1982 or 1983?

[blue giant]

I have seen in several spots here on the board where XS/XJ's were maunfactured from 1978 to 1982. I have an '83 XJ1100 Maxim. Is this because it was shipped to Canada? The sticker on the front of the frame is weathered to the point where I can not read the manufacture date. Just wondering if mine is an '82 or 83? The ownership also states 1983. How can I find out?

Thanks,

Paul

[DiverRay]

Paul,
Check you frame serial number and look at the list to the left, Specifications/Serial Numbers. I notice it does NOT list the numbers for Canada, but you should be able to get an idea of the build date from the numbers.

[trbig]

They only made the XJ for one year in the states... 2 more up north. Look on the neck of the steering head on the front side. Your bike serial number will be there (The engine might not be the original one) as well as the manufacture date.

Tod

[Jerry]

XJ1100s were sold through '84 in Canada. Quite likely yours is an '83. All are identical to the '82 version; only difference in the US and Canadian models is readout of the speedometer, here in the states it is in MPH and the Canadian version is in KMH. Your VIN number, on engine and frame, should start with 11G, I believe.

Parts are interchangeable through all the XJ1100s, '82 - '84. FWIW, the XJ was sold in Mexico though '84 as well, maybe other parts of the world? In any event, if you are looking in the US for parts, if the description says for an '82 XJ, it will fit your bike as well.

In the US some bikes were titled as the year sold, so there are some '83 and '84 XJs listed in the US, but Yamaha only sold them as an '82 model and will tell you - emphatically - that there is no such thing as an '83 or '84 US XJ. The point is that what the title says should not be taken as gospel, at least here in the US. Maybe your Canadian system has fewer anomolies.

[Axel]

XJ1100K

11G -xxxxxxx ... on the engine block when viewed from the right side indicates a 1983 ... just like mine . Its called a XJ1100K .
I always order parts for a 82 . Even the dealers here are mixed up.

[Axel]

unless its a midnight maxim.............

[blue giant]

Thanks gents,

both the frame and engine are stamped with 11G-010380 and yes the speedo is in KPH.

[Axel]

YES

That serial number confirms what I first said ... the XJ1100K thing

[blue giant]

Re: YES

Originally posted by Axel
That serial number confirms what I first said ... the XJ1100K thing

XJ1100K what's the K stand for? I've seen XJ1100J's as well.

Thanks Axel

[Axel]

Yamahahaha

comes after "J"

funny thing ,the next year would be "L" but they use that for Midnight Maxim (and Midnight Special) so the next year is XJ1100M plus the "L" as my chart shows only Midnights for 84 so XJ1100ML
If thats not confusing in 82 it shows a Midnight Maxim XJ1100ML only different in its serial number range but serial starts 11G as well

[Axel]

more back ground

The XS series of bikes started with "E" as in XS1100E and continued with XS1100F then added XS1100SF for Special in 79.
And so on up to our bikes as an evolution of the XS series . So they skipped"I" but continued on with "J" meaning 82 with the XJ1100J .
Mostly its all in the specifications tab at the left side menu in the yellow .
I have never found a wrecked XJ11 to get parts from but I've used parts from XS11's I've found in the yards as some of them work.

[Jerry]

FWIW, the US XJ1100s begin the serial number with 10M.

Because the bike came in black with gold trim (on the key switch logo and tank emblems) some people mistake it for a Midnight. Bike also came in New Ruby Red, less common than the New Yamaha Black. In any event, a true Midnight Maxim does not appear to have been sold in the US.

Yamaha did sell a Midnight version of other bikes (850s, 750s I think) in '82 and later, some of them 4-cylinder models, but to repeat, I've never seen one based on the XJ1100.