Newbie

HI: In the process of getting back on a road bike after 35 years. Have ridden quads & dirt bikes, but recently got the bug to get a road bike. Have done some research and feel the Maxim x 750 would be a good bike for me. I have come across one for sale for $1000.00 Canadian. The bike is in mint shape with new exhaust - extra fuel tank - fenders. The bike has 44k kilo. The owner took it to a local bike shop, because after sitting for three years it wouldn't fire. They cleaned the carbs & it finally fired after using ether. They also did a compression test & indicated to him that two front cylinders are around 140 but the rear two are between 35 - 40 & would require a top end job. Not quite sure if I should pursue this one? Your input would be greatly appreciated. Mike

 

Compression test was done warm? Did they actually get the engine running and stable? 35-40 psi is pretty bad. The manual says you can put a tsp of oil in each cylinder and re-test to help determine if the issue is with the top end or the rings.

I did rings and top end on my Maxim-X this year. Of course I'd recommend you avoid that if possible, but I think the X a great bike. If you can't find a healthy one, but think the X is for you, try to negotiate and get ready to read a lot on this forum and devote some time to wrenching. There will be lots of things to fix/check, and you'll find a lot of posts here that suggest taking a 30-year old bike to a dealer is an exercise in futility. If you're not ready to do some wrenching, this bike is probably not be for you. Personally, I've become a hobby mechanic working on my XJ bikes and I've found it rewarding.

Note the XJ's don't have front and rear cylinders.

 

if those compression numbers are correct
1000 is a lot.. even in Canadian money
offer 600
also having to start it with ether is a scary thing

 

Front two, back two.....sure it's not a V-Max????