Completely new to bikes, quick question?

Hey guys! I just got my first motorcycle for free today! It's a 1982 (I believe) Maxim 400. Now I haven't really gotten a chance to dig into it yet but from lookin at it it appears that the frame is different from the 600's and such that ive been seein alot on here so I wanted to clarify what this bike actually is like frame-wise and such because I would feel real dumb askin questions in the wrong forum ya know?

Here's a pic of the bike!


So any help would be much appreciated!
Thanks!
Alex

 

i don't care if it's a briggs & stratton, ask away

 

Well welcome to the forum! I sadly cannot be of help for identifying the bike you acquired, but I can assure you that this forum contains more knowledge than you would believe!

Congratulations on acquiring your first bike for free! Good luck getting it up and running, and make sure you pick up some proper safety gear before riding! If you browse/search the forums, there are topics on making sure the bike is safe to run as well as checks to do to make sure it will run smoothly.

If you need any parts and don't mind getting your hands dirty, check out Chacal's parts catalog and XJ4Ever, he found me a steering column clamp that no shops (or the dealers) in a 100 mile radius could locate at a great price.

Finally, if you have questions ASK! You'll get opinions from others who have been there and done everything you possibly could need to do with your bike from regular maintenance to custom mods and everything in between.

 

Really appreciate the responses! Haven't had that friendly of a welcome in a while! I'm Heavy into modifying Saab's and rely heavily on the forums so I am not afraid to ask! The side covers said maxim 400 and I know its a 2 stroke/cylinder. and doesn't run. Ima start fiddlin with it this weekend and see if I can get it to start but it's in really rough shape. My buddy said he jumped the starter and the motor spun freely but when you turn the fey NOTHIN happens. So my first step is to check out the battery then looks like I've got some electrical gremlins to sort out!

MY hope with the bike is to get it running, learn to ride it, get my bike license then tear it apart and do somethin custom and cool with it because it's not in my nature to leave well enough alone

 

Cant help identify it but welcome to the forum, these guys are quite knowledgeable and im sure someone will know what your working with good luck and safe riding to you.

 

Here are the answers to your burning questions; first you have a frame that is unique in that it can only be used for an XJ 400 the XJ 400 also as we can all see has only one rear shock. While there may be a few parts interchangeable with your four cylinder big bros., it can't be much. The whole bike is physically smaller then even an XJ550. You are mistaken about it being a 2 stroke, it is a 4 stroke, you can tell by the cam shafts, a 2 stroke doesn't have them. This is the prefect beginner bike, be sure to check the rear brake for delamination (that's where the brake lining loses it's adhesion to the shoe) and rebuild the front master cylinder and replace the brake lines with new ones. REMEMBER THIS: WHILE IT IS IMPORTANT TO GET IT RUNNING, BUT IT IS MORE IMPORTANT TO MAKE IT STOP.

 

Hey cool haven't seen one of those around here! Welcome to XJBikes from the Boston Mountains of NWA!

Congrats on getting a great deal on a nifty little bike. You can sure tell it's a Yamaha because it hasn't rusted to the bone like a Kawasaki, or blah on style like a Suzuki or overly pretentious like a Honda. Ha! just kidding I love all the SJMs (standard Japanese Motorcycles).

Ok so you got it for free that's great, but keep in mind you can't ride it safely for free. It sounds like you know how to turn a wrench from working on your Swedish 4 legged rides, and that's good. Most of what you need to do is fairly simple and mucho important. Brakes, tires, motor, etc. are probably all going to need your TLC.

That is a perfect bike to start with. Gas mileage will be super and the power should be plenty with those two big pistons. We might have to try and talk our parts supplier into creating a new category for you since I haven't seen anything for that bike, but somewhere it's available.

To start I would thoroughly clean the bike (not with high pressure) and then take off your seat and tank so you can get at the electrical connections. Un-hook them and clean the contacts with a wire brush and smear them with di-electric grease. If when you turn the key on and press the start nothing happens it could be a bad connection if your battery is good (should be 12.3 - 12.6v cold) or a safety lockout switch is preventing it from firing.

You can just go step by step and we will help you on the way. Try and find a VIN number so we can ID your model. You will want to get a manual or two as well-they are invaluable.

You can get tons of help here-enjoy your new passion/addiction! and Welcome to the Real World of traveling!

 

Glad to see you....you'll have fun here....Good that the bike was free, coz' now the money will start to go out the door....if you can do the paintwork and re-upholster the seat yourself, that is a bonus....I suspect the tires may be well past their due date and you should replace pads / rear shoes. The rubber disc brake hoses should be replaced and service the disc master cylinder - most important is not going - it's stopping.....Haynes manual or similar...and where are you?

