What do I need to put rear shocks on my 1982 Yamaha Maxim XJ 750?

Question

I bought the bike and didn't notice the previous owner had taken the rear shocks off (worst oversight I ever made, kicking myself now). I want to put some shocks on it, but I'm not really sure what I need. Looking in the owner's manual and at the old parts on eBay, it looks like it's just a simple eye-to-eye shock, but most websites are saying their eye-to-eye shocks are not compatible.

How can I tell what shocks are compatible with my bike, and do I need anything else to put them on? Do I need to order bushings or anything else to install them? What length do I need? It looks like stock is 12.5", can I go up or down from that to raise or lower the bike?

Thanks in advance.

Answer 1

You might be able to find something used on eBay that will fit, but who knows how much wear it has had? If you plan to keep the bike a while I would shell out for new, high-quality shocks. Here's a link to some that say they work. They should come with the bushings needed.

Yes, the price is pretty steep, but shock technology has advanced a lot in the past 30 years. The bike will ride and handle noticeably better than it did when new. I would recommend also rebuilding the front forks and filling them with a thicker oil than stock (I like Lucas synthetic 15 or 20 weight), for the same reason.

Older Japanese bikes are starting to become collectible, especially rarer models like the Maxim, as most people treated them as disposable when they were new. I would hang on to that one!