Japanese Import 650 Maxim, '81

Had a closer look on my ebay aquisition today, a couple of things jumped out at me.
The add said the ignition and regulator were removed - they're there. There is a relay under the rank missing though, low down near the mounting bolt.
The brake and clutch controlls are missing - and so are the footrests, or even any sign of mountings?
The carbs, cable, and front master cylinder and flexi also missing
The right hand switch set missing
It needs a seat and rear hoop
Fuse "box"
Battery
Did I say it was cheap? As in £92.00 cheap
It has no rust, scrapes, or signs of crashing.

So do I try to get bits from the states, or wait for imported bikes being broken over here?

 

Oops, forgot, carbs missing too, along with throttle grip and cable...

 

You can basically order everything from xj4ever, but it'll cost you for all that. Good luck.

 

You're right, plus I'll have to pay import duty on it this side. I think I'll try to get it running first though. I can't see why anyone would strip it, unless of course the engine is goosed.

 

thats a lot of parts.The carbs are the main problem.There are lots of them available.I suppose shipping to uk or wherever you are is expensive.members here will have some.

 

Many Yamaha parts interchange so XJ550,650,750 the controls might be similar , if handle bars are same size. Note the 550 use different carbs .

 

Not a lot there then really is there.
I'd look for a parts bike or slowly start buying things as and when they turn up.

 

The bolt for the rider footrest mounts are also the bolt for the rear engine mount on each side. Are those bolts there?

 

Dunno about the rear engine mount bolts, will have a look, pretty sure I'll make some rearsets for it, I can borrow the turbo linkage for now, with a longer rod.
I wonder if my kawasaki 750 carbs will line up? Just to test run it, as much as anything to check the engine is OK.
Not so long ago there was loads of xj stuff on ebay, right now there's very little...

 

The log book (title?) turned up today, imported 1996. Strange thing though, the engine number is "not specified", and the number on the engine is just the first three letters, matching the first three on the frame and logbook. I can get the logbook modified, but my question is - why only 3 letters on the engine?

 

The engine should also have 6-digit serial number (for a total of 9 digits). Is the engine number missing on the engine, or you're just saying it wasn't written down on the title? I know if varies by location, but in the US, the title goes with the frame, and no one actually tracks the engine.

It sounds like you basically have a cheap parts bike on your hands. At least in the US, there would be little use to try to rehab what's there piece by piece, better to find another parts bike that has everything you're missing for cheap and start from there. If you really want to start with what you've got first, compression test the engine. You don't need carbs to do that, and you can hook any battery, like a jump starter, to the starter motor to make it spin.

 

Why only 3 letters on the engine? Is the question. Its not been ground off, restamped or anything sinister that I can make out. Uk is the same, log book goes with chassis number, so no big deal really.
Yes I can compression test the engine, even do a leakdown test on it, but it would be good to test it running before deciding the next step. Either way, no rush
Oh, next question, the original tapered cans look good - are they Ok to keep, or likely to be rotten inside? Can they be stripped?

 

Some of the Japanese market XJR1200's come with just 3 digits on the cases, all of them 4CC, I had one, might still have somewhere in my garage, so maybe the bike you've got was a Jap market bike imported to the US and then shipped over here.
Either way, it's nothing to worry about like you say, as long as you know what model you actually have.

 

Things getting clearer thanks to the info on this site, the bike was indeed a japanese modeel - 4L6, 650G, 1980 model.
The missing rh control is a simple engine shut down and start switch, so should be easy to find and maybe delete the lights switch if needed. The missing relay is the turn cancelling unit.

 

Found some bits - mostly for the wrong model....
The footpegs are for a seca - they came with a 5 inch bolt attached to each one?
The rh control swich is from a turbo, and looks to have the wrong connector, my maxim has a 3 terminal and a 4 terminal socket - the turbo switch has 6 terminals of which 5 are used (from memory).
The rear brake lever is too short and rubs the clutch casing - the "cutout" in the timing case would suggest this is the case.
And to cap it all I've bought two sets of Mikuni carbs which are from a 600, some uncertainty if they're the right size..

 

The long bolts on your footpegs are the rear engine mounting bolts. It just happens that they also hold the footpegs onto the Seca.

