Me and my New XJ750 Maxim and I mean NEW!!!

Good lord. If you keep riding like that, especially on a 30 year-old bike, you won't be around for long.

 

Welcome to XJBikes.

Nothing will help old tires other than retirement-they are chemically broken down and are VERY dangerous to ride on. The front end 'wiggle' is a direct result of those tires. Can also be brakes, or bearings causing it but start with your tires. Get new tires mounted and balanced and it will handle totally different and so much better.

You would be shocked at the appearance of many 'restored' XJ's that owners on here ride. Some are better than new.

You can buy a breathable cover to protect it from the sun, or just ride it into your bedroom

Motorcycle oil is designed to work with your wet clutch and is also designed for air cooled engine temperatures. Conventional motorcycle oil (not synthetic) is same price as automotive.

I'll let someone else explain the stylistic differences as I'm not sure which years/models had what but I know there were differences.

The seca or any other old bike will always need work to make them safe. And really any bike requires work, but the new ones are MUCH more expensive to have it done-and you can't do a lot of it yourself or you will void your warranty. The work needed isn't as hard as you might think and it will keep you riding and alive.

 

My biggest problem right now is I don't have the owners manual. Probably has some useful information I'd like to know, especially fluids.

Chris.

 

A Haynes manual will have all the info you need for most maintenance.

 

COOL! I was hoping someone would pick this up

 

Hi Happydog, the reason for the round gauges is that you are the happy owner of a 1983 model Maxim. 1982 was the only year the Maxim 750 got the "hi-tech" instrument cluster.

 

I wasn't kidding; and if you keep it up you will get hurt. It's NOT NEW just because it's "pristine." Those are two different things. You can GET IT to where it's safe to be blasting around on; but it's NOT in its current condition and you're courting disaster ignoring this advice.

 

A. 91 in a 35 is illegal, so I wouldn't be bragging that up in a public forum.

B. If you wanted a used bike you didn't have to do any work on, you should have bought a 2010.

C. Take a look at Fitz's gallery, my build thread, or any of a number of other build threads on here, especially Wizard's. We can prove to you that if you take your time and do the work, our rebuilt bikes can look better than yours, and be a hell of a lot safer.

 

And how do you know you were going 91 if the gauge only goes to 85?

Stupid move on old tires and brakes.

 

91 MPH and let go of the handle bars? With 30 year old tires and brakes.

I'm sorry but that is about the most stupid thing I have ever heard anyone do on this forum. Get some common sense or you'll get hurt in short order, if not dead.

It's bad enough when one of our members gets hurt or killed when they are out in traffic. I would not like to see your name added to that list.

MN

 

Thank you for the reply's. I only did it once, or maybe 3 times.
It was a typo, I was only going 19mph. I got caught up in the moment.

I have a service manual that says 20-40 SE Motor Oil. I looked at every store and can only find 20-50. I don't want to wait until Tuesday and get the $9 a quart YamahaLube. Anybody know if it's OK to use the 20-50?

Chris.

 

20-50 motorcycle oil, yes.

 

My book shows a 'Engine drain plug" and a "Middle gear drain plug." We can't find the middle one. Where is it at? Do I need to drain both? It shows in the book I do, why two?
The engine drain plug on mine has a bolt with a screw in it. The book shows a normal drain plug. What's going on?

Thank you,
Chris.

 

Don't loosen the middle gear drain plug. The oil drain plug faces forward just under the oil filter housing. It's the hex-head bolt that also has a phillips head in it.

 

Also don't over tighten the oil filter bolt. The torque spec is cast into it. I don't recall off hand the value but it's not much.

And to reiterate, use motorcycle oil, non synthetic. Valvoline 20W 50 is a good choice. Regular automotive oil has friction modifiers the your clutch won't like. And your starter clutch might not like the synthetic.

Sabre, yours has a Phillips head also? (Not trying to steer the thread)

 

You should have a place in the shop where you can look to see where you have written ... 31 / 11

I wrote it it right on the wall.
You won't regret having the figures right where you can see them.

31 - Drain Plug
11 - Oil Dome Bolt

The next time I do Oil and Filter, ... I'm going to use my new Engraver and etch it right on the Fasteners.

 

OK, fine with me but just wondering why it says so in the book if I don't have to?
Question would be, not if I have to or not, but why does it say so in the book when I don't have to.

Is the fluid the same place just two places to drain?

Chris.

 

Because there is only a very small amount of oil (like less than an ounce) you will get out of the middle gear when you try to remove the plug (if successful), and there is a huge chance of messing up the threads and creating a leak. And yes, it is the same oil that flows thru the whole engine.

 

mook1al,

Like your project. I read though the build thread.

What's the deal with the Phillips head in the plug? What's it for? If I understand, I take the plug out and pretend the screw is not there?

Has anyone used the Shinko 712 Motorcycle Tire on a XJ? Seems to have good reviews but before I order, since I've gotten such good advice here, just wondering any input for an XJ.

Chris.

 

It is used for a temperature probe at the factory. No need for it to be removed for oil changes, or anything for that matter unless you have one of the factory temp probes and are just curious.

Thanks for the comment on my build. I finally got an exhaust on the way, and hope it turns out good.

I have no opinion on the Shinko tires, never used them. I can say that I very much like the Spitfires, and the Dunlop 404.