Why do XJ's rock so hard?

Like many other stories, I got my XJ650 for 300$ canadian. It had been parked in a shed for many(10ish) years, but it seemed in a good condition for the year. After a more detailed inspection, a saw that while it was in a ridable condition, the frame was bent from an old crash from it's younger days. I rode 13 000Km my first year on the bike even if things didn't align perfectly.
Now, I bought a straight frame for it, put some new carb holders, took the air box out and placed pod filters, Changed the clutch friction and steel plates and springs.
I'd also like to find a good exhaust for it but they seem to want 400$ for a complete system. I'm gonna keep an eye out for a good factory system, someday they might pop out cheaper!

I love it as my first bike because 1.cheap 2.cool looks 3.plenty of power 4.shaft drive! 5.an 1982 it's older then me and still runs great! 6. great seat for two riders 7.great steering( I did change to tappered bearings)

You got to ride one to really enjoy it!

I can't wait for the summer months to arrive so I can start riding again! My 1995 Hunduai accent is starting to get boring!

 

Well I got to pipe in. I got my 82 750 from a guy for $1200 last july. It had 14,000 original miles on it. The only thing I ddi not like about it was the 80's candy apple red. Off to the paint shop and put a cadilac pearl white on it. I had to put the old Yamaha emblems on it though because t looked too white. Will paint more on it the summer. I got 19k on it now and am lovin every minute. Sometimes I look at the newer stuff then I remember I am riding payment free. The guy I bought it from even had the passenger back rest that I put on a couple of weeks ago just for a change of looks. These bikes may not be as quick as the newer stuff but they still get you where you are going .

 

I shouldn't even tell you that i bought my 900 from a college kid that needed some hard cash in a hurry ... so, I gave him $150.00 for the Seca-900.

I thought $150.00 for a bike that needed a battery and an ignition switch was a sweet deal. Oh, sure ... now that everything's overhauled, rebuilt and painted nice ... the bike's a sweetie and I love it ... but, I never thought I see any kind of a deal like that again ...

Until the guy called me and asked me to "Haul-away" the Ugly-looking '83 750 Midnight Maxim with less than 11,000 miles on it. He gave me the keys and the title ... a free bike.

I am about to re-shape the seat this weekend and just ride it until it gets too cold, again ... next Winter.

It's done. There's nothing left to do, but change the oil and wash it.

1 - 900 ... and, 1 - 750 ... for a total of a hundred-fifty-bucks!

 

well I wasn't locking for a xj I was looking for a v-star so I could start riding with my buddies. was saving up money but wanted to ride now. I was working one night patrolling and saw a 81 xj 650 maxim for sale liked the way it looked and bought it for a good deal until i could save up for the v-star. fell in love with it and that was two years ago and still have not gotten the v-star. I ride with my buddys with their new v twin bikes all the time still plan on getting a vstar just not in a hurry now cause I love riding the xj so much. have no plans of getting rid of it eather.

 

This is an interesting discussion.

I got my Canadian XJ650RJ on eBay. Like many others, I got it because I wanted something to learn on. Never dreamed I'd fall in love with these bikes.

I paid $950 and haven't looked back.

The funny thing is that I thought I needed to upgrade, so I bought several other bikes as you can see below. I bought the Goldwing because I wanted something more comfortable for longer rides. After putting tons of miles on both bikes, I've determined that the Seca is every bit as comfortable as the Wing. I've done 300+ mile days on the Seca and not had a problem. It seems counterintuitive to me. The Seca seat doesn't look comfortable but it really is. I need to get off the Wing at least once an hour.

I think what really separates the Seca from the Wing is weight. It's just so much more relaxing sometimes to not have to deal with the extra several hundred pounds.

I don't mean to insinuate that I don't like the Wing, but if I had to pick one, it would be the Seca.

I bought the Harley because I got a really good deal on it. It's by far the most uncomfortable bike I've ever ridden. After 30 minutes, I literally get spasms in my thighs from the uncomfortable position.

After falling in love with the 650 I came across the Turbos. While I can certain understand Macs problems with his, I really like them. I have no illusions that it would compete with a modern sport bike. It is, however, a blast to ride and I love showing up somewhere with a bike that no one ever recognizes.

Someday I hope to add a Maxim to my collection, but for now, I just love my XJs. Comfortable, reliable, cheap, nice styling. Aside from the fact that parts are a little hard to come by, I really have no complaints.

Thank goodness there's a site like this where we can share info to keep so many of these machines rolling.

Greg

 

I got mine from a buddy. He got the bike cheap because he wanted to learn how to ride... got on a jetski, fell in love with that, and the bike sat in the garage for a few years.

I wanted to get back into riding, and got it even cheaper from him because his wife wanted it out of the garage. When I got it rolling, hopped on a remembered why I wanted to ride again. I plan on getting a newer, perhaps more reliable bike, but I'm not in a hurry.

 

Gee, I bought my 650 Seca from the local dealer in 1982 and I keep it in the condition that it arrived in. I've upgraded the brakes & cables, added Krauser bags, a small fairing, Continentals, etc. The perfect sport-tourer. Which my son expects to be riding (he's 16), while I'm on my Voyager. Junior has to agree to keep the Seca as spotless as I have for the last 25 years.

