New 81 650 Maxim Owner

Hey all.

I'm a current owner of a 78 XS1100.

My girlfriend has bee talking about getting a bike for herself for a bit and a couple days ago I came across this 81 650 Maxim on Craigslist for $375. I checked it out and offered him $300 and he agreed.

Ill be doing a complete tear down over the next couple months, catching up on some needed maintenance, powder coating and painting. She doesn't know about it and I want to have it completed by Christmas as a surprise. In the shape its in it should take much money.

The tank has a dent in it so I'm thinking of finding a better tank, needs brake work, seat redone and a few other small things.

I'm sure Ill have a few questions during the process. Hopefully not too many.




And an unneeded pic of my XS1100.

 

Welcome to the forums! I'm glad to see you are keeping with the XJ's and XS' for bikes!

Now I know you are stoked about the $300 XJ650, but PLEASE make sure you go over some rather basic safety inspections and replacements (these will save your - or in this case your girlfriend's - life):

Pull the rear wheel and replace the drum brakes. No matter how old, they may become delaminated, locking the rear wheel unexpectedly.

Check the date codes on those brake lines. Replace any brake lines over 4 years old. I HIGHLY recommend stainless steel lines from Chacal / XJ4ever (banner at the top of the page). They are a bit pricier, but will easily outlast the bike. The original rubber hoses were designed to last 4 years TOPS.

Do a complete engine tune-up.
Compression test @ WOT: looking for 125-140psi per cylinder.
Adjust the valves, get them in spec. .015-.020" exhaust and 0.10-0.15" intake clearances.
Carburetors! Click the XJ4ever banner at the top of this page and find 'the church of clean' go through the carbs religiously and make them spotless.
Wet set the carb foat bowls
Bench sync the carbs
Install them and vacuum sync / colortune if possible - make that beautiful piece of machinery run better than when Yamaha shipped it to the dealer!

AFTER you do all that, tackle the paint / resto / etc. work you planned on for your lucky lady.


A side note, if you update your location information in your profile (menu bar on the left of this page) and your bikes in your signature (such as you see in mine) it makes it easier for the gurus to figure out what bike and where you are, and give immediate input without you having to explain every time.

If you get in a pinch and keep scratching your head, with your location info perhaps someone nearby will recognize a problem they know a solution to and may be able to meet up with you to get the bugs worked out.

Don't be afraid to contact Len (member 'Chacal', XJ4Ever), our resident parts supplier for any missing bits you need. Without him, nearly none of the bikes ridden by members of the site would be on the road today. I can personally vouch for him, seeing as I just received my probably 8th or 9th order from him and have never had a problem with wrong parts or being sold useless junk / not getting all the parts needed.

Okay, so MAYBE that was a bit of a long post, but I stand by every word of it. Welcome, again, to the forums and please keep us posted on the restoration you do of the new 650!

 

Thanks.

Yeah I plan on doing all of that during the tear down. Everything will be gone through. Ill be replacing the lines on both bikes with SS. I hadn't thought of changing the rear brake to disk, Ill have to look into that. I already have all the equipment for synching and tuning from my XS so that will all be done. Should be in better than new shape when I'm done.

 

Nice looking XS.

 

You CAN change out to disc brakes on the wheel if you like, but I understand that requires a rear wheel swap and a bunch of other stuff. What I was saying (I may not have been entirely clear) was to replace the drum brake pads with NEW drum brake pads. Delamination is when the old pad material separates from the drum shoes, likely getting jammed up between the shoes and drum and locking the wheel.

 

Ah ok. I misunderstood. The pads will most certainly be changed out, along with all other parts considered part of "normal maint.".

 

Welcome aboard! Damn, that XS110 is clean! Did you rebuild it or get it that way?

I have an extra set of rear brake shoes from my XJ750 that might work if yours have issues. They're used but plenty of life left on them & no de-lam issues. I would have just kept them on my bike but I already had new replacements before I pulled the wheel.

 

Thanks. I bought it mostly like that. Ive done a few things to it. Rebuilt carbs, petcocks, new fuse block, ACCT.

Thanks for the offer. Ill keep it in mind when I start tearing the 650 aparts.

 

Real quick, a correction to some info given above:

Valve clearances are .16mm~.20mm exhaust and .11mm~.15mm intake.

(The not-quite-equivalent Imperial measurements are .006"~.008" and .004"~.006")