 

Thanks for all the help guys! Im up in Blacksburg Virginia having just transferred to Virginia Tech from Williamsburg Virginia. Eventually one of my goals is to make some sort of custom seat and re-upholster it but as y'all said I've gotta get it going and stopping first! I looked at it a bit today and it looks like I don't have an air box or a battery.. so obviously that's gonna be my first step is trackin that down! I don't know much about bikes but I am sure that it needs a battery to start

 

Woo hoo!!

Another one.... there are quite a few here...
The people here are really knowledgeable and friendly.
Couldn't have joined a better forum.

Have fun getting it up and running...

 

Nobody told the guy what the bike is yet, and you even own one!

-It's not a 2-stroke, it's a 4-stroke twin.

-It's an XS400 Maxim, 1982 or 1983. It's got a DOHC motor with shim-over-bucket valves, it's just like a 4-cylinder XJ motor sawed in half.

-It has a monoshock rear suspension as you've probably noticed.

You'll need to be careful looking for parts for this bike. Yamaha made three different models but two different "styles" of XS400 bikes in 1982: Your bike and the XS400R Seca were the monoshock DOHC bikes, then there was also an XS400 "Special" which was the last original old SOHC twin-shock "little brother" to the XS650. THIS BIKE, which is completely different from yours, seems to be the only one the aftermarket is aware of.

 

Yeah, i guess i should have mentioned that...

I was just a bit to quick to welcome another member with one, my bad.

LVSteve2011 identified it as an XJ400 and i tend to ignore the xj/xs on this site when people talk about the 400 because 99.9% of the time it is the XS 400 they are talking about and not the 4 cylinder XJ400 that was availbe in overseas markets.

Saab900, my bike hasen't been modified and if you look in my gallery you will see what it should look like if you should plan to restore to stock.
That chrome fender in the front and the rear tail light are not original, looks like they come from the bigger xs650.

 

Yay, another Baby Max

They can be a dam reliable little unit... Had mine running for 4 years now, daily driver, only ever let me down once. stuck float on a rainy day.... a little carb work fixed that up quickly.

Great bike for in town, can do highway no issues, only times I've been left wanting for more power have been days in really high winds.

Hmmm that tail light isn't stock......, battery cover and side cover missing?
(I had to make the side cover for that side).... battery cover hold the battery in place, may want to source one out on e-bay

 

The definition of "free" is in the eyes of the beholder ... knowledge, diligence and patience will set you free.

 

Hehe good point, now the difference between "free" and "roadworthy"

That's the true cost.

BUT, once you start riding and truly enjoying it... it's worth it

So that said, settle in, be prepared to learn and get her on the road.
This thing is pretty much Half an XJ, so most of what you read here will apply.
Carbs we have Mikuni BS34's, but all the CV style cars are very similar and basic cleaning procedures apply... read all the carb cleaning articles from Rikomatic

Settle in, and ask question, there is a ton of knowledge here at you fingertips.
They helped me out a ton, and my bike came with "some assembly required"

 

Started tearing into it to get a better idea of what im gettin myself into today.. deff gotta clean up the wiring and got some rust on the frame that I can hopefully just wire wheel off, that would really suck if it is more than surface rust.. Ima see if I can get a hold of a Jumper box to jump the starter and turn the engine over and make sure it sounds good. Deff gonna need to rebuild the carbs cause they have been open to the elements. Does a company sell rebuild kits or can I just take the carbs apart and clean em up and put them back together?

As a side note does anybody know how to tell if an odo has been tampered with? Says its got about 3000 miles on it which would be crazy if it does, but if there is a simple way to look at it and tell?

And yes ima get some sandwich bags to help organize the nuts and bolts!

 

See top right of the page for the go to guy for parts (xj4ever)
Post up the model & year of your ride.
Most meters are tamper proof & you would see signs of unauthorized entry, it could have just been running with a broken cable.

 

I think what I have gathered is it is a 1982 Yamaha Maxim 400.

 

Wizard is suggesting that you put the bike in your signature with some info.

A compression test (with good battery) would be a good place to start-then you'll know if you still have ingredient #1 in the (comp, fuel/air, spark equation). Your frame should be fine-it's thick steel so rust doesn't usually take them down, once removed you will either need to protect or paint it. Yes to carb kits, and yes you can clean them w/o the kits but you will likely need gaskets at the very least. Search here for Carb cleaning to read more on this.

You could try a VIN report and see if the records are there to check the mileage. It's possible it was just neglected and not ridden very much, if so could be lots of life left in there. Do you have any kind of shop or repair manual? You will need it, and this site. Your winter project is underway!

 

The tire's and brake pads will indicate if you only have
3k on the clock. Pads should hardly have any wear-just age.