Back on old iron

Hey guys Ben a few years since I have been here. Had a maximX at that time. Sold it got a Honda then an 08' Kawi now I'm going to pickup a 1981 maxim 550. Do the. 550's have any quirks that I need to know about? I know all the updating I'm going to have to do tires, breaks most likely the fuse block possibly coils if they are cracked and moisture gets to them. Are the valves adjusted by shims like my maximX or adjustable like my honda was? Any one thing I need to make sure about before I ride it around the block upon inspection? It has sat for a number of years but I am told it starts and runs. Does anyone know the amount of oil it takes I want to change that right away.

 

I believe the 550 takes 2300cm3, it will be cast next to the oil fill hole.

Check the rear brakes for delamination, compression check, tire condition all before taking it anywhere.

Before riding for miles or at high speed you will want to address carbs, valves, front/rear brakes, fluids, etc.

Basically everything in the maintenance section of a manual.

Same shim over bucket valve setup as the MaximX, 2 valves per cylinder.

 

Close tskaz 2200cm3. It is on the bike.

 

The oil was the least of my worries. But filter and oil changed. I have no front brakes we could get fluid to push out but no love to stop the bike. It has a strange contraption on it where a cable goes from the lever down the fork to the master cyl which is mounted on the fork down by the headlight. Very odd setup. At idle I hear what sounds like a chain slapping or a metal shield tapping something goes away with load. So I believe UNHCR to see head the cam chain tensioner works on this thing and try to adjust it. Runs and shifts awesome. I cleaned the carbs and changed oil before I ran it.

 

The 550 has a manual cam chain tensioner. It has shim-over-bucket valves, which don't require camshaft removal like your "X" did.

We've already identified the fact that you have 750 Seca forks on the 550.

The sound at idle is the primary chain rattling the clutch/gearbox. In the chain-driven XJs the primary chain actually drives the transmission, and is tensioned by an oil-pressure operated hydraulic tensioner. At low RPM (and low oil pressure) the tensioner relaxes a bit and the chain slaps which rattles the clutch and transmission. This sound can be greatly reduced by getting the motor in tune and the idle smoothed out. As long as there is a "lump, lump, lump" to the idle it will rattle and bang.

 

close fitz I here the sound you are referring to and yes after I make a yics tool and sync and tune the bike I bet it will be better. It was the cam chain, I did the adjustment procedure and the noise I was worried about went away. I do hear the softer well maybe deeper is a better word thump thump at idle and only very slight once the bike is fully warmed up.

Yes the valve adjustment on the X while not technically hard takes patience and probably not for the faint of heart. That feeling of the first few rides and climbing to 10k and thinking man I hope I did everything right.

I need tires bad If you noticed in the pic they are dry rotted even if they weren't this thing sat in a barn for 13 years last plated in 01' I don't think I want to bet my life on them.
I did take the carbs off and clean the snot out of them. I am the carb guy of the group in town and have gotten good at it. starts and runs amazingly well for not being synced and tuned yet. I did bench sync. New rear brakes went in today they weren't coming apart but for the piece of mind I swapped them out. Oil and filter changed fuel filter installed tank had already been cleaned out and fresh gas added when I got to it.
I just have to decide if I can live with the brake setup and make a nice bracket to hide the MC behind the headlight as it should be. Or grab and rebuild a used MC as suggested from a 650. it is in really nice shape for setting for soo long.
I might have to change the color this winter black just doesn't do it for me.

I did take it around the block and this bike shifts smoother than any other street bike I have driven even my 08' Vulcan. its just plain smooth.

 

Do you guys think there are any disadvantaged of just putting the 920 midnight forks and brake setup on? It's a single disc but the forks are in better shape. ALSO it would loose a little weight getting rid of the anti dive and right side caliper and rotor. And I wouldn't have the ugly bracket hanging out there.

 

The 550 only came with a single disc to begin with, so I doubt you'd be giving up much (if it will fit.)

 

The forks are the same diameter but 1" shorter overall. Not sure how tht will affect handling. I'll probably try it this weekend since I have both bikes already.

 

BUT: are they 1" shorter than the incorrect forks that are on there, or 1" shorter than the original forks on the 550?

I'm betting the Seca had a taller front end...

The 550 Maxim also had "leading axle" forks; but the axle wasn't mounted nearly as far up the lowers as the Seca's (due to the anti-dive.)

The other front end might be closer to original than you think.

 

I don't know fitz if they are shorter than the originals as I don't have a set to measure. If I recall the ones on there are 34 1/4" or so. I did a quick check at lunch today. And yes the axle is in front of the forks on both. Good catch I did not measure how far up the axle mount point is.

 

The axle, while still "leading" is nearly at the bottom of the forks on the 550 Max (see pic below) whilst the axle on the Seca was quite a ways up the fork because of the anti-dive.

That extreme leading axle was one of the sources of criticism back in the day; the motorcycle magazines (pre-internet there were these things called magazines) trashed that, the rubber-covered bars and the cable-op remote master cylinder as being unnecessary frippery and contributing to the bike not being thought of as a "serious" sportbike (which the shaft drive had already done.)

The 550s are a good 100lb. lighter than the shaft-driven bikes; you're better off to lose that overly-complicated front end and and fit something that works and doesn't weigh so much.

550 Maxim (note that they "trumpet" about TCI and YICS and spell them out so they sound more high-tech

 

Fitz do you know if they ever made a midnight 550? I kinda like the shorter fender up front the virago has and they are both black as mine are chrome now. I will probably change the color anyway but the engine needs cleaned badly. It is not the worse one I have seen I just don't think I see myself spending weeks polishing every nook and cranny to get it where I would like it. With the black forks, black fenders, The rest is already black I have kicked around the idea of painting the motor a semi or gloss black. I would use DuPont imron industrial coating if I did. no spray bomb for me. I am just on the fence the virago bars are black as well so I could completely black out the bike except for the exhaust without too much hassle. Then again I don't usually like black on a bike I like to be visible and like to use stand out colors.