"New" 1983 750Maxim

I am real new at this chat business, but it was suggested I start a new thread. I bought a 750 in Okinawa in 1983. It has followed me to Germany, California and now occupies a prominent place in my Florida garage--as a shelf. It is still in the original packing crate and has never been titled. I would like to get it going. I "understand" it is still on the original factory warranty, but there must be some statute of limitations involved. Any suggestions about putting it together again. I understand that to keep the warranty, I have to use an authorized dealer to set it up. Thanx.

 

This is so awesome! I think you're probably right about the warranty no longer being viable but I would definintely call the closest Yamaha dealer to get things started. They might charge you an arm and a leg to put it together OR if they think it's as cool as everyone on this site will, maybe they'll cut you a break.

How much assembly is actually required? I would guess that you might have to replace some seals and gaskets here and there that would have dried out over time, but tough to say without really getting in there.

We need pics!! :lol:

Let me (or us) know if you need help posting pics on here.. it can be a pain at first but pretty easy once you figure it out. Photobucket.com helps!

Good luck, I can't wait to see your progress on this one!

 

That sounds like a collectors item.

If it were me, I'd keep it the way it is and find another 750 to ride.

 

Word. Aside from the sentimental value. I would hang on to it for another 20 years n make bank off it lol.

 

Pics for sure!

 

If you DO end up wanting to ride it, count on new tires, brake pads, and brake lines.


Can't wait to see pics. It would be cool to see pics of not only the bike once it's together, but also how it's packed in the crate and all the pieces it's in.

So awesome!!

Do you have any other bikes?

 

I think I would call Yamaha and see if they have a place for that in a museum. Something like that might be valuable to them or other motorcycle museum. There's probably a hundred or so places that would love to have that to show off to the public. Even a large dealership. Might be worth 3-5K if you sold it to an individual. The right dealership might give you a new or newer traded in bike. Just something to think about...

 

I think I would call Yamaha and see if they have a place for that in a museum. Something like that might be valuable to them or other motorcycle museum. There's probably a hundred or so places that would love to have that to show off to the public. Even a large dealership. Might be worth 3-5K if you sold it to an individual. The right dealership might give you a new or newer traded in bike. Just something to think about...

 

teddytedted...
I thought I could handle the attachments, but I must have screwed up. I don't even know if my last post got thru. Found the old paperwork. Paid $2540. Serial # JYA22R DA001829. Engine # 22R001820. I will try to add an attachment to this, but I may need your help.

mtnbikecraxy55...
Good point on the rubber. Did it have a dry battery? I guess I'll find out.

 

PM sent for uploading pics..

*EDIT - check out this youtube video, probably much easier than the instructions I typed out:

http://youtu.be/6UxjW7Aq_eU

 

Truly a unique bike and story. I hope the comments about Yamaha making good on the warranty or it being a collectors item come true.

Sadly my experience with large manufacturers (Toyota) has been more along the lines of we just want to sell you a brand new product and that's where our loyalties and warranties lie. Foolish and greedy for sure but corporations aren't smart.

I carried an old Volkswagen '74 type I with me for a long time and less than 6 hours after I sold it I knew I had made a mistake. Yea it wasn't the safest, newest or sharpest car around and I had good reasons for selling-but it was mine and we had history together, but nowhere near as long as yours with your bike. I say get it put together and ride it.

If the warranty will still be in effect I would take it to the nearest Yamaha dealer and see what they say. If not then you might find an 'older' bike mechanic in your area to take it on, or...use this site and journey onward to doing it yourself! Could be fun.

 

Unless it's been hermetically sealed, you will have issues with the rubber components, Ozone, Oxygen, and other atmospheric factors cause rubber parts to deteriorate over long periods of time. It has been reported by other members here that the brake lines have a 4 year lifespan. You may also find that you have oil leaking from various seals on the engine. Just thought you'd like to know.

 

+1 on checking out all the rubber goods to be sure they are not dry rotted. The brake fluid is probably dust by now. I'm sure there will be some issues but way cool to say the least. I had to take mine back to the dealer and have them check the valves after about 600 miles. Then it was 5000 after that. That was back in 1982 when I got my first 650 Maxim.

MN

 

I will try to send out some recent pics. Here goes...



http://i1297.photobucket.com/albums/ag3 ... 43b5ad.jpg

 

Well, I guess I was able to upload/download a post. I'll try to get out some more.

