Maxim Cafe Build

T

tjb2of3

New Member
Hey guys. I've been looking around on the site for a few months, and I really like what you guys are doing with your bikes. I've got a 1981 Yamaha XJ550 Maxim that I'm starting to modify (on a college budget), so I figured I'd start a build thread for it. This is my daily transportation, so I'm not expecting to be able to do this too quickly. Still, I wanted to post some ideas and see what you guys have to say.

Here's what she looked like when I bought her, minus a few classy flaming skull stickers ::) :
http://i826.photobucket.com/albums/zz187/tjb2of3/1981%20Maxim%20Project/Before.jpg

The paint was just awful to look at; it looked like a 3-year old got a hold of some black fingerpaint and went to town. I stripped it and primed it just to keep the rust off until I can get an actual paint job. Also, I flipped the handlebars as an experiment and really liked the way it felt. For now, they work fine.

Here she is as she sits now:
http://i826.photobucket.com/albums/zz187/tjb2of3/1981%20Maxim%20Project/downsize_3.jpg

I'm still working through some designs until I get the money to do something about it. And, of course, I'm open to any and all suggestions.
 
Nice man and welcome! Lot's of helpful people here especially if you bribe them with motorcycle pics! (My favorite is when someone posts a pic of a bike with a booth-babe model on it and we all complain that she's blocking the view of the bike!)
 
Alright, so I got a bunch of styrofoam today, and hopefully I'll be able to mock up a seat this weekend. In the meantime, here's the gist of what I'm trying to do:
Design.jpg

You might recognize the bike in the pic as the Cafe Zero XV. I just used it because the tank is basically the same shape.
 
Good luck. I'm in the same boat as you. Building an 82 650 Maxim Cafe. Maybe we should keep each other posted of progress? Two heads are better than one, right? ;D
 
I love the look of the XV. It reminds me of a Vincent.

Your bike looks way better already but that seat has got to go.
 
Yeah, that seat is one of the main reasons that I decided to go the cafe route with this bike. I think it's just awful.

Roadrash: yeah definitely keep me posted, and I'll try to do the same. It's good to see another Maxim on this site. I guess they're not the most cafe-able bikes, but I love a good challenge ;D
 
Me too. I originally got it, not knowing if I wanted to do a bobber or a cafe. then, the more I thought about, the less I wanted the bobber and more the cafe. Yeah, the bobber would be the no-brainer, easy way out with the Maxims, but it seems I MEVER take the easy way out! ;)
 
If you're interested, my rear-to-front wheel conversion kit should work on the Maxim front end - should be identical to the single-disc XV front end. I can send a kit with a XV rear wheel drum cover or a XJ rear wheel drum cover (slightly larger OD).

PM me for details ...
 
Well, TJ, this is how my bike looked when I got it from the PO:


Dave.jpg




The back end was already chopped, solid struts replaced the rear shocks, dropping the rear by about 2-3 inches, and the entire thing was painted in camo. At least he already had a set of clubmans on................but they were installed upside down.
 
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