 

Abide, thanks for that. Now, without getting this up on the bench, or lying underneath it, the rear mounting looks like one long bolt across the back of the engine - is this fooling me?
I do need to apologise to some degree, the bike is currently stored in a big shed at work, so I can't pop out to verify this.
Have spent some time searching ebay for likely answers, I'm not totally impressed by sellers presenting front rh footrests, clearly marked as "lr", with the other - you guessed it "rr"

 

Just spent a couple of hours reading up on the fuelling parts section - now I start to get a picture of the potential cost of rebuilding these things...

 

550 and 650 controls interchange 750 controls are different
650 and 750 have the same carb bodies with different jetting and main jet needle
http://xjbikes.wikidot.com/carb-specs

 

the Japaneese model may have on/off switch fot the headlights instead of being controled by a relay which turns the headlight on when motor is spinning or starter

 

could be a replacement motor

 

The Maxim uses one single long bolt. The Seca uses two short bolts, since they also hold the footpegs in place.

 

Parts are cheaper than for most bikes of this era, and still cheaper to fix up than buying a new bike.

 

This was covered earlier in the thread. JDM engines only had a 3 digit engine number stamped onto them.

 

The rh switch was from a 650 turbo. It has a four plus two plug, as well as the three. Looks like there is a spare yellow wire.
The switch itself has a large rocker, a lights off po on, and there is the start button. I don't see many relays on this at all -two under the tank and thats it.
I put a battery on it and spun it over today, turns over nice. Can't wait to unpack the carbs when they turn up - will the be 28s or 31s? Either way they're going on to start it up.
Put a battery on it and spun it up today, sounds sweet.

 

My haynes manual doesn't cover jdm wiring, so again I'm floundering a bit. It does look like the p,off,on switch is instead of the light relay, but the lighting circuit is a bit convoluted, so we'll see how it works once I have the right switch. As for the switch, just bought a 600 switch, throttle, and cable. Between this and my existing one I'm fairly confident it will work.

 

Start a conversation with Yu Tanaka. He has been helpful in getting JDM manuals and documents.

 

Thanks again k-moe, I'll keep it in mind - the colour diagrams i have are pretty good, and once I set to with a meter and pencil it shouldn't take long to amend one of them. One thing I've seen is that the ignition switch connections have been butchered - bit of deja vu for me, my gt750 trike was not making sense for a while electrically, untill I sussed that the American import had been retrofitted with a UK ignition switch, and then butchered to make it "work". The kawasaki was a little more complex though.

 

Postman brought me two sets of mikunis today
The tatty looking set externally open up, smell ok, and generally without looking inside seem the better pair.
The cleaner looking set stink of varnished fuel, as do my hands, the kitchen where I opened the parcel, and soon my workshop will I guess.
The big plus, and probably why my hands stink, is that they measure up at 31mm as close as I can measure without my vernier.
Result then. Will make the best set up with any spares I need from the other, and buy new bits like float valves etc. I hope. With any luck soon get it running, then decide its fate. (In all honesty though, I think it will be saved - if you can call a flat seat cafe racer style thing saving it).

 

Hmm not how teh Mikunis will work out. They were used only on the chain drive 550/600 models and not shafties from what I can gather. If they will align with the rubbers
and fit snugly then you might get lucky. Otherwise I would look for a set of Hitachis from a Seca 650. BTW I thought Mikinus only cames as 28 (550) 30 (FZ600 and Radian) 32 (XJ600)..
Cheers

James

 

They were from a 600 xj, that's all I know. Why wouldn't they fit? I did say as close as I could measure them without using a vernier. And assuming they do line up, why would I carry on looking for Hitachis?
Thanks

 

I don't know for sure, give them a try and let us know. In fact I'd go for a trial fit before spending time stripping them down. If they're from an XJ600 then they'll be 32s.

 

I read this entire post, although the title clearly says 650 Maxim, are we sure that's what you have?
If your bike is shaft drive then in most cases it will need Hitachi carbs, (there are exceptions).
If your bike is chain driven it will need Mikuni.
The carb spacing is tighter on the smaller chain drive bike and won't fit the shaft drives.
XJ600 carbs will not fit 650 Maxim.

