Why did you buy an XJ?

So I got to thinking why did I buy an XJ out of the other bikes I've owned this is one of my favorite. I love to ride and wrench on it yes I keep it close to stock with a few upgrades. I prefer shaft drive and dual disk brakes and 4 cylinder my bike is very smooth running all done by ME . I do not take short cuts , if bolts need to be torqued that is what gets torqued , if a part is bad it gets replaced etc. I filled up not long ago a young guy asked what kind of bike that was? His expession said alot when I told him 1982 XJ750 Seca he replied it looks new said how do I keep something so old on the road, not sure if he refered to me or the bike. I just smiled said because I keep up on all the maintenance. These bike are affordable ,when properly maintained and tuned are fantastic . You used to see alot of Secas and Maxims now not so much at least in my area , I'd like to hear some thoughts from others why did you buy your bike? was it the price ?looks ? Or yearn to ride something from when you were younger?

 

I was attracted by the look of the Maxim. I was born in 75 so I grew up in the 80s. I think the Maxim style may be imprinted on my brain as the archetypal motorcycle. I find many of the new bikes to be too busy and plastic looking. The XJs have a simplicity to them. I don't like Harley's because I associate them with obnoxious noise and guys who like to play dress up. I think I like the straight 4 engine because I associate the V-Twin with Harley's. I also like the idea of having all the power of the 4 there between my legs. Which sound really gay now that I say it. Not that there is anything wrong with that.

 

I see an ad in Cycle Magazine. This furistic-looking 750cc motorcycle just broke a class record for the 1/4 mile on a stock bike. I was a pretty big fan of Pee-Wee Gleason at the time, and he was the rider. Had to have me one. Being 12 at the time I needed to wait a few years before getting mine (about 30 years as it turned out).

 

I wanted a bike that needed work so I would have something to do during the brutal northern New York winter. I like the looks of cruisers so I checked Craigslist and found mine for a reasonable 400 bucks. I offered 375 and he took it. Now I have a bike that I have completely went through that is older than me, and is almost as mechanically sound as a brand new bike, once I replace the clutch.

 

Got my 82 Seca 750 as payment for work I was doing on another motorcycle for a gentleman. I also have an 82 Virago 920 and an 04 Honda VTX 1300. Love both of those bikes and I haven't logged a lot of miles on the Seca yet because im just getting it complete after many mods and maintenance items but I am totally loving how it looks and feels in the few rides i've taken it for . I believe i'm happier with getting the bike as payment then actually getting cash in hand. I know i've spent a pretty penny doing the things i've done to it but the enjoyment of doing them and seeing how it's turned out is worth it to me. I've already had offers to buy it but i'm not sure it's going anywhere.

 

It was $500 less than the new Honda Shadow in 1985. I liked 4 cylinders and BIG savings because it had been on the showroom two years.

Obviously no regrets as I'm still riding it. I too get comments at gas stations. From old people 'nice bike,about 1980?' Youngsters just look at it.

 

My friends in my Diesel Technology Class suggested that I get a bike and at the time I had the money to do the required course and purchase one so I did.
Went on Craigslist for a couple of weeks didn't have enough for what I thought I wanted a r6 so glad I didn't get one.
Anyway I posted that I was looking for a bike and had 1300.00 to spend and with in an hour I got a text from a young guy 21 who had a xj700x so I googled it and then went to pick up the next day.
I got lucky basically he was the second owner.
Funny thing about 6 months later on the way to school I was stopped at a light when this guy comes running up from a taco truck and is eye balling the bike real hard and then he asked If I got the bike from a kid in Grants Pass and I replied yes. He was like hey that was mine and I bought in 1986. Small world, would of liked to talk with him more yet I had to be in class.
At the time I was actually thinking I got ripped off or played due to my inexperience.
In retrospect I am extremely pleased with the bike. Mainly because it is my first and I like the idea that I don't see any around other then mine.
Yes I to have people ask me what is it LOL.

 

I was working at a Chinchilla ranch when I was in my early 20's.
Went into the barn where the owner stored bales of woodshavings to refill the cages. The bales where stacked floor to the ceiling and many bales deep into the barn.
One day as I was removing more bales from the barn I broke into a hollow spot where this black and chrome beauty had been interned.
I was mesmerized. Not only because the last thing I expected to find was a motorcycle but it was mint.
I was currently riding a Kawasaki KZ400. I asked the boss about the bike and he said it was his, he used to ride it a ton. Turned the odometer over once but never rode it much anymore. Business, wife and kid took all his time.
He offered to sell it to me. Needless to say I jumped on the opporrunity.
I have had it ever since. Never been tempted to part with it.

