81 xj550 Maxim/Seca

Newbie here, I'm in the process of converting a Maxim to a cafe racer and I have a couple of questions. I did a search to no avail.

1. Is the Maxim and Seca the same frame?
2. Are the triple clamps a different offset between the Maxim and Seca?

I think that I read somewhere that the forks are 34mm and 35mm between the two.

81' xj550

Thanks for the help!

 

1: No. The Maxim frame has more of a downward angle from the steering head to the seat, and more rake.

2: Not sure what is different exactly but they are different.

I've read that too and it's incorrect. The 550 Seca has 35mm forks as does the Max, but they're different. The Seca's forks have the axle on the end, the Max's forks have a "leading axle" (the axle's on the front of the forks.) Seca's brake is on the right; Max's on the left. Maxim has a larger rear drum than the Seca, and I'm sure you're aware of the rear wheel size difference.

I probably shouldn't tell you that the Seca also has hotter cams and is jetted differently.

 

Hey Bigfitz, I've got an 83 seca 550 that I bobbed and so I purchased a set of wheels off an 81 maxim 550 from a local parting it out on CL. Rear went on just fine but the seca has the front brake on the right while the max is on the left. So I went and picked up the front end from the same guy figuring id just swap the forks, but the max forks are too big to fit the seca trees. Then I read that the seca had 34 and the maxim 35 mm forks. The max's do appear to be about a mm or two too large.

 

Thanks for the info. The bike was free and had been sitting for 10 years, 14,000 miles. After a carb cleaning it fired right up and runs like a champ. I figure I can put $1000 into it and still come out ahead.

 

[quote="interstatejoe]... the max forks are too big to fit the seca trees. Then I read that the seca had 34 and the maxim 35 mm forks. The max's do appear to be about a mm or two too large.[/quote]

Truly strange. This question has come up a couple of times; so I've double checked and both of my 550 Secas, '81 and '83, have 35mm forks. I suspect the 550 Max may have 36mm forks.

 

So...another question, if the rotor is on the opposite side, can you just turn the Seca wheel around to fit the Maxim forks?