How do you like your XJ

Feeling bored today thought I would get everyone to voice there opinion on how you like your XJ Stock/Vintage Chop/Bobbed Cafe/Streetracer Me I'm a Chop/ Bobbed guy and would not have it any other way so have at it and lets see if we can have some fun.

***Photo deleted by Robert. Member warned without response.***

 

I like my bikes stock but wouldnt mind doing some mods to the 700 it just begs for it but I really like the way it rides much better than the 650 maxim for me anyway.

 

I would love my 1100 even more if I could get it to stop sucking air through the throttle shaft seals done everything I csn think of. Including two sets of seals.

 

cup out or in?

 

out

 

I like my mostly stock Maxim that I've converted to an era appropriate 4pc Vetter Touring Bagger with a few modern LED touches.

I like some of the other "looks/mods" but I only have one ride to tinker with.

 

haha you said 5h1T.

i love mine non stock, unless we're talking about the xj900, i can appreciate the looks of those.

 

Mini Max Cruiser here... Its a lot of work getting and keeping it ridable.

Gas in oil issue the last time I changed out the oil. :-(

Im thinking about selling it.

 

I like riding bikes that nobody has seen (not you guys) , A Seca 750 with all the touring stuff, and a Seca 900. I never, ever see another on the street. Not even at big bike events. It's as if I'm riding a one-off custom, even if it's stock.

 

i like my XJ 650RJ Seca just fine. Ordered float needles today. Thinking about tearing parts out and painting frame banana yellow with tank and other pieces solid fire engine red. I think that would be RACY!
What you think?

 

I love the older Japanese bikes. I need to get used to do the steering on the Maxim though, it has always felt odd to me.

 

Once I got my '81 550 Seca operational and on the road, I fell in love with it.

My immediate thought was "I gotta get another one of these!"

So I did. And upgraded and modernized it. I absolutely love riding it; it's now a brand new '83 Yamaha, better than original, and TIME is right--- you sure don't see anybody else on one, even though it's nearly stock.

 

I must admit I like riding an older bike around that is different from the norm.

But its only 2 months and 2,000 klms so far.


Ask me again next year :wink:

 

I just love my Maxim.

In the last 4 yrs only had an issue with her, was this summer. When the starter clutch was spinning and did not engage. May be she was just too hot that day. She is behaving good for now.

With these older bikes, only the upkeep is you have to worry about. But once you get her in that new shape. Much less expensive than getting a new one and there is still the upkeep with them.

 

love it, hate it.
I like non stocks and have done lots of little changes to bring
out the chrome, custom paint etc.
But it's also my daily rider and I cant stand it to be even a
little dirty. So it's wash and polish every stinking week ( or more
when it rains). Plus the 700 is just to small a motor to have any
real fun with. I miss my '80 xs 1100. That was a fun bike.
A soon as I can afford to, I'll buy another one and bob/rat it out
so it will only see water riding in the rain lol.

 

for me is restoring a stock bike to as close to new as I can get it.
Stock for me.

 

I like mine. I liked it in it's mostly stock form, I like it more now that's it's been modified.

I got mine cheap, it's been cheap to keep running, and if I break it while trying to customize it I can sell the remaining parts for what I paid for the bike in the first place 4 years ago.

shangovi - did you get your carbs straight?

 

Great bike, really all I need. It starts and runs great, has a great sound, plenty of power for me, draws a lot of comments. I look at it as a mutual fund you can ride.

 

When I bought mine, it was the sorriest-looking bike I'd ever seen. But it ran, and that was good enough for me. I'm planning on making it a sort of cafe-style simply because I like the way it handles with lower bars (I flipped mine and fell in love), and it just looks bizarre as a mostly stock 550 maxim with inverted handlebars...

