Maxim-X Thermostat Replacement

History
Maxim-X owners like myself have looked long and hard for an alternative to the original Maxim-X thermostat. While it may still be available directly from Yamaha (Part# 3GM-12410-00-00), the part is expensive (upwards of CAD$40 after taxes) and illusive, sometimes being back-ordered for as long as a full year. The unrealistic cost and lack of availability of the thermostat are what led to the quest for a viable replacement.

Credit where credit is due: Being one who drives his motorcycle daily, I wasn't willing to take it apart just to get my hands on the thermostat for comparison to others. There were simply too many things that could go wrong which threatened to leave me stranded. To circumvent that problem, I posted an inquiry on the XJ Owners' Mailing List hoping that someone would be able to tell me where I could buy a new thermostat for a reasonable price or where I might find something compatible. Tragically, the concensus was the same - there was simply no other choice than to buy a new thermostat directly from Yamaha. I had almost surrendered to that belief when a fellow XJer from the Netherlands, a fantastically helpful guy named Geurt Groen, contacted me by e-mail saying that he had an extra thermostat for the X which he was willing to part with for just the cost of shipping. Naturally, I accepted and only a short time later, Geurt's Maxim-X thermostat arrived at my door in Canada. I suddenly had exactly what I needed to begin my search for the perfect replacement, thanks to a generous friend halfway across the globe.[ »»» Identification ]