setting up a bike for a big guy

I have been living in South Korea for the past five years, carrying my big ass around on a En500....I bought it because that was what was available for cheap, and while it has been an ok bike, it isn't something I have ever wanted to own, and this is the first time I'm actually admitting that I own it!

I will be returning statesside this summer (in August) for a one month vacation. Next spring I'll be returning to the states for good, and this is where everything comes into play on this forum.

I am picking up a seca750, thats in pretty rough shape, in order to drive while I'm home this summer. My family lives all over michigan, and I will need to be able to drive to visit all of them. (I haven't seen anyone in my family in three years, so this is a big moment for me)

I was assured by the PO that the bike was running when he put it away, but now it's got nothing. I'm not worried about that, I'm fairly mechanically inclied and shouldn't have a problem with getting it running again. What I am worried about is making sure the bike is safe for driving for the one month that I'm home. Any major mods to the bike will happen next March, so for now I want to know, what should I do as far as brakes, shocks, forks are concerned. I don't want to spend a lot, as I really have to save some dough for paying for my degree.....Doctorates aren't cheap to come by, and that is number one priority for me at the moment...

Any help would be greatly appreciated, as well as some direction to go with making the bike solid. I guess the final bit of information would be about me. I am about 6'3" and 275 pounds, and my wife is about 5'6" and about 155 (if I never reply to another post, it's because she read this and killed me ^^)


Thanks in advance for the help,

josh

 

Oh golly. Lots of work to do, if you really want to use it as you say.

Oil and filter, air filter etc., all have to be changed but you know that.

Brakes: Rear shoes first, they delaminate. Then a complete rebuild of the front system; you gotta do it. If you don't, you'll end up doing it anyway as problems occur. Master cylinder and caliper rebuilds, new lines (go with stainless steel) new pads, and do it right. Bike's gotta stop, and not pop a 30-year old line doing it.

Motor: Check and adjust the valves; pull the carbs and clean them right, check and adjust float levels, and re-sync the carbs.

Fuse box will need to be replaced; the original fuse clips crystallize and break all on their own.

Fit an inline fuel filter.

Tires, if over 5-6 years old, need to be replaced, regardless of tread life.

Front forks will need their oil changed; and new seals if they then leak.

I would replace the rear shocks with some nice Progressives with "HD" springs; as well as upgrade the front fork springs, and you're good to go.

If the bike's been sitting a long time; or based on its mileage, you may need a basic clutch rebuild (friction plates and springs.)

Plan to replace any gasket you disturb; many can be reused thereafter but you will generally destroy originals.

You need a service manual. The Haynes is decent; a factory book is better. The best thing is both. Plus XJBikes, of course.

Then go through the "maintenance" section, step by step, and do EVERYTHING. Don't skip anything, don't leave anything out. Clean, inspect, refurbish, repair or replace anything that won't stand muster.

Unfortunately, this isn't an old car. There's a lot more work involved in recommissioning an old motorcycle, just to make it safe. Then if you expect reliable as well, you have to go the whole monty or it won't be.

Take the time to do it right and it will not let you down.

 

I guess my biggest concern was the suspension and brakes. The Enginge stuff I'll have to do, anyhow, just to make sure it is running (the PO said it was, so I have no doubts it'll start when I have it) and the tires are supposedly beyond shot. I'm not sold on any particular model, and since most tires are in the 100-150$ neighborhood, I want to get something that will be solid, especially for some hot weather riding (I go to arizona in the spring to finish my doctoral program).

As far as the front brakes are concerned, are they solid enough stock, (plus the SS lines) or should I upgrade to a heavier caliper. My EN500 has been fine for me, all stock, and it only has a single front disk drum rear.

If the forks aren't leaking any oil, and I want to replace the springs, do I still have to do the seals at the same time?

I did all of this a couple of years ago on my 71 cl350, and I went through and did an engine out frame up rebuild/cleanup of everything in two days. It's covienent when you don't work, and have the tools neccessary next to the motorcycle jackstand.

I'm most worried this time, because I'll be taking on a passenger, and I worry more for her well-being than my own, and as it is her first visit to michigan, I want it to be full of good memories, preferrably not ones of a hospital visit.

I saw on here someone named Cacal (spelling is probably wrong) that does a lot of stuff with brake lines? If this is the route I want to go, I will do things correctly the first time. I learned that mistake many times over, and whatever I do this summer will still have to be good for me for next spring.

Also, one last thing, what do you reckon about the rust in a tank? I dont know how it is in the tank of the SECA, I bought it sight unseen. The cl had some rust in the tank, I just sanded it and it was fine, I figured the same again, I don't want to mess with the liners if possible.

