New Here And New To Motorcycles

Hello my name is Mike im 23 and just recently bought a 81 Yamaha maxim 550 . I always wanted a motorcycle and finally got one lol. I still need to get my bike license, but first I want to make sure my bike is safe and 100% ready for the road. Im pretty darn handy with a wrench so most all repairs will be done by me I bought the bike for $350 and its currently still inspected.
I like the bike I feel comfortable on it I ride it around my 3 acer property to get the feel of it. Theres some issues with it I hope to get fixed and hope I can get some much needed help/info from here.


Here's a pic of it day I got it.

 

Welcome to the madness . Nice looking bike.

 

Really nice looking bike! I'm in the same boat as you. Got my first bike very recently. Everyone on here is friggin awesome and you'll be able to get your bike fixed up in no time!

Check your rear brakes, first and foremost! Probably need new tires too. Mine "looked" good. Date code was 1990 though!! Safety first!

 

Nice score. Very nice color too.

As stated, welcome to the madness, though it's a good one =).


Also, as stated, check / replace the rear brake, plus the front brake lines. Rebuilding the master cylinder & caliper is a good idea too, but the lines are only built to last 4 years, so be aware.

Have fun, be safe.

 

Correct: Check front and rear brakes and lines first. Stopping is more important than going, and odds are the dates on the front lines are well past their 4-5 year lifespan. One hard braking moment could blow the lines and you'll lose 70% of your stopping power (until you hit that tree of course).

Good to see you're focusing on the inspection. Don't rush things, it's a journey not a destination. Welcome to XJ!

 

You scored on that one! def needs some TLC. You'll get her there!

 

Thanks everyone and the po said he put tires on 2k miles ago really good thread im still going to check them for dry cracks/leaks and im going to go through the brake system. Im currently stuck trying to find out y it has a knock type sound at idle and it either needs a carb cleaning or its got a vac leak somewhere

 

Welcome, Fellow newbie here also. I too joined this site to get some help with my xj750. Loads of information here. My best tip for you would be to do a proper search on the forums before asking a question as most questions have been asked and answered. If you then get stuck then its fair game. Some answers even have step by step illustrations for the fix. Great bunch of people here. Also get a manual for your bike asap. They're not always 100% correct but it will get you most of the way there. Once again Welcome!!!!

 

PS : Nice Looking Bike !!!

 

First, on your tires..... don't go by the mileage it what the po told you.... go by the date code on the tires.

Second, do your valve shims before your carbs. You CAN N OT get your carbs without your valves in spec.

Third, search for 'in the church of clean' and 'the whole nine yards' they are the definitive carb cleaning guides

 

yah do trust the PO with anything, they are just out to sell the bike (in most cases). checking everything yourself will just relieve any doubt. tires should have some sorta date code stamped on them, as well as the brake lines. and dont be afraid to tackle things like valves and carbs, it may sounds scarey but once you get in there and do it you realize how easy it was, and how much better your bike will be afterwards. and if you put your bike info in your signature so we can help with any question and not have to search for your bikes info (make model and year)

great looking bike!

 

Great first bike!
My XJ is my first also, fun to ride and with help from this site (and a manual) they are pretty easy to work on.

There are a lot of people here that will give you advice, some REALLY wise ones and others like me. :lol:

The knock that you hear at idle might be normal. You should add checking of valve clearances to your to-do list. When my bike is at idle there is a rhythmic tik-ika, pac-ika sound that is musical to me. :?

 

It has a "knock type sound" at idle because it's a 550 and your idle isn't smooth.

The 550s (unlike the bigger, shaft-driven bikes) have a "true" primary chain (actually drives the clutch/trans) with an hydraulically operated (by oil pressure) tensioner. At low RPM the tensioner tends to relax and the chain slack will rattle the clutch/trans. This is normal.

However, it can be greatly reduced when you get the bike properly tuned and get rid of the "lump-lump-lump" loping idle. Properly tuned, the bike should idle like a sewing machine, with just a steady, happy clatter and no "lumpiness." Get the idle smoothed out and the primary "knock" will nearly vanish.

Your first steps toward this will be to get your valve clearances in spec and then clean, service and adjust the carbs. The truly smooth idle will only be achieved with a good accurate vacuum sync after those things have been attended to.

Oh, and when you change the oil (which you're going to do immediately) be sure to use a motorcycle specific, conventional 20W50 (20W40 recommended but almost impossible to find) such as Castrol 4T. The FRAM CH6003 oil filter comes with both o-rings, too.

FIRST THING YOU HAVE TO DO BEFORE ALL ELSE: Pull the rear wheel and visually inspect the rear brake shoes. READ this: http://xjbikes.com/Forums/viewtopic/t=15874.html and understand this is very common. Don't take any chances.

 

Fitz, does that CH6003 fit the 650 Maxim by chance?

 

Yes. Same stock filter, 550/650/750. The FRAM is widely available; I usually get them from Advance Auto or O'Reilly's. The Wix version comes with the o-rings too, and NAPA reboxes the Wix under their own "Powersomething" brand. The last couple I got from my local NAPA primarily because I can easily walk there.

 

Sweet, time to make some calls! I want to change the oil tomorrow.

EDIT: What does the "wix" version mean? I just had advance order me that CH6003... it will come with o-rings right?

 

Wix is another filter brand.