Yet another 750 Bob...

83 Maxim 750. About 80% done with my preliminary bob. I don't have a garage so I am just hacking it this year, will fully strip and rebuild when I have a roof and storage space...

Where she started


Where she sits now




Need to:
make seat (have one that may work, will find out on weekend)
hookup and balance indicators (waiting on parts)
get carbs running better (missing pilot screw orings and washers, will go in on weekend)
clean the bike (rode in rain with no fenders, bike is now brown and black...)
forward controls (found a way to use stockers, will try on weekend)
Fix some fit and finish on her
remove the damn reflectors (I keep forgetting until I see them in a picture)
and I think that is it

I post here to look for all of your input. She is not going to be anything too special right now as my Jeep gets all my money mods... But I think she'll turn out pretty good...

Cheers
Dave

 

If you didn't know already, we LOVE pics! Good Luck with your build!!!

skillet

 

sounds like it could be a good build would like to see how your forward controls turn out

 

Well I should have new pics every monday that I make progress.

Cheers
Dave

 

Plan on running with the idea in this thread

http://xjbikes.com/Forums/viewtopic/t=5 ... trols.html

Cheers
Dave

 

hey thanks for the thread you posted havent seen that, cant wait to see your build

 

Got some work done this weekend.

Did the forwards, but I didn't like them so I reverted back to stock (this is why you try before you chop )

Got my seat fabbed up from an old pillion seat we had in the shop, still need to attach the leather to the pan.

I got my pilot circuit rebuilt but she still runs like ass. No power in bottom end, good power mid and high. Seems to be running super rich. Looks like I may be pulling the carbs again to see what's going on...
Any on bike advice from the gurus would be appreciated.
The jetting should be fine as I ran this setup last summer, just swapped my jets to a new carb this year. Tried playing with the pilot screws. Is rich all through but mostly poor below 2-3K


Cheers
Dave

 

below 2-3k would be a pilot jet issue

 

Looks good, but why does so many riders paint with flat black? It does nothing for the bike for me personally. I'd much rather have just about any color of shiny paint than any flat finish. I guess if you just ride and never clean, it wouldn't make a difference if it shines or not. Maybe that's why so many use flat paint?
Yes, I know, "Chrome don't get ya home", which has some merit. I just think a little shine here and there with a couple pieces of chrome looks a hell of alot better...to me.
Not putting you down for your choices of course, so don't take it wrong. I'm just stating an opinion and wondering why.

 

It's hard to F up a flat paint job, and simple touch ups are a bonus too. That is why.

 

yeah, I am actually starting to wonder if I installed the main and pilot air jets backwards as they were MIA to begin with... Will likely pull and disassemble the carbs again this weekend... Damnit

I actually left the forks, shocks, and brake light chrome because I too like some chrome hints (though I do need to polish them when the assembly is done). I actually painted it flat because if I don't like it I can clear coat it semi-gloss or gloss with basically no prep. Where as if I go gloss I would have to redo the whole deal if I don't like it.

I am open to all opinons as I know what I like and that is what I will personally do, but I have learned that the devils advocate has some damn good points from time to time. Also for as far as the "chrome don't get ya home" I agree in the sense that a bike should run and be safe before it sparkles, but everyone building their own style is what keeps the biker community unique. If 3x the bikes worth in chrome makes someone proud of their bike then it is one more happy, unique, biker which is never a bad thing...

This is true too. Any paint that scratched off during assembly is touched up with a sharpie

 

Got her running propper this weekend. Apparently I flipped the Air jets (the small jet is the Main Jet... go figure :roll:
So after a new set of plugs,flipping the jets, and some fine tuning she is running like a dream.
Re-upholstered the seat properly and fabbed some mounts. Worked out nice for me.

Tried the scrubbie in the exhaust silencer technique. Works pretty well but they blow out the back when I really lay into her. Anyone done this successfully? How'd you keep them in the pipe? I think I'm gonna try to put a small bolt downstream which'll reduce the I.D. enough to snag the scrubber.

Here is where she sits after a little cleaning...


Anyone know how to get a ton of fresh and burned oil off of the cooling fins behind the exhaust pipes?

To do:
hookup and balance indicators (waiting on parts)
clean the bike (damn old valve cover leak)
Fix some fit and finish on her
and I think that is it

I can afford to sttreet her next month, so I'm starting to get pretty excited...

