Embarassment of riches? ARGH!

Here's an "argh" for you.

Local Craigslist page. A week or so ago, someone apparently stationed at a local military base posts an ad for a 650 "Maxima", wanted $1400 for it. Mentioned it to a co-worker of mine who said that I should sell him MY XJ so he could have a project. (My supervisor said he likes my bike, because older bikes have "soul"... but I digress.)

That ad has apparently expired, but now there's an ad for someone from another nearby military base, listing an 82 750 Maxim for the paltry sum of $800. To make matters worse... another ad I missed has an '85 700 Maxim-X, with 12K on it... for $1800.

I've got the money. I don't really need a second bike, nor am I sure where I'd put the blasted thing. But a Maxim-X with 12000 miles on it... ARRRRRRRRRRRRRRGH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

Know the feeling. There's an '82 Maxim with 12K miles, a tuneup and new floats for $1K on local CL. How about an '89 FJ1200 for $2500 @ 34K miles? Also two pristine Radians with really low miles but higher prices, though.
Sure, you don't even "need" one bike but having two gives you decisions to make every time you walk out to the garage!

 

It gets better now.

There's a 550 listed for $1500, and the aforementioned Maxim-X that the guy was selling for $1800... well, about the time the ad was to expire, he reposted... lowering the price to $1600.

DAMMIT.

 

so buy it.

 

Once more resurrecting a dead thread. Wanting advice from those more knowledgeable than I this time instead of just venting.

As it turns out, I went up there, rode the bike, which was an 85/86 Maxim X. But, being the cheap bastard that I am, I couldn't quite talk myself into spending the money. By the time I had done so, the bike had been sold. The next owner then rode it, and started having trouble keeping it running. He took it into a shop, had the carbs cleaned, and gave them permission to do some diagnostics.

As it turned out, compression varied between 50 and 90. He was also told that in addition to rings being bad, there were issues with the connecting rods as well. Now he's either parting out the bike, or letting the whole thing go for $450. The carbs are sparkling clean, and the engine is in pieces. I do not know whether the case has been split or not. I figure at the very least the heads and cylinders have been removed.

So, I have a second chance at this animal. Do I jump, or do I run away screaming?

 

Connecting rod's & their bearing's aren't one of the easiest fix's out there apart from the ring job, Both the work's would cost you lot's of $$$

 

Well, I just picked up an XJ750, same year and color as my bike that was rescued from a chop shop (minus the gas tank) for 300. That gives me lots of new options ... But an OK from the MRS. is highly recommmended as some may not have the same high regard for junk . (potential)

 

Makes you wonder if the bike's crankcase filled with fuel and then was ridden that way. 12K doesn't seem like a lot of miles to already have bad rod bearings and rings. You may want to just walk away from this one. I bought an '81 Virago with a dismantled engine for $150 and felt like I wasted the money. $450 for a bike that needs an engine overhaul when there are bikes running that can be had for around $800... well, you do the math.

 

True, but they likely aren't Maxim-Xs, and they aren't where I'm at.

He didn't say if it was the rod bearings or not, but what you say makes sense. My next question is, if it is in fact the rod bearings, is the crankshaft damaged as well? For that matter, what about the cylinder bores?

For having the shop do the work, or is that just the cost of parts? If one did their own work, the initial cost of the bike plus a set of bearings and rings might still be cost effective... or not. (shrug)

Not coincidentally, this is the very situation I thought I was in several months back. Had a noise coming from the bike that sounded like bearings being eaten alive. Turned out to be a loose exhaust pipe. Were I to do this, it would be a learning experience, if nothing else, while at the same time not jeopardizing my existing ride.

As for an ok from one's better half... well, that's not an issue as I don't have one. Nor do I have a garage, for that matter... but I digress.

 

Usually yes, In a rod bearing failure situation the crankshaft journal does take some hammering, it takes even more if the bearing's have actually spun inside..

As for the cylinder bores, you'll have to run a dial bore gauge to measure the clearance & it's true form, Occasionally if the bottom end damage isn't much one can get away with the cylinder bores.

It very well could be cost effective, but only once one know's what he's up against with. The worst possible scenario would be a bearing that has spun inside the rod cap which in result damaged the crankshaft journal to a non serviceable limit hence requiring a good new/used crankshaft OR the sweetest would be to just have to replace the con-rod bearings after polishing the journals & platigauging the clearance.

But before we reach to a certain conclusion, You need to confirm if it indeed is a connecting rod knock. You said the owner is not sure if it is, he can confirm it by removing one spark plug cap at a time while the motor is idling & see if the noise/knock goes away...

 

Great idea. Problem is, as I mentioned before, the engine has been at least partly disassembled. Better yet, I forgot to mention what might be the deal-breaker; he said the shop had traced the lack of compression back to burned valves. Rick-Co-Check-Your-Alternator-Brushes-Matic says that would require a machine shop visit to deal with, and that doesn't sound cheap. 'course, I could ask my mechanic-type roomie about that, but...

 

Forget about it!
Walk.
No ... Run!

Any bike that has that kind of work being needed at a Low-miles mark is a horse that has been rode hard and put away wet!

Abused!
Dragged raced or just plain over-revved and not cared about.

Let it slide.
Get away from that.
Even if ... the crank isn't badly scored ... you'd still need to have it machined to back right instead of egg-shaped from the bad bearing.
Big Bucks.

That's a Parts Bike, now.
The money you'd have to spend to fix it would buy you a decent runner that just needs tuning and paint!

 

If your looking at it as a parts donor, perfect. Pull what you need and sell the rest to offset the purchase price, which shouldn't be that hard. If you want to make a runner out of it, you got some bucks to shell out and I wouldn't throw more than 2 or 3 hundred at it.

 

Okay, that pretty much makes it unanimous.

Engaging "running away screaming" mode... NOW!

 

Okay... As much as I hate to say this... Buy it and part it out!

Last week a MaximX exhaust system sold on eBay for almost $600!

You could easily make your money back and then some. I know there are some parts I'd be interested in...

 

Oddly enough, that's exactly what the current owner is looking to do.