Really bad luck on my first ever bike............

I have an '85 Maxim X 700 that I'm deciding to part out, due to the motor not having compression or getting spark. I don't want to pay to fix it and don't have the time to fix it myself so I'm just going to part it out. I will also sell the bike as a whole, but if you are outside of driving distance you must pay and arrange all shipping (if you buy the whole bike). I also have the TITLE!

I started converting it to a bobber, but I still have all the stock parts I took off just about, including the carbs.

I am currently in Lewisville, Texas.

I will ship individual parts to you if you pay shipping.

Respond via PM or text me at 972-740-4834.

Thanks guys

 

I've got one complete set of carbs and another set (the original to the bike, but a float pin stem is broken off) for the bike

 

I saw your ad on Craigslist, and posted it into the For Sale Section, then I realized you were already on here...sorry.

 

Do you have the 5 valve covers and engine flares?

 

Umm... a SHOP told you it has "no compression?"

Have you independently VERIFIED THIS???

"No spark" is easy, there are a half-dozen XJ specific items that a shop could be stumped by if they were less than knowledgeable.

"No compression" is highly suspicious. Low compression in one cylinder, maybe. I'm more inclined to think that they panicked when they figured out what a valve adjustment entailed and told you something to make you go away.

Are you sure you aren't jumping the gun and parting out a bike that isn't truly broken? If you've doomed it based on what a shop told you, you may be making a huge mistake.

 

I second this... I wouldn't trust a shop to save my life.

 

Compression tester is cheap. Pick one up, check it out.

 

I took it to Mr. Motorcycle in Fort Worth, Texas and that's what they told me. They said it was testing at 50 psi, which is way too low. They had said that they think that the cylinders are locked up or something of that nature and it would cost me around 5 hours of labor for them to check valves, adjust them, and try to free up the cylinders..I just don't have the time to do all of that myself and I don't want to pay the crazy high prices they're going to charge me to do it...

This is my first ever motorcycle purchase and it sucks that there are some big problems with it, but then again I bought a non-running "project" bike for a reason...

 

5 hrs of labor to check valves? I can check mine in less than 45 minutes by now.

 

No that's the check valves, adjust, and free up the cylinders among other engine work

 

OK. What they told you is basically BS with a little truth sprinkled here and there. Very little.

Checking and adjusting the valves won't "free up" anything.

I highly suspect that all four cylinders aren't reading only 50 psi. Yes, 50 psi is way too low; however based on some additional diagnosis it's very possible that it could be found to be a non-terminal problem like an uber-tight valve or two.

CHECKING the valve clearances is quite easy; adjusting them on an "X" motor requires actually knowing what you're doing.

I strongly suspect two things: First and foremost is that this shop decided it would be much easier to just send you away than to actually get your bike running; and that you've just had your first lesson in how typical motorcycle shops respond when confronted with 30-year old bikes.

Before you give up you might want to spend a little bit of time to figure out what's REALLY going on (besides having your chain pulled, that is.)

You can buy (under $30) or borrow/rent (free) a compression tester and do a compression test yourself.

All it takes to check valve clearances (CHECK) is a feeler gauge and a few simple tools. The results of a valve clearance check along with the compression numbers from each cylinder will give us a much better idea of what's going on.

Did you buy a non-running project bike so that you could give up on it because a shop fed you a line of crap? Or because you wanted to learn?

It may or may not have "big problems." But what the shop told you is predominantly BS so I would definitely get a "second opinion" which you can do yourself. "Free up" the cylinders indeed. Horsefeathers. Those guys just didn't want to tackle pulling and then having to re-time the cams, etc. Out of their pay grade.

It won't cost you anything more than some effort to figure out what brand of lies they were peddling.

 

They said that they did suspect a few valves were very tight and that they would do some kind of procedure by pumping air into them to see if it will loosen them up. I've just had it since October and am so ready to ride it's not funny! I did want to learn which is why I purchased it but it seems that learning on the X is a pain in the butt!

 

Ahhh
Listen to Fitz
he is a Jedi Master of the XJ and your bike is probably
totally fixable..
I am new to this but I know nothing of checking or loosening valves with
air
don't give the bike away just yet
it might need just a bit of tlc

 

I really don't want to give up on it as I've already put so much time into it and I'd hate for that all to go to waste...