 

I was searching Craigslist looking for an old Honda CB, saw the 85 700 Maxim, loved the look and went and bought it. Looking back I probably paid a couple of hundred too much, but I was lucky because it was bone stock, low mileage, with no damage. It took me a while to get everything up too snuff, but it's a great bike now.

 

Turned the odometer over once! Holy mother of miles. Is this in Kilometers or in imperial miles?
either way this is the first time I have heard or read that someone actually has turned over the odometer.
Very nice!
I have been asked by others how many miles do you usually get out of a motorcycle engine? My response is I guess as many as you can as long as you keep up on the maintenance. Just like any other engine.

 

I have personally turned it over twice myself.
Speedo cable just broke this summer and my odometer is reading 800km.
I used to commute to work 120km each way. So I put a lot of hwy miles on her.

I usually ride from April/May to September/October. So aprox 24000km a season. That would take 12.5 years to reach that milage and I have had the bike since around 1987.

However nobody ever believes me.

 

I really wasn't looking for a bike, she found me. My old boss was the original owner and he had a Harley for the last 6 years or so. He still would ride the Yamaha several times a season, change oil at the end of season, he said he did one long cruise on it up to Canada.

Anyhow, he was getting older, had hip surgery and asked me if I would mind riding the bike and changing the fluids in it to keep it 'fresh'. I took the MSF course, got the bike, started riding it, fell in love, found this web site . . . After one season I ask him, "So are you going to sell me this bike?", He said, let me think about a price. I do the blue book look up and figure (this was 8 years ago) that anywhere from $600-1,200 would be 'fair'. The next day he said, "How about a bottle of whiskey and you and your wife take me and the misses to that Thai restaurant you always talk about".
Sold! I got him a fancy Irish Whiskey in a wooden box that was over $100 and the Thai dinner for 4 was under that.

Probably invested an additional $800 on refurbishing stuff, keeping her pretty much stock. No regrets.

 

1000.00 km = 621.371192 miles
100000km=62,137 miles
If you have turned it over twice and the previous owner has turned it over once then you would have put on 186411.3576 miles give or take.
I am not questioning your miles since riding 240 km a day adds up quick.
My question is how many times have you had to rebuild the engine?
What beside tires and oil have you had to replace the most?
What broke ?

 

Only thing I have done on the bike is brakes, tires, exhaust, starter and oil changes.
Speedo and tach are pooched, on my to do list
Replaced the seat from ebay.
Thats it thats all.

 

I was actually looking for a 700 Nighthawk or 650 or 750 I did not care I just wanted to get back on a bike after a 4 year hiatus from riding. Cruising eBay found this beutiful Screaming Yellow ( matches my 71 VW) got it for 850$ .... I have more money tied up in it but it still less than than a "new" bike. In some ways it is new I so enjoy working on bikes . My bike has a little over 17k so it still has life left in it, I'm still happy I bought my bike and found this fantastic web site and xj4ever..☺

 

I was looking on the "C" list for winter projects. In the middle of WI winter I head to MN just after this past years really bad ice. Got to the place and good thing I have a 4X4 as the driveway is uphill and just packed snow that had been rained on and then froze. Took about three tries to get the trailer to the garage without it sliding into my car. Anyway I wanted to hear the bike turn over as I knew it was not running and being -15 or so out it would not have started anyway. PO blew the main fuse as he hooked up the jump wires wrong. That cost him $100 on the spot, he was cool with that and now I have my X. Joy to work one, well be sides the first time doing the valve shims

 

And some would say that Yamaha doesn't know how to build an engine Poohy on them.
Very nice to know that as long as I do the maintenance I am go to go!

 

I was actually looking for a CB900C.

I'm a huge fan of '80's bikes. Much is because it's what I know, but the overall asthetic appeals to me greatly. Sure, there's lots of really dead sexy new naked bikes (I'd give a nut for a XSR900!) but I definitely can't afford to buy a new bike.

I dislike plastic, and big ocean liner cruisers aren't for me. I owned a 82 Ironhead Sportster and loved it dearly(sadly it was stolen) but it was admittedly a POS. Terribly engineered machine. Beautiful and fun to ride, but garbage.