 

You could just get a set of cheap baffles and wrap them with the scrubbers to get the sound down to an acceptable level.
Or just get a short piece of tubing the the size of the inside of your pipes and weld a washer on the end of them. Than shove them inside each pipe and hold them in with a screw from the bottom. It's about the cheapest baffle you can get and it works good. You can experiement with different size holes in the washers too.

 

Hey, personally I like the look you have created in your bike-very original with a real down to earth solid look. I just bought a XJ750R Seca 3 weeks ago. First thing I did is take off the fairing and Vette boxes on the rear. I am already liking it more)))) Being an old school Jarhead there is something to to be said for plain and solid reliability. grunt007

 

Those sound like some good options. Thanks for the ideas.

I agree. I am a fan of the more blocky bikes then a strecthed deal.

Cheers
Dave

 

I heard somewhere about a guy that bought small engine briggs & stratton type mufflers and wedged them into his header pipes. Said they worked great. Kept the straight pipe look and got some back pressure with noise reduction as well. didn't re-jet either.

 

The Briggs & Straton muffler idea would work fine if they fit inside the pipes. I just measured one of them and they are 1-3/4" at the widest point.

 

So we had some sun today, I decided to snap some proper pictures


Front of the bike


Rear of the bike.
My license plate will mount under the tail light where you can see the two bolts.


Side shot. Still need to build some side covers...


Front looking back. Need to clean up the pipes. Must've gotten some grease or something on them during assembly...


Me and my baby

To do:
Wire up indicators.
Figure out Mirrors.
Clean the bike proper.
Mount scrubbies in pipe. (gonna try this first, then move to another silencer if it doesn't work.)

Want to do:
Move Ignition
Make Side Covers
Fork Gators?

I may have some progressive springs at home that'll work for the front. Gotta check tomorrow.

Cheers
Dave

 

Nice looking bike, I especially like the tail/brake light.

 

Hey, just dropped back in to see your pics again and heck I like your machine even better this time. How's those straight pipes running? How bad is the noise? I'm kicking around doing the same thing with my XJ750R Seca but now I hear the cops around here have some kind of a hand held tool this year where all they do is point it at your machine and they can tell the noise level for a ticket?? Not sure if its true but I don't care for the idea of getting a ticket although i always like to hear a good engine run. By the way I still like your big round headlight and gauges better than my Seca computer box and rectangular headlight. Some ideas just can't be beat for sure. I like your handlebars to -really fit the bike and style. Yup, a definite WINNER! GRUNT007- HERE IN MICHIGAN! There hunting for money this year.

 

Just one other thing I want to stick in. Your front forks being silver-chrome. I like that better than the Seca with the lower one's painted Black. With the silver I think the forks look longer and the Black you have on it then really sets off those front forks.
One negative and this is just me and my opinion. The picture from the rear, you see the open ends of the frame rail. For some reason that just looks a little tackey. Can't figure out just why? A couple of those black plastic plugs pocked in those two holes though would take care of that. Just a thought, the rest though is really great to say the least. Just enough chrome to where the black really makes the chrome come alive! How many miles on her? grunt007, Michigan

 

while your working on those side covers, pop off those chrome caps by the swingarm pivot and check in there for water, it can come right down the open end of the cutoff frame. there should be a weep hole in there, if it gets plugged water gets in the lower frame and the side stand fails
bar end mirrors from the bicycle shop.....cheap, small, work well
looks good

 

Cheers, it is a "sparto"
Pretty standard aftermarket up here

I still have the collector on which actually means that it still runs great on the stock jetting. Not too lound, but not quiet either. The police have decible meters now, but they have to pull you over and run the test roadside. It is not like a laser gun from the cruiser.

Thanks

I too like the chrome vs the black. I actually have some 12 guage shell casings that will be siliconed into the frame holes tomorrow for both looks and to seal it against water.
60000KM or so

I will do that, it so far has not been out in rain since chopping it but I will check for sure.

Will check out a bike shop for the mirrors.

Cheers all
Dave

 

Azrael,
Cool idea capping those frame rail holes with 12 gauge shotgun shells, I should have thought of that one. I bet that will look great on your bike. With all the black on the bike from the rear the BRASS on the shotgun shells should probably stand out well also. It amazes me just how many different alterations guys can come up with on the XJ's. Almost seems like there is no limit to what folks can think up to create with the XJ.
Now if we could just figure up a way of getting around the outrageous price that yamaha wants for the stock mufflers for the XJ Sega? $1,200+ to me is a bit outrageous to say the least and it is sure a shame that when they built the blasted things that instead of folding the sheetmetal over the endcaps they didn't make it where you could pull the caps off to repair them. Guess they had the plan to stick it to us from the beginning. I still feel though that the original mufflers on the XJ Sega look the best. Guess I will have to get back on my MIG WELDER welding up those mufflers-at least for now? Take care and keep up the good work. grunt007-Larry XJ750R SEGA 81'

