my work in progress 83 seca xj750

I'm new to this forum and this is my first motorcycle, i am looking for help and advise on this work in progress. so i just got this bike a week or so ago. the previous owner put those hella headlights on it i don't really like them that much. i want to put a single round one in and then small fairing around it to hide the ugly wiring. i also want to take out the air intake box and put 4 cone air filters straight out of the back of the carbs, i also want to replace all the old style speedometer tachometer and gauges with new chrome ones. this will be my first time working on a bike and would like advise and suggestions on parts or websites that i could order parts from. this bike needs a lot of work but for 600 bucks and the fact that it runs(carbs need cleaning, fuel cutoff valve needs to be replaced and the front brake system keeps locking up, i dont know if it is the calipers or the master cylinder) i cant complain.

thanks guys i'm looking forward to your comments

 

You've found the best place on earth for XJ owners.
Order your parts from Chacal from this site.
He not only supplies parts, he'll fill you in on all the info you need as well.
Good luck with all your mods.

 

You;ve got a heap a work in front of you especially as a first time rider.

 

mikesxs.com for gauges

 

Your calipers need to come completely apart, polished up with ultra fine paper, and re-assembled, most likely with new seals (from Chacal)
Let me be the first to tell you - - DON'T ditch the airbox !! There's nothing to gain by buying pods (except ease of carb removal). I recently removed my engine from the frame to INSTALL an airbox on a Seca 750.

Read the looong carb cleaning threads, and welcome to XJ Bikes !!

 

Thanks for all the advise so far. Im getting the front brakes fixed professionally because I'm not putting my life in my hands like that. Well one of the main reasons for wanting to get rid of the airbox is to fabricate a small storage area to put in it's place. I need the storage because I have no car at the moment and this is gonna be my everyday ride. If there is nothing to loose by removing it I probably am still going to. I look forward to keeping you guys updated and I hope this bike turns out as well as I plan.

Thanks again for the imput.

 

Welcome to you Work,
If you are looking for storage, you have some behind the seat in the rear fairing. I'll side with TimeToRide, leave the box alone. You can swap in a set of 82 650 chrome gauges for a reasonable price. Avoid the older gauges as they do not have provisions for the electronic tachometer.
The headlight bucket... you have choices of either 7" or 8", black or chrome.
Shop around, read up on the odds and ends and you can get away with what you want for cheap.
I'd be interested in a swap for your headlights...

 

workinprogress - welcome to the fold, youll soon be a master at your bike with a little help. one thing you can do that will lift your spirits and hopes is if you have a truck, scrub brush for wheels and some hand cleaner, load it up and head to the nearest carwash and get it clean (the brush and hand cleaner works great to get it looking near-new) high pressure water will do the rest. scrub every square inch you have access to.
this will save you some time in the long run since there wont be any dirt on it to get into areas that dont like dirt. also if you get it fairly clean its easy to keep clean.


did anyone else notice that his PO sanded / polished the chrome off the carb hats? now thats an interesting look!

 

I noticed the bike used to have the touring package, the mower is set too low, I don't see the factory oil cooler, the headlight bracket is, well, very stout looking, and the exhaust looks REALLY good.

Hey Work, I'll give $50 for the black plastic parts of the old Tour Pack !
Can you call the PO please?

 

Welcome workinprogress. The guys on this site are amazing and have you up and running in no time.

I would echo the comments on not removing the air box. If you put pod filters on you will most likely have to replace some of the jets in the carbs and then you will have a heck of a time getting it tuned properly. It can be done there are a few people here who have done it. In my opinion you will not get that much space giving the amount of work you will have to do.

I would suggest getting a trunk to go on the back. Givi makes really nice ones but they are a little expensive. I believe the 750 Seca had one as an option.

As far as the headlight goes if you want a fairing stick with the 7inch round headlight. The 650 Seca came stock with the 8 in headlight and I have been searching for a fairing for about a year with out any luck. Almost all fairings are made for 7inch headlights.

Good luck and be sure to post pics of your work.

 

so i just go to set of metric tool to work on this bad boy for the day...... ive been waiting for my service manual for over a month now. so i decided to take those bugly headlights off cause i dropped it and broke the mounting system for the left one. and i also too of the bottom headlight. i was looking for advice on going with a 7" o an 8" light and chrome bucket headlight with chrome mounts but i would like to be able to cover the ugly wiring on it. i needto borrow a camera so i can take some pictures.

anyways sugestions on headlights mirrors, whether it would be easier to just buy used clean carbs rather than clean my own. and i need a new airfilter itried dusting and reusuing mine but it looks like there was some type of sealent that held it on before i removed it.

josh