XS400 Maxim Back From A Deep Sleep.....

Just got my Maxim 400 back on the road yesterday! It spent a long 5 years in storage. Over the years other bikes have come and gone, but I always kept the Maxim since it was my first. I bought it new in 1982! Had to spend a few bucks to get her running strong again, but as "dustball" says in his sig, "If you're not making payments, it's worth fixing."

I know it's not the biggest and badest bike out there, but with gas prices being what they are, I'm going to love commuting to work on it!

Just wanted to say "hi" and that I this is an awesome site!

 

Woohoo another one
I have an 83 Max XS400, and there's one or 2 more of us XS owners lurking in here

Mine spent 7 years unattened ...in pieces in a basement .... took some work, but she's running good now.

My resto page is here
http://zagnet.dyndns.org:8080/Maxim

I need to update a few things... replace the mirrors and signals...
Thinking the fairing is coming off ......

 

Ghost! what a super resto you did. very nice...

how come the 400 Maxim is an XS and not an XJ?

just asking...

 

Ghost, your resto is awesome. Excellent details in your write up. Great education for everyone. My bike just needed the carbs done and some master cyclinder work along with the standard oil change, air filter change. But I can clearly see that for any technical things I need in the future, you are the go to guy!

 

LOL Thanks guys....

I do have a manual soo if you need info....
Replace that fusebox as well... ask anyone on here

The XJ's are 4 cyl, there is a 4 cyl Max/Seca 400 that was released in Europe which is a 4
The Max/Seca XS's use a DOHC where the regular XS's were SOHC

 

Go XS Maxims go!!!

My 82 XS400J is my baby!!

 

Ghost,

What can you tell me about cleaning the inside of the speedo and tach? I know it sounds crazy but I have some dust in there. It looks like there are 3 screws on back of the gauge panel. Is it as simple as popping those off and then lifting off the front?

 

There's something I haven't done yet... but after reading some of the things Rick has posted here about painting the speedo/tach and adding LED's I want to get to it.... Nothing in the manual about it either

MrShake .. How's the XS?, last I read on the other forum it was down (was a while back).

 

Ohh... she's a runnin fine. I think I really gotta get the carbs back out for another cleaning as she's not idiling perfectly, but I'm spending the free time riding the bike.. haha.

Hey Madone1, I took mine apart to paint, and it wasn't tough.. there were the 3 screws and 2 nuts and it came free pretty easily!

 

MrShake, so can I do it with the instrument cluster attached to the bike? And I really hate to ask this question, but where are the two nuts? LOL

 

No, you gotta get that cluster off of there... its only held on by 2 bolts, VERY easy to remove. Then there are 3 screws and 2 bolts underneath and your good!!

 

Well, I pulled the trigger on it last night. Pulled the cluster, 3 screws, 2 bolts, and then 4 more screws and I had the face off. Cleaned the glass and a few minutes later I was putting it back together!

MrShake, I owe you one! Thanks for giving me the low-down on how to tear into this project! You assessment of how to do it was spot-on!

 

Cool... may do that myself....maybe give it a RickoMatic makeover (some floursecent paint and blue LEDs)

 

I'm very much considering the LED mod, very kool. I took mine off to give them a painting... I just hit them with krylon fusion plastic paint, we will see how it holds up.

I have GOT to get some pics taken!

 

My my!!! I had no idea there were some XS maxims on the XJ bikes site... Here I have been scouring the net looking for information on this little guy and it was right here all along!

Hey folks - I have asked MrShake off-forum but I think he is a bit busy. Would one of you do me a favor and snap a high resolution picture of the wiring of the TCI module (the flat rectangular black box that is under the right side cover, right next to the regulator/rectifier)

I have all the pieces necessary to get this little guy firing again but I need to know what the pinout is on the TCI. Just a good high res picture of the colors of the wires as they connect to the TCI module would be FANTASTIC.

Thanks in advance

-smeg

 

Another XS400J here. Bought mine yesterday to be my first street bike. Haven't been on a bike in about 7 years and that was limited to the dirt. Got a 4 hour drive to go pick it up in Minnesota this weekend and drag it back down here. I'll be getting my learner's permit Friday and riding with a friend of mine until I get comfortable enough to take the driving test. The earliest I could get into an MSF course around here is the end of July. Even though I'll already have the license by then, I think I'll still take it.

Mine has a bit of a story behind it too. The owner prior to the guy I'm buying it from took the carbs off for some reason and couldn't figure out how to put them back together. So he put the carbs in a box, put the box on the bike, put them in his garage and covered them up in 1995. Current owner bought it from him cheap, rebuilt the carbs, cleaned out the gas tank, went through the engine and electrics and put it up on Craigslist. It has 6700 miles on it, and now it's mine.

 

Sweet, we're taking over... invasion of the 400's

Our's XS's are closer to the XJ's then normal XS's... and we don't have our own support group.... though we are starting to build up in numbers here

You've come to the right place though, these guys helped me a lot in putting mine back together and getting her tuned up.

 

Wrath welcome to xjbikes.com a great site with even greater people.

I also have an xs400j 1982 i recently got it running and ready to rock with the help of all these great guys here.

I am sure I can say that everyone here is willing to help a fellow biker out with information that will make your life easier.

my bike sat in a friends garage for 12 years and he gave it to me for NOTHING it then it sat in my garage 8 months. feel free to check out my photo album on this site. while you are at it check out the other albums from our many members.

I can not express my thanks enough to all these members.

hope your experiance is as fun and exciting as mine is.

again welcome home friend.

THANKS XJBIKE.COM

 

I guess I better chime in....

I'm also an XS400J owner, glad to help at any time

 

Well, after 8hrs driving in a rented F-150 from Des Moines, IA to St Paul, MN and back, my XS400J is making itself at home in its new garage.

First thing I noticed is that the mirrors appear to be permanently fogged. Where can I get new ones? Preferably round, rather than rectangular.

Also missing a plastic cover from the right side.

I'll have to round up some batteries for the camera and post pics tomorrow. Only on my learner's permit, so I resigned myself to riding around the block a few times tonight. Mental note: The clutch is your left hand now, not your left foot! :roll: :lol:

 

Sounds like you got a running bike.

I can't believe the story about the guy not being able to figure-out how thw carbs go together.

I think you could strip a twin-pack down for cleanning and give the parts to a troop of Girl Scouts and pretty much get them put back together right.

Hey, Man ... His loss is your GAIN!
Welcome to the XJ Forum and the exciting world of life on a motorcycle!

Glad to have you aboard!

So, NOW we have a 400 Club in here too???
Cool!

 

Hehe... maybe we need our own sub forum now

Wraith, click on the www on my tag, it's my rebuild page, I added oval mirrors I got on e-bay.... plastic lens, but work great, and inexpensive.

9 out of 10 I think are missing that panel, I fabbed 1 up using a coathanger as a frame, some thin packing foam and some aluminum facia.

Do yourself a favour, while the carbs are off.... go through Ricks cleaning guide and "carbs should go clunk" makes a HUGE!! difference...
Tweak it a little rich and it's a sweet ride....

 

Nice. I REALLY like the flat black. Maybe after I dump mine a few times, I'll look at doing the same. :wink:

 

Pics are here:

http://s114.photobucket.com/albums/n241 ... 78/xs400j/

 

wraith:

Just remember ... when you get your new mirrors ... Yamaha uses REVERSE Thread on the Right Hand Perch.

Unless the Mirrors you buy say "For Yamaha" ... you'll need the Reverse Thread Adapter for the Right Perch.

The Adapter screws in backward like an OEM Mirror would and Provides the base for using Non-Yamaha mirrors.