Maxim Vs Seca

ok so a few months back i bought an 82 xj550 Maxim and i love the bike...shes out of comission right now due to a dead starter but should have her back up and running by this weekend (fingers crossed). But anyways i was just wondering what the main difference (rather than look) there is between the maxim and seca models of the xj series....

 

Maxim is the cruiser look type and the Seca is the sport bike look type.

 

There ARE minor differences (front forks, stuff like that) but they are mostly cosmetic. The only real FUNCTIONAL difference (especially in the 550's) would be seat height and riding position. I'm 6'5" and perfectly comfortable on the 550 Seca (with lower than stock handlebar) because I can use the lion's share of the seat (I always amputate the strap.) I couldn't even BEGIN to try to fit "into" a Maxim...

 

Maxim 550s have Hitachi carbs
Seca 550s have Mikunis

 

Hmm, referencing bigfitz52's post,

I'm 6'5" maybe I should try a seca on for size.

But i really like my maxim, just a thought.

 

My maxim 550 is a 6 speed and my buddy's seca 650 is a 5 speed

 

both of my XJ550 have Mikunis - one is a Seca, one is a Maxim.

 

I thought there was something related to where/when the bike was built that determined which carbs it got.

And +1 to the Seca being reasonable fit for the taller guys. 6'4" and I ride on the "ridge" between the rider and passenger seat. Don't know what I'd do on the Maxim.

 

Hmmmmm. When I was looking at several racks of carbs on ebay, I verified on the XJcd to see if the Maxim carbs would work. Not the same part numbers, so I double checked at the source of the fountain of youthful carbs

 

All the 550's are 6-speeds. The carburetor thing is interesting though...anybody out there got a Seca 550 with Hitachis on it?

 

I'm about 6'4" - to fit on my (new to me as of three months ago) Maxim 650, I added engine guards & highway pegs. :wink:

 

How about a pic, storm.

 

I'm 6'3" and don't feel too bad on my 400, of course it being my first bike, i don't know what it's like to stretch out yet

Highway pegs may be in the future.

 

Im 6'9'', riding a Maxim XJ750, its my first bike and I cant picture riding anything smaller, its an absolute perfect fit for me. I practiced on a 250 eliminator in my training class and my knees were hitting the bars.

The secas seem alot smaller to me, I dont know if I would feel comfortable riding one.

 

Sure thing!






With my feet on the stock pegs, my knees come about even with the top of the last 'a' in 'Yamaha'. Stretched out, the forward pegs fit nicely right along the ridge just above the bump in my ankle and my Achilles tendon.

 

I'm 6'4" and the Seca is a peanut under me. :lol:
It is a tiny bike, but handles well.

 

ok so then the "main" difference is looks...is the Seca any faster since it is the "sport" bike?

 

Good question. In the 550's I think they are identical, engine and drivetrain-wise. Some of the larger-displacement XJs have different ignition timing curves (different CDI box) between Maxim/Seca, but I can't find any differences in part numbers on the 550's. Maybe someone who owns one of each could chime in?

 

regarding 650 @ 750's
seca's have diffrent camshaft<better>
diffrent sized rear wheel <16 & 18>
braking setup is diffrent.

550's I have no clue about

 

the 550 Seca is WAY faster than that Maxim... can't you see the sweet GoFaster(tm) bikini fairing on it? How could it not be faster?!



-c

 

i know when i raced my buddy at work (he has a honda shadow ace 750) i launched better than him and stayed in front the whole time on my 550 maxim

 

Honda called it the Shadow because it shared one (shadow) with the Harleys...of course your Yamaha is faster!

 

I'm 6'4" and the Seca is a peanut under me. :lol:
It is a tiny bike, but handles well.[/quote]

Tiny? Is there a big difference in size between the Seca and the Maxim?

 

im afraid putting highway bars on my maxim will burn my lags, lol cuz i like to wear shorts, but that probably will change, idk, can anyone vouch what highway pegs are like on an aircooled maxim?

 

this was my solution to being to big for my maxim. It puts me where the fat chicks used to go.

 

I'm pretty sure I remember my Maxim 550 is a 5 speed (I haven't ridden it in 2 years because I'm in Shanghai and its in Toronto). It is the Canadian version (metric speedo in big font on the outer ring and miles smaller on the inside circle). Could that make a difference?

 

Boy, nothing like resurrecting an old thread!

If your Maxim is a 550, then it is a six-speed. For sure.

 

Well the thread sure doesn't have the seriousness of drum brake pad delamination, or importance of valve adjustment or the ubiquity of replacing the fuse panel, but it still is interesting and especially relevant to me since I got hold of a XJ550 Seca factory manual but own a Maxim.

I did a forum search on "550 Maxim Seca differences" and read through the 40-50 threads that I found. Based on my reading I think the manual is good enough.

I'm 6' even and fit well on the Maxim, I can see that the step in the seat would limit someone taller.

Finally the 6 speed issue, is there a possible gear box flaw that would prevent me from changing into 6th and leave the rest working well? (or is it my bad memory from being so far from my bike).

 

If you can get to the bike or have a good picture of the side cover then the shifting pattern should be stamped into the crankcase cover directly above the shift shaft.

Cheers
Dave

 

About the only thing that could be wrong would be if the tab for sixth gear is broken off the shift drum, if the other 5 work fine. Maybe you always thought it was only a 5-speed and never shifted into 6th?

 

It is. The factory "Maxim" 550 book is just the "R" book with a "Maxim" supplement. The supplement is, IIRC, nothing but slight changes on the "specs" pages. There aren't any differences, service-procedure wise. Look very closely at some of the pics; you'll see they are actually of an XJ400 (not a twin and not a 550) as the original XJ was a 400-four.

PM me with your email address and I can send you scans of the Max supplement if you're interested.

The real differences, like the seat, etc., will be better covered in the "Dealer Assembly Manual" for your Max. They show up on eBay from time to time and are largely ignored, so they can usually be got cheap. I have them for all my XJs.

 

OK a broken 6th tab is a remote possibility, a bad memory (2 years since I've ridden the poor thing) or inability to count to 6 is more likely and

is impossible since I distinctly remember, more than once cruising at 140 km/hr and trying to upshift and not getting anything. I suppose a good rider should always "know" exactly what gear they are in eh?

 

Ok, so people are talking about the Seca being to small well its a little to big for me. I'm 5'3" and I am on my tippy toes and would like to know if any one knows how to lower my 81 xj750r Seca? I would like to keep it looking as stock as I can. I think an inch or two would be nice. Any thoughts?

 

Would the diaphragm be different ? i have tried ordering twice now diaphragms for my xj550 and twice they have been to big by nearly a 1/4 inch . I am losing hope.

Back story : i bought a 1982 xj 550 about two months ago started to rebuild it and then ran into carb issues on a closer look i saw the diaphragms had holes in them

 

Wow, search and type....Mikunis, you need mikuni diaphragms for the 550

 

And to answer a question, can you fit Mikunis to a seca? Yes, but it's a faff. I have a set on my 650, they worked well with pods, and now fitted with the 600 air box, still working well.