Completely new to bikes, quick question?

Hey guys! I just got my first motorcycle for free today! It's a 1982 (I believe) Maxim 400. Now I haven't really gotten a chance to dig into it yet but from lookin at it it appears that the frame is different from the 600's and such that ive been seein alot on here so I wanted to clarify what this bike actually is like frame-wise and such because I would feel real dumb askin questions in the wrong forum ya know?

Here's a pic of the bike!


So any help would be much appreciated!
Thanks!
Alex

 

i don't care if it's a briggs & stratton, ask away

 

Well welcome to the forum! I sadly cannot be of help for identifying the bike you acquired, but I can assure you that this forum contains more knowledge than you would believe!

Congratulations on acquiring your first bike for free! Good luck getting it up and running, and make sure you pick up some proper safety gear before riding! If you browse/search the forums, there are topics on making sure the bike is safe to run as well as checks to do to make sure it will run smoothly.

If you need any parts and don't mind getting your hands dirty, check out Chacal's parts catalog and XJ4Ever, he found me a steering column clamp that no shops (or the dealers) in a 100 mile radius could locate at a great price.

Finally, if you have questions ASK! You'll get opinions from others who have been there and done everything you possibly could need to do with your bike from regular maintenance to custom mods and everything in between.

 

Really appreciate the responses! Haven't had that friendly of a welcome in a while! I'm Heavy into modifying Saab's and rely heavily on the forums so I am not afraid to ask! The side covers said maxim 400 and I know its a 2 stroke/cylinder. and doesn't run. Ima start fiddlin with it this weekend and see if I can get it to start but it's in really rough shape. My buddy said he jumped the starter and the motor spun freely but when you turn the fey NOTHIN happens. So my first step is to check out the battery then looks like I've got some electrical gremlins to sort out!

MY hope with the bike is to get it running, learn to ride it, get my bike license then tear it apart and do somethin custom and cool with it because it's not in my nature to leave well enough alone

 

Cant help identify it but welcome to the forum, these guys are quite knowledgeable and im sure someone will know what your working with good luck and safe riding to you.

 

Here are the answers to your burning questions; first you have a frame that is unique in that it can only be used for an XJ 400 the XJ 400 also as we can all see has only one rear shock. While there may be a few parts interchangeable with your four cylinder big bros., it can't be much. The whole bike is physically smaller then even an XJ550. You are mistaken about it being a 2 stroke, it is a 4 stroke, you can tell by the cam shafts, a 2 stroke doesn't have them. This is the prefect beginner bike, be sure to check the rear brake for delamination (that's where the brake lining loses it's adhesion to the shoe) and rebuild the front master cylinder and replace the brake lines with new ones. REMEMBER THIS: WHILE IT IS IMPORTANT TO GET IT RUNNING, BUT IT IS MORE IMPORTANT TO MAKE IT STOP.

 

Hey cool haven't seen one of those around here! Welcome to XJBikes from the Boston Mountains of NWA!

Congrats on getting a great deal on a nifty little bike. You can sure tell it's a Yamaha because it hasn't rusted to the bone like a Kawasaki, or blah on style like a Suzuki or overly pretentious like a Honda. Ha! just kidding I love all the SJMs (standard Japanese Motorcycles).

Ok so you got it for free that's great, but keep in mind you can't ride it safely for free. It sounds like you know how to turn a wrench from working on your Swedish 4 legged rides, and that's good. Most of what you need to do is fairly simple and mucho important. Brakes, tires, motor, etc. are probably all going to need your TLC.

That is a perfect bike to start with. Gas mileage will be super and the power should be plenty with those two big pistons. We might have to try and talk our parts supplier into creating a new category for you since I haven't seen anything for that bike, but somewhere it's available.

To start I would thoroughly clean the bike (not with high pressure) and then take off your seat and tank so you can get at the electrical connections. Un-hook them and clean the contacts with a wire brush and smear them with di-electric grease. If when you turn the key on and press the start nothing happens it could be a bad connection if your battery is good (should be 12.3 - 12.6v cold) or a safety lockout switch is preventing it from firing.

