Trip

I picked up an '82XJ750 last winter, I put a whopping 300 miles on it last summer before I was activated for the army. This year I am considering a trip 600-800 miles with a 100lb passenger. There is 30,000 miles on this bike and I'm considering purchasing a new bike to travel with.

Has anyone taken any trips of that distance or greater on such an old bike?

I'm worried about the electrical system failing and getting stranded, though I will be primarily traveling cities. Montreal, Toronto, Pennsylvania, New York.

When I had the bike serviced a year ago, the mech said the bike could tolerate a trip like that. The engine is "bullet proof".

If you would take the bike out like that, what would you be concerned about?

 

The bike'll be fine. These things run forever, but make sure your tires are in good shape and go over basic maintenance: oil/filter, forks, brakes, etc. My biggest concern would be for my 100lb passenger. If you only put 300 miles on last summer I don't imagine you had many longish two-up trips. Maybe make a couple of afternoon outings to make sure she (or he) knows what to expect on a long trip. It's not so bad for the driver, but a passenger can feel pretty cramped back there...

Btw, if you're coming through Ottawa on that trip, and your bike needs any tweaking, I can provide space, tools and maybe even a few spare bits and pieces.

And a CAA/AAA membership would be a good idea if you're worried about being stranded on the side of the road.

 

Maitenance wise, you might want to think about getting the valves adjusted. If this hasn't been done since you've owned it who knows how long its been since the PO had it done. I believe valve adjustment is recommended every 10K miles.

XJs are incredibly reliable bikes. Check your tires, change your oil, and have a great trip.

Be forwarned however, long rides in an XJ saddle lead to one sore A**!!!

 

The motorcycles are bulletproof. Having said that, parts will be a big problem if you break down anywhere except outside Chacal's warehouse.

Fix that electrical system. Upgrade the fuse box, clean all connectors and pack with dielectric grease, check alternator and starter brushes.

Checking the valve clearance is a good idea.

New fluids and filters. Check the throttle, clutch and "choke" cable for any fraying. Lubricate those cables and the speedometer cable.

You might want to open the clutch and check the wear on the fiber plates. If they're near the end of their life replace them.

Pull the wheels and inspect the tires carefully. Check and lubricate the non-sealed bearings before reassembly.

Go over it and make sure all the nuts bolts and screws are tight.

You and your passenger spend the remainder of the off season kicking each other in the backsides. You'll want them to be toughened up before you depart.

 

That last message is making me lean toward the new Monster 696. I'm getting nervous about everything that could possibly go wrong and how much to pack if it does. Lots to think about.

 

I don't know, sound like MiCarl just told you to get your bike in good riding shape. 1982 was a long time ago. That's a list of things you should do to your bike just riding it anywhere I think. Preventitive maintenance is preventing you from walking be it across town or across the country.

 

I think you're worrying about nothing. If you've done normal checks on the valve train, forks and brakes you should be fine. I've read old magazine articles on these bikes and the one word used consistently was: reliable. My bike shows real evidence of abuse and it runs quite well.

Like others have said, your biggest worry might be your comfort. I think 600 miles would be tolerable. Once you start approaching 1000 miles, you might reconsider.

 

I'm definitely looking at a 1000 miles, Seca prob isn't best bet. I've only had it a year and put 300 miles on it last summer. I don't "know" it. Think I'll be looking for a new bike. Thanks for all the input.

 

Sounds like you are in the New York area. As we are taking a trip to New York this summer (by van since there will be 7 of us) I'd be more than happy to drive the bike to Florida and let you know how it did. (Assuming I could keep the bike

 

Done a couple of 1000 plus mile trips. Check oil, tires and chain if its a 550. Other than that pull a leg over her, get on and ride. Never have had a problem with any of my seca's leaving me stranded provided I didnt abuse it... Ok doing burnouts in a the parking lot at Irvine meadows after a concert doesnt count .. Seriously just hop on and ride. If you have time before you are going to leave, pick a day and map out a 200 mile loop and go for a ride.