 

I looked at the pictures and she is beautiful
put a Vstar 650 seat on that and damn
but don't give up hope yet
I did the valve clearance check a week ago and it was
fairly simple.. I was lucky and all my shims were loose
but once you have proper shims you can get an accurate
compression reading.. also compression testers are 20 bux
shims are 10 a piece.. you might need 8? maybe not
I highly doubt the repair shop had any clue what they were doing
and this is high up there with the 1st advice I got on this forum
get the bike sound before doing anything cosmetic

 

Sounds like your scared to me
Quit bein a pansy and check it out yourself. We've supplied advice, you've supplied excuses.
You've got a fleet of mechanics at your fingertips

 

Thanks man I appreciate it! I put a lot of time into it, and the only reason I started doing cosmetic stuff was because a) I got a hell of a deal on it and the dude literally lived 0.3 miles down the road b) I didn't have the tools or money to do any engine work (I was at school--college) and c) I had no idea what to do so I was waiting to come back up to Dallas for the semester so my buddy could help me but he doesn't know how to do it either!

If I ever get another project bike I can guarantee you that ZERO cosmetics will be done to it unless it is up and running nicely!

 

It's not that I'm scared, I've just never done anything like this before nor do I want to drop $2000 into it...

 

I must say though, I am absolutely second guessing my initial decision...

 

it sounds like you bought a project well outside your comfort level.
A non runner typically is never a good idea for a novice to undertake. They always take a lot of time energy and sometimes money to get things done right.

But like the guys said we are here to help. many of us are not only motorcycle enthusiasts but also big time gear heads and/or mechanics.

it wont be easy but if you can pull this off you will be surprised how quickly you will learn and you'll have a sweet xj to be proud of when its all done.

So stop making excuses and set aside the time to get your hands dirty and don't be afraid to ask for help.

good luck

 

My thoughts exactly. I've never heard such cr*p as what that shop told you. For a start if the cylinders were "locked up" you'd get no compression reading because the damn engine wouldn't turn, you'd just get smoke & a hot starter wire! For seconds using air to free valves might work on a MotoGP bike with pneumatic valvegear haha but these are just plain ol' mechanical ones 8O Like Fitz said, they just wanted to get rid of you 'cause they don't know how to maintain a real bike only plastic fantastic modern stuff :wink:

Seriously, just buy/borrow a compression tester, hook the bike up to a car battery (with the car NOT running) and see what numbers she really blows, then if they're really bad put a drop (no more than 2 teaspoons) of engine oil down the plug holes & go again 8) :wink: Post 'em up here and go from there, 10 minutes work fella.

I didn't give up when my frame/forks/wheel etc got twisted did I? C'mon ya know ya want to :lol: just think what you've put into the bike already, isn't it worth following through with your vision?

 

Yep. Man up. Get dirty. Learn something. Be proud. Ask questions. Listen up.
I've worked in a few shops. We never took in vintage bikes because they took up lots of space and lots of time. Parts weren't easily accessible. And we never made a profit on them. Sooooo. We charged an arm and a leg for minor services so we could at least break even. Want cheaper service?
But a newer bike. 5 years or younger. Your wallet will suffer. But if you just want to be a fair weather rider then do it up
Man up.
Or be one of those guys.
No one likes those guys.
-Chris

 

+1

If the engine is truly beyond hope (which it likely isn't) then you can head in with no fear of screwing it up.

 

What does the motor oil do for the cylinders during the test?

 

it tells you whether the rings or the valves are leaking. if the compression numbers jump up after adding the oil it has ring issues. if the compression numbers stay the same after the oil, then you have valve issues. this is all assuming that your initial compression readings are not within spec.

CN

 

the one big plus thing is that they still make lots of
new parts for these bikes
the demand is super high, so the keep making the parts
which means you don't have to use used parts

I almost bought a Hondamatic 450 til I looked at the parts pool
or more the lack there of them

don't give up.. yeah it may be frustrating
but everyone on here will help you

best of luck

 

All good advice, although some of it is slightly amiss.

The 20-valve, watercooled, shim-under-bucket "X" motor is nowhere near as easy to adjust the valves in as the aircooled XJs that most of us have. That being said, valve adjustment is still just a MAINTENANCE procedure; not a major overhaul. But it is time-consuming. And requires actual mechanic's skills; enough to scare off most shops when they realize what's entailed.

In amongst the enthusiasm to see you succeed is the information you need: get ahold of a compression tester, and run a series of compression tests. "Dry" first; then "wet" after adding a TEAspoon of oil to the cylinders. (ONLY A TEASPOON this is important.)

