Should i get these bikes?

Ok i have an '81 XJ550 Maxim, my buddy has 2 '82 xj750 secas. he found a guy selling 2 82 xj750 maxims for an extremely good deal. the problem being is my friend wants to go halfs on the bikes, i get one he gets one, and we split the parts (one of the 750s was a 650, that the guy did a swap on, he used all 750 wiring and tci etc. still has all the 650 parts.

money is really tight with me and it would be all my spending cash for the month. but i would have a complete 2nd bike (technically a 650, with 750 parts) the bike has some bad wiring issues but has GREAT carb boots (motor side) has pretty good front tire, the carbs need to get the topside cleaned but the bowl was clean. doesnt have an airbox. and no title for either of them...

the no title deal is mostlikly a deal breaker. im in CT and i belive you need a title for motorcycle 82 or newer.

does anyone have any input? about the title? about the 650-750 swap? (650 ran when it was in just idled to high, and he snapped bolts getting it out) i would beable to make back what i spend on it on carb boots alone (if the sale section of the site works)

 

http://hartford.craigslist.org/mcy/3854331225.html
thats the add, we have agreed on 200$ for both bike and all the parts if we can get the money together. so i would put in 100.

 

Sadly you're in CT which is hell bent on overtaking California as the state with the most repressive laws on the books.

CT requires you to have a title on these bikes and if you have no title then you must do a title search following a paper trail and contact the last titled owner of the bike and have them turn the title over to you. If the seller has moved and you can't find them, has decided he wants the bike again and thank you for delivering it to him, wants more money, you name it; if you can't get the title then you have a nice parts bike. The bike to CT belongs to the last titleholder however long ago that was. Also, you can't go to the DMV with a bill of sale and have them tell you the address of the last known titleholder.

If you have friends or relatives in another state they can get an old bike an XJ age registered there with a bill of sale and then use that title to get it registered in CT. You will need to have the bike there for them to see the vin # NH and ME are places for this. I wanted to get a maxim x that had been sitting for a long time in NH but in a barn with a dirt floor and bad things had happened. I ended up not getting it because of the crap that CT requires.

When I ended up with a XJ11 it had a NY title and bill of sale. All was good and I went to get it registered and was told the VIN was not correct. Oh, the VIN was fine but what NY wanted back in the day was the # stamped into the steering column which is where the VIN comes from. I took the title to Norwich to have them inspect it and it was rejected because the VIN was on the bike so there was a VIN and they wanted me to go to the seller and have him battle it out with NY to get the VIN listed on the title instead. I trailered it up to the main branch in Wethersfield where that inspector wanted to see what was stamped on the frame so he was happy and I got my CT title.

Thinking I might find it easier to sell the bike later down the road I went to the DMV to ask them if they can replace the frame # with the VIN number and I brought along the breakdown of how the VIN is created and that this bike's VIN is only for this specific bike and they gave me such BS I thought they were going to unregister it right there. Finally they gave me back my papers and told me they couldn't do anything and started badmouthing whoever inspected it and allowed the NY title to stand. The CT DMV is not your friend.

CT wants more and more control over everything, it's extremely expensive state and a good state to leave and I'm going to when my work here is done. My last 2 cents... I go to Boston once a week. Gasoline here is $3.74/gal because of the state gas tax and they are going to raise the tax on it again. I have four tanks and fill them in Boston with 20 gal each time I go, as well as fill the car and in BOSTON I pay $3.35/gal cash. Including the car fillup. that's around $14 I save each week buying MA gas instead of CT; CT just wants to legislate everything.

Can you feel the love... :/

 

ya thats what i figured, no title means its not mine. love CT 81 no title is fine, 82 your in a shit show requiring everything. love the rant thoe, completely agree with leaving, but i have a pretty secure job so no worrying about anything and thats worth staying.

 

Certainly a good buy but you will need to spend a lot to get them safe/roadworthy. From what you have said i'm not sure you have the resources for that?

As for the title, Rickomatic appears to have a way around that


http://www.xjbikes.com/Forums/viewtopic ... title.html

 

right now i don't have any resources had to take a lot of time off for a family emergency. once back on my feet i have enough for 1 project at a time. thanks for the link for the title information that is just what i needed to know.

How well do things sell from the for sale section on the site? that is my fall back plan.

 

Update on the bikes, i got the 650-750 swap bike running. runs like crap with no air filter at all just a sheet taped over the inlets on the carbs. (PS DONT USE A RUBBER BAND will not work... almost a bad time) the carbs off this bike are going to my friend and i am taking 650 carbs for use on a 750 motor. and i am getting 750 jets from the barn find bike. it was never grounded to the motor.

 

hell, buy them as parts.... then chop + salvage the frame, or look for a good frame. The carbs alone are worth what you would pay for the bike.

 

Register in Vermont. Title. Easy.

 

ok thats going to be my plan... buy the bikes, play musical carbs, find air box or play with pods, regester in vermont. but i still will have alot of extra parts. how active is the for sale section of the forums?

thank you everyone

 

Everything I've sold has been on this forum. Actually, I asked Len if he wanted anything first... and he certainly did!

