New...Unexpected XJ Owner!

Hello All.... Came across this site after searching for an on-line service manual for my new project. Looks like a great site, with loads of knowledge, so thought I'd sign up! 8)

Anyway's, after putting an a few ads out..."Looking For Winter Project". A friend posted up that his buddy had a 1981 Maxim 650. Now generally, sportbikes are more my style (stretched Busa's&Race Replicas), but I replied asking how much. He then replied with I'll ask my buddy. Later that evening he got back to me, saying.... Free...come grab it. Well.... Can't pass this deal up, so I went and picked it up. So here I am... Seeking advice, and knowledge from all of you as I build this bike back up. It was in boxes, with the frame customized when I got it. The previous owner had done a very nice job up to the point that I aquired it. I'm going to start the build this evening, as I have alot of spare time on my hand. Bare with my progress, as I currently have a couple pins in my foot, and it tends to hamper my mobility. Anyway's...Look forward to chatting it up, gaining knowledge, and sharing when ever I can. I'll start up a page in the proper section on progress of my build. Take Care...and Talk Soon !

Cheesy!

 

Should be a fun project man! Theres a couple of guys (father and son) here who claim to have a stock 550 that can take the Busa, Beware, lmao. Back to reality... you should have a great example of a restoration! Can't wait to see it finished.

 

Welcome Cheesy! You got a sweet deal on a great bike! Not to mention it is poised for greatness with most of the work done already. You scored. Hope the foot knits up correctly, don't risk messing it up. It would suck majorly if they had to break it again...

 

Hehehehe....Sound slike you know me,lol. I did mess it up the first time, and they decided to re-break, bone graph, and insert two pins.....

Arrrgggghhh....Guess I should have listened to wife

Who'd have known that Wakeboarding could have detrimental effects on a broken foot :wink:

Thanks for the welcome guy's !! I'll be sure not to race any Busa Killers!! 8O :lol:

Cheesy!

 

are you kidding me?! nice! what you got in your pictures looks to be in really good shape. welcome to the boards.

is that all that came with it? (in the two pics)

 

Thanks for the welcome IkeO! No kidding.... The guy was splitting with his wife, and wanted it gone. 8)

It came complete with several boxes of parts, plus numerous other small parts..



Think it's time to start a proper project thread, for anyone who cares to follow along with the build.

Thanks Again Guy's.....Cheesy!

 

you gonna rebuild it stock? or gonna mod it up?

 

Good deal. But your bike is an '82 or '83,as it has a YICS motor.No biggie,as ALL Maxims rock!

 

Going to mod it up a bit as I go, with a few custom touches here and there

Hey Danno....Thanks for the added info..... Guess I should have looked at the ownership :lol:

Thanks, Cheesy!

 

Well...Got the motor in last night, and the drive shaft hooked up. Other than that, I just organized, and sorted all the parts....

 

Welcome and looking good!

Where are you in Ontario? There's quite a few of us around who can lend a hand if you're looking for some too! Plus if you need any of the more specific tools, we've got them.

 

+1, Cheese. If you're in the NCR and need a hand with anything, drop a line. I'd be interested in helping out and learning a little along the way.

 

Thanks Guy's ! Appreciate the offers !! I'm from Port Elgin. Couple hours from London, and prob. 4-5 from Ottawa. Small little tourist town on the lake. I believe I'm pretty well set for tools, but could alway's use some extra knowledge along the way! As well as share any/all I gain! 8)

Thanks Again, Cheesy!

 

Well...Got a little bit done today. Was my little guy's 5th birthday, so spent most of the day playing. I did however manage to get the coils on, ignition installed, wiring harness kinda in place (I think,lol), as well as marking the fender out where I think I want to cut it. Going to ponder over it for a day or two, before I go hacking it up. As I sat back and looked at the bike, and checking it's lines, I noticed the gauges, and didn't like how they stuck up/out, like a soar thumb......





So, I simply took them off, and mounted them on the underside of the mounting bracket.....





Just a simple mod., but I think it gives it a much cleaner appearance being tucked in and down like this. I may bend the bracket a little to bring the gauges in a little closer yet as well.

Anyway....Hope to make some more progress tonight after Birthday Cake....Mmmmmmmm....


Any thoughts on disgaurding the factory air box, and installing 4 K&N pod filters ? Just from what I've read on this forum, these bikes are hard to start when cold, and this may not help the situation. I do however love the look, and will jet if need be to compensate for the extra air intake. Any thoughts?

Discuss............ :wink:

 

Well, if you didn't put the airbox in before you put the engine in then pods are a good option. :wink:

So long as carbs are clean and well tuned then cold starting won't be a problem. Rejetting will be required though.

Well worth it for that extra induction sound.

 

8O

Where where you yesterday :lol:

Oh well...Live and learn.... Guess that decides it then...Pods it is!! 8)

Thanks for the belated heads up though ! :wink:

Cheesy!

 

You've got a 5th b-day today? How cool is that? My oldest boy is 8 today

As a rule, I'm not a big fan of pods - makes getting these carbs set right a near impossibility - takes forever, and then it's probably going to need more work in a couple of months. But then again, I'm also not a fan of anything that makes a motorcycle louder - I'm all about making quiet power.

 

No offence Altus, but this sort of negativity is what will scare most people off what is essentially a very simple mod. The task of jetting for pods is a simple one. Allocate the time (and spare range of jets)and you should have it done and tuned in less than one day.

But of course, that all depends on the knowldege and capability of the person working on the bike.

I'm picking Cheesy as a capable enough bloke to do the job.

He has, after all taken what some people would call a basket case and straight out called it a project. :wink:

 

Ya, I think I'd leave the fine tuning to a local guy. You may know him...Donald at Platinum-Power Sports (Clinton)? The guy's a frick'in geniuess when it comes to tuning!

Happy Birthday to your little guy!!

Cheesy!

 

Yup I know Donald - if anyone can get them set right, it'll be him. Though he hates pods as much as I do.... just makes simple tuning a right nightmare for very little performance increase.

 

cheesy make sure you move this project thread over to the modification forums. if you haven't already. lotta people will be interested in your progress. and dude i gotta say YOUR ENGINE!!!...why is it so clean!!! amazing deal you got there.

 

Thanks for the words of encouragement Goon ! I like to think I'm capable of doing most mods myself. So long as I try anyway's, it will be a great learning experience. I have been wrenching on my own bikes since the age of 10. Grew up in a single parent home, and no way Mother was going to fix it, lol I had to learn to do it myself, and get it done as cheap as possible. Asked for, and received my first socket set....And the rest is history. LOL....I can remember fixing my mothers toaster with a ball point pen when I was 9....Either that, or us kids weren't having toast for breakfast :lol:

Anyway's..... I'll take your advise IkeO , and transfer my info. to the projects section, so that others can find the thread easier, and follow along if they with.

Cheesy!

 

OK guy's.... I started a proper thread in the mod. section for who ever cares to check in on my progress. Like I said it may be a little slow for a bit, as I'm hampered with a foot injurie. But I'm aiming to have this near completion before I go back to work in Jan. :?

On the other hand...If you just stopped in to say hello, or welcome...Then thanks! 8)

Cheesy!