Custom 1982 Maxim 650

X2

 

x's infinity..

 

So, I finally have my bike back! I picked it up last weekend. Haven't been around to really go through it yet. It seems like he rewired it, got to the point that I did and now I'm back to square one. The good news is that it didn't cost me anything.
This winter will be a good time to take it all apart and try to set up a simple wiring harness with the help of the forums and the helpful members of XJbikes.

 

Congrats Moose. Glad you managed to save your bike from 'modern motorcycle mechanic' hell and didn't get penalized for trusting the dweeb. How do these guys call themselves mechs???

I really like your velocity stacks-exactly what I've recommended all along for pods because you've given 2&3 their 'own' air space where 1&4 aren't creating a vacuum around their inlets-very nice.

I doubt your forward control chains will stretch much at all. A drive chain is experiencing WAY more torque on a daily basis and still takes a while to stretch.

With the wiring: It can be a real &^%$! and drive you nuts yes, but they are only wires don't let it stress you. 99% of the time the issue is really simple. The KEY is to be methodical, go slow, only change one thing at a time, take notes while you go so you know what was where or what didn't work. If you're game do a Google search on basic wiring and familiarize yourself with the way it works. Seek out information that isn't written for an electrician but is in plain language. Use a wiring diagram when you're doing the work. Stay patient no matter what happens.

If you are planning on doing a simple wiring system you will need some basic supplies/tools to do it right. If you have any questions just come on here and ask and we will drag you to the electric light orchestra!! :lol:

 

What's the latest on this? update

 

sick!! i like it!! love the fwd controls!

 

I like the radiator hoses idea, I wonder if the longer lengths will have a big effect on the fuel mixture for carbs #2 and #3, though.

 

Hello XJers.
I appologize for the long delay in updates. The reason for that is that I have done almost nothing to the bike since I got it back. Combine a busy life with a bit of discouragement, and you get... A stalled project.
We only have a few weeks of winter left up here in New England, so I guess I better get my butt in gear if I want to ride.
I'm not sure how the intake mods will affect the fuel mixture yet. The jets that 6sigma sent me are just a little different size for the two inner and two outer carbs. They did this when I explained to them the difference in lengths of the intakes. I don't recall the specific sizes, but when I get back into it again, I will find out the sizes. After running and tuning I'll have a better idea as to what does and doesn't work.

 

Looking forward to it, have fun.

 

So I've gotten back into the the wiring on the bike. I have been trying to plan out a harness based on the simple wiring diagram that was linked in the earlier post from Aloy. I am still having trouble wrapping my brain around electrical stuff. So I have questions.
Does this setup just eliminate most of the saftey relays? I don't mind, I just want the bike to run as simply as possible.
Also, is it ok that all of the grounds are in separate locations, or should the be linked as in the original harness.
One more possibly dumb question. I see a lot of single lines going between components. Are some of these going to actually have two wires going between them? For example, should there be two wires looping a circuit between the horns and the horn switch?
Any help or advice would be great. I want to ride!

 

I have the wiring mostly completed now. All necessary lights are working and the bike turns over now. It doesn't start without starter fluid, and doesn't stay running yet. So I still have some work ahead of me. Step one will be to drain the gas. The tank had about 1/4 of a gallon of two year old gas in it that I just added to like a dummy.

 

Wow, over a year since my last post!
Just a little update. The bike is running now. I've only test ridden it around the yard a few times though. There are still some kinks to work out. For starters, the rear brake needs some attention. I believe there is too much play in the whole setup. I'm going to try to take care of that, but I want to go through the rear brakes completely first. They may be frozen from sitting for so long. I also need to fix some wiring. I made a couple of wires too short. The tension changes when the handlebars are turned. That undid something and I lost my gauge and flashers on the turn signals.
It was really satisfying to have it running and ride it for a few hundred yards though! It reminded me of why I started this project so long ago.

 

Hey man I was just admiring your bike. You have allot of great ideas. I have been contemplating using my stock seat and just cutting it down like you did. Now that I have seen that it can be done I'm definitely going to save some money and cut my own. I have one question. how did you mount the seat to the bike or did you use the stock mount?
could you take some pictures of how you mount in the seat?

 

I'm away from town right now. I'll take some pictures this weekend and post some details about the seat setup when I get back. I hope to get into the rear brakes too.

 

Ok cool. I really like your build. Great job.

 

Sorry to leave you hanging, but I didn't end up spending any time on the bike this weekend. The main idea behind my seat fastener is similar to a wall clamp for a broom. I have 3/4's of some round plastic tube sections connected to the bottom of the seat in the rear. This grabs onto the crossmember. The front mount stayed the same. I promise I'll get some pictures next weekend.

 

Hey no problem man.

 

A rundown and pictures of the seat bracket:
The plastic tubing is screwed to a steel bar running inside the seat base. It's done on a ridge that rests on the crossmember of the frame. I notched the seat base ridge where the tubing will go. This allows the sectioned tubing to line up with the crossmember without raising the rear of the seat.
You can see the steel bar in the pictures. I notched the seat base too deeply at first, before I knew what I was doing. But it helps you guys see what's going on.
I definitely recommend making your bracket while the seat is apart. I did mine after the fact, and it required some fussing to get the steel bar located on the inside of the plastic, drilled and the removed for tapping, and then replaced for assembly.
The screw heads dig up the frame, but I'm sure a little ingenuity could get you past that. My whole bike is just spray bombed, so if it gets all scuffed up, meh...

 

Chain drive forwards .... Now that's neat----

I wouldn't think they'd really stretch all that much....

 

Nice job.

Countersink those screw heads. The paint is there to prevent rust; looking pretty is just a bonus. You also need gromets to protect your wiring that passes into the frame.