New User, new biker.

I just joined this community today. I purchased my first bike this past Thursday, an 83 XJ650 Maxim. It needs some work, but it runs and its a hell of a lot of fun to ride.

Looking forward to posting here and learning whatever I can from this community.

I'll post pics later.

 

Hi! Welcome! Our members are full of good tips and tricks.

 

Welcome. New rider here too.

A little advice, no matter how excited you get to ride it, make sure its safe first. Dont just clean the carbs, and adjust valve clearances and go riding.

Brakes, lights, tires, etc..

Plenty of good knowledgeable people here who can help get that thing going.

 

Step 1: Get a manual. Or two.

Step 2: Read this

Step 3, 4, 5, and so on:

Read up on here about what makes these bikes run.

Basics are as follows:

Valve clearances
Carbs clean
Fluids changed
Tire date codes
Brake line date codes
Battery condition

These are just a start to the list of things that usually need to be done to make these bikes safe and reliable.

If you get stuck or have questions (and you will) post on here and somebody will answer, usually very soon.

Welcome to the XJ CLUB!!

 

Welcome to XJBikes! Congrats on your new bike and your new obsession. You now have a real motorcycle and soon it will be even more fun to ride than it is now.

+1 to the above advice from tskaz. Although my bike looked good when I first got it, it did need some TLC and safety repairs-and it's so much better now than it was. I couldn't have done without following the advice on here. Enjoy the ride!

 

It's later! Let's see some pics

Welcome to the forums. Glad to have you.

 

Welcome!

There are heaps of knowlege here, and if you read, inquire, and listen, you will learn a TON!

There is tons of information here, which is the thread that i made when i joined, which is much like yours.

http://xjbikes.com/Forums/viewtopic/p=3 ... tml#303599

This ones good too:
http://xjbikes.com/Forums/viewtopic/p=3 ... tml#305357

Theres another great thread but for the life of me i can't seem to find it

i will post it if i do find it though.

for parts, hit up len(chacal) as he is the MAN when it comes to any part on your bike. his email is info@xj4ever.com


Have fun and dig in!

 

Holy crap! I just read the thread you linked. Definitely not riding this bike again until I get some new brakes on it. Can't believe I've been riding it almost a week with a potential issue like that.

So that's added to my list of "to-do's".

So far I know I need a tune up, oil change, fuel supply switch, and somewhere in there a belt is going seriously bad.

As far as manuals go, do I need a service manual or an owners manual, or is there a real difference?

 

Owner's manual is okay IF you want to do routine maintenance, i.e. oil change. Gives you a general idea.

The service manual would be a much better choice. It will cover a lot more, and in more detail.

The Haynes manual is good also, but it is best to have both the factory and Haynes manuals.

And also use this website. There are a few mistakes in both manuals.

 

Welcome from Las Vegas, where are you calling home?

 

Welcome to the site from VA. Glad to hear another XJ is still on the road. You will find tons of information on this site that will be beneficial. Got a question, just ask and it won't be long before you get some imput. Welcome again. Would love to see some pictures of your new bike.

 

I just joined a last week, I just bought an 80 xj650. This group is awesome for help and service. A local member offered to let me borrow his tools to adjust the valves, how cool is that?