Contemplating Purchase ! 1982 XJ650RJ SECA

Hi All - My name is Cale, I'm from Milwaukee.

I'm real close to picking up an 82 XJ650RJ SECA from a local shop. 24K+ miles, but appears to be in excellent shape! I am in the 'pre-purchase infatuation' stage, so I may need some level headed opinions from the collective brain trust.

Main concern is mileage. Also, I can't take on the road around here in February - snow, ice, etc., avg. February temp is about 15 degrees F.

The bike appears to be ready to ride (and so claims the seller). Current negotiations have us down to $1700 (pre-final inspection), from original asking price of $2499.

Just came across this forum and am trying to soak up as many of the great threads as possible. Fantastic resource, and I appreciate any forewarning, blessings, gotchas, or otherwise!

 

first thing to look at is the front brake line, if it's rubber chances are it's original and 20 years past it's service life.
put it up on the center stand, have someone hold down the back so the front wheel is off the ground. now slowly turn the bars from straight, a little right and left, see if you can feel a little bump at center. this is the steering bearings and the whole front end needs to come off to replace them.
lift the seat and look at the fuses, glass tubes are original and cause problems after 30 years, wiggle them and the holders might fall apart. best tell the shop guy to wiggle them !
there's a way to read the date code on the tires, 5 years is too old. any cracks on the sidewall is real bad.
that's the short list

 

Right on, thanks for the list. Front brake lines are braided metal, so good there. Tires look great. My comfort level is pretty high, coming from a shop instead of for sale by owner. They seem to have done a nice job on it. It's a bit of a frankenbike as the handlebars, rear end, seat are not original and a fairing was fabricated and added. Looks good though! I'll definitely check the steering bearings as well as the fuses. What is the common replacement for steering bearings many people will modify with?

 

Any pics of the beast ??? The modifications mentioned sound a bit strange so be careful what you get into. Definitely have a proper motorcycle mechanic check it out before splashing the cash. Whats the miles on her ??? Are the fork seals leaking ??? Does it start up and run smoothly with no smoke ??? Have you ridden it yet ???

 

From what I can tell, the following mods to the bike:

Custom fairing added
Fender removed, the tail is from a Honda CB (?)
Custom seat
Grip on side tank
Engine painted (?)
Slightly lowered handlebars
LED front signals

More, what am I missing? Hope the pic will be seen with this post.

Not sure of the 'red' is that after-market also? Most of my research has these '82's with the silver coloration.

Haven't fired it up yet.

Mileage is 24K and that is my biggest concern - but I see a lot of others on the web and this forum stating that much higher mileage is totally possible!

Can't really ride it, so taking a chance on it - big time. It's from a reputable shop here in town, so I am trusting them when they say 'runs great, no issues, ready to go.' The sales rep I've been working with says it's a great ride, and I'm taking his word on it.

Asked about rust in the tank, has been cleaned out and there is an inline filter installed. Carbs cleaned.

All in all, I like the looks of the finished product. Thoughts?

 

Actually, that's a pretty fine job done on that bike, though personally, I prefer a more OEM look. But the parts looks quality and I am quite impressed. The miles at 24k is nothing. What made you think that that's a lot ??? Assuming its genuine of course, and that the bike has had its oil changed on schedule and got regular use. I know a guy in Boston with 450k mls on his FJ1200 ( Same motor in most ways, just bigger ), so they can go a long ways, even if that is exceptional. Main thing is to keep the oil fresh and keep it in regular use. Use 10-40 mineral oil or even semi Syn no problem. Do not use fully syn. Yamaha recommends 15-40 w for these bikes but 10-40 is fine. if you live in a hot part of the states, maybe go for 15-40w and use semi syn which does give you some nice extra protection over regular old fashioned mineral oil.

 

I definitely like the OEM looks too, that being said I also like what I am seeing from this custom job, also. I'll hit the dealer up w/ the questions from yourself and Polock when I go in on Tuesday next week. I don't know, 24K perhaps is not a lot - I am just not educated, I guess. I just can't wait to get it out and let it rip! But that will have to wait a month or so, we have about 20" of snow on the ground and it's rather frigid here these days. Of course that is if my counter-counter-offer is accepted! Good call on the oil, if/when I purchase this machine I will be a regular on this thread with the more technical questions and comments.

450K on the FJ1200 - wow!

 

24K miles is just getting an XJ engine fully broken-in...............

