POLL: I have an XJ because...

why?because it is paid for.

 

Why? Because I Love It... and it was a gift.....

 

I bought mine new because I was tired adjusting for chain stretch on a KZ400. Didn't want to just give it away when I went to a Yamaha Venture, so I just kept it for local rides. After 13 years of not riding I got it out last year and put it back on the road.

 

It was free.

My BIL and SIL wanted the Maxim X out of the garage that had been sitting there for 19 years, taking up room. And I wanted to get a bike, my wife was cool with a free bike to start with. Might have $600 into it by the time I'm on the road, but I aint complaining. It looks pretty darn nice and has less then 2300 miles on it.

Glad I married the right sister, or I'd be the one giving away a bike.

 

Wait until he gets the CD's with all the pictures of this bike's Carb Overhaul.

Two of the Diaphragm Pistons needed to be pressed out.
One of them wouldn't budge until the Emulsion Tube and Piston bottom were equally pressed-up and out.

The Needle Jet was frozen-solid inside the Emulsion Tube.

These are ... Officially ... the most-fouled and most difficult to clean Carbs to grace my bench ... ever!

Real ... "Cool Hand Luke's"

 

Honestly,didn't really like it.Bought it cause it was cheap.Now I wouldn't get rid of it.Never liked small bikes.But the XJ650 is not your average 650 either.I've added longer forks,lowered the rear 4".Cut the seat down.Has a bigger bike feel now.

 

Im with "dayooper951" on this one.
(It was a guy we both served our apprenticeships together who gave it to me)

But now I have got it I just love the look of it.

 

well i bought mine from my dad as he was buying a new bike and i wanted to have a motorcycle, orgianlly thinking that i'll keep it until i'm comfortable riding a bike and keep it for a first timer bike then buy a new one..
But now i'm going to keep the bike and make her pretty and turn her into a girly bike!! i pretty much just fell in love with it.. its just a prefect little bike that got a little work to do but its worth it...

 

being honest the last 2, and it only cost me 70 quid ( and boy is this thing a money pit)

 

I was just looking for a first bike. This one was running, and was cheap. So I bought it and I ride it. I like it, but I think I want something a little more stable in some hard cornering. I do like the bike a lot though, and am thinking of finding a way to keep it when I buy another bike.

 

Hey, Coastie:

I wish you lived next-door.
Since I've been working on a set of Max-X Carbs that require pullin'-out all the stops ...

"I really gots alluh muh Mo-Jo woikin' "

I bet I could iron-out a couple-a wrinkles for ya!

 

I traded my brothers boat for it. The boat was about 15 years older than the bike and barely lake-worthy. I definitely got the better end of the deal.

 

Well I bought mine used with 1500 miles on it in 1986 and have had it ever since. It's just enough to go where I want so haven't felt the need to replace it. But the itch is coming ...I can feel it.

 

Well, to be honest it was free. I have always like the Seca's though, just never really seriously considered looking for one. My heart has always been my old '79 Suzi 750 GS that was imported from Germany... a so called "Police Special". Man, that bike was FAAAASSSSST!

 

I saw mine in my buddy's barn, asked what he wanted for it... It's been sitting since 1987, and was pretty dirty... But, it only had 8700 miles on it. He said he wanted $300, so I gave him $100 and my spare dual-band ham radio... It sat in my garage till about 4 months ago, which is when I decided to get it running. Thanks to this forum, I got it purring and already put 4K miles on it.

It's my daily ride, it's easy to work on, I can still get parts for it, it gets around 50MPG, it's light, and looks cool. Insurance is dirt cheap... What other reasons do you need?

oh... and it goes pretty fast for a 550 :-D

 

i'm 19, my dad bought it when he was 19, he's now 41. He then bought an xj1100 and then, about 1997 he stopped riding them both. Last year i told him if he gave me the 650 i'd get it running and get some use out of it, and now it runs and shines. Currently the head is off awaiting the arrival of new valve shims but soon to be back on the road again.

Love my Maxim and hopefully someday when i've upgraded to something a little bigger and shinier, i can pass it down.

 

I was between bikes and my sis bought a lot that had an old abandoned motorcycle sitting on it (for about 10+ years) (1985 XJ700N)

The paint was worn off by the elements and it looked like cra_, but my sis thought of me and said maybe I'd like it.

I went to haul it away with every intention of hauling it to the dump.

The engine was locked up (including the carbs being so locked up I could barley get them apart), the air filter had mice in it and was full of dog food.

There was no gas tank seat or handlebar controls.
No Keys
No title

E-Bay..... here we come.

I put it way out in my back yard by the chicken shack in the snow.
I did however pull all the plugs and squirted a few ounces of Marvel Mystery Oil in each cylinder, threw the plugs back in and forgot it for about 2 months.

When the weather warmed up I put the bike on the center stand and put her in 3rd and tried to rock the back tire back and forth by hand. It busted loose!

When my wife saw me pushing it up to the house, she really objected about that piece of junk being up by the house.

About 1 week later I had it running, but not well.

Then I found this website and got enough insight to get her smoothed out.

Once she purred it started to grow on me.
I took the metal off and painted it.

It was a different bike than I was used to, turned up pipes and all.

Now every other bike looks different to me.

The other day I was at the Yama dealer and he almost sold me a 1700 Road Star. MAN IT WAS PURDY!!!!!!! I wanted IT!

Then I remembered....no payment....... no manditory insurance in the off season for the lender.

I bet I got 700 in her now.

Best free $700.00 I ever spent!!

 

I just got 86 700 Maxim and it was one of three bikes I was looking at. The other two were a 86 Magna and a 99 Vulcan. I liked the looks of all three bikes and the prices were about the same on each around $2000. What made the difference was avaliblity of being able to see the bike. The Magna and the Vulcan Owners just weren't that available when I had time to look at them. The guy with the Maxim was, so I saw, I liked it, I bought it.

The main reason for buying was simple, money. I spend around $100 a week in gas on my Yukon XL driving back and forth to work. Now it will be closer to $15 a week which is enough savings to make a payment on a new car for the Wife. When mammas happy, everyone is happy.

 

lets see. im going to say the sole reason was because im poor.

i couldnt afford insurance on my car, and in the state of florida no insurance is required for a motorcycle. also gas was steadily rising and the bike gets high 30's to low 40s in town. also the bike was a cheap pickup. i got it for 1500, but in florida that was just the cheapest bike availible that ran well.

 

2 simple reasons...

1. I'm poor and can't afford the new bike any more and am selling.

2. It was offered to me for zero dollars. All it needs is some TLC and a little money on parts and some beer filled afternoons.