1986 XJ700 Maxim help

Hey guys, I purchased a Maxim xj700 last season, and am also new to mechanics so this bike is a starting point for me. I am just posting for help overall with some things I have done to the bike after the previous owner left it in a mess for me.

First of all, the turn signals. The bike came with the common eBay aftermarket strip LED signals, but I'm afraid I will blow a fuse at some point due to the lack of power the new light needs. Any of you guys have experience in wiring new LED lights?

Then there's the carbs. The previous owner put in pod filters, but after reading on here I found out that the carbs on these bikes need the intake velocity to function properly. I bought a jet kit to make it run right with this new setup, but I have yet to tune it because I have had a hard time sourcing the correct oil for the bike. Before I drained the previous oil, I got it to run and once it idles its smoother, but it's still hard to start. I have seen on here people fix this by covering part of the pods, so I might try that. I am also getting a chirp from the right-most carb, which I believe means it needs new carb boots.

If you took your time to read through all this thank you, its appreciated.

 

Shell Rotella 15w40, found everywhere.

 

+1 for what @Huntchuks said: Rotella T4 15W-30. Good stuff, relatively inexpensive, available everywhere, and has been used for millions of miles by people on this site and no-one has had a problem with it yet. What more could you ask for?

If you want to get into the nitty gritty of engine oil, see here: https://www.xjbikes.com/forums/threads/choosing-the-correct-oil-for-a-wet-clutch-motorcycle.43702/

I think I have a 700 airbox if you decide to give up on the pods.

 

Ive heard good things about that, will that be better than the factory Yama lube
that is found at dealerships?

 

Seems like in most of our experiences, it is equally as good as Yamalube, and far cheaper. I buy 3-gallon boxes of it at Walmart (it's the only thing I ever buy at Walmart).

 

Is there a variant specifically for motorcycles? I have found it but just not sure if there is a motorcycle/wet clutch variant of the oil

 

The JASO rating for the Rotella is MA2, good for wet clutches.

 

No, the Rotella T4 15W-40 is what it is. It is mainly marketed as a "diesel" oil, but you can reassure yourself by looking on the back of the bottle and finding the "JASO MA, MA2" rating in the long list of certifications. The MA should mean it is appropriate for wet clutches

I don't know how or why, but the 10W-30 does NOT have the JASO MA and MA2 ratings, just the JASO DH-2 (which applies to diesels). So stick to the 15W-40.

 

Gotcha, just picked up a few gallons of it at my local walmart, thanks for the help!