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.

[gwelfmike]

I bought my now ex ( she is an ex for other reasons ) a 1982 Honda Twinstar, for a grand, she has been using it for 12 years now without any problems, always started and went down the road., Does what she wants to do with it, that is to get from point a to point b as cheaply as can be.

Buying an old bike does not have to be a headache, my 1980 Yamaha 850 went for 150,000 kms and never let me down.

[mimico_polak]

It is a beautiful bike, and the 'N' designation is for the Canadian market so it's not a US bike. He's the third owner, and he's asking around $2k for the bike, which I think is a fair price. I've still got to do some more research as he's not in a rush to sell and I want to make a more informed decision.

CruisnGrrl you bought a 700 as well? Have you found a lot of issues with it?

Thank you all for the comments, I highly appreciate the informed responses...and the patience with all my questions over the last few weeks! I guess half the fun is the research and the actual LOOKING for a bike!

Additional Info...SF just quoted me 1700/year for a 27 year old bike! That's as much as the damn bike! I'm going to find out how much it is to cancel the SF insurance and look elsewhere LoL Wow...

[nakkers]

IMO, I wouldn't go much more than a $1000. It's true you CAN find an old bike that runs and rides with nothing more than oil changes, wear replacement of tires and brake pads etc. The reality is, it is old, it's been parked. It will need some TLC.

A bike like this would appeal more to someone that really doesn't mind finding out what makes it tick, who doesn't mind getting their hands dirty and hunting for parts and doing what ever is neccessary to keep it going and looking good.

But, it sholdn't be considered a cheap alternative to what you have.


And from an insurance perspective, ask for a summary of the premium being charged. The replacement value of the bike isn't as much of a factor to determine the premium as much as you would think.

[RetroGrouch]

He's the third owner, and he's asking around $2k for the bike, which I think is a fair price.

Not much of friend if he's selling it to you at that price. These things are dime a dozen.

[klr_guy]

agree with nakkers & retro - $2g ain't a deal by any means. I've never paid more than a $1/cc for any non-runner / "older needs tlc" bike and I've bought many.

[GreyGhost]

I picked up my old 450SC for <$1000 with new rubber and a bunch of work done to it just before (and running well, it was supposed to be for the sellers wife but she liked being a passenger). I thought you were getting this thing for a couple hundred. I would definitely save up your money for something else.

[mimico_polak]

Hey everyone!
Thanks for talking some sense into me on this one! I've done more research and the price is on the high side (although the bike seems well kept) plus the added costs and time...I'm going to pass...
I have a way of getting carried away with things like this at times and need to reign myself in. I'm going to stick with a small bike for the moment simply because costs are a factor for me (unfortunately!).
I figure this'll let me learn at a proper pace, and get more comfortable on a bike before I actually know what it is I want to ride in the long term. If I can score a good Ninja/CBR 250 then I'll stick with that, if not the 125 will just have to do for another season!

[adri]

Smart decision.

[CruisnGrrl]

It is a beautiful bike, and the 'N' designation is for the Canadian market so it's not a US bike. He's the third owner, and he's asking around $2k for the bike, which I think is a fair price. I've still got to do some more research as he's not in a rush to sell and I want to make a more informed decision.

CruisnGrrl you bought a 700 as well? Have you found a lot of issues with it?

Thank you all for the comments, I highly appreciate the informed responses...and the patience with all my questions over the last few weeks! I guess half the fun is the research and the actual LOOKING for a bike!

Additional Info...SF just quoted me 1700/year for a 27 year old bike! That's as much as the damn bike! I'm going to find out how much it is to cancel the SF insurance and look elsewhere LoL Wow...

I started on an 83 xj 750, jevco quoted me 1000 for insurance my first year, bike was 1000, i had to do a little bit to it like buy a seat and signal lights and forks. it was running strong at 98,000 when it was hit by a car.

the major known issue for this model would have been the primary chain guide shatters. if you look around you can find good working models for 1000-1200 dollars. there's good community on them with the xj owner's group mailing list. I've met some awesome people from the list.