Low mileage Maxims?

In a kinda sneaky, "bar bet" way, I can claim to have owned more than 4,000 motorcycles. But that's cheating because I just had a lot of bikes go through when I was a dealer. But I've now had an 81 XJ650 a couple of years and it's my favorite bike ever!

Sure, I've had 'ritzier' bikes, like Desmos, etc. and more powerful (big Kawas). And I enjoyed riding/racing dirt bikes, until I got tired of putting orthopedists' kids through college. (plus wanting to stay married)

But some how my XJ seem sorta 'just right' for me. Decent power and good sport riding feel, kinda like my old BSAs/Triumphs but without the liver quiver vibration or the joys :wink: of Whitworth and Lucas. Nor do I mind an electric starter.

My point: When I found this bike it only had 4K miles, which I thought weird for such an oldie. Wondered if the odometer was fiddled but the internals also looked almost unused. Since then I've noticed more than a few low-mileage Maxims being discovered.

Just curious - Any theories why a number of XJs, which are such cool bikes, seem to have been lightly used? Was it simply newbies buying a bike only to discover weather can be rainy and cold.

 

Crick,

I just picked my 750 up with 6200mi. I'm pretty sure it's correct given what appear to be the original tires.

I see the same sort of thing you're describing in the Vintage Sled world. I'm sure a big part of it is due to what you describe. You also have variations in riding season lenght etc.

With the old sleds I think a big part of it is that they were just so prone to break down and since not everyone is a wrench head, people just got tired of working on them or paying to have them worked on. If they didn't want to pay to have them fixed, they often didn't sell them because; how much is a broken down sled worth.

I have no history of why mine has such low miles. I know it sat for two years with the PO. Don't know what was wrong with it when he got other than the left side brake caliper is not hooked up. My guess would be that it was not maintained, eventually the carbs fouled up, owner didn't know how to deal with it, no money to have someone esle fix it, parked it and let it sit until they guy I bought it off of picked it up.

Who knows, once I get it running maybe I'll see the odemeter doesn't work.

 

low mileage XJ's are more common than you'd think. My 550 had less than 8K on it when I got it. The story was that the PO could not afford to keep it running back in the day (20 years ago), so he parked it in the barn. Also, the carbs kept getting gummed up (hello, inline filter). A lot of guys on this forum have similar experiences. It's their gain, and the PO's loss, I guess.

Har har.. "Lucas, the Prince of Darkness" - I bet you've heard that one before ... My father in law is a Norton guy. I asked him one day if he wanted to take my bike for a spin, and he said "the shifter is on the wrong side"... He's pretty stubborn.

 

I spent a lot of time recenty looking through craig's list, local news paper, etc., for a bike in my price range. I was really suprised to see a lot of bikes of all makes & models that were considered 'vintage' w/ really low miles.
I think people get a hair to get a bike and either get busy or move on to some other hobby and just let them sit in the garage.

Kind of off subject....but look at the list of newer used say Harley's (for example). It blows my mind to see $16K to $22K bikes that people buy, put on less that say 4K miles and then try to get rid of them.

?

Louie

 

During (too many) years enamored of British cars and bikes, I learned a riddle:

Q. Why has Great Britain never, ever had a space program?

A. Because nobody in the UK would risk the ride in a machine with Lucas Electrics.

gene

 

my maxim had less the 8k on it when i got it... i think its cool to own such an old bike with low miles like that...

 

I don't know about XJ's but i know a dude who has a brother who has a big Kawasaki in his garage. One of those big cruisers, i don't keep up with the names - anyway, it has a few hundred miles on it, its 5 years old and it sits in the garage, never to be ridden again. All the buddies bought bikes, and after a short time one of the buddies crashed and got hurt. That was the end of riding for some in the group, and that's why this Kawasaki sits collecting dust. - i'm looking to get it for a song and turn a profit

 

My 650 only had 3800 miles on it when I finally convinced my father to give it to me. But then again, I had put over 1000 miles of that 3800 miles prior to it going into his garage for storage.

I thought it was quite comical. I'm the third owner. But, it's been in the family since my grandfather purchased it new in 1981. Now, after a little bit of after storage maintenance, she's just passed the 5300 mile mark.

 

My bad

Double post!!!!

 

Heh. Lucas electrics. The bane of the British automotive industry in the 60s and 70s.

 

You're so right, Louie. I was Googling to learn about "Midnight" models (I'm still not sure what the difference is) and found this craig's list offer from February. [I'd guess it's long gone but if anyone happens to be near Albany...??]

1981 yamaha midnight maxim - $500
Reply to: see below
Date: 2008-02-11, 4:14PM EST

650 inline 4, has less than 15k miles on it and has a clean title great starter bike needs a couple light bulbs and some minor carb adjustment pretty flexible and reasonable trades considered $500 best offer (518-312-1318)

gene

 

The Midnight Maxims are mechanically the same as the base models I believe. Differences are in the trim:

- Black paint.
- Black chrome exhaust.
- Gold accents.