Hoping to get a '83 midnight maxim, have a couple questions

Im looking into getting my first bike and was looking at getting an '83 midnight maxim for 650. This is what the seller has to say about it: "I rode the bike the other night and it is fairly quick with me on it. (I weigh 220) It needs the carbs idle mixture set and then synchronized (I don't have time to do it, and the bike is too small for me) I just overhauled the carbs and they are at base settings) It needs mirrors (about $30) a front tire (about $100) and I would put front pads on it (about $60) The engine in it is out of a Seca, which is probably why it is quick for a cruiser. I paid a neighbor to paint it and I should have just done it myself because I don't think it's a very good job. You could put a couple hundred into it and have a nice bike. Let me know, I've got a bunch of guys interested in it. "

I know this isn't really relavent but I've owned two mopeds and a PW80, doing lots of work to all 3. I'm on my 3rd car, 2 or which were manuals, and I'm only 17! But I'm no dope when it comes to working on cars and bikes.

So my questions are:
What exactly is a midnight maxim? Is it a baxically a xj750?

Is this a good beginner bike? I don't have any experience riding something this big.

How quick are these bikes? 1/4 mile times approximately?

How much would it cost to get the carbs synched?

Thanks,
Aaron

 

Midnight Maxim...... alot of black parts, very little chrome, yes it's essentully a XJ750 Maxim!! But with the Seca motor it probably isn't black anymore....

I started on a 750 Seca, a little big, but if you respect the bike/power it will treat you just fine.

1/4 mile times I believe are around 12-14 seconds at about 90-100mph (some will be along to give exact factory specs soon......)

Carbs synced...... $$??

 

sounds like an abortion...i would buy it. Your average seca 750 will run 13's and under, your average maxim around 14-15 so it's hard to say what a crossover would run (way to many variables). This isn't a begginers bike but it is a bike you can begin on. It's got a nice broad power band to it that is easy to get used to but lots of fun when you get the hang of it.

 

Re: Hoping to get a '83 midnight maxim, have a couple questi

Spokes81, i believe the 1/4 mile numbers will be a bit lower than you quoted. I know the 650 Seca ran around 12.70 and the 650 Maxim ran about 12.60 in seperate tests. So I woiuld guess the Seca 750 would be a low 12 second bike, and the mechanically similar maxim should be around the same. cruzerjd

 

It's all in the Tuning.

If the bike is out-of-whack tuning wise. You won't do too well over a quarter-mile.

On the nose: High 12's ~ Low 13's

On the edge: High 11's ~ Low 12's

Polished-up Bores and just a pubic lean ~ Under 11.000

My Max WAS a Midnight. I stripped the Midnight off it and Painted it my way! I Stripped the Engine and Covers; too. Left the Block & Head Aluminum and Polished EVERYTHING else!

 

Re: Hoping to get a '83 midnight maxim, have a couple questi

I checked out the bike and its in very good condition. The guy who owns used to own a bike shop and bought this bike as his next toy. He bought it in horrible condition and has been fixin it up for the past year, hence the new engine. He's getting a new Harley, so he isn't up much for an old toy.
He re-painted and re-chromed alot of parts so it isn't so midnight right now...

He said that the carbs are at their base setting and they'd need to be synched. Anyone know how much it would cost to have them synched? I would do it myself, but I would assume that since I have to buy special tools to do it, it would just be cheaper to pay a shop. BTW, if I were to synch them myself would it be possible to not use a YICS tool?

If anyone who lives in Denver would help me out with maintnance it would be greatly appreciated! I could throw in some beers for your time too

 

Re: Hoping to get a '83 midnight maxim, have a couple questi

I don't know how much a shop will charge, but my guess is they won't do it right anyhow.

You should plug the YICS port. Instead of using a tool you can use a piece of cotton (PURE COTTON) closeline or strip of PURE CONNON rag soaked in the oil of your choice packed in there real tight with a rod.

Do a search on manometer or sync tool and you will find various designs for hommade manometers. I believe most are made for under $15.

A thought I just had is that many of the big auto parts chains now offer to lend tools. Might be worth checking to see if any has vacuum gauges.

EDIT:

Wait - seller does his own bikes? He must have a sync tool. Have him sync it as part of the deal.

 

Re: Hoping to get a '83 midnight maxim, have a couple questi

Yeah he actually showed me his "fancy" tools that he has to work on it. Including the manometer and a non-contact laser thermometer, don't know what'd he use that for. He said he would sync the jets, but he just doesn't want to spend a day doing it, I'm not really sure why he thinks it would take that long; Im not gonna ask him to do it for me since I already talked him down 100 from the asking price.

On second thought I bet I could just borrow the tools from him and do it myself.

 

Re: Hoping to get a '83 midnight maxim, have a couple questi

If he really said "sync the jets" don't let him do it.

Butterflies need to be synced.

 

Re: Hoping to get a '83 midnight maxim, have a couple questi

Despite any debate about doing it with multi-gauge or multi-stick manometers:

It's possible to do the Carb Sync using One Vacuum Gauge. It takes about 25-minutes more to do it that way; but the end result is ALL the Carbs pulling the same vacuum.

You need:
One good Vacuum Gauge.
Four 4-Foot lengths of Vacuum Hose.
Four Golf Tees
Masking Tape
Sharpie
And ... most importantly ... a Vacuum Hose Restriction Piece.

Hook-up the Vacuum Lines to the Vacuum Ports on the Intake Manifolds.
Number them 1 ~ 4
Plug them with the Golf Tees.
Set-up fans to cool-off the engine.

Run the bike and set the Idle to between 11 and 12-hundred.

Put the Restriction Piece in the Hose connected to the Gauge.
Take the Vacuum Reading off of Number-3

Take a sliver of Tape and Mark the spot where the Vacuum Gauge shows the MAXIMUM Vacuum pulled by Number-3.

Remove the Gauge.
Plug 3 with Tee
(Kink the hose to sustain the Idle or prevent stalling)

Remove Tee from 4
Attach Gauge with Restriction Piece to 4
Adjust Sync Screw on Linkage to have #-4 MATCH Max Vac drawn by #-3

Plug 4
Read #-2
Mark the Max Vac on #-2 with Tape and Sharpie on Gauge Face.
Make No adjustment.
Plug #-2

Read #-1
Adjust #-1 to Match the Max Vac drawn by #-2

Plug #-1
Read #-2 - Again
Match #-2 to the Max Vac of #-3 and 4.

The #-1 Carb is mechanically married to #-2.
When the #-2 Carb is matched to #-3 ...

Your Carbs are SYNCED!!!

Go over the settings to check that there is no major discrepancy.

+ Once the Epoxy cures the Red Tube is Cut-off, flush, at each end of the Union ... thereby making the Inside Diameter of the Union the ID of the Red Tube ... restricting the effect of the Vacuum on the gauge.

 

Re: Hoping to get a '83 midnight maxim, have a couple questi

Sorry, I mistyped that. He said to synch the carbs.

Thanks Rick for the extensive how-to. Hopefully he'll just let me borrow his tools...


Ill be sure and get some pics up once I get it nice and running well!

 

Re: Hoping to get a '83 midnight maxim, have a couple questi

I talked him into synching the carbs, adjusting the mixture and adjusting the idle, all for the high high price of FREE!!

I can't wait to get to riding.

 

good deal. Hopefully he does it right. Happy riding and good luck with the new toy.