 

Hey there,
I just about forgot, you mentioned mirrors. Did you give any thought to the tear drop chromed ones? I can't quite figure out how they would look on yours but I have seen some where I have given thought to putting them on mine eventually. Some I have seen tend to look much better than other companies. Now I am talking about the chroming and quality.
With the amount of Black you have on the bike they might just set it off if they still leave you an adequate amount of mirror to see the guy behind you with. I never feel that sacrificing safety for looks is a very good trade off. I once bought a home made mini bike down in the Florida keys from a kid for $50.00. 5 hp Briggs engine. The kid said it would do 60mph! I didn't think so? Driving it down a side rd there of crushed coral and my wife beside me on the highway in the car at about 60mph it went out from underneath me! I had a Stainless Steel Zodiak watch on. About ever 20ft that I slid we found another piece of my watch. After many stitches in my knees and arm I swore that I would never ride another set of 2 wheels that wasn't big enough for me to climb onto and ride down if I had to. Some lessons are hard learned! grunt007-81'XJ750R Seca, Michigan, 64 years old, ex Marine and still going strong! Must be the little boy heart I still have )))

 

The shells are not my idea, I have seen it before and I thought it looked good so I figured I'd give it a try. "built not bought" is the motto among my fellow Jeepers and the same prevails here. It is a better feeling in my opinion to have your own sweat into it, instead of your own cash...

I do like some other mirrors, but for now I am looking in the $10 range
I do agree about not sacrificing safety though.
Me and my buddies are all avid dirt bikers, and one weekend when we were camping at a local dirtbike park, we decided to take the 50's to the motocross track. We had all riden for about 2 days on some gnarly trails with no injuries beyond some blisters. But we all came back from that track beaten, bruised, and bleeding... Damn 50's are always the death of us

Cheers
Dave

 

Todays Update.
I'm pretty much done the stuff I have the money to do right now...


This is the mod with the shell in the frame. Also siliconed in the bottom of the old weld as I think it looks better.


Also got the indicators mounted up. I think the indicators/shells/brake light are awesome. I'm quite happy with how they turned out...


Shot of the whole ass end

Note that I did go for a short ride today, and with no license plate on her everything gets covered in road goo and dirt.Also there is an inner fender to protect the electrics which was not on today...

Only problem I am having is that my indicators don't flash until 1200ish RPM... Any ideas?


I think I am going to go with one or two of these mirrors from my local sports store. Just gotta wait until I have the spare $30 around (for two)


Cheers
Dave

 

Great job Dave. I really like what you've done.

How do you like the Spitfire tires? I've been looking at getting them too.

 

I really like them. I have had them on both xj's. They're not the best tire in the rain, but if you keep that in mind they're great. And pretty cheap too.
certainly no regrets with them

Cheers
Dave

 

Hi again Azrael,
Yup! Those 12 gauge shotgun shells do the trick, just the right touch. Something you might take a look at when you have some time is a 1972 stock 650-750 Triumph Bonneville motorcycle. I had one and what they did was they painted the cylinders black leaving the heads silver and the block silver. Somehow it sort of made the engine look bossier for it's size. It's something which after buying this 750 Seca I have that I kept thinking something was wrong with the look but couldn't figure out what it was until I went through some of the pictures of my past bikes. I am giving some thought to doing that to mine before I am finished with it. With the cylinders black they stand out as cylinders where as with them silver the whole engine just looks like one big hunk of silver? Next thing is how to do it and do it right?
Something else I ran across last year is a product called CHASSEY RESTORER! $114.00 per gallon. Fabulous product! Not a two part paint, only 1. Wire brush rust and paint right over it with paint brush. Self leveling! Bend it , hit it with a hammer, it doesn't chip or peal. Toughest stuff I have ever used. I bet it would be good for under bike, under fender ect. grunt 007, Mi. 1981 XJSecaR, still in a state of recovery waiting on parts as usual!!!!!!!

 

So I got some more work done to her on monday.
Got a mirror on, though I will be adding a second this weekend.


Finished up the odds and ends..
tweaked fuel mixture to stop popping on decel

She will actually be plated and ridden home on monday. I am very excited.