So, to bring this back on track. Lower cost, naked bikes, already loving 80's style bikes... I owned a cb900C in my youth and fell in love with shaft drive bikes then, so figured I'd get another. Whilst perusing Kijiji, I found this XJ750J. $1000, purportedly in great running order. I'd never seen one before, had no knowledge of XJ's at all, but 750cc I4, shaft drive, looked pretty?

I went to look. Engine was stone cold, it was below zero out with a foot of snow (up on a mountain in Canmore Alberta!) ... She started right up effortlessly. I threw a handful of cash at him and loaded 'er up.

And to be honest? While I loved my cb900, this is twice the bike it was. Much faster, massively more nimble. I could have saved a couple hundred getting a CB900C from a couple kms away, but I'm so damned glad I got this XJ.

 

Story goes that Harley engineering dept. bought an XJ to take apart the engine and see what makes it "tick" (so powerful and reliable), took it apart, measured things, etc. and then put it all back together and wrote a report to upper management saying "Yamaha has figured out how to mass-produce blueprinted, de-tuned race engines for the street use and we could never duplicate this at anything approaching a reasonable cost.....".

 

That would be a report I would like to see distributed through the internet.

 

Len, if you are willing to share....curious how you got in the XJ business...

 

<inches to the edge of his seat>

Do tell!

Unless it involves soviet spies and what not . . .

 

I was looking for a bike for under $900 that I could work on myself, since I had more time than cash. Now I have neither, but have brought the bike up to current maintenance, so making it look nicer will just have to wait.

 

Oh please enlighten us to your beginnings, Oh wise one !

 

Ooooh, definitely interested!

 

Drinking with an older neighbor I noticed the back wheel under a tarp in his back yard. I asked him about it and he said he put it there after laying it down a decade back. Said I could have it for a bottle of whiskey. It's been a lot of fun getting running again.

 

Always remember the ancient wisdoms:

There is an old East Indian proverb: "If you have an enemy give him an elephant; at first he will think you are his best friend".

The cowboy version of his anecdote is to give him an old horse......

The motorcyclist version is give him an old bike.

 

Point taken

 

Was looking for my first bike, but did not want to put out much money for my new interest. Was actually interested in a mid 80's Honda CB650 Nighthawk. The older bikes seemed to be where to go to get a running bike in my price-range. I came across an ad for my Seca and loved the looks. At under a grand, and it ran, I took a look. It seemed mostly mechanically sound; needing mostly cosmetic work. Wasn't the best to look at, but I just wanted something to ride. Didn't know much about the XJ's and came across this site in my research. Honestly, I was swayed by the terrific help available here. A few weeks went by and it was still available. I bit.

 

I just wanted something that went vroom and to put pods on it.

 

Easy now with that pod talk.

 

2 years ago I found a brand new Yamaha riding jacket with body armor and all at a church garage sale. $30 and fit me perfect. "sold" I hadn't ridden for 25 years and I think this was my sign. My GF mentioned a few times about wanting a bike. I got her riding lessons for her B-Day and the next winter starting searching Kijiji for a couple of barn-finds. As much as I like riding, I enjoy the process of rebuilding and restoring as much.

The Seca XJ750 was a cool performance bike when I was in high school. I saw this for sale well under $1000. Read a bunch of old articles on what a great bike they were and jumped in. After many hours of cleanup, painting, upgrades (work in progress), shes a great ride. I expect I'll turn over the odometer by this time next year.
Lynn has her license and a Boulevard 800. We ride together constantly and planning a couple rode trips this summer. Getting bikes has been a great connection for both of us as well as an interesting past-time for me.

BTW - Loving this website !! Seeing pictures and details of other project bikes is very inspiring. Technical feedback has been SO helpful. I've got a few more upgrades planned for this winter.. I almost bought pods and luckily, your website convinced me otherwise. Thank you and keep up the great efforts !!

 

I have owned a motorcycle since I was 16, so going on 45 years now. Started with a Honda Sport 50, on to a Honda CB160 and a Suzuki 90 upgraded to a flat tracker racer, then a Honda SL350 and progressed to a 1973 Yamaha RD350. I had owned the RD350 for about 10 years when a golfing buddy offered up the Seca 750 in 1985. He wanted to upgrade to the Turbo 650 at the time. So, the Seca has been in my garage or carport depending where I lived for over 30 years. It's been a great bike that I seldom ride (OD just hit 18,000), but I can't give it up as when I do ride it is such a fulfilling experience. I never saw the need to upgrade to something faster or different as the Seca had everything I desired.

