Difference Between U.S. and U.K. models....

I have a 1984 XJ550, which I love, very much!! :lol: :lol: :lol:
I would however, like to find out a bit more about it.

It seems that this website is based in the States, but do correct me if I'm wrong. I'm from the U.K., and I'm curious as to what the equivalent model in the U.S. would be. Are there any detail differences? Did you guys call it a Seca? Was that the model with the weird little handlebar fairing that reminds me of a traffic light? (stoplight) I get confused......

Because it seems to me these bikes have a much bigger following in the U.S. than over here and getting some parts might be a whole lot easier if I were to get them imported. Any light you guys can shed on the matter will be greatly appreciated.....

I would put some pictures up but it's not letting me

 

http://www.motocykle.domeczek.pl/prezen ... j550dy.jpg

Pretty much identical to my bike.....

 

Hi Matt. The US 550 had a single disc and different wheels. There may be some carburettor differances to as the US models had plugged mixture screw adjusters.

Find a post by BigFitz - he has got two really good looking 550's in his gallery.

Click on XJ4ever for parts - especially for all the seals you think you can't get any more although there are some available in the UK still as well.

 

Cheers markie, a fellow night owl it would appear...

And now that you mention it, I've been very grateful for the twin front discs on my bike on one or two occasions!! Not really looked at the carbs, they work fine so I'm not about to mess about with them....

Also, any idea how much various bits might be worth? I've found myself with a medium-sized mountain of spares, some of which I'd like to get rid of. I have a spare running engine and a 4 into 1 motad exhaust among other bits and pieces. But do you know of anything in particular that's desirable or hard to get hold of? Just so I know......

 

I'm a night owl....because I am working nights!!!

If your carbs are fine you are blessed! There is lots of information here - I can't think of one particular spare part you can't buy - although there is one XJ model which you cannot get sidepanels for.

Post some pics of your bike if you get time - pictures are very popular!!!

You might be able to answer a question for the aformentioned Big Fitz as he asked me if the UK model had a grab handle on both sides (The one you put it on the centre stand with)?

 

Aaaah I see....

Mine has a small grab handle either side under the seat, but I'm missing the right hand one. Got a rather ugly random metal bracket in it's place at the moment.

Also I got some pictures sorted, enjoy........

 

Welcome! And you're not missing the right-hand grab rail, there isn't one.

Here in the USA (and Canada) we got the XJ550R as the Seca for three model years, 1981-83. There was also a "cruiser" version, the 550 Maxim, which had the "swirly" wheels like your bike, and I suspect you have the larger rear brake that the Maxim had as well. Carbs are jetted differently and I believe you have the "good" (adjustable) needles.

I think you have an oil cooler too, which we didn't get on the 550s.

Ous came with annoying 85mph speedometers too (although that one's easily remedied.)

The USA-market 550 Seca had the handlebar-mounted fairing for MY '81 and '82, then they dropped it for '83. It also had only one front disc, on the right, a smaller rear brake (in common with the 400s) and straight-pattern wheels. The USA-market bikes had the chrome fender only in '81, the other 2 years it was painted "body" color.

Back to those tabs: There was a factory accessory luggage rack that used both of them (my aftermarket rack does too) as well as a "grab rail" that used both sets of mounts and wrapped up over the tail section just behind the seat. I've only ever seen photos, never saw that particular bit in person. What I did on my "stock" bike was to pop a black plastic autobody trim fastener into the hole on the right to make it not so obvious.

Here're a couple that aren't in my gallery:





The black bike is an '83 and has a lot of subtle non-stock personalizations.

The white bike is an '81 with the fairing removed; it's much closer to stock except for a few upgrades and a personal touch or two.

Parts availability here is really no problem, except that the 550 Seca is the bike Markie referred to as being impossible to find RH sidecovers for (or if you do they're beaucoup expensive.)

 

Thanks!! That's some useful info right there. No right hand grab rail?? Weird.... I might have to make something up then as that hideous lump of metal that's there at the moment has to go!
The black bike is sexy!! I do like the fork gaiters. They give the bike a classic look and probably go some way to keeping moisture out too. Must get round to fitting some to mine......

I do prefer the swirly 'LC' style wheels on my bike I have to say. And yes, mine has an oil cooler and a 120mph speedo. (What's with the 85mph speedo so many 1980's U.S. vehicles seem to have? Was it some kind of stupid legislation or something??)

And your 'seca' only has a single drilled disc brake up front?? I find that odd, as this is a fairly heavy bike we're talking about here. How affective is it I wonder compared to my twin solid-disc setup? And yes, now you mention it the rear drum is rather large. I do prefer having a drum out back actually, I find it more controllable than a rear disc.

Thanks again. I do like a good geeky conversation about bikes and suchlike. I simply never realized just how rare these beasts are over here......

 

Re: 85mph speedos: Yes, it was a legislative "device" foisted upon us during the "energy crisis" in the late '70s, and was all done by the 1983 model year, unfortunately bikes built in '82 still came with it.

The Secas came with a SOLID disc up front; the brake on the black bike is an EBC full-floating replacement rotor; the rotor on the white bike is a stock Yamaha disc I had drilled. Both bikes have stainless steel lines and lower handlebars; the fork gaiters are a Kawasaki part that just happens to fit perfectly.

Here's an interesting question: What size (dia) are your front forks? The USA-market Secas have 34mm forks, the 550 Maxims have 35mm forks.

 

NZ models look the same as the UK and have 35mm forks

 

OK now I have another question about the front brakes:

Our Seca 550s' single front disc was a 298mm (11 3/4") and the bikes used the "hangs from the holding block" style caliper common with the 750 Seca and XJ1100s.

From the pics, it looks as though the dual-disc UK bike has smaller front rotors, probably the same as the 650 Seca. How big are the rotors? Does it have the calipers where the "holding block" wraps around both sides of the caliper itself?

 

Bit hard to measure on the bike but I would say somewhere about 260-270mm

Can't find my calipers but pretty sure they are as you have described

 

OK I'm a bit of a mechanical dope so bear with me here.....

Regarding the calipers, when you say 'hangs from the holding block', do you mean sliding-type calipers? that's what my bike has, with a single piston and a 'floating' motion similiar to most car brake calipers I've seen. While we're on the subject I suspect that at least one of them is binding slightly, any ideas??
Not sure of the diameter of the discs, not at home right now, I'll get on it at some point....

 

Re: Calipers and discs. Chacal cleared things up for me: Per Len--

"The 550 "Seca" Euro/rest-of-the-world models used the exact same forking system as the USA 550 Seca models (35mm tubes). The only difference that I can find in the parts books is that the Euro models used a different LH lower tube, which had provisions for mounting the 2nd caliper. They were clear buffed, like the 19981 550 Seca model lower tubes. They also seem to have used a different front spring spec, as the rates listed are unique.

The calipers were the same 550 Maxim/Seca, 750 Seca, XJ1100 front calipers as used on North American 550's.

The discs were XJ650RJ Seca parts.

The master cylinder was the 650RJ/700/800 style (larger piston). The brake lines were the unique to that model, had spiral spring armor around all three pieces, and were of a different length and fitting angles than their North American cousins.........the RH and LH caliper lines are the same pieces (in the original rubber); of course, in their braided steel counterpart versions, they are different from right to left side (yes, we got 'em!).

The rear shocks also appear to be unique (or, at least the springs are), as they too have differeing specs from the US versions."

And yes in regard to the caliper: The first step is to be sure it is free to slide on the "sliding pin." Quite often rust and corrosion have turned it into a "beat it with a big hammer pin" which will cause the caliper to hang. That, and/or you need to rebuild the caliper.