 

Another photo which might be interesting.

 

MN-Maxims, if I'm not mistaken there are no fluids, except maybe fork oil in the bike. And by the looks of the pic, it may not be hermetically sealed, but it's still protected to some extent.

 

And your warranty paper looks legal and binding since it has never been through the initial setup. Of course that doesn't mean the setup will be free.

I wouldn't think there are any fluids at all. That would all be done during the initial setup. Rubber typically will decay when exposed to normal conditions, but those include moisture, sunlight, and oxygen. Considering it's been in the crate it may be in better shape than you would expect.

Love those Japanese Kanji characters!

 

Come on people. There's no warranty. It's 30 years old.

As others have said on this thread there will be many rubber parts that will be needing to be replaced (read brake components especially). It doesn't matter if it's never been used.

Looks like a real neat project!

 

That is what I said before biggs, but if you read his contract it has NO TIMELINE related to it being 30 years old. I'm not saying Yamaha wouldn't try and weasle out of it somehow or just claim that it's too old, only that the paperwork states that the warranty begins after initial setup. It's never been setup and this isn't a retail Yamaha, it was purchased through a US Military Exchange program. So you may be right but unless you're a lawyer for Yamaha I wouldn't be so sure.

I have a camera from the 1930's which was kept in a wooden box, away from sunlight, moisture and excess oxygen (as in out in the open) and it has a rubber shroud that is as pliable and strong as the day it was made. Obviously motorcycle parts aren't exactly the same, and I would agree about the brake lines-replace them with stainless anyway for better performance. But I seriously doubt anyone on here can speak from experience when it comes to uncrating a never before assembled, never before exposed motorcycle.

 

Not trying to steer the thread or go too far off topic but I also doubt there's a dealer out there that will touch this. Why? Liability. Any dealer with a brain is going to know that without replacing most of the rubber parts this bike isn't going to be safe to ride.

And the cost of setting this bike up will be very high I would have to think. There's the previously mentioned brake components and don't think for a minute you're going to put a battery in and a splash of gas and this will fire right up. The carbs will need to be thoroughly cleaned at a minimum. Very likely the seals are in need of replacement as well. And who knows what the inside of the gas tank looks like. It may be pristine. But I doubt it. Going by what the OP said this was stored in Japan, California and now sunny Florida. Now I realize that doesn't mean it was necessarily near a coast (salt air) but the humidity alone will do a fair amount of deterioration. Thirty years is a long time.

That being said open that crate Harry! Let's have a look.

 

carbs cleaned on a brand new bike? gaskets. will most likely need replaced. ill agree there. but the carbs?

 

I feel like your (HarryT3) Dr. Zahi Hawass finding a royal tomb in the Valley of the Kings, and your about to pop the sarcophagus open. We're just waiting for you to crack it and examine the mummified remains.

 

^I feel the same way. Very exciting! Watch out for scarabs

 

They do run these engines at the factory. I suspect that they would drain the carbs before crating but there's still going to be residue that after this amount of time has blocked some passages.

Remember, this really isn't a 'brand new" bike.

 

Just the fact of having a 30 year old untouched anything is remarkable. Being that it is crated, it was likely packaged for vessel shipment and exporting. But... that packaging is just as susceptible to deterioration as the components of the bike itself. I highly doubt it would be in pristine, assembly line condition, but it is possible. My curiosity of wanting to see what condition it was in would be most overwhelming. But I would talk to antique collectors and Yamaha before I so much as waved a crowbar at it. You may have an exceptionally valuable collectable on your hands if you chose to go that route. I am one of those people that would research the real value before I touched it, as it will certainly be worth more in it's current state than it would be if it were assembled and titled. If I just wanted to have a good condition 83 to ride, I would just restore one (oh wait, that is what I am building with my 82 :wink: )

 

I checked Kelly and NADA, but they were no help. I agree, this might be a major operation. I'll try to get some photos thru the crate before I pop it open. My son-in-law and I did pry on the crate a little several years ago to see if anything was there. It was. In pieces and plastic. It was never stored in a climate-controlled environment so I'm certain there will be problems with rubber and seals. At least it was never outside. Thanks for all your advice and input.

 

oh man. do us a favor and reduce the drool factor. go open it right NOW! lol

 

X2 - pop that box.. let's see this bad boy!