You can just go step by step and we will help you on the way. Try and find a VIN number so we can ID your model. You will want to get a manual or two as well-they are invaluable.

You can get tons of help here-enjoy your new passion/addiction! and Welcome to the Real World of traveling!

 

Glad to see you....you'll have fun here....Good that the bike was free, coz' now the money will start to go out the door....if you can do the paintwork and re-upholster the seat yourself, that is a bonus....I suspect the tires may be well past their due date and you should replace pads / rear shoes. The rubber disc brake hoses should be replaced and service the disc master cylinder - most important is not going - it's stopping.....Haynes manual or similar...and where are you?

 

Thanks for all the help guys! Im up in Blacksburg Virginia having just transferred to Virginia Tech from Williamsburg Virginia. Eventually one of my goals is to make some sort of custom seat and re-upholster it but as y'all said I've gotta get it going and stopping first! I looked at it a bit today and it looks like I don't have an air box or a battery.. so obviously that's gonna be my first step is trackin that down! I don't know much about bikes but I am sure that it needs a battery to start

 

Woo hoo!!

Another one.... there are quite a few here...
The people here are really knowledgeable and friendly.
Couldn't have joined a better forum.

Have fun getting it up and running...

 

Nobody told the guy what the bike is yet, and you even own one!

-It's not a 2-stroke, it's a 4-stroke twin.

-It's an XS400 Maxim, 1982 or 1983. It's got a DOHC motor with shim-over-bucket valves, it's just like a 4-cylinder XJ motor sawed in half.

-It has a monoshock rear suspension as you've probably noticed.

You'll need to be careful looking for parts for this bike. Yamaha made three different models but two different "styles" of XS400 bikes in 1982: Your bike and the XS400R Seca were the monoshock DOHC bikes, then there was also an XS400 "Special" which was the last original old SOHC twin-shock "little brother" to the XS650. THIS BIKE, which is completely different from yours, seems to be the only one the aftermarket is aware of.

 

Yeah, i guess i should have mentioned that...

I was just a bit to quick to welcome another member with one, my bad.

LVSteve2011 identified it as an XJ400 and i tend to ignore the xj/xs on this site when people talk about the 400 because 99.9% of the time it is the XS 400 they are talking about and not the 4 cylinder XJ400 that was availbe in overseas markets.

Saab900, my bike hasen't been modified and if you look in my gallery you will see what it should look like if you should plan to restore to stock.
That chrome fender in the front and the rear tail light are not original, looks like they come from the bigger xs650.

 

Yay, another Baby Max

They can be a dam reliable little unit... Had mine running for 4 years now, daily driver, only ever let me down once. stuck float on a rainy day.... a little carb work fixed that up quickly.

Great bike for in town, can do highway no issues, only times I've been left wanting for more power have been days in really high winds.

Hmmm that tail light isn't stock......, battery cover and side cover missing?
(I had to make the side cover for that side).... battery cover hold the battery in place, may want to source one out on e-bay

 

The definition of "free" is in the eyes of the beholder ... knowledge, diligence and patience will set you free.

 

Hehe good point, now the difference between "free" and "roadworthy"

That's the true cost.

BUT, once you start riding and truly enjoying it... it's worth it

So that said, settle in, be prepared to learn and get her on the road.
This thing is pretty much Half an XJ, so most of what you read here will apply.
Carbs we have Mikuni BS34's, but all the CV style cars are very similar and basic cleaning procedures apply... read all the carb cleaning articles from Rikomatic

Settle in, and ask question, there is a ton of knowledge here at you fingertips.
They helped me out a ton, and my bike came with "some assembly required"

 

Started tearing into it to get a better idea of what im gettin myself into today.. deff gotta clean up the wiring and got some rust on the frame that I can hopefully just wire wheel off, that would really suck if it is more than surface rust.. Ima see if I can get a hold of a Jumper box to jump the starter and turn the engine over and make sure it sounds good. Deff gonna need to rebuild the carbs cause they have been open to the elements. Does a company sell rebuild kits or can I just take the carbs apart and clean em up and put them back together?