 

I bought my XJ knowing i was going to heavily modify it. they look amazing when built up by the owner but there not too pretty when stock. when i went to buy a bike it was between a maxim 650 and a kz 550 and i took my gf to go look at em with me, when she seen the maxim the first thing she said was that it looked goofy and she tried to talk me into getting the KZ. ha but the maxim was cheaper and bigger and had fairly low miles so i went with the XJ for my project bike. although i do really like the stlying of the maxim gas tanks.

 

98% stock. Aftermarket exhaust is the only visible difference. Have done some upgrades such as stainless steel brake lines - highly recommended! Haven't seen one like it on the road in all my travels. US border agent took one look at it this year and said, "now here's a classic". He even nailed the year of manufacture!

 

on a good day i like mine running but like today ill trade it for a heat barrel and a load of wood lol

 

I Love my XJ750NX. Will do a few mods. Like air-shocks,better brake-lines on front. Other than that its pretty hard to improve something that works so well as it is.

 

Indeed.

All one really needs to do is take advantage of the advances in technology in regard to brakes (shoes, pads and rotors, stainless lines) suspension (shocks, fork springs) and lighting (Halogen headlights, LEDs as preferred for others) plus maybe some new-tech foam in the seat and you've got a bike that's every bit the equal of a lot of what's in the showrooms today.

Without the overblown styling, the over-complexity and with better fuel economy in the bargain.

And without spending a fortune.

 

tjb2of3, you're not alone. I have a buddy with a honda shadow wearing clubmans.

mailbooman and fitz, Amen

I like mine rode hard and put away dry just as it is. Dirty on the outside, clean inside where it counts. A zombie bike, resurrected but only barely just. I really like riding a work in progress. Lots of work and not a lot of money invested. MOST everything dialed in but always one or two quirks to work out and gremlins that migrate around. Stamp them out in one area at about the rate they crop up elsewhere.

 

I love the XJ and thought it had more power than I needed... until I rode the my XS1100 now that has some power. The XJ does handle better then the XS and is still a fun bike to ride. I like mine stock for the most part but I have a parts bike that I might bob just for something to do.


Parts, this may be to far away but here is an 80 XS1100 for $500 OBO in the Salt Lake area (and no it's not mine)

http://www.ksl.com/index.php?nid=218&ad ... rch=yamaha xs

 

my bike is original except the mirrors and i couldnt imagine changing it in anyway(thats just me).apart from a flat battery the other day (my fault)it starts 1st time everytime ,looks great,goes like last weeks pay and is a pleasure to ride.this bike is purely for pleasure and the only time i stop out on the road is to put petrol in it and more often than not somebody comes and has a look and a chat. i will admit i dont work on it myself at this stage apart from oil, plugs,filter etc and polishing of course, im lucky to have a 60 year old mechanic who loves these bikes,who's honest and reasonably priced and knows them like the back of his hand'. next year in going to buy a newer bike to share the riding as im putting 500km's a week on my beloved XJ and i will never part with it.

 

I bought my first XJ550 when it was sitting in someone's backyard, just collecting rust and problems. In the process of cleaning it up I realized the tank and carbs were junk, the exhaust was junk, the wheel spacer was the wrong size, mirrors were broken, and much much more. Luckily the engine and trans were just fine. A fresh set of carbs and a lot of work later and it was looking beautiful!

My second one (which I just bought recently) is in so much better shape because it has been garage kept. The only mod is an aftermarket backrest and luggage rack that I think adds a lot to the look of the bike. Unfortunately it's still got all old brake and electrical components, so those are on the list for replacement this winter!

 

I got a stock 1982 XJ750 Maxim this year.
It's my first bike ever (I'm nearly 40) so I don't have a frame of reference as broad as many of the fine contributors here. BUT I have fondly fantasized about all the possibilities of modifications.

A the end of the day, I find myself trying to preserve the stock-ness, but keeping in mind the things I should do to improve the basics (fuse block upgrade, LEDs, headlamp, speedo maintenance, etc).

While Im at it:
As ugly as the Atari cluster is, it has info I like (as a new rider).
I only wish I could build a piece of electronics that converts the warning indicator lcd into an actual LED tree.