6th Jul 2007, 18:48
I just bought a 1980 Maxium 659 with 6534 miles on it. It has been stored for many years. The only problem is it picks up a vibration around 4000 rpm. It feels more like it comes from the shaft. Is this normal? If not, what are the fixes?
Thanks.
8th Jul 2007, 08:55
I just was given a 1982 Yamaha Maxim 650 for Fathers day. Everything I see and read about this bike, I am overly impressed. Any idea where I would be able to find an owners manual or repair manual? I am wanting to do some simple repairs and modifications to the bike.
~Links1573.
12th Jul 2007, 15:45
Hi. I just bought my 1982 Yamaha Maxim XJ650. Looked it over really well, so I thought. I need to know if there is anyplace where I can find a manual or repair manual. The problem that I'm having is the fork seals are leaking, but they look great! And the engine ran great when I looked at it, but now seems to be bogging down. I've been told that jetting it won't help. Any ideas or techniques to get this fixed?
One of the bike shops around here wants $300 to "soak the carbs", and another $200 to repack the forks. Is this a good deal? I would really appreciate an idea of where to buy the manuals though. I work on cars, not on bikes yet.
Thank you
John
12th Jul 2007, 20:25
I bought an 82 Maxim 650 two weeks ago. I love it so far, but I was also worried about how it hits 5000 rpm at 60 mph. Has anyone else seen this to be a problem? I see that someone posted that this is normal, but it sounds like it's struggling. Any comments would be greatly appreciated.
12th Jul 2007, 20:32
Love this bike, bought with 7900 miles 4 years ago, would not trade for anything but a Vmax. LOVE Yamaha.
Had the same question about the rpms being high at highway speeds, but even at 5000 rpm you are only half way to redline, I think this bike was built to ride this way.
Fun to ride. Does anyone know if there is a upgrade, like a 6th gear, as the motor has enough power to handle it? Just wondering if anyone has heard of anything like this?
13th Jul 2007, 09:25
I HAVE GREAT NEWS.
There is a web site that will show diagrams of this bike, the 1982 Yamaha XJ650 Maxim, and many many more bikes.
I stumbled onto it by looking for parts for my 1982 Yamaha XJ650 Maxim. The web page is www.powersedge.com.
The steps are simple. If anyone has a problem with it, just email me at lasers_90@yahoo.com for an example.
I was looking up the front forks, and it showed the diagram of every bolt and all the pieces it needs, as well as pricing the parts out as well. Each part that you look at on the diagram is numbered and matches the number in order on the parts list below. I hope this will help some people out.
As my question before, does anyone know a cheap bike shop that does forks? I have a leaking seal on the forks. My post is the first one for 07-12-2007. Any help is appreciated. Thank you.
John.
4th Aug 2007, 11:46
I just got a 1980 XJ650 for $50 yesterday with no seat, and it has been sitting since 1995. Is there anything I should do to the engine before trying to get her running? I know I need to rebuild the carbs and replace the gas tank. At least the last owner drained the oil before letting her sit.
After reading this forum, I can't wait to get her on the road. Thanks for all the wonderful information.
17th Aug 2007, 23:18
Maintenance is everything with any machine... I would also recommend high test fuel(90+ octane, with lead substitute (it calls for it)) and a tablespoon of marvel mystery oil, and if you want CLEAN carbs use some Berrymans Chem Tool in the tank also. Pick up 4 Iridium spark plugs while you're at it $$$$.
The 82 and 83 XJ650 is the more desirable bike with updates.
And you are correct, this little bike is a naked rice rocket with a little less power curve, but still a wild ride... for those who FREAK OUT after 80MPH I would suggest installing a small steering stabilizer shock.
Stay alive and stay away from the TURBO headaches... LionHeart.
7th Oct 2007, 14:35
After buying a new Yamaha 1100 Silverado/Custom at the end of last year, I started thinking about my 1982 XJ650J Maxim that had been sitting, collecting dust, for the last 15 years. Sorry to all Yamaha lovers, because believe me I bleed Yamaha blue and have since I was a kid. I will say that I agree with everyone in this forum that feels that this bike was a premier machine for its time and still is.
I decide to bring it back to life and after rebuilding the carbs (what a mess they were), bleeding the brakes and new rubber, she is cruising again. Going to register it this Monday and I have a feeling it will get plenty of time on the road, even over my new cruiser. You can go out and buy a new bike, with all of the flash, but not everyone can own one of Yamaha's finest all around machines, even within today's standard.
Any other XJ650/Yamaha owners may be interested to know that in my mission to resurrect my XJ, I found a wealth of OEM/after market sites that carry XJ, and other model Yamaha, parts:
You can also find used/new parts on EBAY, but beware because I've found a few parts listed that cost above & beyond what I could find the parts at online. Also compare prices on the sites. On one site for a needle valve assembly (Needle seat, washer and float needle) they wanted $65 for one carburetor, which is the same prices Yamaha will charge you. I found the same Hitachi parts on one of the above sites for $8.32 and the float bowl gaskets for something like 3.32 a piece. Just beware and shop around. You'll be amazed at what you can find just by performing a Google search for XJ650.
One last thing. If you want to view the parts list for your bikes online go to www.yamaha-motor.com, click the Star Motors icon. In the horizontal menu on the next page select "Parts & Service". Select "View Parts & Catalogue" from the vertical menu. Well you can figure out the rest. I hope this helps.
4th Jul 2007, 16:35
I've owned a 1980 XJ650 Maxim for about two months now. I bought it from the second owner, who barely put 200 miles on it in a year, and kept it in the garage. The original owner must have really loved the bike, took excellent care of it and rode it a lot (it has 45K miles). I paid $1000 for it after looking it over very carefully.
Personally, I'd rather have a vehicle that has been driven and maintained and cared for than one that sat for years (especially motorcycles!). No end to the trouble this "new" crappy gasoline (ethanol) will do to a fuel system just sitting.
Anyway, I replaced the front and rear brakes and front rotor, but other than that, this is a fantastic bike with an extremely classic look.
It's also a good bike for a medium to smaller person (like me), but is still big enough to have some power and speed with a "big" bike look.
This engine and shaft drive combo is really bullet proof. I would not have a chain drive bike. I highly recommend the XJ650; if you can find a well maintained one for < 1.5K, grab it!