1985 Yamaha Maxim XJ700N - thoughts!?

[mimico_polak]

Hey guys,

So I just had a buddy offer me his 1985 Yamaha Maxim 700 for what I feel is a very good price. He bought it a few years ago but his wife wouldn't let him drive it so it's been sitting in the garage for a while and will definitely need a full tune-up.
Is this a good bike? As a beginner would you guys recommend it?

I'm really sorry for all the questions but google can only answer so much! I basically had my mind made up on what I'm looking for and then this popped up! And please keep in mind a lack of motorcycle maintenance knowledge!

Thanks!

[GreyGhost]

Old bikes need work and/or money to keep them going. Personally, if you want to ride, I would recommend a much newer bike so you can spend most of your time riding. I started with an old one and learned a lot, but I did spend a lot of my time wrenching. If it's been sitting for a few years, add a set of tires into your budget. Learning to ride on an old bike with old tires is not doing you any favors.

Before you consider buying any bike, call around and try to get an insurance quote. A recent 250cc bike may end up being cheaper to own as the insurance difference in the first year could pay for the initial price difference.

Personally, as you sound tentative about maintenance, I would recommend a much newer bike. Insurance is cheaper as the bikes get smaller, but anything up to about 500cc is normally not digustingly priced. Over 500 for a new rider and the insurance price climbs very quickly. What kind of bike are you looking for (ie.sport bike, cruiser, standard, etc.) You said you had your mind basically made up, what were you planning on getting?

[mimico_polak]

Hey,
The bikes that I originally looked at were the GS500/Hornet599/SV650 (taken out due to physical size) but after the show (and some insurance quotes) I realized that as I'm still within my first year the insurance for all of those is approximately 1300-1500/year...which isn't bad...but it's a lot of $ for a hobby. I would like a standard bike as that pulls me most...but cost does come into play no matter how I look at it.
So currently I'm tossing up b/w the NINJA250/CBR250/GS500 (simply because the GS500 is available for very good pricing - approx $500-1k less than the 250s). The insurance and overal costs of the 250s are within my budget.
Of course there's always the option of just keeping my current 125 and saving up for what I want in the future, while learning in the least expensive way possible!

[omnivore]

Great bikes if you don't mind push starting.

[Spyug]

Exactly what Grey Ghost said. Old bikes are a great idea, IMHO, for new riders since they are generally cheaper to buy and insure but you will need to spend more time on maintenance than a newer model. Often, they are very cheap to buy as they require considerable effort to get them road worthy. That effort can be costly and time consuming as parts can sometimes be hard to find and if you are not mechanically inclined and require a pro to do the work.

For some of us, old bikes are what we really enjoy and the maintenance is an important part of the sport for us. Wrenching and riding in equal parts. For a newbie, you want to get as much riding in as possible so you need a reliable ride. As mentioned, go with something newer.

Enjoy,
Spyug

[CruisnGrrl]

nice bike if it's been maintained. the 700 would mean it probably came from the usa as there are xj750s and xj750x's kicking about, the 700s were tarif beaters.

if you end up buying it there is a wealth of information on the xj owners group mailing list they're known for being indestructable.


i bought mine because it was cheaper than buying a 250, just the way it works out.

[adri]

Smart decision.