I think, unfortunately, no matter how much we here at the site might love these bikes.. they're not very valuable. Even something as rare as what you've got on your hands might only sell for what you've already got invested into purchase and shipping costs over the years (especially if you figure in the cost of inflation).

http://www.usinflationcalculator.com/

I thought this was interesting.. based on the inflation calculator if you paid $2,540 in 1983, you'd have to sell it for more than $5,900 today just to break even.

Pop the box!!! :lol:

 

and when you do....video... and pictures..... LOTS of them, hehe

 

Oh, and above all else.. make sure you tear out that crappy factory airbox, slap some pods on there, hack the rear-end off behind the shocks, and slap on a solo seat and some drag bars ASAP! :lol:

 

I highly doubt anyplace but a museum or an auction house might be helpful with something this unique.

 

I have to agree with this. Due to the rareity of it.

I would deffinately get an evaluation done before opening that crate. Only then will you be able to make the decision on wether it is of more value as is, or not.

For all anyone knows. That crate could be a 5, or 6 figure deal. The one thing that is guaranteed is that the value will go down the moment the crate gets opened.

As much as I would love to see the bike also. Take the time to get the information first.

Ghost

 

I think if you opened up the crate, the bike, rubber and everything, would be just like new. If you put fluid, fuel it would start right up. You could drive it and it would drive like new. I think everything would check out OK, like new.
I am not saying you should do it, just that I think that is what it will be like.
Chris.

 

Howdy HD500, in case you were unaware of the phenomenon, TIME changes MATTER. The reason is very simple; Oxygen. The gas reacts with almost everything, metals, plastics, fluids, inorganic solids, then there are other more disruptive forms of Oxygen, like Ozone and the free radicals of Oxygen.
The only way this bike could remain like it was the day the crated it up, would be to vacuum packed, or placed in a vessel that could hold a noble gas such as Argon.

 

How about neon?

 

I bet the bike is pristine too.

Most items assembled over seas and packaged for shipment over seas is sprayed with cosmoline. This would seal the rubber and keep it like new. The plastic is usually placed over the parts for easier handling. I have seen firearms and antique cars/parts that had been stored in cosmoline and they are as new.

My 2005 FZ1 came shipped with cosmoline, was a bitch to get all of it off!

 

Trust me, the '82 Maxim is NOT "hermetically sealed." Back in ~'80/'81/'82, Yamaha had a problem with rust in the gas tanks from the bikes sitting on the docks (near the Pacific Ocean) for an extended period of time. Had they been "cosmolined" or otherwise sealed up, it wouldn't have been an issue.

It's just in a big plastic bag inside the crate.

 

Yeah if your speaking of that lovely caramel colored stuff that comes on new bare steel parts to keep them from rusting.. I highly doubt they would cover a bike with that nasty mess.

 

Just open the danged thing up and post some pics already!!! :wink: lol

 

The suspense is still killing me on this one - PM sent to HarryT3 for an update! :lol:

Just for the record - I was joking about the "pods & hacking" stuff. That's fine for my old beater but would be tragic to see it happen to something this rare.. hope I didn't scare him off!

 

I'm going to find a bunch of wood, make a crate and write on it and spray paint Japanese characters onto it then come up with a fake back story and "warranty-document", then post it up here too...I'm just egging him on now.

 

HEY! You know what they say! Curiostiy killed the Cat! Even if all these cats are VERY giddy about this bike. (Sweet BTW...)

There no Harm In checking to see if it has any worth, if it dosen't, the you can turn that crate into fire starter and LET'S SEE WHAT'S IN THE BOX!

A brand new Maxim must be Shiny...

 

HarryT3, you still out there?!? What happened? Hopefully there wasn't a curse on that crate! :twisted:

 

I'm guessing my taunts didn't work....

 

I wish I could afford to buy an 82 or 83 750 "crate" off of someone...
Replace the rubber, brake lines, rear brake pads and fluids and away I'd go Vroom Vroom!

 

I agree that time destroys most things rubber. However, I've seen some pretty nasty bikes that were not protected in a crate that still had decent rubber. I'd definitely get new tires, and at least check out the brake lines, but as for the engine, I'd take the hazard to guess that everything is going to be in great shape. I'm sure that most of the o-rings and seals had some form of grease or oil on them prior to and during installation, which should protect it from the air.