 

Wha???? really??? That's just awesome, and makes me think I'll be doing right by this bike. Thanks for all the advice, and definitely keep it coming.

 

Believe me, 24k miles is nothing. I have 48 k mls on my Kawa ZRX1200 and it runs like brand new. That has a water cooled motor which helps, but still, 24k is bugger all. ( UK slang ) LOL Well maintained, I see no reason why an XJ motor cant hit 100k without a major rebuild. See my Seca on my new post ``Sunday spin``. that's got almost 30k on it and runs like a top. XJ motors are famed for their reliability and are generally considered to be bulletproof. With your weather, I can fully understand now why you have not taken it out for a spin !! LOL

 

Yeah, looking at probably 45-50 days before I'm on the road... Just ridiculous living here. Great bike you've restored I'll check back on that post. Hopefully back here next mid-week with news of ownership of my own XJ...

 

That's one of the reasons I was so happy to go home to Ireland from Boston after 18winters there. Its just goes on for so long, and in the last week they have recv`d upwards of 40 inches of the white stuff !!!!!!!!!!!!! We would see maybe 1 inch a year here in Dublin, and many years no snow at all. Tommorrow will see temps around 45-47f , which is pretty typical this time of year, though we did have highs of just 35f last week during a cold snap, and overnight lows down to 20f in parts. That's really cold by our standards. So getting the chance to ride the bike almost all year is a great bonus, and there is a great bike culture here too, and far less of a heavy handed law enforcement too.

 

These winters are nuts here! I think 6 months of riding is doing well. To live in a place with 11, 12 months would be incredible. Just drove from San Francisco to Los Angeles in a (blah) Nissan something-or-other... Highway 1 fueling dreams of riding more on two wheels. Came across this XJ650 and think it may be a good fit for me. Agreed on the law enforcement - I have to limit my speed to 5 MPH over limit MAX... right-lane only... many in my state enjoy driving in the passing lane for miles and miles and miles on end... La-tee-da...

 

Priced too high...at least for my area....maybe decent for your's....for that kind of price you should at least get all the original parts along with it, a paper showing what the current shims are-- at 24k, they DID get done at some point, at least, right!?!?! If there's no record, then assume THAT important piece of maintenance wasn't done. If that wasn't done, what else WASN'T done? Brakes? Tires? It's one thing to get a bike to GO well.....but it's more important to get it to STOP even better.

If you're gonna have a mechanic look at it, make sure first that it's a mechanic who KNOWS what to do with XJ's.

I got my 650rj for $400, yeah it needs work, but I can do it myself.

dave

 

Hi Cale,
This is where you want to be, a lot of wise advice (as you already noted) is found here.

We are neighbors, and there are a couple other members in and near by.
I'm near St. Joe's hospital (Sherman Park area).
Is that XJ from Milwaukee Cycle Salvage on Teutonia?
I have been in there a couple times, the guys there seem decent, they have boxes and shelves full of spare parts in the basement, which would explain the 'frankenbike' look.
The price seems a tad high unless they did a proper rebuild on it.

Generally a bike such as yours (and mine and his and their's) requires an additional investment of $600 - $800 to make it reliable and safe. That Chacal guy (XJ4Ever) who replied above is a great resource for rebuild and cosmetic parts, his customer service is top notch. The Shop in Bay View does carry valve shims - speaking of - ask the sellers what the valve clearances are - they should have 4 intake and 4 exhaust values. If they can not answer then you will be checking the clearance before you ride the bike any farther from their place to your garage. Not too hard to do a lot of the work yourself when you can come here and ask for help . . .

With the proper gear I have ridden in temps just above freezing, usually just a 7 mile ride to work, so you can extend the riding season here a little bit . . . . I have found that relative dew points can be a cold weather enemy when using a full faced helmet (condensation build up).

Welcome to the camp!

What time are you going there on Tuesday?

 

Hogfiddles - agreed on price - they started at $2500, then lowered to $1900. My first offer weas $1400, and they countered with $1700. Mind you, this is all without any of the proper technical questions being asked that the members of this board have brought up (that will come - I'm still very interested in this bike). Interestingly, I notice the price on their ad was reduced to $1800 OBO. My offer is all cash, so hopefully I can end up around $1500 with acceptable answers to the pressing questions regarding fork oil leaking (?), brake work, original parts still available (?), complete list of work done....

