1986 Yamaha XJ700 Maxim X from United Kingdom

Summary:

A great ride all year round; fantastic

Faults:

Nothing has gone wrong with the XJ in the six years I have had her.

General Comments:

The XJ is very quick; it still pulls your arm out of their sockets.

After about a hundred miles, you get a numb backside, so need to stretch the legs.

It handles well, but make sure you got a good set of tyres on before you chuck it into a corner.

Would you buy another motorcycle from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 5th February, 2007

1986 Yamaha XJ700 Maxim X from United States of America

Summary:

In these times, the XJ700 X is still an awesomely rare muscle bike that will surprise anyone!

Faults:

Carburators were out of sync.

General Comments:

These bikes are very impressive for the age and year. Very rare as well

My Maxim X makes good power (even when riding two up), and is surprisingly comfortable on longer trips.

The bike is quick in the lower gears, and insanely faster when the tach starts going past 7000rpms!

A well taken care of or redone Maxim X will not disappoint anyone, even if you are used to bigger and faster bikes like I am.

I'd say it keeps up well with the current line of 600cc (except in areas of top speed) sportbikes, and out performs most of the "new" cruisers with double its dispacement.

I'll be hard pressed to sell my X any time soon!

Would you buy another motorcycle from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 15th September, 2006

17th Sep 2006, 16:51

I would say that your Maxim X will more than keep up with the current line of 600s.

Remember, when new it kept up with the 1 liter bikes of its day.

18th Sep 2006, 15:05

Yes, you are right about it keeping up with the liter bikes of yesterday, but today the liter bikes of yesterday are in the same performance arena as the newest 600-675cc of today.

The "newer" 600cc sport bikes make over 100 hp and are doing the quarter mile in the low 11's and high 10's.

1985 Yamaha XJ700 Maxim X from United States of America

Summary:

Fastest cruiser I've ever rode!

Faults:

Bought it running on only 3 cylinders.

One day as I was riding it after I fiddled with the choke, the 4th cylinder came to life! I suppose a carb problem.

Since I've been riding it like an idiot, the clutch now slips.

General Comments:

Bought this bike off Ebay for $1200. Have ridden the bike almost everyday. I love it!

This bike has the engine of a sportbike, but the body of a cruiser. This bike is very fast!

Parts are best found on Ebay. Bootleg bike manuals on CD, coil covers, etc I have already bought off ebay.

Would you buy another motorcycle from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 28th July, 2006

1985 Yamaha XJ700 Maxim X from United States of America

Summary:

Even now, at 20 years old, the MaximX is a runner, for those who are fortunate enough to own one

Faults:

With the age of my bike, the carbs have needed regular attention. I'm hoping a recent carb rebuild will cure those pains for a while.

Speaking of age and rebuild...

I recently rebuilt my "X" from the ground up, with the exception of the engine and drive-train. It was needed from normal wear and tear, age, my maniacal driving style, and the previous owners' lack of proper storage.

I didn't do the engine because she was (and is) running very strong. There is no obvious reason to open it up.

In spite of that, there was plenty to do on the rebuild. This included paint, bearings, gaskets, cables, coils, wires, fluids, and more.

General Comments:

I have ridden all varieties of motorcycles, and this by far is the best all around bike I've had the pleasure of riding. Most people are completely shocked to see just how quick she is, especially when they find out her age. It looks like a small cruiser, but has the heart and soul of a dragster/sport bike.

Maneuverability may not be quite on par as the super-bikes, but she's very close to it. I've seen photos of an X driven by a racer on a closed circuit, very nearly parallel to the ground in a turn. I definitely have fun with her, but not that kind of fun.

The first couple of years I owned her, I considered her just an ol' putt-putt bike. But more recently I've realized her performance and worth. They were only built for two years, 1985 and 1986 - XJ700XN and XJ700XS respectively. Those north of the border in Canada had the fortune to get the exact same bike, except theirs were 750cc X's.

The liquid cooled, five valve configuration on the MaximX sets her apart from all the other XJ's produced, namely the Maxim and Seca.

Would you buy another motorcycle from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 13th May, 2006

2nd Feb 2007, 12:31

Hi there, I just wanted to correct one thing on your comment. I live in Canada and we were also fortunate to get the 700cc XJ. My bike is a xj700n (no rad) and was purcased brand new in 1985 here in Canada.

21st Feb 2007, 18:38

I have a 1985 XJ700n Maxim in great shape. I believe it is a 2 valve/cylinder as opposed to a 5 valve model. Ken.