Marc the Librarian

 

If I was a 16-year-old kid, again ... with a Motorcycle-Jones ... I'd promise to love it and handle it with care, polish and buff it -- every night.

 

Are you kidding? Polish it? hrmph... I'd keep it in my bedroom!

I found my first one in '90 under a carport. The owner had lowsided it in '85, and there it sat for five years because he was scared of it. I traded a microwave, a radar detector, and five hundred bucks for it. After getting it running, it needed paint. I shot it with a eatatjoz original zebra stripped paint job, and rode it for years until it died in a fire. It was one heck of a step up from my cb360t.
I loved that bike.

A few years ago I was working on someone's garage door, and there was a bike under a tarp in the front yard with the headlights showing. Yup, 750 Seca, I'd know those headlights anywhere!
I gave him $75 bucks and he gave the the title.
A mini-van took that one from me, but I still have his heart in my four-wheeler.

Wanted: Yamaha 750 Seca, cheap. I promise to give it a loving home, and if it doesn't leak oil, it can stay in the living room with my Vmax. :wink:

 

yeah I bought the XJ550 last year for 1000 running, but needed some maintenance. That is now done and it is 300% better. It is my first bike and I bought it as a "who cares if I dump it learning" type bike, but now it has become more to me.

I just got wind that a local shop is cleaning up an XS1100 Midnight all black with gold trim. Fully re-built motor with porting and polishing done running a little rough, but apparently just needs a tune up which he is currently doing. Then that will be on the market. Unfortunate thing is he plans on charging about $2300-$2800 for it. It looks sweet....ohhhh so tempting.

 

I was introduced to these almost accidentally...

A good friend wanted to get a bike and I had suggested he get something late model around 250cc's cause that's all he really needs.... So one day he turns up on my doorstep with an 81 550 asking if I can do front brakes, fork seals and a couple of other small jobs. Me being me I said "Yea sure". Put it in my garage, take the tank off her and call my mate back and say "Can you take this piece of shit back?" To which he said "No"...

So 3 months later, near complete strip down, repaint, repair, replace and good old general cleanup it finally leaves my garage and still does not suit him so I sell it and all the parts off the parts bike, keep the cash and give him my 04 GN250 that is a lot less work and fairly reliable for a "Put gas in and go" kind of person that he is.... Pics in my gallery.

Next thing you know I have a 900 and 5 650's.... sheesh how'd that happen????

 

I loved my 650 Turbo when I purchased it new in 83, and after a year I was rear ended and the bike totaled.

Ever since I have always wanted another. The bike spoke to me like no bike since, even my very loved BMW.

Finally I found another and will pick it up on Saturday.

I am hoping my memories of the bike are not too distorted. And though I am not stupid enough to believe the bike will be nearly as powerful, or handle/stop as well as a modern bike, I know that 24 years after riding my turbo for the last time, it will definitely bring me home!

Jim

 

"Got-tamm"

Some of us are actually tuned-up good and ready to hit-the-road ... hard, this season.

It ain't no Turbo ... but, I can lolly-gagging around in third ... and twist this baby wide open ... and ...

she sings: Woa-are-uh-wha-way-weh-waa-wah-wee-eeeeeeeeeee!

That and a little hint of middle-gear whine ....

You're rockin'

 

After a 90% succesful carb cleaning, sync´ed and colortuned, progressives springs and - shocks it´s a blast riding my Maxim. I actually feel like it´s 2 bikes in one:

The one I ride relaxed in the 2000 to 4500/5500 rpm range - and the one I race on (when surroundings permits) - keeping it between 3500/4500 and redline and experiencing the area between max torque (7500) and max HP (9000) - accompanied by the "wroooaaaarhh" starting around 6000 8) I must admit it makes me feel "tough" (MUAHA-HA-HAA 8) 8) 8)

 

my first brand new bike was an 82 750 seca.
bought it as a holdover in 85....think i paid 2800.
the dealer i bought it from said i would love it.
he was right. i felt like luke skywalker on that baby.

even today i think that was the most fun and comfortable to ride bike i have ever owned. back in that era....it was the shizzle 8)

i put a k&n stage 3 kit on it and a supertrap exhaust . once i got er dialed in.....20 boxes of spark plugs later :lol: :lol: that baby would howl 8O

sold it to a friend of mine several yrs later.....he totalled it and dang near killed himself.

 

Back in my first riding era, I had a Yamaha RD350. It was the most amazing handling, quickest little bike you could imagine. I blew the engine one day and that was that for 23 years. In the meantime, I had a couple other bikes, recently a VStar 1000 and a Venture Touring bike.

I sold the VStar and was picking up the buyer so he could ride it back home. His next door neighbor had this XJ550 Seca outside idling. I had always admired the euro Seca styling of the Yamaha late 70's early 80's UJMs.

I complimented him on it, and he said it was for sale for $1300. I had a brand new $4000 burning a hole in my pocket, so I took it for a test spin and decided there was nothing I could not fix, so we shook hands on $1000.

It reminds me of the the RD350 with it's nimble handing. Not as quick, but plenty fun.

It and me are gonna be best pals.