Faults:

Brush in starter motor needed replacement.

Front brake pads and rotor at 54,000 miles.

Ignition module occasionally stops working - but comes back to life after a couple minutes of rest. I have a spare, but it does the same thing.

It has a slow oil leak - apparently from the gear shift lever.

A few times blinkers have failed to flash. Cleaning the light bulb contacts cleared up the problem.

General Comments:

This is a great bike, but it is starting to become unreliable due to its age. Maintenance has consisted of an oil change each year and new tires about 10000 miles ago.

The engine is rated at a peak power of 71 HP. In looking to replace this with a newer cruiser, I'll have to find something with near double the displacement to approach that power.

Fuel economy is good but not exceptional. I get 42 MPG around town, but that improves to 50 MPG when I get out in the country for steady cruising at 45-55 mph.

I don’t believe the seat is intended for more than about an hour’s worth of use at a time. I’ve done a few 200 mile days, and after the first 100, frequent breaks are needed to restore blood flow.

I'm not really happy with it on the highway above 65 mph. It develops a vibration and associated sound which, although it has not led to anything going wrong, just doesn't seem right.

I like the drive shaft. I also believe that a motorcycle should, in essence, be designed towards simplicity. That means air-cooled, as this is.

The bike is lacking ground clearance. Have to be very careful on speed bumps.

Faults:

Tach wire broke.

Signals blow fuses, an electric issue that I am not willing to rewire the bike to fix.

Everything else is great. That's it.

General Comments:

It has a very nice motor. Good pull from a stop all the way to highway speeds. Need to drop a gear to make strong passes at highway speed. It is faster than most people think.

I would not say it handles well. Top end speed of about 110 with over 20,000 miles on it. Speedometer does not go that high, I was riding with another biker when we wanted to get the approx top end speed.

Not good off road. Gets stuck in mud easy, and bottoms out like it was made for on road use only.

General Comments:

Just bought an 81 Maxim 650 and have been having a blast cruisin' around Canada's capital.

One minor problem continues to plague my otherwise happy experience though. My signal lights work fine when I have the switch held to either left or right, however they won't stay on if I release the button.

I have replaced the switch assembly on the handle bar, but the problem persists. I suspect it's the relay for some reason, and hope someone on this forum has experienced the same problem and can offer some advice.

Faults:

I have just this year started to experience a oil leak that I think is due to an old, worn out, DOHC cover gasket. I am going to replace it this weekend and see if it takes care of my little problem. But I think this sorta thing is to be expected. For cryin out loud, the bike is 27 years old!!! But none the less, still runs GREAT!!!

General Comments:

I own the 1981 650 Maxim. I don't know how many bikes those of you complaining have owned. But I have had a couple. This bike has been the most reliable, and all around Missle Proof bike I've ever owned. The engine is as strong, and dependable as the day is long.

Don't get me wrong, the comfort of the ride has some to be desired. Also, the braking power isn't as strong as I would like, and I wish it had a bigger fuel tank.

But all around this is a great bike for the non-experienced beginner, OR the veteran rider such as myself. I am just ready for a bigger bike. But, I will still be sure to keep this dependable old cruiser regardless.

General Comments:

This bike is great in power and reliability. It has plenty of speed and handles great.

This bike was built in the 80,s and should be judged on that level. Don't compare this bike to the new models; it was before their time.

I don't think the new bikes can compete with the toughness of this bike. I bought my Maxim 650 for one hundred bucks about 6 months ago and love it. The bike had been sitting for about 8 years, and I had very little problem getting the bike to run after buying it. I was amazed.