As a side note does anybody know how to tell if an odo has been tampered with? Says its got about 3000 miles on it which would be crazy if it does, but if there is a simple way to look at it and tell?

And yes ima get some sandwich bags to help organize the nuts and bolts!

 

See top right of the page for the go to guy for parts (xj4ever)
Post up the model & year of your ride.
Most meters are tamper proof & you would see signs of unauthorized entry, it could have just been running with a broken cable.

 

I think what I have gathered is it is a 1982 Yamaha Maxim 400.

 

Wizard is suggesting that you put the bike in your signature with some info.

A compression test (with good battery) would be a good place to start-then you'll know if you still have ingredient #1 in the (comp, fuel/air, spark equation). Your frame should be fine-it's thick steel so rust doesn't usually take them down, once removed you will either need to protect or paint it. Yes to carb kits, and yes you can clean them w/o the kits but you will likely need gaskets at the very least. Search here for Carb cleaning to read more on this.

You could try a VIN report and see if the records are there to check the mileage. It's possible it was just neglected and not ridden very much, if so could be lots of life left in there. Do you have any kind of shop or repair manual? You will need it, and this site. Your winter project is underway!

 

The tire's and brake pads will indicate if you only have
3k on the clock. Pads should hardly have any wear-just age.

 

Ohhh My bad I gotcha on the signature info! I have a compression tester, but I need to track down a good battery.. I also need advice on how to attach the battery and what wires need properly routed for the engine to start, cause I have a mess of wires.. sorry I know that was incredibly general but im workin with the knowledge I have at this point which is very little.

 

Finding a manual for your bike will present a challenge.

PM me with your email address; we can exchange info so I can mail you a copy on CD.

 

Im in the same boat as yourself, just recently aquired an 81 or 82 Yamaha Seca Turbo xj650 for free it also has been exposed to the elements but I do not have a key to see if I can get it to turn over. I was hesitant at first to post anything but everyone on here seems extremly helpful which is comforting. This is my fiery bike as well. So how is your bike coming along. What have you done to it so far.

 

Thanks so much for sending the manual!!! I really appreciate it!

So I have been fairly preoccupied with my Saab 900 lately as it actually runs reliably now! It just doesn't stop... haha

Back to the bike! I have a job now with the local transit driving buses and Ima pick up my first check on Monday ad get a battery to try and start her up! Any suggestions on batteries? Any specific size or anything I need to get for this bike?

Ill take some pictures tomorrow but I have a few hoses one of which I know was an oil line (because when I moved it all the oil dripped out of it into the trunk of my car) that are not attached to anything, just hanging out by themselves.

I DON'T have an air box so I assume that is what some of the lines go to, if I dont plan on running an air box, just filters what should I do with these lines?

Also since the engine obviously has no oil cause it was all in the carpet of the trunk of my car, what kind of oil does this thing take?

Now for some exciting stuff, cause pictures are always more interesting than words

Stripped the frame down a bit more to get an idea of what Im working with and what I can do with it!


Id love to do a wider rear wheel but I do not see how that would be easily accomplished.

Random though, im thinking I kinda want a Seca gas tank! haha Id have to see it on just the bare frame though.

Only other question I can think of is how much different would the ride be with the shock/spring as opposed to if I put a solid link in its place to make an impromptu hard tail?

Thanks guys!
Alex

 

Fiddled with it a little bit today, was able to get the starter to turn by jumping the wire straight to the positive on the battery but the battery only had 10 volts on it. I found the fuse box and realized the main fuse (20 volt) is missing and one side is broken in half, but if I put the two leads together I was able to turn the key and have the dash light up.

Guess once I get a car I can drive the next step with the bike will be to try and charge the battery up ad wire up a temp solution for the fuse until I can fix it right.

Still unsure about where most of the free hoses go so any advice on where to look in the manual or where to start with those will be most helpful.

On a side note I got an old gas tank from a buddie and was fiddilin with the mounting f the rear fender and I think im starting to get an idea of what I want the bike to look like! (I know that doesnt get me any closer to driving but its entertaining!) Ill snag some pictures tomorrow. One option I think would be pretty interesting is extending the swing arm but that is a long term idea and I would be much more interested in widening it so I could run a wider rear wheel but as I said that is a bit out there and not really feasible at this point.