Stumplifter! Great to hear from a local, that shop is correct, on Tuetonia. They seem honest, just my gut feel... my thoughts exactly on the nature of the work done on the bike - little of this, little of that, parts pulled from massive inventory of bikes throughout the years. Again I don't hate the look of the bike. In person it looks pretty good actually... The seat and the fairing work as well as the tail-end were all done in house - the seat and fairing in particular seem like like work well done. Sitting on the bike last week, was super comfortable, and this modification seems to match the profile of the bike pretty well. The fairing as well. I think these items (custom shopped fairing and seat, and tail end) are why the shop is ascribing higher value to the bike. Thanks for having me, great forum. The valve clearance question is something I'll ask about - but do not have real-world experience in working on. Hopefully they come back and say that this (along with brakes, fork seals, etc.) are all things that have been addressed already. I'm planning on heading in late-morning on Tuesday. That' shop has to be pretty close to where you live? I'm near state-fair park off of I-94...

 

Again, if they say shim clearances have been done, they should be able to give the documentation. If they do things right, then they would have replaced the valve cover gasket and the cover bolt donuts---- look to see if it appears to have been changed..... Or not.

Have the carbs been serviced properly? Look for signs of dirt/orangish stain on carb sides which indicate throttle shafts leaking, look to see if mixture screw caps have been drilled out or not--- if not, there's no chance that they cleaned them the right way.

Obviously, I'm skeptical of most shops-- they want to get rid of old bikes so will tell you anything. Especially about parts that they think you'll never see.

I know ONE shop that I do trust for the most part. The owner grew up on XJ's, and occasionally has one come in that he will sell. Often he'll ask me first, and tells me flat out " I haven't done a thing to it, and haven't checked it out either". Usually I buy them if I can----full knowledge that I'll have to completely go through it.

Dave

 

Thanks for realistically curbing my enthusiasm, this was exactly what I was looking for over the weekend before I flip the bills their way.
?Steering Bearings replaced
?Fuses - condition
?Fork seals - ensure not leaking
?Original parts available
?Brake work performed
?Carbs serviced - more details
?Valve clearances - details of work performed (if any) with specific details on the 4 intake and exhaust values

Along w/ the crappy weather here, I am in no rush, although I'd love to have this bike sitting in my garage right now!

 

Too bad the rear fender was cut down. Those are getting pricey to find originals now, and holes were drilled in the tailcowl to mount those lights. Maybe I'm too much of a purist.

 

Purism is good and cannot be argued. Sent my list off to dealer, I'll post back with replies.

 

It is a good looking bike, just not a 'stock classic' that some of us hold near and dear to our hearts.
There is a concern that they put more effort in making it look slick instead of pampering and caring for the items that deserve attention on a 30+ year old machine.

Apologies for not noticing that Dave had already mentioned the valve clearances. . .
I will try to stop over there Tuesday around 10:00 ish and maybe we can look it over together.
Is the bike on the main floor or do they have it tucked in one of the back buildings?

My few dealings with these guys (rummaging for tank tags, luggage racks and small talk) indicate that they are pretty straight forward - if we don't meet up and they hesitate to give you direct answers to your good list of questions - try to get some decent closeup pics of the carbs (including intake and exhaust sides) and the top of the engine (valve cover, hold down bolts and the gasket seam).

 

I certainly appreciate that. I'll shoot for 10 am on Tuesday at the shop.

I like the un-molested thing too. This bike just seems like a good fit for me at this stage in my life - 3 small kids, not a lot of time to fiddle around - just want to get out and ride for the occasional escape. I have a XS400 (also an '82) sitting in my garage that is in total disrepair. This XJ650 looks to fit me and if it runs and is in fairly decent shape, I'm gonna jump on it. But again it's good to have discretion and the expert advice of this board is totally appreciated. If you were able to make it onsite wither when I'm there or not, and check it out, that'd be just killer!

 

Then if the price is right for you, and the bike is right for you.....then it's a good deal. ANY time someone buys a bike, it is TOTALLY a personal thing regardless of what other people feel, unless it is VERY obviously a BAD sale to consider. SO, that all being said......check out the things we suggested, if you're still happy with it then get it and we will be right here to help you turn it into your DREAM. THAT'S why we're here.

Dave Fox

 

Hogfiddles knows his stuff when it comes to these machines. I will never argue with him... That being said, he's totally wrong! The bike looks sick! With all that custom work, you're not gonna find another one like it. If you like the look, go for it! (As long is it checks out mechanically, that is.)
PS, my 82 Seca 750 has over 50,000 km on it. That's like uhhh umm ... What's 50,000 divided by 1.6?
Dammit, ignore me and listen to Hogfiddles!

