be able to check for you.

 

4H7-23395-00-00

I think this is it, under "STEERING"

 

Used on 80-83 XJ650 Maxim, and 83 XJ 750 Maxim.

Ghost

 

nice find on the part number!! how did you find it?!

As for price, what is normal? the cheapest I've found online is around 40 dollars not including shipping