 

The XS400 is super simple as far as hoses. you will have the following
1. Crankcase to airbox. This will be the hose that the oil drained out of. Right side, rear of engine.
3. Vacuum port on left intake boot/joint to front petcock port
3. Rear petcock port to carb fuel inlet.
4. Air box vent to right side of bike.
5? I am not sure if the bike uses the camshaft cover vent to airbox hose. Not shown on the schematic

You can view the part schematics at the following. Gave you the air cleaner to make it easier to get to. The others are in the pull down list at the top of the pic.
http://www.yamahapartshouse.net/pages/O ... MOTORCYCLE)/AIR_CLEANER_(XS400J_-_1982)

Complete parts list schematic in PDF format.
http://www.ytcn.nl/archief/Archief/Yama ... XS400J.PDF

Ghost

 

What should I do about the hoses that go to the air box since I don't have one and Don't plan on getting one? And is the black plastic screw on the fight side of the engine where you fill the oil?

Oh and the old gas tank has 2 nipples and I can clearly see what hoses they go to, if I wanted to fit a diff gas tank that only had one nipple any advice on that?

 

Our resident member/vendor Chacal has a fantastic write-up about IDing frames here, Section A: http://xjbikes.com/Forums/viewtopic/t=14561.html
Do keep up updated with your progress!

 

Far as mileage, woth cars I can usually tell when an odometer is bogus low reading, little things like wear on the corner of the brake pedal pad, door hinge slop, etc.

Far as bikes go, first thing I think of is peg rubber wear...at 3000 miles there should be virtually none...

 

On the 3,000 miles, do your footpegs look worn, and does your brake rotor have any grooves or visible wear ??
Are the tires original, and 1/2 worn ??

 

So the best way I know how to start is with a dumb question. Here is the carbs that have spent plenty of time exposed to the elements.

Now I assume that those pistons inside are supposed to move when the throttle gets moved? All the linkages seem to move outside the carbs but nothing inside moves when I pull the throttles.

Now onto minor progress, got the battery charged, the 20a fuse temporarily fixed, and she cranks! Got some gas and put the gas tank on filled her up, and gas started spilling out of the carbs after a minute or two, some fiddling with the switches and such and I tried starting it but no luck and drained the battery enough that it doesnt really want to crank anymore.. so I guess my question is whats my next step? rebuild the carbs? charge the battery and try and start her again? There is a hole in the gas tank so I want to figure the new tank out before I try and start her again. My buddy told me the reason for that was so it only pulled gas when there id vacuum. The tank I want to fit only has one nipple so which of these do I need to block off to block off/disable this feature and use a different tank?


To continue the mileage conversation here is the right side front foot pegs..


Rear right foot pegs..


Front brake pads..


Front brake disc..


And my last question, since I am probably not going to use/get a stock air box what should I do with this oil hose? Can I just block it off or do I have to re-route it somewhere?


And as a thank you to all those that read that awfully long post here is the new tank and a quick mock up of the rear fender!


Looks like this thing might actually be taking shape faster than I was expecting! Thanks again for all the help!

 

The pistons are vacuum operated there is a butterfly on the other side of the carb that moves with the throttle cable.
Those carbs are going to need to go to the church of clean
The hose that comes from the carb to engine boot will have to be blocked off. you can get a cap for the nipple the hose is currently hooked to.
You can get a little cone filter for the crankcase breather hose. Don't block it, it needs to breath.

 

Sorry for the ignorance but is it the smaller or larger of the hoses that goes to the tank the one that needs to be blocked off? Crank case breather hose is the big hose on the right that goes to the air box?

 

smaller hose needs to be blocked. crank case breather is the big hose on the right that goes to the airbox.

 

I think you have a 3,000 mile bike !

Get a small fuel filter when you get your breather filter and a foot of new fuel line.

 

Again pardon the new ignorance but why do I need a foot of new fuel line?