The list to do over time is:
Get indicators to flash below 1300RPM
Change front springs with progressive (have springs, need oil and such)
Paint Airbox Covers
Relocate Ignition
Fab some sidecovers
Fork Gators? Maybe...
Replace Levers
Get front cowl (stock from Harley Night-rod Special, looks sexy on a bob)


List for far in future:
Pull and re-ring motor
Paint Motor
Paint frame
Some more custom highlights (need a MIG)
etc..etc..etc

So this is where she stands today


Cheers
Dave

 

Fine looking ride there Dave. Looks like your ready to have some fun. The add on's never end do they? 81'seca, XJ750R grunt007, MI.

 

WHERE DID U GET THOSE MIRRORS???? i like them A LOT. do they shake at all?

 

Thanks.
I am. And no. They never end

Dave

 

I got them from sportchek. They do, but I'm adding a second one tomorrow which will help as I will have a better field of view. Will let you all know how it goes when I bring her home tomorrow. The head tech at work also suggested that I can ram some iron/lead bar into the end of the bars and it will help stop the vibrating a lot. Might give it a shot if I can find some.

Cheers
Dave

 

So I brought her home today. Pissing rain but still smiling. My new Icon rain pants are wicked and the BMW Atlantis 4 Jacket make a perfect waterproof combo

That mirror sucked... So i got a new one that is more like the traditional bar end mirror. Will upload pictures later as our internet is down and tethering my iPhone means I want to avoid pictures as much as possible.

Gotta make some tweaks to my controls to make them, feel right again but I am very happy with her over all.

Cheers
Dave

 

As promised, here are the photos of my new mirrors.





I like them a lot. The arm mellows out any vibes I get and also means that when I am just cruising I can have them flipped down the way I like but when I am pushing the bike a bit I can flip them up to more of a traditional mirror placement.




To solve my flasher issue I got an electronic relay, will be wiring it up as such in the next few days and we'll see if I can't get them to work at idle...

Will let you all know how it goes as I hope to keep the auto-cancel feature intact...

Cheers
Dave

 

So the flasher didn't work. I did happen to have an HD-13 kicking around though which did the trick

Also got some pipes on her today. Really happy with them and the new deeper sound. They were some Cobra Longshot silencers adapted to work.





Also have to realocate the license plate as I got tagged by a cop for having it too level. Think I am just going to add some brackets to bring it back so I can tilt it...

Cheers
Dave

 

http://www.sportchek.ca/product/index.j ... Id=3991216

this is it right? wanna sell me your old one at an XJ member discount

did it work okay?

 

That is the one. I actually rereturned it to trade for the ones I have now.

I very highly recommend against that mirror. It was completely useless.

Dave

 

cool, thx.

 

great looking bike. I hope mine looks that good when I finsh it.

 

Cheers
Dave

 

Just an update becuase I'm bored

Got some dragbars on her
Working on forwards and ignition relocation right now



Cheers
Dave

 

I have the same bike....82 XJ750 Maxim. I am also building a bobber out of it. Right now I am trying to figure out what to do with the airbox. I am taking the battery and electronics and I will be customizing an oil tank to fit those in under the seat. But I just took the airbox out to minimize clutter and to fit the oil tank in, but Im not sure what i should use in place of the stock airbox, as I am pretty sure the carbs also use the airbox as a means of support. Any comments or ideas please let me know.

Thanks

 

That is not something I have tackled yet. The pod guys don't support the rear of the carb to the best of my knowledge so I would assume it'll be fine.
I have plans for pods in the future but haven't really looked into the specifics as I want to get her running right first, then start tuning with pods

Cheers
Dave

 

I was look'in at a set of those risers for my project, now i can see what they look like on the XJ, cool :idea:

 

A few new changes.
I swapped my rear shocks for some chopped ones (thanks zookie!)
Before:


After:


I'm pretty happy with the looks but also I like the ride better as it feels like it suits me a bit better having the nose feel higher.

Also have a few projects on the go:

LED brake light:
I have begun to dislike my current brake light, so I am making an LED to either attach below or on top of the license plate.

I have a cardboard mock up done, the upper row will be the running light and the lower row/both by brake light



and on the bottom of the plate


Also have some highway pegs to be mounted that will one day be converted into forward controls. The pegs I am using are black knurled metal grind pegs for the wheels of a BMX.

and I have a stubby turnout exhaust to go on which I am fabbing up with some chrome tips.

I will post some pictures of the new mods when they are on the bike.

Cheers
Dave

 

Looking sweet. Im building an 83 XJ750 Maxim. Hope it turns out as well as yours.

 

Looking sweet. Im building an 83 XJ750 Maxim. Hope it turns out as well as yours.