 

This bike has been for sale for quite some time. I'm not saying that's good or bad.

Here's a picture I took of it in 2013 at the Rockerbox Motofest in Milwaukee. It was for sale then as well. Paul, you should rember that day.

 

Brad - your memory is stellar!
and then the recall of having a picture of it . . . . you sir are some type of genius.

Z_cm, barring any weird events, I will be there at 10:00.
See ya!

 

that bike looks nice! barring any weird stuff, like a badly spliced electrical system or clunky running engine, or whatever, I would buy it.

FU

 

Havent heard back from dealer on 'the list' but will see what they have to say in person today.

Noticed it for sale on CL for quite a while also. Biggs500 back to 2013 at Rockerbox also, wow. Wonder why the hard sell?Hopefully just a combo of downish economy and waiting for right owner to come along. Or is there something lurking under the skin. Will know more soon.

 

Thanks for meeting up at the shop Paul - good to meet you and have some of your oversight and knowledge with relation to this machine!

So today, it wasn't meant to be and I will keep looking over the ads for my spring ride. I'd rather have something without question marks - or at least have a price that reflects current unknowns - moving forward. This is a great forum and I will be putting XJ's at the top of my hunt-list!

 

Cale, the pleasure was mine. I' m just trying to embrace what Dave said about this site. . . Paying it forward.
That warm fuzzy feeling you get from helping others.

Too bad they have such a high price on a bike that still needs a lot of necessary work done on it.

 

So, we told you a lot of things to be aware of, look for, and ask about..... Give us a report

 

Not sure if Cale will be back until he finds another XJ.

Here is how the visit went in a nutshell.
Several key questions were answered with:

1. "I don't think so."
2. "Nobody said they did that"

The salesman did not hesitate at answering questions.

Here are the known facts:
Bike was theirs since 2013, had a $2,500 tag on it at Rockerbox, the salesman admitted they were hoping for a younger crowd to go after the 'cafe racer' look.
Bike DID fire up immediately and idled at about 1,300. Nice XJ rhythm to the engine.
The valve clearances were NOT checked, oil is leaking from from around the valve cover.
Oil filter bolt had a head size of what looked like a 1/2". ??
Carbs were not rebuilt since they had it.
Witness marks of leaking around throttle shafts.
As best as we could see the airbox and intake boots look like they are 30 + years old, some checking visible.
Engine and exhaust pipes painted flat black, some peeling.
Carb hats touched up with some chrome paint (no one told them the aluminum foil trick).
Tach cable looks like someone took a weed whacker to it and plenty of oil leaking around where it connects to engine, not so noticeable with the black paint all around it.
Original choke, clutch and throttle cables.
Original brake line from MC to manifold/ splitter on forks (stainless down to Pistons).
'Not known' if they rebuilt MC and front brakes - same answer about rear brakes . . . "They never wear out" - the known delamination concern was mentioned and he couldn't say if they even looked at the rear.
Left side hand controls were replaced (all wires spliced and could be seen - their was a 'chrome' colored wire wrap around the bundle of wires).
Fuse box was bypassed and inline fuses with labels were used.
Tires still had good tread, code on them was 2011.
Original rear shocks.
Fork seals were replaced.
Had original toolkit!

To summarize, after looking it over we went out to the parking lot and discussed. The price tag was $1,800 - Cale had previously negotiated a lower cash price with them. My 2 cents said that the price was still way high, we discussed the cost of rebuild/ replacement items that would be required and Cale quickly recognized that this bike would not fit his needs. . . This sucked as we did reminisce about twisties in Wisconsin and it is mid-February.

Puzzling part is the salesman said they do all types of rebuild/ repair work for bikes, yet items were bypassed on this machine - items that would insure reliability and peak performance . . . Seems like they made some 'custom' changes for a 'cafe' look (sans cafe performance) and are hoping that someone wants a good looking bike instead of a good performing bike. Can't fault them for wanting to make a buck, but for the price they should have done more of the non-cosmetic, critical work.

I enjoyed meeting Cale and helping with his assessment. As mentioned above he has an XS 400 at home and he certainly has a working knowledge of these bikes, enough to know that his current life style conditions are not conducive to spending time with motorcycle repair/ maintenance.

Hope he finds a nice one and comes back here.

 

This whole thing re-confirms why.

