CAN ANYONE MAKE THESE BIKES TAKE A CORNER?

I apologize for yelling at you. This is a subject that has been on my mind since the first time I made that fateful lean in to a twisty bit. I know its an old bike, I know its a shaft drive but come on. Someone has to have attempted to make one of these things go round a turn with out it bucking and rocking foreword and back with a little wiggle just to upset your confidence.

I have new rubber, changed the oil in the shocks, checked my tire pressure, rebuilt the bearings front and back, checked buchings. Im beginning to understand why i see so many Bobber projects on here. These bikes apparently cant go around a corner.

Yet, I seem to still think otherwise...I like this bike a lot and would like to keep it, I just want to feel like I can actually avoid a car pulling out in front of me(my father went down and almost died on his '01 Electroglide a year ago because of this very thing). Does anyone have any suggestions to make this thing handle better?

Its a 82 XJ750 Maxim with 19k on it.

Yes, I am a cautious and smart rider, I don't feel bad for the kids that die while doing 100+mph wheelies in downtown traffic...

 

Upgrade the front fork springs, it helps immensely. So will a set of modern, compression AND rebound damping-adjustable shocks to help limit the driveshaft "jacking."

 

i cant say for sure,coz ive never ridden 1 of them,but they r similar to my xj600.i dont think either of them will ever go round corners like they are on rails.it aint what they were designed to do.if u want a bike that handles like that,i fear u need to be looking at a newer sports bike.personally tho,i love the fact that mine bucks buckles and weaves round corners.if makes me feel faster.i have a honda 500 shadow aswell,i can get the exhausts down and to the point where it lifts the rear wheel which makes her slide.its all over the show,its fun,but most importantly,it makes me sooooo wide,even gsxrs darent pass till we hit a straight.i say get used to it moving about,it will improve you as a rider,and enjoy it!!!

 

like fitz said definitely change the springs and shocks. 28 years old 20k miles its time im sure the front springs are sacked out and the dampening on the rear is not there any more. Will help a lot Its never going to be a sport bike but it will be remarkably better

 

What springs and shocks would be recommended?

 

Spring and shock recommendations would be different between an XJ550 and the 750 Maxim he's struggling with.

I can't give any specific recommendations for the 750; I can for the 550s. Let's not hijack the guy's thread; getting a shaftie to handle is a whole different ballgame.

If you want my recommendations (and what I personally used) for a 550R, then start a new thread and I'll jump in (once I get home and can look up your answers.)

 

I'm pulling apart my Seca 750 front forks for a rebuild, was thinking of adding one inch spacers, adding a little thicker oil, and just a little more of it. These 3 changes should stiffen up the front end for basically free.

 

My 900 handles pretty well, just sometimes I get the feeling the front wheel is trying to skip out, (all new rubber)

 

Put pods on it.

 

Never had any problems with my 93 xj900. Though I think stiffer front springs and some new rear shocks should help.

 

First few times I rode mine after restoration I was blaming the rubber for what must have been slippage around tight corners but after new rubber I had the same problem.

Turned out to be the swingarm bearings were shot, one area I neglected when restoring, and now with them done cornering is just brilliant... like a real motorbike even

I'd rather be scraping the knees at low speed and hammering out than going fast in a straight line... I'm sure everyone feels the same and although I'm not really scraping the knees I still get a great buzz from the hammering out of the corner!

 

It IS. The stock fork springs just plain suck, new or sagged. I took the 7100-mile springs out of my '83 (they measured at spec) and used them to replace the sagged-out (almost an inch short) springs in the '81 when I rebuilt the forks.

Then I put a set of Progressive Suspension springs in the '83. (Stock specs.) Although the two bikes have different tires (Avons on the '83, Dunlops on the '81) the response I'm talking about is suspension, not tire related. Both bikes have relatively new Progressive Suspension 12-series shocks on the rear.

I have the advantage of being able to ride the two bikes, back to back, through the same set of corners/bumps at the same speed and under the same conditions (same time of day, same weather, etc.)

The front end on the '81 feels "uncertain" when you start to push it a bit in the corners; the '83 is on rails. The stock fork can do some interesting "stuttering" just prior to wheel lockup; the upgraded fork will just howl the tire. The Progressive-equipped fork is much better at "soaking up" minor irregularities in the road surface; they're still there but they don't get "transmitted" to nearly the same degree. Some bumps just seem to get the best of the stock Yamaha springs while the same bump, taken at the same speed, is handled quite capably by the upgraded fork. This is most noticeable if the bump is in the middle of a corner.

I plan to put Progressive Suspension springs in the other bike yet this winter.

Highly Recommended.

 

so would you say in general the 1983's front springs are much improved over say 81-82's (on 750 secas, specifically)?

 

He's saying they were new, and new is better than 27 years old.

 

yeah but he said he threw the 83 springs in his 81 and they worked better, correct?

 

Another problem with making these bikes handle is the black spaghetti like frame they are made of. I have rubbed foot pegs with mine but it was quite accidental and surprising.

 

Better than the sagged out ones, but they still have all the shortcomings they originally had.

My point was that the Progressive Suspension springs are superior to even "good" (as in not sagged out) stock springs.

 

FWIW - the PS springs for the XJ 750 Maxim front fork are 11-1107 (Seca is 11-1101). I'd recommend going with heavy-duty springs if you (and your gear) weigh anywhere upward of 200# (or you ride 2-up). The 12-series PS shocks are 12-1201B with 03-1368 HD springs (same setup for Seca). [Or go with 412-4207 combo shocks/HD springs.]

 

If you want to do it properly you need to measure your sag settings and spring the bike to suit your weight, any new spring will probably be better than an old one but one to suit your weight with the right sag will be better again

In the front emulators will make a substantial improvement, putting preload spacers and heavy oil in is a band aid fix at best

Very few bike actually have "spaghetti like" frames most have crapped out rooted suspension that makes it feel like that though

I've seen "frame flex" fixed on three bikes by fitting new swingarm bushes and upgraded rear shocks

 

kevin you just made my morning!