Firstly. Cool site! It's always nice to know that when I don't know others do.

Anyways, I picked up an 1982 xj 750 seca last month and took the front brakes apart because they we're seized and after cleaning them (just getting the pins cleaned and removing the spider nest) they seemed to 'work' properly. Having said that, I do find the stopping power to be less than impressive. Prior to this bike I rode an 84 450 nighthawk and an 82 650 nighthawk so I'm not comparing my seca to a sport bike. Neither bike had special brake lines or great pads but the difference between what I might consider similar systems is remarkable. The feeling on the seca brake lever is spongy and they never seem to grab well at the disk.

Having said that, could any one suggest a specific set of pads or is this bike known for less than great stopping power?

I noticed a difference in EBC vs stock, I think my old pads were a little varnished looking too, so who knows what was on them. I have stainless lines but haven't used those yet.