 

There have been 4 members here burst into flames - one guy lost his garage, and it's a dollar. Technically you don't "NEED" new fuel line.

 

It's 30 years old...and cheap insurance...get some...

 

Couldn't sleep so gave a quick shop a shot for an idea of what the finished product might look like long time from now.

 

SO I need to start from the beggining.. How do you start the bike? I know the key and the start button but what do I have to do with the turny thing on the gas tank? Do I have to chocke it or anything like that? The manual I have doesnt have anything as simple as starting procedures.. and I have no idea what I am doing lol

 

Had a friend help me clean the carbs today, the jets were almost all blocked, and one of the drain screws was filled with JB weld, but they are cleaned up now! Only issue I saw was the two big main jets are diff.. drawing a blank right now on the exact numbers, but one was x15, and the other was x25 if that makes any sense?

Hopin I can find a spare fuel hose to hook up the red tank and try and start her tomorrow!

 

Sooo... she wont turn on now, fuses are all good, battery is charged, and im getting power through the starter module (not really sure where to trace past that) but when I turn the key nothing happens.. used to always light up the dash, but no luck now.

Any help or advice for what wires and things to check would be much appreciated!

 

If the Bike gets energized, ...
But ...
Won't "Crank"
Inspect the Switches, Relay and Continuity of the SAFETY CIRCUIT Items.

If the Bike DOES "Crank-over"
Troubleshoot:
• Fuel
• Ignition

Common Gremlins:
Fuse Panel
No Fuel
Plug Wires
Coils

Do a Starting Fluid Start-up TEST
"Pop~No Pop"
a) "Pops"
Fuel Delivery~Supply related.

b) "No Pop"
Troubleshoot Ignition using No Start Checklist.

 

No, the bike used to get energized and cranked, now the bike won't get energized..

 

You've got a bad wire, corroded connection, bad ground, bad ignition switch, etc. Start with the chassis ground coming off the battery make sure it's making contact. Then pull out your headlight and check all those connections. Do a search on here for wiring diagram, and not the simplified one unless your bike has been re-wired. You need to full one and then you can trace any wire or any switch. Wiring is a headache for most, but it only requires EXTREME patience and it becomes easy, that and a multimeter, dielectric grease, and some shrink tubing, soldering gun....

Truly with the state your bike is in, your going to need a manual.

 

I've got the full manual, I am just wondering with the specific symptoms of the bike always energizing, the carbs being taken off, put back on, and the gas tank put on if there are any specific wires I should check or if I just gotta dig into it.

 

You're getting WAY ahead of yourself here.

First off, have a look at the fusebox. The original clips tend to crystallize and break all on their own.

Once you can get the bike so it will at least spin over with the starter, DO NOT try to start it. Not yet.

Are the valve clearances in spec? If not, get them in spec.

Then spin the motor over and get a compression test. Then and only then do we worry about actually trying to start it, provided it's got decent compression in both pots.

Otherwise you can burn a lot of effort and frustration chasing the wrong problem.

 

I understand that, looks like Ill just have to dig in, I was just looking for direction because now it will not energize (a problem not previously present) so I can't even crank it to do a compression test, and unfortunately my compression tester does not have the right adapter end.

 

Dig in. Putting the cart before the horse only leads to false assumptions and frustration.

You should replace the fusebox with a "modern" one (blade fuses.)

Or you can go "old school" and get some new clips from Radio Shack and rebuild your original. But start with the fusebox.

Once you can get it to turn over by shorting out the two big terminals on the solenoid, you can do a compression test. Just be sure to unplug your TCI unit if you're spinning it over without (grounded) spark plugs.

I ended up buying another compression tester kit ($23 at AutoZone) to get the 12mm adapter. Now I have a "second opinion" right in my toolbox.

 

Ok now that I have been hard headed I will start listening to y'all! I got her started and she ran and idled quite well! deff needs a new return spring on the carbs and a clutch cable.

Engine is coming out for a rebuild though, it smoked reallllll bad on the right side of the engine so once that comes off much advice will be appreciated as to what to get and where to get it as well as what to be careful of when tearing the engine down.