Then, having done the compression test, check the valve clearances. CHECK. This means you pull the valve cover, turn the motor over slowly by hand and use a feeler gauge to check the clearances against spec. NO BIG DEAL; the "complicated" part is the adjusting; and again it's not MAJOR just a bit more of a job than with the aircooled motors.

Then give us the results of the dry test, the wet test, and your valve clearances. From that data, a lot can be determined about the TRUE condition of the motor, and the best course of action determined. At least you'll have some actual facts to consider. The shop's story gets shadier the more we hear of it.

 

Ok. Thanks for the advice Fitz. I'm gonna tear into this weekend possibly and go from there I guess...still not quite sure though yet..

 

Heck, I wish I was closer so I could help, but Houston to Lewisville is a bit of a haul, even for a fellow Ag.
You have learned a valuable lesson, with few exceptions you will not find a shop that will do much more than tire changes for your bike. If it was a Harley, sure, lots of shops work on old HDs because they don't change much, but Japanese cruisers don't get the love. Heck, even first gen sportbikes from that era are starting to get some attention, but not the cruisers. What you should look for is a motorcycle salvage yard. By now, most of the bikes from the 60's and 70's will have been snapped up by collectors/restorers or gone to the scrap metal pile, which means right now they are typically full of 80's bikes. What that means is that often times the guys there will be very knowledgeable on what you've got. If nothing else, they might have some loaner tools and advice, the internets are great but face-to-face is still preferred.
Good luck, don't give up yet.

 

You can get a compression tester from O'reilly or AutoZone for free as part of their loan a tool programs. The first few steps as BF outlined are really simple to do and only take a few minutes. A fully metric feeler gauge is better, but a combo one will work as well.

Don't fear your project and you will find that you can do way more than you ever dreamed you'd be capable of doing. The members here can literally almost make you a moto mech with their advice/experience and if you take it to heart you will do it. YOU WILL RIDE SOON!! Best of luck.

 

Another further point that Fitz usually makes...these bikes were still designed for owners to work on themselves. If we add 5-10 years to the year, like with cars, you'd need a specialized shop just to change the oil!

No joke, my brother has a 2005 Honda Shadow and it's impossible to remove the oil pan screw, it's locked behind radiator hoses and exhaust (and no center stand). The local Yammy/Honda shop has a special tool just to remove those.

I can switch out my oil in about 10 minutes with an adjustable wrench.

 

Philistine.

Adjustable wrenches are how nuts and bolt heads end up looking like they've been chewed by wolves.

We're supposed to be setting an example here. The adjustable wrench belongs in the kitchen drawer, not your XJ toolbox. The only thing I use an adjustable wrench for is tightening up the fitting on my propane tank.

SIX-point sockets and combination wrenches are the only way to go.

 

True... Although I'm struggling to think how an adjustable would even fit without dropping the exhausts (bearing in mind mine may be slightly different, but still...)

I'd add that a Philips/jis screwdriver is useful to spin the plug out/in once slackened, and enables you to hold it against the sump when it reaches the end of it's threads so you can get hold of it & pluck it out of the way quickly without dropping it in the drain pan or getting (much) hot oil on your hands

 

sage advice

CN

 

His ad for this bike on the local craigslist has been renewed a couple times this week, just sayin'...

 

Spin-on oil filter conversion kit makes the entire oil change issue a moot point....

 

Maybe, but I said that for effect, to point out how EASY it is.

 

It's even EASIER with the right tools.

 

No doubt, but that doesn't make my first statement wrong. You're reading it for in the minutia, and I'm using a broader stroke.

It's better to work with a 6 sided hex sockets, but ever if you don't have that you can remove the oil pan drain with more basic tools yourself if you have to. That was my point; older bikes are designed, with some exceptions, for the average person to be able to do the maintenance.

You can't on the new Honda example I gave, which was a stand in for modern bikes.

While I'm a fan of exactness, there is a worry that we get so exact we scare people from actually trying things. Better to state "don't stress that part, you can make it work", so that when we speak of things that absolutely have to be done with extreme fussiness (valves, carbs, brake lines, etc) people are confident in their ability to take that step.

But you are right, the 6 hex socket is the best tool, and a 12 hex socket, adjustable wrench, vice grips, or channel lock may work but aren't as good.