Sean

 

AnesSeca750,

"Seca prob isn't best bet. I've only had it a year and put 300 miles on it last summer. I don't "know" it. Think I'll be looking for a new bike"

The best way to get to "know" a bike before you take a 1000 mi. trip is to get another one? Sounds like you already have 300 miles under your belt already with your Seca. Why not do the maintenance, and ride the dickens out of it every chance you get before your trip?

If you were thinking of buying a NEW new ride you could save your money and retire a couple years earlier.

My neighbor saw my "new" '81 650 Maxim in my driveway and nearly got the drizzles. He proceeded to tell me how he and his girlfriend at the time rode his 650 Maxim from Vancouver, WA to Florida and back twice in one summer. The dude almost got mysty eyed remembering the day. (disclaimer: not sure if the tears were remembering the motorcycle, the trip, or the ex-girlfriend...........). It surprised me at the time how someone would take such a small motorcycle across country. After putting a few thousand miles on mine last summer I now know. I wouldn't hesitate to go.

 

I like that last post. I would love to hear stories of people who have recently taken trips (over the last year or so) 1000 miles with a passenger. I have the Seca 750 with the shaft drive. I think if I hear a couple about others who take these old bikes for long rides, that might boost my confidence a little. Even if I get a new bike, I'd still rather take the Seca.

 

Like others have said I think comfort not reliability is going to be an issue.
My 650 is tiny, even one up on long trips it is painful.
750 is a little bigger but, if you don't have an agenda, you can stop whenever you are tired of riding.
I have taken several long trips and not having to be anywhere at any certain time is the key to a leisurely successful trip.
In the end I figured if worst comes to worst, I could buy a set of tiedowns, rent a Uhaul van for 19.95 a day and drive home.

 

If you are looking to go 6-800 miles, plan to do it in two days. Six hours of actual riding is a pretty good day and you'll still have time to stop and smell the flowers. Don't keep going if you are hurting or hating it. As already posted, good tires, oil change and you should be good to go.

 

It is hard for those here to give you advice on the maintenance aspects of your bike. All they can do is point out common problem areas. As long as maintenance has been fairly well kept up you should be fine.

For my last ride last year I took a socket set and a few bottles of oil.

Just change the oil, make sure your brakes work, and go!

 

I like the idea of the RFID card ignition. Won't leave without the wallet, etc. Would clean up the head area with som small gauges to boot. Let us know how that one turns out.

 

Good point. Maybe I'll put the little bit of work into it. Could be worth it.

 

I relate to the long trip anxiety but last spring I took my 82 650 on a short 1800 mile ride over 8 days I think. Like Hound said, I would be more concerned about comfort as I realised on the second day. These bikes were not built for comfort, especially if your north of 6 feet. I could not imagine having to ide that 2 up.

The reliability though is another story. I felt very confident that having done my homework and taken the nessecary care in maintenance there shouldn't be a issue.

Take your time and don't be in a hurry to get anywhere. Fatigue is the reason that many have not had a good time on the ride, especially the passenger.

Stop often and enjoy the scenery.

Good luck and enjoy the ride.

The Buff

 

I agree with Great_Buffalo. As was said earlier, the ride is much more enjoyable if you are not in a hurry.

I ride with some guys who are on little 250cc honda dual sports. Our first ever long ride was a one day event. We did a few hundred miles that day, by the time we all met up (we each came from a different city and met in the middle) and made the ride home. It was a great day. We would simply look at a map and decide that 'that' area looked good. I think it was that trip that got me hooked. We stopped at anything that looked interesting, and turned down any roads that looked neat. We learned a lot.

A few weeks later we decided to take another ride. This one was more of a spur of the moment kind of trip. We decided we wanted to go to a specific place. We each had places to be that evening/night. The problem is that we based our destination and timing on the time it would take to get there if we were in a car.It was a hard, tiring ride. I was more tired after that ride than the one a few weeks before, and it was half the distance. And it was simply because we 'had' go get somewhere by a specific time. A little more planning would have been a great thing.

We all decided that from then on we would not have a specific time to be anywhere on a trip.

re; RFID - The prototype has been built. I am not getting the read range I expected, but I think I know the cause. The project has been forced to a back burner because of a move over the holidays (although now I have a garage!!) I have a thread about it (with pictures, I think) if you care to search for it.