 

I actually had to get a car tyre and when I went to the car dealer a motorcycle dealer was in the business unit adjacent to it. There was my XJ a bit rough looking at the time, but mechanically in very good condition and I always wanted one of these bikes. A short test ride convinced me even further I liked the motor and the asthetics of the bike although it needed new tyres but I have it all nearlly sorted out now and plan to put a lot of miles on it in the Scottish Highlands and down to Yorkshire to see some of my biking pals. And my brother bought the bike for my 50th birthday what a present he got me. I consider myself very fortunate to have this bike as if it were not for my brother I could not have got it at the time. Its great to be back on two wheels again the sense of freedom is awesome.

 

cough:: pods ::cough cough

I needed a hobby. just didn't know it was just as expensive as rebuilding a car. Was planning on buying a ducati or a cafe/tracker/brat bike. Looking on craigslist i saw a blacked out 82 maxim xj650 that was lowered. Went for a test drive, loved it. Didn't trust the seller. 1k for basically a ratted out version from a young guy i just didnt trust. 2 weeks later i found one for 2k. Visually it was in mint condition, just needed some love. Got bored and started to hate how ::trump voice::: YUGE the seat was so i decided to alter it. Then that led to all the other mod's and what the bike looks like today. Original plan was a bobber, wife was like where will i sit. SO tracker it was. Then she got prego and now she says she will never go on it. le sigh

Virago cafe racer is my next mission.

 

I've got an xv920 Virago Bobber I built and an xv750 Virago that's in a million pieces that will become something after I get done with the xj and some cosmetic and maintenance items on my other motorcycles. Viragos are fun but those early 80's models and their box of rocks starter system are embarrassing when you go to start them. Not sure what the engineers at Yamaha were thinking with that starter system design.

 

I had an 82 Virago 750 a few years ago went thru 3 starters before I got Dr Viragos starter kit no problem after fitting the upgraded spring and shim kit. I bought it for 400$ and put 400 in new tires,battery , starter and carb kits and rebuild the forks and brakes . Bike had 4k original mileage 2nd owner guys uncle bought it new quit riding and it sat in a shed. I needed cash at time put it on CL and listed it for 1500$ sold it 2 hrs after I listed . I kinda miss it but I enjoy my xj750 seca more.

 

In 1981 I was 25 yrs. old. Been riding motorcycles since I was 13 yrs. old. At the time I was riding a honda 1975 550 four. I saw an ad in a bike magazine for a 1981 yamaha 650 maxim. I loved the styling and shaft drive. I had to see it in person and after many stops at the yamaha shop, I bought a brandy new one! I owned it for about 25 yrs. sold it for a Harley, sold the Harley and got a 1983 750 maxim and a 1981 750 seca! I just plan love them.

 

I ride and wrench XJ's (and their derivatives) to make use of my shop manual collection.
Nothing worse than a shop manual without oil stains.

 

I was on vacation a few years ago at the beach. We arrived at a restaurant and as I was walking in I heard a bike role in to the same restaurant. I looked back and instantly knew I had to have one the square headlights on the seca and the sound of the bike drew me in. Being 20 at the time I was called crazy for wanting a bike older than me. I found one from a man who saved it from sitting the rest of its life. A motorcycle safety course instructer. The bike was not registered, he rode it up and down his street going from lock to lock. I had never seen someone so good at riding. I knew I had to have it bought the bike right after and came back the next day to ride it 2 hours home from Philadelphia.

 

That starter kit is key. From all my research on it, the Virago's are more of a pain than the xj's. How i view it is xj's are the men and virago's are the women, starting only when they want to. Xj's being grounded, stable and a work horse. Like women Virago's sure are sexy...

 

Started riding on a Honda XL175 in 1980 rode it for about a year then sold it. Fast forward to 2006, gas was getting expensive my wife suggested I get a bike to save money. With no hesitation I bought a Yamaha XT550. Absolute blast to ride but found that I never went off-rode (not to mention my kids always slid forward when I gave them rides so I had no room ) so I started looking for a street bike and found a 82 750 Maxim for $200. It only ran on Two cylinders, paint was flaking off the tank and the seat looked like it was attacked by a mountain lion. Two months later It had a new paint job, new seat cover and ran smooooth. Then bought my wife an 83 XJ750 Midnight Maxim. I have had a couple of Honda CBs (a 450 and 650) but they could not compare to the Maxim. I sold the XJ750 for two XS1100s but have recently (5 years ago ) move toward the XJ1100 (I have three now) as I like the style a little better.

