Hi from Canada

Hi All! Glad to have found your forum, I have just acquired the 1982 Yamaha Seca 650 turbo and can't wait to get it running again with your help! Steve

 

WELCOME! Lots of decent folks here willing to help...

skillet

 

Thank you, it's been sitting for a few years and I'm still going over it to determine if it's going to be a parts bike or something that might make it to the road again. I always liked those bikes in high school and now I have one. I'm still waiting for a few more boxes of parts.

Steve

 

Welcome my fellow Canadian :0

 

Welcome to XJ Bikes! I am trying to get my Seca Turbo back on the road, too and I am having too much fun riding my XJ's that run.
Let's stay in touch and see who gets his running first

Eric

 

Thank you! I really hope it's complete. Nothing worse than missing parts but thank god for the internet. I hope it's not seized from sitting outside for all these years, I've put some "stuff" in the cylinders, will let it sit for a bit before giving her a turn.

The used vehicle information package states the bike is green but I haven't got the fairing and covers yet. I didn't know they came in green. Does anyone have any printed material on the turbo that I could share electronically, manuals, brochures, etc? or know where to find them?

Thanks again, Steve

What a great forum!

 

They didn't! Factory North American models were always silver with tri-color striping; the 1982 and 1983 models differed slightly from each other in the stripe details.

 

Maybe it's been painted... maybe it's a Kawasaki

 

I hope it's got factory paint, if not, one more reason to get correct fresh paint. I like the look of factory correct, not a huge fan of custom paint, but some of the members bikes on this forum are amazing.

The guy I got the bike from promised the rest of the bike tonight, in boxes, and then I will be able to do an inventory, and finally see the big picture.

I love Kawasaki green, I've been thinking about getting a Ninja 500, but will probably go with the Suzuki GS500f. This one is definitely yamaha, how do you post pictures on this site?

Thanks again,

Steve

 

Nope - if it's green, it's definitely not factory paint.
Here's hoping the bike's ready to re-assemble and get riding! Hopefully we can help you get it up and running in time for the XJ Carb Clinic in London later in the spring....

 

Well, whether or not it's a yamaha and you don't get it running, i'm sure you will be able to part it out and get back $100 you paid for it...

 

I finally got the boxes of parts, ugh, the worst paint job ever, I'll post pics as soon as I can. Looks complete and in pretty decent shape.

Yes, I imagine this gem could end up a parts bike. The seafoam has been sitting in the cylinders for a few days now, maybe I will be brave enough to spin it tomorrow.

Thanks, Steve

 

If the engine is still frozen after a few days, you may want to try some other product than Seafoam, which is a great solvent but not so much a penetrant. Some Kroil prenetrating oil might be better for that task.

 

I will definitely put some of that in, let it sit, and give it a spin. Someone told me that it should only be turned one way as it could adversely affect the motor, is there any truth to that? Which way does the engine spin from the magneto cover side, clockwise? I really hope it's not seized...

Steve

 

Yahoo! It's not seized, it turned over like a pancake, nice and easy! Thanks schooter and chacal, I am so glad I found this forum. Now to do a compression test, does anyone know off hand what the psi should be, i heard once 100psi is okay. Thanks again, Steve.

 

At sea level:

Minimum: 100 psi
Standard: 121psi
Maximum: 142psi

Allowable difference betweem min. and max. cylinders: 14psi

 

Thanks for all the input, what a great forum.

Steve

 

Maybe find another frame with paper?

 

Hello Fox,
Welcome to one of the best bike sites out there. It's gonna do you and your XJ a world of good. I'm in West Toronto Junction, so if you're ever coming down to the GTA, drop us a line and maybe we can meet up and compare notes. There's quite a few of we XJ nuts in the Toronto area. BTW, where in Ontario is Corunna?
thanks,
baz

 

A friend of mine has an XS360 that I may be able to persuade him to sell. Cross my fingers, I love these old yamahas! Thanks for the invite!
Steve

 

When I found my bike abanned I got the local police run the VIN It was not stolen but they could not tell me who the owner was because of the privacy act. So my next step was to get a used vehicle package from MTO to find the last registered owner. I did a name surtch at Canada 411.ca and phoned every person on the list. Could not find the owner but got allot of neat stories people and their past bikes. Noted all the work I did to find the owner and went back to the MTO and swore on an affidavit that the owner could not be found. Then they issued a new ownership. Welcome to the Fourm. Have you added yourself to the Map? Might be a member close by that may be able to help.

 

I was going to do the same thing.

Steve

 

Any advice, this will be my first restore/repair of a full size motorcycle.

Thanks again, Steve

 

Hi Steve, I'm here in Simcoe Ontario. Compared to other bikes Seca and Maxim parts do not sell for very much. Its probably easier to rebuild then part out. Parts for my 73 Suzuki GT750 cost a small fortune in comparison to my 83 XJ750 Maxim. front fender for my Suzuki $200 US :cry: , Front fender for my Maxim $15 US :wink: . So if you want a good bike with out costing an arm and a leg to rebuild, stick with what you have. Look at what the parts are going for on Ebay then decide what you want to do.

 

Hi Steve, I'm here in Simcoe Ontario. Compared to other bikes Seca and Maxim parts do not sell for very much. Its probably easier to rebuild then part out. Parts for my 73 Suzuki GT750 cost a small fortune in comparison to my 83 XJ750 Maxim. front fender for my Suzuki $200 US :cry: , Front fender for my Maxim $15 US :wink: . So if you want a good bike with out costing an arm and a leg to rebuild, stick with what you have. Look at what the parts are going for on Ebay then decide what you want to do.

 

Thank you for that great advice, the more I look the bike over system by system, I think it's do-able. Especially with the knowledge base on this forum. Every night I read as much as I can, learn more about xj's, etc. I guess I was hoping for a PM from someone looking for a parts bike that would let me get something a little less challenging. Time will tell...maybe I should look for a running seca turbo and then I will have the best of both worlds!

Steve

 

Fox, welcome to the best place for you to be, welcome to the forum. Opinions are like noses - we all got one, but repair/restore, please! Very rewarding work and you will learn everything you'll need to know about bikes. While I am working toward an FJR, what worries me is that if my XJ breaks, I can fix it, likely on the road with rubber, glue, pliers and a coat hanger. If an FJR breaks, there is a much smaller chance of me fixing a complex machine like that, with a shop full of tools.

Besides. a turbo XJ is all you'll ever need. More thrills for the $$ nothing else can touch.

 

Yes, the restore/repair is looking better every post. I would love to pick up some literature about the bike, a manual, etc to start reading. Where is the best place to get some? Haynes maybe?
Thanks, Steve