 

If it doesn't sell on the forum list and Len/Chacal doesn't want it, you can certainly sell it on fleaBay.

If you try to get it running instead of parting it out:
In Connecticut, you will need to request a title search: http://www.ct.gov/dmv/cwp/view.asp?a=816&q=244700

And then contact the title holder to have them a) request a duplicate title and b) sign it over to you. Connecticut does have a form for selling a vehicle without a title: http://www.ct.gov/dmv/cwp/view.asp?a=816&Q=244692
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Assuming you put them on the road:

Please save yourself a lot of hassle: do not try to run without the airbox or with pods. It will be a nightmare trying to get it to run properly. You should be able to get the right airbox pretty easily.

I believe that swapping parts between the 650 and 750 will be problematic. If a 750 engine is already in their and hooked up, then your can probably leave it like that but you will want the carbs and airbox for the installed engine. You definitely want the correct TCI for the motor installed. I believe your best bet will be to swap back to the 650 engine rather than having to do the "adjustments" needed to get the correct 750 parts installed and working. You CAN use the 750 fuel tank on the 650 as a direct swap. This provides an additional gallon or two of fuel capacity which is nice to have.

Be aware that putting these on the road SAFELY if they haven't been properly maintained all these years will be an expensive and arduous process. Replacing most/all fluids, replacing brake line, many many rubber parts, etc.

What may be your best bet is seeing which bike you can get the title for using the above title search process and then parting out the one you can't get title to (or whichever you like better) selling those parts in order to pay for the things needed on the preferred bike. For example: intact, light/no rust, no dents gas tank can bring anywhere from $75 - $200. You can probably get well over $100 for the instrument cluster. Complete carbs are anywhere from $75 and up depending upon condition ... just those two parts from one of the bikes will pay for a lot of the parts you need (not including the brake lines as those for the 750 cost about $150 - 3 segments @ $50 each.) Seat (assuming intact and useable can bring a nice price (less if it has to be recovered), as can brakes, starter motor, TCI, carbs ... All those parts together should more than cover putting one bike back into primo shape.

Problems with the carbs are the single biggest challenge with these bikes: they must be properly cleaned and operational for the bike to run like it should (which is more power than you are every likely to need unless you race.) I had a 650 for a while as my first bike and I was nearly thrown off the bike the first time I started moving and that was nowhere near WOT, just a little touch of fuel and !Bam!

 

once i get the bikes i will go threw everything, seeing what matches what and organize the parts. in the end i plan on having my current 550 running beautfilly + the 650-750swaped bike running nice, the rest sold off. or making a go cart with the 650 motor...

thank you for all the assistance. the reason i ran without the airbox was just to get it running, witch i was VERY surprised i got to run without starter-fluid or anything just fresh gas in the tank and a new battery.

 

Hey jchalo99. I live in Wallingford and am currently rebuilding my xj750 maxim I'll see what the bikes look like in Craig's post but I might need some parts in the near future.

 

Dude its worth at least 1200 in parts on ebay. I'd do it. Sell parts, make your money back, fix your current bike WITH title

 

We pay ~ $4.72/gallon up here in Canada ($1.27CAN/L)

Don't complain...

 

Wrong thread?

 

I think he was referencing KA1J's rant.

 

Seriously though let me know when you get the bikes (PM) I already see parts I'll buy.
Engine crash bars front levers.....

 

I would be interested in the sidestand relay & Starting circuit cutoff relay, coils, & the TCI unit........PM me.....if you consider selling these parts...& the gas tank on the parts XJ750 bike if it is not too badly rusted inside......black ...my color...

 

yes i got the bikes willing to sell anything. either pm me or i will pm you if you already commented.

 

ok update on the bikes, 1 is an 81 xj650 maxim frame with a 750 motor in it. i stripped it down to frame, and painted the frame all nice. i painted it baby blue because it looks different and it will match pin stripe paint on the gas tank. it is a really sweet deal for 200$.

http://imgur.com/8lqLtTz

 

update again on these bikes. the 81 xj650-750 swap. reattaching parts now. made my own wiring harness because the PO destroyed the original. So far i have startbutton working, pickups working, voltage regulator hopefully working, TCI box working. (i know because when i hit the start button i get spark.)

What size are the exaust studs? like m6?

I still have the 82 xj750 with parts for sale. let me know if you need any. (gastank is in good shape.)

 

Ok got the bike firing... but doesnt want to stay running. Working on attaching instrument cluster.

When attaching the exaust i have the down pipes attached to the engine, than trying to slide them back into the collector box... that is proving to be a hard thing to do. Is there another way i should try?

I needed to drill out the studs on the instrument cluster to replace with bolts because i need to spin them into the headlight bracket.

i am still wiring everything else up. i am going to have ignition. headlight, tail light, break light, blinkers, horn, and blue lights (vol. Fire Fighter).

I still need to build an airbox. or put one in (didnt know i had one till after everything else was in.) and need to rejet the carbs. (jetted for 650 motor, on a 750)