1985 Yamaha XJ700 Maxim X review from United States of America

Nothing.

This Yamaha was the quickest, smoothest bike I have ever owned.

I only rode it for two seasons, and didn't put a lot of miles on it, however I regret selling it to this day.

I went from a Harley Davidson FXE 1200, to this "little" 700cc Yamaha Four, and I must say, other than the nostagic feel that Harleys provide in spades, the Yamaha out-performed it in every area.

It was much faster, much smoother, much more comfortable to ride, and was extremely reliable.

I must give the Harley its due though. The Harley had power down low in the RPM range, where the Yamaha made the most of its power in the higher RPMs.

I also must mention that the Harley was a 1977. So it was built during the AMF Harley Davidson years.

The 20 valve four cylinder engine was so silky smooth and lightning fast.

The cruiser style was nice, but the low handlebars, rather than risers, gave the rider a very comfortable seating position for long rides.

It's too bad Yamaha has done away with their 4 cylinder, shaft-driven "cruisers", as I found them to be very practical bikes for everyday commuting as well as recreational riding.

Thankfully, I recently purchased a one-owner low mile XJ 650 Maxim recently, which shares many of the 700's positive traits.