First post here...Hello all!

Hey everyone! I have been reading the forums for a week or so and decided it was time to join. I would consider myself a newbie rider, last year I got my permit and had several bikes (Honda CX500 and a GL500 Interstate), sold them both and then bought a CBR 600f4i, and ended up crashing it! (ouch) I walked away unharmed and nothing broken (was lucky).

Now, after taking a break for a while, I bought a Yamaha and did a google search for some forums that pertained to the model bike I got. It's a 1983 Yamaha XJ750 Maxim. The guy I bought it off of is a motorcycle mechanic and took the carbs off and completely rebuilt them. He got the bike off of a widow who's husband died and had the bike garaged forever and NEVER rode it!

There is slim to zero rust on this bike, its cherry! It has 11k original miles on it! I bought the bike for $1,500

Onto the pictures...

















I am going to take the safety class and I need to re-up my permit since it's been so long it already expired (called the DMV today). I am excited to have a nice running bike that I can get on and start riding! I am looking forward to all the help I get from this forum and hopefully give back advice as I get more experience with the Yamaha brand!

 

Wow, nice bike! And welcome to the forums.

 

Nice bike! Welcome to the site! Looks just like mine, haha.

Check the valve clearances, rear brake, and age if brake lines and tires before going another mile!!

 

Welcome aboard.

Nice looking bike, but I see factory rubber brake lines on that front end.
check the date code on those lines, and tires. 4 year on the lines, 4-6 years on the tires.

And remember. It is a cruiser. Not a crasher!

Ghost

 

OMG! I am green with envy man. I have one of those but it's an '82. Great pics too.

 

totally jealous of the condition of the fork emblem, very nice!

Side note - You're missing a trim piece around the key/handlebar area fyi

Heres a the best pic i have that shows it (the clock is my own addition)

 

oh and the rear turn signals are not stock. weird.

edit: neither are the grips, but thats more normal.

 

The owner I bought it off of went through it from top to bottom since he is a bike mechanic. He said the brakes look great. I did look over the tire condition when I first saw it, the front tread is in good condition and the back prob has 40% tread left or a bit more. He used it as a daily commuter so I am confident that it's in good shape and road worthy.

Should I switch to steel braided down the line? I have no idea even how to do that.

 

"Great looking brakes" aint gonna do you any good if your 30 year old rubber lines suddenly burst in a panic stop. Dont replace em "down the line"--Better list this as priority #1. This is serious stuff bro-jus sayin!

 

Welcome!

 

MBC, those are the exact same grips my bike has on it.

 

Welcome, great bike. I think that is an awesome bike- wish I had it. Did the guy mention the valves?

 

Hi Xander, the issue with the original brake lines is that some owners have experienced brake line failures as the result of the passage of long periods of time, appearently the factory advised dealers/mechanics,ect. to replace the brake lines after 4 years. Personally, I have had no problem with the brake lines on any of my past bikes. But I do plan on changing the brake lines on the bike I'm currently restoring. It's not a hard task for you to do if you are even a little bit of a mechanic.

 

Yes, yes, yes, the VALVES! even though you only show 11K on the clock have those valve clearances checked. The design of engines which use "bucket over shim" type valves means that as they wear, the clearances get tighter and that bad for the valves, especially the exhaust valves, because if they don't close all the way they will overheat and burn, which means a very expensive repair.

 

Hey thanks for all the compliments guys! I just talked to the previous owner and he has checked the brake lines and the valve clearance, both check out.

If I wanted to double check and verify for myself, what would be the process of redoing my brake lines and checking the valve clearance?

Thanks all!

 

You mean "shim over bucket".

 

Very nice bike! Makes me hang my head in shame at the condition of mine (Frankencycle).

Heath

 

welcome! good score man! super jealous.

valve adjustment how-to:
http://xjbikes.com/Forums/viewtopic/t=14827.html

 

great ride. wow almost looks just off the showroom floor!. I would take theses guys (on forum) seriuos. The po may of been a mech, but i would check the items yourself, for your own peace of mind. Chacal has the parts you may need,with outstanding fast service. and the guys here on Xj are very knowledgeable. Good luck and congratz!

 

Sweet ride and Welcome to the site from Colorado. Enjoy her, the 750s sure are fun.

Massimo

 

the brake lines will have the date printed right on them

 

Awesome, thanks guys! I talked to my friend today that runs a tired shop and he's going to help me put on steel braided front brake cables.

Does anyone know of a part # or what type I should buy for my XJ750?

 

Xander my boy, those would be hoses not cables. If you go to the top of this page you'll see "XJ4 Ever" click on it and you'll find the parts you need.