All the kings horses...

[John]

Beauty, eh?

Man, that is one fine looking machine!
I had a couple of them to use to restore one, but the project fizzled, and I parted them out. Shame, I really like the XJ styling. I did use one of the engines in my SG for a few years, until I put an 'Owie' on it. I missed a 3-4 shift at over 7k, and it started making funny little noises. That's when I did the big bore on my original engine...out of necessity... yeah, that's it, necessity, yeah

[BLUEJEEPLAB]

Maxie,

If we were talking about women, I'd be asking if she had a sister!!!! My God, Zilla is AWESOME. You have raised the bar. What really strikes me is how clean and contemporary he looks.

[MAXIMAN]

Originally posted by Parr8hed
wow, sharp bike. talk to me about those bags. i like the look of them. what kind are they?

Off a mid to late 80's Venture Royale. I always thought that shape hardbag fit the look of the Maxim better than the XS Bags did because the XJ is so much "curvier" than the Specials or the Standards.

I got 'em on Ebay for 75 or 80 bux and painted 'em.

[MAXIMAN]

Originally posted by jimboreeno
Your Maxim is BEAUTIFUL!
Mine is currently about that color of silver/gray and I am needing to paint her. After seeing your Zilla, I am sticking with the color. It just looks great. If I want to explore that coating for my pipes here in the Nashville area, where would you suggest I start??

http://www.jet-hot.com/

[MAXIMAN]

Originally posted by BLUEJEEPLAB
Maxie,

If we were talking about women, I'd be asking if she had a sister!!!! My God, Zilla is AWESOME. You have raised the bar. What really strikes me is how clean and contemporary he looks.

YEah well all the Maxims were ahead of their time. I used to ride a Maxim 650 in the early 80's. They were miles ahead of most bikes then in styling and performance. The 650's and up were all shaft driven and ran like they were shot out of a cannon.

The XJ11 is no acception. It was styled like it's little brothers with the radically curved tank and the "curved" spoke mags and high step seat.

The Uber cool thing about the XJ1100 is this:

IT HAS AN XS11 POWERPLANT!

[trbig]

Maximan...

Unlike your XJ, mine TRUELY has an XS power plant.... 1978 model to be exact! lol. I did put an XJ head on it though, with those much bigger valves.

Tod

[xs650mike]

Really great looking bike Maxim! Agree about the XJ series bikes. I had an XJ750RH Seca, fantastic bike and nearly as fast as an XS11. I liked the "computer" readout feature too, really slick.

[skids]

So, Tod... do you know it the XJ head improved torque, i.e. does it accelerate more quickly over OEM xs11s?

Originally posted by trbig
Maximan...

Unlike your XJ, mine TRUELY has an XS power plant.... 1978 model to be exact! lol. I did put an XJ head on it though, with those much bigger valves.

Tod

[trbig]

Well, I really don't know. When I bought the bike, it had severe sit-itis, and it ran like a lead sled... would lose speed going up a hill if i didn't downshift. I initially tried to adjust the shims in the noisy head and the shim tool I bought was crap... so long story short... newbie me ended up bending my valves. Cam chain was around cams, but not the crank... spun the motor, which moved... cams didn't. Used an XJ head I had off of a spare motor, and reused the XS cams with it (Was suggested might get better performance that way).
In my long winded fasion... I am trying to say I don't know. I really have nothing to compare it to except a clogged carb, stretched cam chain, lead pig. I do know that it runs well now... good enough to where my 1st gear has started jumping on me if I get on it off the start. I need the 1st and 2nd gear fix in the fall. I am just going to keep easy on the ol' thing a bit (In 1st gear anyway). I will get some new clutches and springs and do the gear fix for next year... maybe clean it up a bit so I can meet up and ride with Maximan's Zilla at some point without having to ride with sunglasses and full face mask to hide my shame!
Sorry not much help.

Tod

[trbig]

One more note... I have been told that the XJ new compression is around 145-148 psi. With this XS motor, I have almost 160 with these bigger valves... would make sense if it was a little stronger.

Tod

[MAXIMAN]

Skids

The XJ11 is basically the same engine and performs similarly. As you noted the XJ head has larger valves. It also has lame cams and lower compression though not radically. The XS was 9.5:1 I think and the XJ is 9.2:1.

I've had a naked '79 SF and an '80 SG full dresser (King Kong). Either of those bikes ran slightly better than Zilla though not radically. However in a foot race Kong or Zeus ('79) would take Zilla.

Zilla does have pretty good low end grunt but it is not significantly more than either of the XS I've had. The XJ did have a little better fuel mileage however...about 2-3 mpg better on the highway at most speeds...there again it wasn't radical.

If a guy was going to gather up a bunch of "bolt on" OEM parts to combine the hottest Eleven without going third party...the combination would be '79 cams in an '81 or '82 head. I think the '81 head has the bigger valves too.

[MartyA]

All I can add is WOW! again.

[dragxs11]

Turned out great man!! You've made me proud to have worked on it. It would have taken me a long time to finish it up like that. What we did was definitly the best way to go. They always turn out better when an owner who loves them does the work.

[dragxs11]

Hey Mr. Max, I wonder if you ought to throw up a pic of what he was when you left here in Sept.? He was pretty bashed up..... looking at that and then what he is now, just 6 months later..... I'm stoked about what we did. Mostly you, of course. I just made it cruise again.

[MAXIMAN]

Made it cruise again that you DID! I may have made it look pretty but you made it run again bro.

Okeeeee....here's the proof...It ain't pretty...





Wished I had a shot of the inside of the fairing/dash with the broken triple tree. That looked uber-narly.

Thanks again Matt.