The only bike that I have like as much as the XJ's in the Yamaha Venture (I had an 83) Very smooth V4 engine that had plenty of power and a very comfortable ride.

 

When I was at school in the early 80s our library stocked 'Motorcycle Mechanics' magazine which came out every fortnight I think and I read it cover to cover aged 16/17. The XJ550 (seca) launch was covered one week and I thought it looked fantastic - like a muscular RD250LC - I vowed to have one.. When at University aged 19 I got some insurance payout and found a 550 nearby in Yorkshire. It was about 2-3 years old with maybe 12000 mile on (can't quite remember) and came with a fancy set of panniers and cost me 800 quid! Already though the exhaust was shot through and so I fitted an Alfa (by Micron) which was beautiful and sounded great - my Dad loved it too. I knew nothing about servicing so just rode it hard and changed the oil and I think I once paid for the valves to be checked but I'm not certain they ever did because it became a pig to start! After about 18 months it was sold when I needed a car.. I subsequently bought a XJ600 (FJ in US) which was quick but ugly as a stick in comparison and then in 2000 an FZS600 (Fazer) (very quick). By 2010 I was more into spannering than riding and bought the odd car and then in about 2014 found a basket case XJ550 so back full circle. That 'new' 550 now feature a Radian 600 (598) motor..

.. and an Alfa exhaust that I found on ebay!

 

Simmy, Do you run a bike garage and service bikes are just for personal bikes ? If you're an "XpertJ for hire, I may look you up for a seasonal tuneup, etc. I'm in West Toronto.

 

This so nice to hear the stories of why you bought these great bikes, keep the stories rolling

 

I had been thinking about learning to ride for a while, and had a couple lined up over the years, but they always fell through for one reason or other. At one of my kids' birthday party my grandfather said he was getting out of motorcycling and selling his. He and his brothers and sisters (8 of them) all rode , but my mother was deathly afraid of motorcycles, so I didn't have much chance to get into them. I figured I was almost 30, so F it, and bought it. No regrets.

 

Went looking for a good first bike on Craigslist, already really interested in an older Japanese bike because I love the style and reliability. Saw an XJ650 Maxim already running and driving for a nice price and snapped it up!

 

I tripped into my 650 Seca.

I had been riding a borrowed 1980 CX 500 Deluxe to ease into riding. I'd periodically skim CList and one evening the styling of the 650 Seca caught my attention. Took it for a test ride and was really impressed. The upright position, the look of the tank and headlight, plenty of power, and in my price range. Less than a week after getting it, I went for a group ride. Everyone else was on a Harley or Indian, at least a 1100. I had no problem keeping up with the group and after 240 miles, I had no aches or pains and barely needed gas.

This spring, it's primarily been teaching me how to be a motorcycle mechanic, but that work's winding down in the next 2 weeks and I look forward to just riding it again.

 

Mine sat in the PO's yard under a tree for years. Was there to help him move some stuff, saw the bike and fell in love with the looks, especially the double cradle frame. Put in a fresh battery, compression test okay, took a day to get the carbs functional, and it started. Brought it to my mom's house and began Rebuild Pt 1.

 

I originally had a '78 xs750 triple - loved that bike. Then one day some absent-minded 4-wheel motorist u-turned in front of me and it was wrecked ( I was fine). I was so disappointed that I let the insurance company buy it out and send it to salvage. If only I had known then what I know now, I would have saved the bike and restored it. The accident didn't stop me from riding but getting married and having a family preventing me from owning a bike when I wanted to. Twelve years after the accident, I was checking out the local online ads (Kijiji) and was strictly searching vintage Yamaha (plates are cheap and was hoping to find another XS). I stumbled upon this '82 xj750 Seca (red in colour). The mileage was low and price was reasonable so I went for a look. I pulled up to the guys' driveway and was convinced I would buy it at the sight of the bike. The owner told me he was the original owner of 34 years. I took it for a short 2 block ride, paid for the bike, and made the 50 mile ride home. I've always thought Yamaha had a nice looking bike and I was biased towards the XS but these XJs are really nice too.