1981 XJ550 seca as a first bike

I never ridden a motorcycle before. Taking the class in the summer. Im trying to avoid a big powerful bike, as tempting as they are. I ran into a 81 seca 550 that Im looking at Monday. The pics look amazing. The guy claims a rebuilt engine and carbs and new tires. Plus it comes with a spare engine and carb. My questions are how reliable are those bikes? How easy is to do the work yourself?( I have some experience working on cars). Is this bike good for a begginer rider to learn good ridding skills?
What should I watch for on this specific model?

 

The Seca 550 can be very reliable, however I caution against you buying an older bike as a first ride unless you have the mechanical ability and time to get it in perfect running order (Prior owners are 90% likely to not tell you the whole truth about what they are selling).
It could be a good bike for a beginner, however it is a bit fast for a starter bike. IF you are the sort of person who can ride with due care, and resist the temptation to explore the limits of the machine before becoming accustom to it, than it may be a good choice.

In addition to a rider's course you should get (and read) Proficient Motorcycling by David L. Hough.

My preference is that (assuming you have the means) you buy a smaller machine to learn on (between 125 and 250cc), and get the Seca for a project to work on until you have a thousand or so miles under your belt. Once you are ready to move up, your learner bike (if you buy used) will still sell for about what you paid for it.

 

+1^^^
you can easily become carried away with the 550.
smaller bike would be best
if you get the seca this is the place to learn how to fix it to a good road worthy bike

If I were to sell any of my 550's I would not sell it to a new rider.

 

I will not buy if the bike is not running as advertised. Im taking someone knowledgeable with me. Im confortable with valve adjustments and things like that. I actually like to work on my cars. However you guys are saying that this bike is too powerful or is it difficult to ride?

 

that depends on you, and your attitude about riding
we had one member (wheel)stand his 550 up at a red light then it went down . the 550 is a heavy bike at 407 lbs with rapid throttle response.
when first learning its about learning the low speed manuvers and stopping. you are going to find a road or parking lot bring the bike up to 20 mph and jam on the brakes to practice emergency stops. also learning to stop on a line, avoid road hazards ect. a lighter bike makes it easier.
the training course in my state uses 250's to train people on then you bring your own bike to the advanced rider courses.

 

It's not about the bike so much as about where you are as a new rider. Things can go south really fast when you're learning, and learning to ride motorcycles is a large skillset with a steep learning curve. A smaller, less poweerful motorcycle gives you a slightly greater margin of safety, and more time to recover from a mistake (it's also easier to pick up).

 

Im a younger guy like I'm assuming you are as well. I started on a 1983 Yamaha maxim 400 (twin) when I was 16 and rode that for two seasons, put roughly 15'000 km on it. That bike was a great first bike, enough power to keep you entertained and reliable provided you did the necessary maintenance. I upgraded to a 550 Seca this past season which I had purchased for $250, restored over the winter and got in on the rode in the spring time. I've put 15'000km on it this season and it has been dead reliable, not one single hiccup. If you have a general understanding of how engines work and are able to read a manual theres no reason these older bikes can't be fantastic starter bikes. I've learned how to ride and learned how to work on bikes simultaneously, something I would not have been exposed to if I purchased a new bike that didn't require the same level of care. The way I look at it is any person with money can walk into a dealership and buy a new bikes, but not every one is capable of keeping an old bike on the ride. However, the satisfaction of doing so is far greater in my opinion

The power from the 550 4 cylinder is significantly more than the 400 twin. It's got plenty of grunt below 80mph then it starts to taper off a bit, but full throttle acceleration in the first three - gears you better be darn sure you are holding on.
If the price is right on it, is mechanically sound, nothing is hacked or out of place I wouldn't hesitate to purchase it. Just be prepared to spend money on things like tires, brake lines, pads, anything that will potentially deteriorate after 30+ years. In my area the 550 seca is very rare, I hardly ever see them for sale and only know of one other person that owns one.

I've attached a picture of my bike for reference.

 

^^this is what you have to hear and belive, you may not want to hear this but it is sound advice .
do not let ego get in the way of learning to ride. no one but a non rider will mock you for being on a smaller twin cylinder bike while you learn.
The temptation of putting a 550 through its paces will always be there if that is what you buy.
get a 250 twin ride learn and enjoy, be safe.
my friend got his first bike this past spring a 250 honda he was so excited took the course got his license and found out that he really did not care for riding.
he is selling the bike and not buying another.

 

I got a XJ550 Seca as my first bike this past summer. So, from first hand experience, I can say it went well for me. I can also tell you why it went well because it's important.
I have quite a bit of mechanical experience from working on my cars over the years.
- I was able to dig into the bike to look at typical problem areas from a safety and reliability point of view. My bike is in the gallery and you can see the list of things I tackled before riding.
I also took the motorcycle safety foundation's class.
- This class is a must if you're a new rider. In NY, you end up with your license at the end (assuming you have a good sense of balance and can control the bike well).
Also, I'm 49, so learned some healthy caution over the years.
- I was scared to go fast at first. This is healthy and natural. Good for self preservation. Do what you're comfortable with. Ride within your abilities. I had my father-in-law to ride with who would love to go out anytime and I got a lot of experience by just riding almost every day as summer turned into fall. It's a process, don't get cocky.

 

DKavanagh nailed it. My first bike (and only daily rider) is an XJ750. I learned to ride a couple years ago at 47. If I rode just out of high school, I'd probably have wrapped myself around a tree trying to see how fast it would go. Most important words he wrote were "It's a process, don't get cocky."

I also will emphasize that these are old bikes and they need to be brought up to proper maintenance levels to be safe. The mechanical work is pretty simple, in my opinion, but the safety issues are critical to get done before riding. As Kmoe has mentioned here on the forums, it doesn't matter how fast you can go, it matters that you can stop. The brake system is the most important part of the bike, in my opinion.

 

81 Seca 550 was my first bike too. I managed to rack up 10 tickets in 6 months. Went to riding school a couple times until they eventually took my license,

Bike is only as fast as you turn the throttle. Be careful please!