Yamaha XJ650 Maxim

Yamaha XJ650 Maxim

1982 Yamaha XJ650 Maxim,XJ650RJ Seca (Made only in 1982)
Manufacturer	Yamaha
Also called	Maxim 650
Parent company	Yamaha Corporation
Production	1980–1983
Predecessor	Yamaha XS 650 Special
Class	Sport/Cruiser
Engine	653 cc air-cooled four-stroke inline-4, DOHC, 2 valves per cylinder
Bore / stroke	63 х 52.4 mm
Compression ratio	9.2:1
Top speed	122 mph (196 km/h)
Power	73 hp (54 kW) @ 9000 rpm (claimed)
Torque	42 lb⋅ft (57 N⋅m) @ 7200 rpm (claimed)
Ignition type	transistorized
Transmission	5-speed
Frame type	tubular steel
Suspension	Front: 36 mm Air assisted telescopic forks, 147 mm wheel travel Rear:5-way adjustable spring preload, 97 mm wheel travel
Brakes	Front: Single 300 mm disc Rear: drum
Tires	Front: 3.25-H19 Rear:130/90-H16
Seat height	29.3 inches
Fuel capacity	13 liters/3.4 gal
Related	Yamaha XJ750 Maxim

The Yamaha XJ650 Maxim is a mid-size motorcycle by the Yamaha Motor Company introduced in 1980 as the Maxim I and produced through 1983. Yamaha designed the high-performance XJ650 as a brand-new four-cylinder with shaft drive, and built it specifically as a special cruiser. The XJ Maxim was the successor of the XS Special introduced in 1978.

History

Overview

1980 Yamaha XJ650 Maxim I

The 4 cylinder, air-cooled, twin-cam 650cc engine is housed in a cross-braced duplex steel tube frame. Yamaha made the engine narrower by locating the alternator behind the cylinder block and above the gearbox rather than on the end of the crankshaft. The Maxim had shaft drive. Contemporary reports praised the Maxim's performance and braking. Criticism was aimed at engine vibration and under-damped suspension. Succeeding Maxim models were refinements; the 1982 Maxim 650 had a more comfortable handlebar, an air-adjustable fork, and a more luxurious seat. A turbocharged variant, the XJ650 Seca Turbo, was featured in the 1983 James Bond film Never Say Never Again.

Cycle magazine said in 1982 "Three years later, after the wide proliferation of special styling, it's easy to forget what a landmark bike the Maxim was...The 650 was striking, controversial, sensational, and wildly successful in showrooms. Other companies have produced bodacious knock-offs of the 650 Maxim, imitations that suffer from excess. It's too bad the Maxim was obscured when manufacturers blanketed the market with cruisers. A decade down the road, the Maxim may well be a genuine classic of the 1980s — a bright idea that stood the test of time."

Engine/Drivetrain

Yamaha 653 cc DOHC-8 valves, inline-4

Yamaha shaft drive

The 1980 to 1983 XJ650 Maxim combined an air-cooled, 653 cc DOHC two valves per cylinder transverse inline-four engine and shaft drive. The engine employed a one-piece crankshaft with plain bearings and placed the alternator and starter behind the engine to minimize width. A chain drives the two overhead camshafts, which used shim-and-bucket adjustment. A second chain drives the oil pump located in the crankcase, while a third (Hy-Vo) chain spins the alternator. The power unit is fed by four Hitachi constant velocity carburetors and lit by electronic ignition. Four-into-two headers extracts the waste gases, which exit through two shortened mufflers. Hypoid gears and a shaft turns the rear wheel, with the shaft housing forming the left side swingarm.

See also

• List of Yamaha motorcycles