Faults:

The gas cap broke.

Really hard to start in cold weather.

The petcock leaks.

The speedometer quits from time to time.

Those are the only four things that have gone wrong with the actual factory parts of the bike since I've had it.

The previous owner had made some modifications that have failed and didn't really take good care of the bike.

General Comments:

Although I haven't had this bike long, I love it.

This bike is great for cruising and has plenty of power to get out of a potentially dangerous situation. Most of its power lies in the higher range of 8,000 rpm.

The gas mileage has been in the range of 20-38 mpg. I have found that if you're cruising and shift around 3500 to 4000 rpm, you will get the higher mileage of 38. But if you like to race around (like me), you will get the lower mileage of about 20 mpg. The tank holds about 3.5 gallons, and at 1.59 per gallon it costs me about $5 to fill up.

The seat on my bike isn't quite as padded as on others, so when I first started riding it I got a sore backside if I rode for too long. However, I have gotten used to it and I can ride for hours before having to stop.

This bike is impossible to start in cold weather. I keep it in my garage. When winter came around, I made the mistake of letting it sit for two days without starting it. It wouldn't start for the rest of the winter. One day it was 50 degrees out and I opened the garage door to let it sit in the sun. When I came home, it fired up after about 3 or 4 tries. Now I start it at least once a day and let it warm up when the weather is below 50 degrees.

Overall, I love this bike. Considering how old it is, and how hard the previous owner was on it, it still runs good, rides good, and beats most other bikes on the road.

This is a great bike!

Faults:

The carburetors are somewhat difficult to keep clean and tuned. It could be because I don't put a lot of miles on it. It's best to add some carb cleaner to the fuel regularly and fuel stabilizer in the winter. The bike is a little difficult to start when it's cold. It will start firing on 2 then 3 and finally the 4th cylinder. Other than that, this has been a very reliable bike.

General Comments:

I bought this bike new in 1987, although it is a year model 1985. The dealer had this 'factory surplus' bike on sale for only $2,000. I have certainly gotten my money's worth of fun over the years!

The maxim is fast and responsive. I was surprised at how well it performed in the high elevations while visiting Colorado. It zipped over the mountain passes at 70mph with no problem. It climbed to the top of Pike's Peak with power to spare.

I've kept this bike in my garage the whole time I've owned it and it still looks great. When I bought it, I never dreamed I'd keep it for 22 years. My son is proud to ride it, even though it was 'born' before he was!