 

Wow, that's something new - are the heads different between the 600 and the 650 then? Or is it the angles of the inlet manifolds? I can't see why the carbs would need to be narrower (or wider etc), but I can see that supply/cost issues would dictate different carb suppliers at different times. I guess I need to go into work to trial fit the rack I haven't split. Was the 600 based on a smaller head? I will report back.
Thanks.

 

Yes. The 600 engine is based on the original 400cc JDM XJ engine, and is quite a bit narrower. The 650/ 750 was an all new design. Even within the shaft-driven XJ engines there are differences in intake port spacing (YICS vs. Non-YICS).

A bit of relevant reading: TECH TOPIC: The History of Yamaha

 

I don't want to argue with anyone, but I believe my carbs are off the later 600, not the original one:-
"In later years, a new XJ600, with all-new frame and a mono-shock rear suspension system, was marketed as the Seca II in North America and the Diversion elsewhere" From that writup, which I had read previously.
Now, I've just popped into work, fitted the mikunis up, and they fit just fine, if there is any issue, it might be that the manifolds are a little snug on the carbs - can anyone with a Hitachi carb tell me the dia at the face please?

 

The HSC 32 carbs measure 38.1 mm OD at the engine side of the carb. The retaining groove is set back 7.62 mm from the face of the bore, and is 2.54 mm deep (measured from my spare set).

 

They won't be off a Diversion Seca-II I can promise you. They were of a 'down-draft' type due to the incline of the head/cylinders on those bikes. As I suggested in my first post 'you might get lucky' and it seems you have, as far as fitment goes. Now you 'only' have to strip and clean them. Knowing what I know now I would still rather get the
right ones - there's a set on ebay germany.. https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/YAMAHA-XJ-650-4K0-Vergaser-fur-Bastler-100/332487374193

 

Look at the bottom of the float bowls. There should be ink stampings on them identifying what carbs they are.

 

The op called it a 650 Maxim.
Have we verified with certainty that’s what he has? Is it a shaft drive bike?
Pic please

 

Have a look here http://xjbikes.com/forums/threads/newby.118274/
Its a maxim... and I'm not keen at being talked about in the 3rd person whilst I'm still here.
K-moe, thanks for taking the time to measure those up, just came in from the wkshop, will check tomorrow. No ink numbers left on the bowls..
As for the exact pedigree of the carbs I have, I'm no expert on what Yamaha built pre Diversion, but these were from seperate sellers list as 600s, wikipedia has some mid 80s xj which seems to fit the bill. I think I'll email the sellers to ask for details - if nothing else it will make getting spares easier. See here:
http://www.motorcyclespecs.co.za/model/yamaha/yamaha_xj600f 89.htm
Finally, i have found that my maxim is a jdm, non yics. Maybe this is why the carbs from the 600 align - who knows, as long as they fit. As for looking for Hitachis I don't see why, all I need to do is estimate which jets I need to make this thing fly, and since I'll be fitting the dreaded pods anyway, how much harder does keeping them make the task.....
Ok, I know don't do it...

 

Sorry Minimutly, I can see how that would po me to

 

We often refer to ourselves in the third person, but when others refer to us in such fashion, we are not amused!
Queen Matti

 

Minimutly, that link above from .co.za has got a 900 pictured and not a 600 but the info supplied with it is for the 600.
Am I being picky?

 

Would you mind if I edited the thread title to reflect what the machine really is?

 

@Simmy
You asked twice if we knew what the bike is. That was discovered on the first page. You might have missed the post.

 

Yes, japanese import maxim, '81.
Thanks

 

Spent most of last night stripping carbs and binning stuff. Looks like I will need a set of float valves and chamber gaskets as a minimum, had to drill one mixture screw and one float chamber drain - they corrode on a section of thread inside the thread on the screw, so as you turn it out it goes tighter...
One float chamber is cracked where its hit something - can you weld this stuff?

 

The aluminum can be welded.

 

Thanks, I'll spark up the tig and have a go. I failed to order the float valves today, but have two good ones and a plan to connect the outer carbs on each side to the inners, should be ok to try running it. Fingers crossed