Midnight Maxim: A More Comfortable Daily Driver?

I purchased my first bike (an '81 Midnight Maxim 650) back n November, and I currently use it as my daily transport. Over the last two months or so, I have repaired most of the mechanical issues with it, and will be replacing the rusted-through exhaust as soon as the parts come in. Due to the cold New Jersey weather, Heated Gloves have been the biggest upgrade for comfort I have added thus far.

So at this point, I am looking at adding to the bike to make riding more enjoyable, both for my daily commute (of about three miles each way) and for the long rides I plan on having this summer. Possible ideas include fairings and a low windshield for fuel efficiency and looks, a radio for longer trips, exchanging the sissy bar and appropriate seat with a touring one, and possibly adding a trailer hitch for LIGHT towing (a cooler, perhaps a beach chair or two, towels, change of clothes, possibly a kayak on occasion).

So my questions are:
=What gear have other owners found most useful?
=What radios do you recommend for a bolt-on, low cost and decent quality?
=IF I decide to go with a hitch, am I better fabricating my own, or is there a decent, cost-effective hitch that will bolt on to a 1981 XJ650L?
=Based on what I have expressed above, what general recommendations do you guys have?

Thanks for your input everyone! Also, anyone in the South Jersey area near Deptford, Glassboro, and Cherry Hill area who wants to get together, I'm always up for a ride or working on the bikes.

 

Hey BluesBass,

I have a Shark motorcycle radio that I purchased off of e bay last year installed on my bike. Not a bad buy for the money, under $100, with only two complaints.

1. The chrome looks nice at first but if you clean it with anything other than a micro fiber towel it will scratch & haze easily. When ordering you have the choice of chrome or black speakers.

2. The radio reception while moving is horrible, but that's not a problem if you're going to use a MP3 player. I have 120gb of music on a 160gb Ipod so the radio is not a factor for me.

The speaker are 100% waterproof and it comes with a wired remote control. The sound quality is good on and off the highway which I was surprised at triple digits speed I was clearly able to hear my music.
It comes with everything you need for installation & the amplifier is relatively small but not waterproof, it could be concealed in the toolbox or a small front fork bag.
If I knew how to add a link on here I wound, but you can easily look it up on E bay or you can see 1 installed on a few bikes on you tube.

 

Just a quick note: Microfiber will scratch the bejabbers out of chrome, both real and plastic. They're just finer scratches.

Soft clean cotton terrycloth is the only way to go. Pitch the microfiber; it's evil.

 

I use all my gears and stay mostly in hgh gear unless passing at lower speeds, then I drop it down a notch or two for more power.
You can make your own stereo system with one of those inexpensive amps off ebay and a pair of 4" or 5" speakers if your handy at making stuff like I am. Or just buy one of the cheap 100w Shark systems off ebay that seem to have good reviews and will work fairly well for you.

Good luck on your venture and don't be afraid to ask questions if you get into a bind.

 

Thanks for your help everyone! I was looking at the Shark system, probably the 250W one and I'm glad I was able to get a first-hand review of the product line - thanks JayEye.

I do have a quick question for you guys. I recently rebuilt my forks on the bike (something that appears to have been 25 years past due). After getting everything back together and getting on the bike, it feels WORSE than when I started. Also, my speedometer and tach quit working after a few minutes on the bike after the repair. In essence, when I turn on the bike, it feels like the front wheel is sliding out from under me, almost as if the forks are torquing when they should remain rigid.

For the Speedo/Tach, this is easy to diagnose: connect the end of the cable to a power drill at LOW speeds and see if the needle moves to determine if it is a problem at the wheel or above, then replace parts as needed.
Now I am not at all afraid to admit that the forks feeling unstable is something that may be a bit above my technical level. I am interested in fixing the problem myself, but would GREATLY appreciate any input from the seasoned knowledge base of my fellow riders. For reference, here is my base plan for determining/repairing the problem:
1. Remove wheel and repair speedo/tach issue (take the easy one out first). Inspect axle and bearings, replace parts as needed, grease thoroughly
2. Remove caliper, fender, and speedo cable completely, then remove forks. Test each fork independently under an equal weight for equal reactivity to compression.
3. Rebuild forks if necessary (hoping to avoid this step, it was a royal pain getting them apart and then back together the first time)
4. Reassemble everything carefully and thoroughly check, double check, and triple check fitting of all parts as well as measurements and torque on each bolt. (slight tangent here, I have a torque wrench, but it is only truly accurate for 30-100ft-lbs. Is it absolutely necessary I invest in a more precise torque wrench in the 1-20 ft-lb range, or is there a 'rule of thumb' I can follow to make sure my forks are tightened properly? Also, if I do accidentally over-tighten the forks will it damage them beyond possible thread damage/sheared off heads?)

Thanks for all your advice everyone! I've got at least a day or two to work on the bike seeing as there is a sleet/ice storm moving in to the northeast. I'd like to get this done if I can safely and thoroughly complete the job in that time. If not, I will probably be taking it to my local Yamaha dealer for repairs (something I would very much like to avoid).

 

BluesBass,

I bought the 250W system, the only difference between the 250w & 100w is that you get a 3rd channel for a sub woofer. The power output for the left and right channels are the same between units, MAX power @ 4ohm 50W x 2 + 150w for the subwoofer. RMS power @ 4ohm 25W x 2 + 65w sub.

The 250w kit doesn't include a sub and I haven't been able to find 1, but then again I haven't really looked for 1 either.

The 100w kit dosen't have the sub output, the extra 150w/65w of power is going to that channel so if you are not intending on running a sub it's kind of a waste.

 

JayEye,

Thanks for that input! I don't plan on running a sub, I don't know where I would even mount one on the bike. I was about to spend twice what I needed to. I owe you one!

 

Not that you have missed anything but kind of a check to make sure(it may not be a complete list it has been a while since I rebuilt my forks)

1. Triple tree tightened to proper torque upper and lower
2. Axle properly tightened.
3. Put oil back in the forks
4. If applicable add proper air pressure to forks.
5. Check the air pressure in the tires.

Hope you get it figured out.

 

How did you "rebuild the forks on the bike?" It would be nearly impossible to do.

Yes, you DO need to invest in a lower-range torque wrench. A great number of the fasteners on the XJs have very LOW torque specs, and the Japanese aluminum is like butter. You risk cracking/distorting parts as well as stripping threads. You won't break many bolts (unless they're corroded) but overtightening can and will cause all sorts of other problems.

You actually need TWO, one that covers down to 10 ft/lbs and one in inch/lbs. That "car" torque wrench is only going to help you with axle nuts and footpeg mounts; even spark plugs go to less than 30lbs.

My personal favs: http://www.thetoolwarehouse.net/p-2530- ... -3459.aspx for inch-lbs;

and http://www.thetoolwarehouse.net/p-2531- ... -3460.aspx for the rest of the stuff (10-100 ft/lb.)

 

I think he meant riding gear.

 

Riding gear? Leather jacket and chaps are my favorites I guess. I don't wear gloves unless it's under 50 degrees and have heated grips for when it gets real cold. I never liked wearing my leathers when it's warm out (above 75) because it's just too hot with them on. I like to wear a helmet when it's raining or real cold. Others like to wear a helmet and protective clothing no matter what the weather is, but I guess I have to draw the line with being over protected and comfortable.