Wondering if this is a good buy?

[dextrousm]

Hi, I'm thinking about buying a '82 XJ1100 Maxim to replace my current bike. I've been in contact with a seller, who had this to say about his bike:

Hi, this is a 1982 Maxim, I've lowered the price to $950 after much negotiation from the last guy, I told a him I would sell it to him for that much, he went to the bank to get money but I have never seen him since.

About the first gear transmission cog slippage. I replaced them twice but this bike chews it up. Some XJs do it, some don't, and this one unfortunately does. Even if you do replace it, you'll find yourself in the same situation within months, a year with almost no riding time. I just launch it from second gear and never really miss 1st gear, except in the heart of Portland traffic jam it was a bit inconvenient to not have a good 1st. It'll slip on torque and you can feel/hear the cogs bouncing.

I'm just wondering if this guy is right in saying that "some XJ's do it, some don't," or if he isn't telling me something. And if it is true, is it an un-fixable problem?

Other than that issue, and barring any huge problems when I go check it out, this sounds like a sweet deal, but I'd really like to know the community's opinion on this before I start to talk price with this guy.

I haven't looked at the bike yet, but I'll post pics for you all to judge when I do.

[Ljay40]

Really hard to say "if its a good buy"
The XS and XJ, some do have tranny problems some dont
There are tech tips on how to fix the transmissions on these bikes do a search from top of page and give yourself a idea if you want to get into it or not if your somewhat mechanically inclined some guys say its easy I on the other hand dont really want to get familar with my transmission. I would be a little leary tho as If he taking off from 2nd it will probably be needing clutch work soon or in the near future, and hopefully he has not grinded off all the gears in the trans. just my own personal opinion Im sure others have there own.

[Jerry]

Some XJ's have never had their transmissions worked on. Rough estimate is that somewher between 15 - 25 percent of XS 11s and XJ 11s have had transmission problems. However, if the repair is done correctly you should not have problems again. It sounds like the current owner has not done the repair properly, including new gears and shift forks. Many who have done the repair report years and thousands of miles with no repeat problems.

The factory fix is to replace the gears in sets, 2nd - 5th for 2nd gear problems and 1st - 4th for first gear problems. Shift forks (there are 3 of them) can get worn or bent, and should probably be replaced unless you know they are good. Alternate fix is to remove the gears, clean up the mating "dogs" and slots with a Dremmel tool, and reassemble.

A note...motorcycle transmission gears have 'dogs' on the side of the gears that mesh with other gears as well as teeth on the circumference of the gear that mesh with other gears. This is the only way the transmissions can be made small enough for motorcycle use. The transmission 'skips' when the dogs slip in and out of slots in the meshing gear. There are various fixes that increase the engagement of the dogs and meshing gear, but at a minimum, new factory gears have undercut (slightly tapered) dogs. Undercutting the gears tends to make them draw together under load, increasing engagement and minimizing the chance for slippage. You can also undercut your old gears if you are going to re-use them.

Understand that even doing the work yourself new gears / forks / gaskets will run you a couple hundred or more. Depending on your tool box condition, there are a few essential tools, like a T-40 (?) Torex screwdriver, that may need to be purchased. To be on the safe side, figure $300.00 for the repair. Will probably be less, but better to overbudget than get caught short.

Is the XJ worth $950 with a known bad transmission? Hard to say without seeing the bike and checking on the condition of other items, like the stock fuse block, which is a known trouble area in older Japanese bikes. Check out the Tech Tips article What to look for when buying a used bike and the transmission repair thread at Ken Talbot's Web Page. Other transmission fixing tips are in the Tech Tips section of this site as well.

The price is not unreasonable - if - the rest of the bike is in exceptional condition. If the bike is in average condition, you can plan to spend another $500 for things like a new battery, air filter, tires, fluid changes, carb clean / adjust / synchronize, and doing all the small but necessary routine maintenance. Don't forget the cost of a manual. There are places on-line to get one in electronic form, but if you want a factory printed manual the cost is usually betweem $45 - $60 depending on your friendly Yamaha dealer. The trick here is to gauge what the over-all cost will be of getting this XJ to be a reliable and trouble-free ride, including the purchase price and subsequent costs.

Having said all that, these bikes are a hoot to ride and very much worth the cost of keeping them running. All (or most) of us have at some point paid to much for a bike, and almost everyone on this list has more invested in our bikes than we could get out of selling them. If your buy this XJ and repair it properly you should get many years and lots of miles out of it. However, the work never really ends on a bike that is now approaching its 3rd decade, so it takes a commitment to keep them maintained, repaired, and on the road. Good luck!

[trbig]

If you are thinking of buying the bike and riding a while then selling it for a profit... it's a bad choice. If you are buying it to ride... you'll have to pay much more to get a bike with the performance you get with these. They cruise around town very nicely,... and when you need to pass, or just need a speed fix, rip the throttle and hang on!

Another VERY big bonus with this bike is this forum. The wealth of knowledge from the people here and their willingness to help is un-matchable with any other bike or forum.

As for the transmission, you didn't state in your profile where you live. There may be members around your area that would help fix the transmission right for a little liquid refreshment..

Tod

[AlanB]

Hi Dextrousm

If he had fixed it properly, It would not have gone wrong again! It would make me wonder what other problems he had caused when he was inside the engine.

I would check up whether he stripped the engine to work on the gearbox, or went in through the sump.

If he stripped it, I might walk away.

I have had my XS since 1992, and have done a lot of miles on it......All with NO first gear! You get used to missing it out pretty quick, and the bike does not seem to care.

AlanB

[luckygpass]

Hi, I bought this 82' Maxim. It needed the 1st gear fix and after joining this forum and reading all the important information about these Bikes I did the fix on all gears related. It needed a couple other things. I brought the clutch up to specs with new springs and cable, brakes up to specs with new pads, changed all fluids, changed fuel tank to new black one that came with the bike and painted the side covers to match, put on new tank emblems, and am replacing the shiftlever return torsion spring when the part comes in.
It now runs great except for a not noticed before, slight clicking, ticking noise that seems to come from the rear end. It does not make it on the center stand. It goes away when leaning to the right in the first few gears while putting at around 1800 to 2200 rpm's. I took off the rear tire and greased the driveshaft splines, found nothing wrong. Any Ideas?
I would appreciate any knowledge regarding the noise. I read the posts and followed the threads but none were similiar.

[Ken Talbot]

Originally posted by luckygpass
I took off the rear tire and greased the driveshaft splines, found nothing wrong. Any Ideas?
I would appreciate any knowledge regarding the noise. I read the posts and followed the threads but none were similiar.

Sounds like the noise SWMBO's 'H used to make. That one turned out to be a dry spline where the rear wheel sits against the final drive. Did you grease that too when you did the driveshaft spline?

[luckygpass]

Thanks Ken,

I since have posted a new Thread about the noise and saw you replied to that as well. I appreciate the advice and am getting there I think.

Gary Luckin