For Sale 81 maxim xj550

short? story: back in 82 I'd gone to collage while my best friend went to work and started buying toys. Over a few dozen beers he agreed to sell me his his still almost new Maxim. What better use for some student loan money right? Anyway I drove the bike during collage and after for about 5 years. I moved away and gave the bike to my brother as partial repayment for help he'd given me during school. He isn't a bike guy and said he'd hold it for me until I wanted/needed it back. After about 20 years I guess he figured that I really did "give" it to him. He wasn't riding it and sold it to his friend who rode it for a couple weeks until it died on the road. Being truly a good friend, he gave it back to my bro since he hadn't paid a dime anyway. It then sat until last week when I bought it back to see if I could get it going.
I quickly found the issue, a hole in #1 piston. A little more than the easy problem I'd hoped to find! I started thinking thru options. I guess a used piston and rings, a hone, new gaskets, blah blah blah and she's be back on the road. But I'm not the half asser that I used to be and think the bike deserves better. Neither am I big into bikes, I just wanted the old one back to put in the toy hauler for occasional trips from camp to town for more beverages or whatever. So to me anyway it just isn't worth the time and money to do it right (or maybe I'm lazy).
The bike has been in the garage for the past nearly 30 years except briefly while the guy was blowing it up. 18000 miles, windjammer fairing, rack and back rest, new (<100 miles but 10 year old) tires, new battery, turns over and ran even w/ the hole in the piston. I can send or post pics if there's any interest, but she's all there and seems like a good project for someone more passionate about these bikes than I.
I see some very nice ones out there for 1500 to 2000 bucks. I don't know what mine may be worth. I'm too lazy to start parting it out even though that is probably the best $ thing to do.
Any thoughts and/or ideas from a group who obviously know about these sorts of things would be greatly appreciated,
Thanks for reading

 

Post a picture.

Gary H.

 

I'm not sure pics will add anything to the puzzle. And I can't figure out how to load them She looks fair with no damage besides a minor scrape to edge of fairing and a dent on the top of the gas tank. Neither of which had anything to do with when I ran her. The gas tank dent looks about the size of someone's fist. And now she's in pieces and even harder to get pics that make any sense. Even though she sat in the garage most of her life, the chrome isn't what it used to be and it is evident elsewhere that she hasn't received proper care. That being said, I did discover the reason behind the failure in the first place which makes a rebuild much more attractive, to me anyway.
I apologize for my lack of proper terminology...I'm no mechanic...but.... upon separating the head from the jugs I immediately noticed that the o ring for one of the YICS ports had apparently been installed incorrectly. It was basically cut in half and allowing an air leak into #1 sub port causing that cylinder to run too lean and after 18,000 miles, burn a hole in that piston. At least now I know why it happened and everything else internally looks really good. I owned it from almost new and know that this is the first time that (or anything else) has ever been taken apart. Yamaha sort of dodged the bullet that this didn't happen very early on when it would have been a warranty issue.
There is satisfaction in solving the mystery though and I think definitely makes the rebuild prospects look brighter (if I can find parts). Or if someone else out there want to take it on???

 

It's a good looking bike. Imo rebuild and ride it. Start a conversation with Chacal (Len) for available parts.

Gary H.

 

It is pretty decent considering, thanks. If I had the parts (about 100 or 200 on ebay) I think I could hit the start button after less than 1/2 day more of wrenching. That would be fun. I see no reason why she wouldn't light up but who knows after 15 years sitting in the garage. Thanks I'll try to figure out messaging Len. I am not very computer savy

 

Nice looking bike! You can send us an e-mail at: info@xj4ever.com

Len

 

Yeah that could be a great bike with a little work. If I were closer I'd be looking at it.

 

Cleveland..? Yea wrong direction for me. I travel west two or three time per year and could deliver it anywhere w/in a reasonable distance of I94 and 90 from MN to the Seattle area. Leaving next week w/ an empty PU.