will england :: yamaha xj650: logwill england :: yamaha xj650: logRides, repairs and impressions on my "new" 1982 Yamaha Maxim XJ650 motorcycle.
Just picked the bike up this past weekend. Been sitting for a few days, managed to kill the battery trying to start it. Doesn't seem to want to start. Ah well -- It's just going up on a trailer.
Rented a motorcycle trailer from U-Haul for $15.00 a day; not a bad deal, and a pretty good trailer. Hooked it to the 4-Runner and hauled it to Winfield for some maintenance and a safe place to learn to ride. No real problems, just wet!
Had Nat drop it off with Bill King, a motorcycle repairman in Winfield with 53 yeas experience. He first started building the 1947 Indian cycles, and most recently was at K&N Cycles in Wichita. He adjusted the carbs, fabbed a new airfilter and got it running properly. Also adjusted the front shocks -- apparntly not leaking oil as badly as I thought, but set way too stiff. Everything basically checks out OK.
Not bad at all -- nice handling. I haven't ridden this big of a bike beofre (650) -- shoot, all the previous riding I had done was on a 250 Rebel in Drivers Ed!
Since I'm just learning, Nat and I spend most of our time at the local fairgrounds working on slow speed stability, corners, stops and starting from a stop. Mighty fun.
However, after about an hour, the bike started dying at idle. The problem seems to be related to the clutch. I could have the bike in neutral, and have no problems, but pull the clutch in, drop to first and pfhut. Also, there is a bit of a solid klunk! when shifting from neutral to first.
Also noticed some white smoke from the left side exhaust. Rings? Valves?
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Author: Will England (will@mylanders.com) Complaints? /dev/null
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Created March 7, 2002 :: Updated Thursday, September 06 2018 @ 01:55am