miami vice bike???

[kbi2]

hey guy,s i,m new here and have a question, a co-worker has a bike here in miami he says is 1 of 2 made for the show miami vice,it needs restoration,he says it runs great,has some brake problems,and he has concern about the electronic carbs system,i can get this thing cheap,less than a grand,he says he has pics and proof /documentation that the bike is from the show,what is the value of this bike ,regardless of the history? thanks,kbi2

[TopCatGr58]

Hey KBi2,

Well, you really haven't given us much info about this alleged Miami Vice bike!?

What brand, model is it? What is it's CC size? Has it been driven or ridden or just sat for the last 20 years?

Miami Vice was in the early/mid 80s! Our XS11's in Pristine condition still have trouble selling them for much over 1K$.

Also, haven't heard of Electronic Carbs? Electronic Fuel Injection, yes, but not sure if that was available for bikes back in the 80's?

Also, you'll be spending $$ to get it road worthy!

Did an internet search, can't find anything with Miami vice and Motorcycles....there was an episode called Vikings from Hell, about a biker gang, but couldn't find any pictures!?
T.C.

[kbi2]

miami vice bike

was used on show a few times,1982 maxim 1100 xjs,runs great,needs brake rebuild,small dent in tank,repaint all and seat recovering,12,000 miles,10,000 miles on it by second owner,a friend,bike was ridden by sonny crocket on show,title search will show BRUCKHIMER,as original owner(producer).i will see bike over the weekend .than maybe buy it.any tips or lookout for trouble spots ???thanks kbi2.

[Jerry]

You might want to do some searches on this site about the differences in the XS - XJ motorcycles.

In brief, the XJ was sold only 1 year in the US...1982. Although it shares some parts with earlier XS models, the XJ is different in quite a number of ways, including ignition, instrumentation, wiring, alternator, cosmetics, seat, and handlebars. Brakes are also different, as the back and front left are linked together through a proportioning valve system. Since it is a 1-year model, finding parts can be "interesting" and you might be visiting eBay a lot. There is a factory service manual, but no after market (Clymers or Haynes) was ever published. Some parts, like the air filter, are stictly OEM items, since not eneough were produced for manufacturers like K&N to produce their own alternatives.

On the other hand, the XJ does have air adustable suspension, electronic ignition, larger fuel tank, and other features that make it attractive. I bought my XJ for a typical price of $650 a few years back. Other than routine maintenance it was crank it up and go. I don't think that the use on Miami Vice does much for this bike unless it was customized on some way for the show.

Typical weak points are fuse block, alternator brushes which need replacement, side stand switch (kills engine if you put the bike in gear if sidestand is down) which is no longer available from Yamaha and every XJ I've seen has had this switch go bad. A percentage of XJs have a weak 2nd gear; ask about it, or if you can test-ride the bike, really gun after the 1st to 2nd shift; if you get a 'skip' then you are looking at transmission work.

There are ways to get around or fix all of these problems, and the many XJ owners on this list will attest that it is a good bike. Remember, though, it is 23 years old. Rubber deteriorates, brake lines go bad from the inside, fork springs sag under their own weight. While 12K miles isn't much, be prepared to spend time and money going through the bike's various systems if you want a reliable ride, even if they don't look bad at first glance. For example, if the tires are more than 5 years old, plan to replace them even if they still look good. Dry rot and chemical aging will have weakened the old tires. A good pair of new tires, plus mount and balance if you farm out the work, can easily set you back $175 - $200 depending on tire choice.

In fact, plan to spend $500.00 or more to get a bike this old back into good operating condition. Carb clean, adjust and synchronize, new battery, new tires, new fuse block, new brake pads, brake caliper and master cylinder rebuilds are all fairly common for a bike of this age, particularly if it has sat unused for several years. New fork springs and rear shocks are a good idea if original units are still in place.

On the other hand, a few have been lucky enough to avoid all or most of these problems, and a few hundred dollars for the initial purchase is all that was needed for hundreds or thousands of trouble free miles. You can get lucky, but I prefer to prepare for the typical and be pleasantly surprised rather than face the disappointment of wanting to ride but facing expensive or time consuming repairs.