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The XJ family grows.

Discussion in 'XJ Technical Chat' started by MacMcMacmac, Jul 3, 2006.

  1. MacMcMacmac

    MacMcMacmac Member

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    I have bargained to buy the Midnight Maxim pictured below:

    url=http://www.putfile.com][​IMG][/url]

    The agreed upon price is $600. Only 4000+ km on it, but it smokes. Question, should it be parted out, cannibalized to make my Turbo bigger, or restored? Seems like low mileage to have smoking issues, could be bores, rings or stem seals. Won't know till I tear it down. Hopefully nothing major. Worst comes to worst, I guess I can use the engine for parts and send the rest to EvilBay. Sure is clean looking though...
     
  2. BlueMaxim

    BlueMaxim Active Member

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    Man what a beautiful bike! Compression test will tell if it is rings. My guess would be valve stem seals. Most likely have just deteriorated from non-use. Either way I wish I could find a deal like that.
     
  3. Hired_Goon

    Hired_Goon Member

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    Easy answer. SHe's too good to do anything other than restore it.

    That's very low km's. Has it been sitting for a while? Smoking could be stuck rings. Well worth the effort.

    Top find.

    HG
     
  4. Jazzmoose

    Jazzmoose Member

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    Did I mention I hate you, Mac? ;)
     
  5. faighaigh

    faighaigh Member

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    Parted out!!! Off to the funny farm post haste.

    Faighaigh.
     
  6. singingotter

    singingotter Member

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    Pour a teaspoon of Seafoam into each cylinder - cylinders should be warm, not hot. Tip the bike side to side a little to make sure it spreads out. Put the plugs back in and let it sit overnight. If there is a gallon of gas in the tank, then double the Seafoam dosage there and then the next morning run it for 15 minutes. Turn off the bike, then top off the gas with another gallon. Don't put any Seafoam in the oil as what you put in the cylinders will more than likely end up there anyway. 4K is too little for valve seal damage, but gummed up piston rings is a 95% sure thing. Most folks don't mention it, but you can put Seafoam in your oil. I do this 1 gastank full before an oil change to make sure everything stays clean - especially before I lay her up for the winter - and then store her with fresh synthetic oil. That way I'm ready for Spring and now engine/rings/seal worries. Read the directions on the Seafoam can. YMMV.

    Another product that works is Greased Lightning. It is a de-carbonizer, and the only one recommended by BMW. Seafoam disolves the carbon, Greased Lightning burns it. Supposedly this keeps it from ending up in your oil when you use it in your fuel tank on a routine basis. Again, YMMV.
     
  7. RickCoMatic

    RickCoMatic Well-Known Member

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    You don't part-out a bike that pretty ... you restore it. It might be something rediculously easy to fix ... like a stuck rack of enrichment valves not seating. Some way out of whack jetting?? Valve seals; maybe (at 4000 I doubt it). Cracked rings is a possibility. At 4000 with no damage done to cylinder bores ... just throw some rings in it and ride it. Even if you had to sit on the project for a year to have the bores machined to the first oversize ... that wouldn't be much of a chore beyond putting in new rings. Before parting it out visit the other XJ-sites and have a Moderator inform their membership of a clean bike that smokes. You'll get your money back; fast. In fact I have a buyer lined-up for you ... right now. He smashed-up his Max. So, if you are anywhere within a days drive from Arizona ... drop me an email. rick massey xj900owner@aol.com
     
  8. Nick

    Nick Member

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    What a great find, you gotta fix her up MacMcMacmac ( did I put enough Mac's in there? ).

    I would try the other suggestions before tearing her down, not going to hurt anything and may fix the problem without too much expence or time.

    If you do go for the boring out, from what I understand Yamaha doesn't sell the std or 1st over rings or pistons any more.
    I did find a set of aftermarket std bore rings on ebay some time ago.
     
  9. welderflame

    welderflame Member

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    I agree that you should fix it and Ride it. I know I would. Midnight Max wes the coolest one.
     
  10. MacMcMacmac

    MacMcMacmac Member

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    Well, I went to look at it, it was a lot rougher than it appears in the photos. Furry aluminum, flaking paint, the gold trim turning green it a lot of places. I get the feeling it had quite a bit more than 4k on it, but who's to say? It was a good deal when it just needed rings, but the thought of all the cosmetic work required convinced me not to buy. If I had an enclosed work space, and I wasn't renting (can't have half assembled bikes all about) I might hve been tempted, but trying to get two bikes back on the road was a bit more than I needed right now. Looks like a few weeks until my camchain tensioners, starter clutch and gasket set arrives, so I'm bikeless for awhile.
     
  11. Robert

    Robert Active Member

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    Sorry to hear of the pass, better to error to the side of caution. You have very good reasons to let this one slide by, wish I had your discipline. I've just gotten a line on an 86 Radian for the cost of the lien chase (probably about $100-150). I'm torn since most of the parts will fit on the Max, Seca or FZR. Just flat out of space.
     

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