 

Of course, I guess the positive way to look at is that we were able to save him from losing a couple thousand $$

 

Hey all - haven't had a chance to get back online to give the good report. Paul gives a good report here, thanks for writing that up! Explained much better than I could. The bike still haunts my mind - combination of cabin fever and still thinking this bike could possibly have a future in my garage
So.... I received a message from the sales guy this afternoon, looking to make a deal. I haven't called back, not sure I will. Paul when I went back in after you left, he wasn't budging on price so of course I walked.... You told me the price you thought was fair for the bike. If I could get it for within 15-20% of that figure... got me thinking.... I do have some time to fiddle around this summer

Positive that it fired right up and idled nicely....

This has to be greatest concern: "The valve clearances were NOT checked, oil is leaking from from around the valve cover."

 

if it fires up and runs well, the valves can't be that tight. the biggest issues are the shoddy wiring work. being that it is coming from a "repair" shop, you can expect that they did as little as they felt they needed to. you could expect to have to do things like replace wheel bearings, head bearings, rebuild forks, brakes, and the list goes on. unless you can get them down to at or under $1,000. it's not worth it.

FU

 

The line regarding the rear brakes " they never wear out" sends up BIG BIG red flags.

Well, maybe they're right.... They delaminate long before they wear out-----

I bet they don't need to check the valves " because they're nice and quiet".

 

mmmm... that's some delicious sarcasm!

 

All good points. But let me take a contrary stance, just for the fun of it.
Getting a great deal is overrated. If the bike speaks to you and you plan to keep it for a while, don't get too fussed about whether it costs a couple hundred dollars more than it "should".
Also, we can all agree that bike shops don't take care of all the things that we think they should. So just accept it, and do the things that need doing. In the process you'll learn about the bike and make it yours.
Rather than beating the price down, how about getting him to throw in all new cables, a valve cover gasket, a MC rebuild kit, some new brake shoes, and the missing stainless steel brake line? He can get those things way cheaper than you or I can so he may do that to make the deal. Then get a new fuse box from Chacal.
Then you just need to take some time to adjust the valves and install the new pieces and by the time riding season rolls around you will be intimately familiar with the bike and ready to roll in style and safety.
My main concern with the bike is the seat. Looks nice, but pretty uncomfortable for a passenger. And with a bike that pretty, the ladies will be lining up for a ride...

 

All ready said that, too......

 

I mean these prices for parts do not look too bad.... quick internet searching:

MC rebuild kit: $28
Valve Cover Gasket: $40
Rear brake shoes: $24
Fuse Box - Chacal, if I get it

I do like the idea of working on this bike, I could really use a little motorcycle maintenance in my life anyways...

 

if you want an xj, there are plenty that are original or close to it for a lot less in your area?

http://chicago.craigslist.org/nwc/mcy/4881532039.html

http://milwaukee.craigslist.org/mcy/4858643950.html

http://madison.craigslist.org/mcy/4852050995.html

http://janesville.craigslist.org/mcy/4867417809.html

that shop wants way more than the market will bear. hence the reason they still have it. if you want a bike to work on, any of the ones I listed above would be a better starting point imho.

FU

 

I appreciate everyone's candor and honesty. Good point, CN, on the others in my area, this one in particular: http://milwaukee.craigslist.org/mcy/4858643950.html have contacted the seller for more info.

Bike at the shop for sale since '13, price drops, etc. Makes you wonder 'what else?'

 

my point exactly! I also like the black one at the top of the list.

FU

 

The milwaukee craigslist is nowhere near mint:

Torn seat
Scraped front fender
Hacked rear fender ridiculous rear fender support rod?!?
Scrapes on muffler
Gacked driver footrest

The Madison one is a 750 Seca, not 650 Seca, but has all the luggage!

Chicago one looks nice!

 

Liking this XJ550 on Seattle CL that someone brought up in another thread: http://seattle.craigslist.org/see/mcy/4887122382.html

2000 miles between they and I...

 

that was I who posted that ad. if I had the money, it would already be mine. from the pics, it is one sanitary ride. even still there is a laundry list of things that need attention, but it's to be expected of a 30+ year old bike.

FU

 

Man, I like the full faired Seca, almost (almost) makes me wish I was closer to Milwaukee.

 

Yeah, the Atari and square headlight actually make sense with the fairing!

 

Two 85 xj650's for 500, and one supposedly runs...
http://burlington.craigslist.org/mpo/4829914812.html