I'm not sure if there is anything else I need to cover in order to get her on the road.
If I'm missing something, please let me know

Thanks for the help and time,

Josh

 

Welcome to the site!! I'd like to add that the above parts needed can be bought from XJ4EVER at great prices.

I've ridden 2-up on my 750 with that much weight. With the pre-loads at max there's a bit of bottoming on the occasional large bumps. My front brakes were upgraded before I bought it. Better pads, stainless lines. Others have complained about miserable front brakes.

 

My En500 has terrible front brakes. They like to lock up, or sometimes not grab hard enough.

I figured the brakes on the SECA should be fine, with the addition of new pads and lines, and if need be a rebuild on calipers, MC, or replacing rotors...I will know when I can see the bike.

My dad will be taking care of inventoring my parts for me until I get home, and he's pretty good with bikes (the best person I know) and if he says it will need something, I'll be sure to buy it. Anything extra is always helpful....

I appreciate it!

 

If your local dealer can't get you a decent price on tires, check here.

If you do everything Fitz said to do you'll have a very reliable machine, if you don't, you'll have a very reliable headache.

The dual discs on my 650 seca will stop 500+ lbs. with no problem, but the lines and pads are only two years old and I bleed the brakes every month.

Any parts you need you can get from Len, aka Chacal, aka XJ4EVER. Click the banner at the top of the page for the catalog, and pm chacal and he'll make sure you get the right parts, and get them quicker than Flash Gordon.

Welcome to the site, welcome to the club, and when you get here Welcome Home!

BTW, there are a few of us in Michigan that are active members. Check the map (under community on the left). If we're close and you have problems most of us are more than willing to do what we can to help.

 

Im looking forward to being back home this summer, even its only a month. When I told my wife I was going to get a bike to drive for 3 or 4 weeks, she thought I was nuts, until I showed her on the map where my family live in michigan...sister in Grand Rapids, sister in Traverse City, parents in Gaylord, brother in Shelby Twp., brother in Clinton Twp. . . she agrees now its a good idea.

I'll keep the brakes stock then, and just get new pads, lines, whatever needs to be replaced to have them in like new working order.

If I need any help when I'm back, I'll be more than willing to ask. I did this with my CL 350 and it was a 2 day project, with no manuals, just my hands and tools and a trusty digital camera to record my progress to make sure that everything got back together ok.

 

Rust in the tank - if it is light rust, clean out any gunk with TSP (paint department) and water, heavy-duty cleaner; rinse well. Then rinse with phosphoric acid (pool cleaner, rust eater stuff you can find most anywhere, etc.) until rust is converted to black. Fill tank with gas and keep filled. Install in-line filter regardless.

Brakes - the 750 Secas have dual front disks which are OK for what you have in mind if you perform all the maintenance items.

Springs - you do not need to replace the fork seals if you are just replacing the springs (don't even need to remove the forks) but you should replace the fork oil (309cc of 20W each fork) if you have no idea of the last time it was done. Use Progressive Suspension front springs AND new rear shocks with heavy-duty springs (for the combined weight).

Tires - many good brands available; Metzler 880s are good for the travelling you are planning.

Ergonomics - at 6' 3" you might find the seat height a little low. You could strap a piece of 4" (or whatever dimension equals your pants inseam measure) high-density, closed-cell foam (not memory foam!) on top of the OEM seat which should do fine, temporarily.

 

I hate to burst your bubble, but you should think twice about planning on this bike this summer unless you can find someone here who will do a lot of the work for you.

Many of the things you will need to do will take a fair amount of time. Then, what happens when you need a part? You probably have to order from Chacal and despite his extremely prompt and reliable service, you still lose 3-4 days, each time ...

Assuming everything goes really well and you only need to order parts once, which I doubt given what you said of it's condition, I think you are looking at a solid week or more before it is ready to ride. There goes a bunch of your leave. I suggest finding a bike you can borrow or rent for the summer which is reliable and ready to go, or purchase one that is ready to go for around $1500 or so, and have someone sell it for you after you return to station.

 

I will give this a try with the seat. If it works, in the future I'll look into changing the seat setup to a more permanent solution. Also, in the future I'll be doing more solo riding, so the seat shouldn't be much of a problem if i do a solo setup ... the wife will have her own bike when we move back to america

I guess everything else I will have to worry about when my dad can get ahold of the bike this week, and let me know teh condition, from a rider/part-time mechanical genius point of view. (he's good at troubleshooting bikes) Hopefully it's doable, or i'll have to look at other options for the time being.


THanks for the help and ideas!

Josh