My Girlfriend's 1981 XJ750

Hello my name is Tyler and I'm an addict. I spend way too much free time and energy thinking about, working on, and riding bikes. I recently decided to boycott newer larger cc bikes because of the ridiculous insurance rates in my part of Canada. So apart from my love for small cc dual sports, I decided 80's bikes were what I wanted to play around with. My girlfriend wasn't very interested in bikes until she started spending time with me in the garage. Helping me change the fork seals on my Virago or a battery on my WR, she started talking about buying her own bike. So we agreed that if we could find a bike with at least 600cc's and a price under $1,000 she would buy it, and I would help her along the way with whatever knowledge I could lend.

In came a 1981 Yamaha XJ750 Seca



The bike which she bought for $900 had 21,000km, a questionable paint job, and almost no modifications. Those pictures were taken the day she bought the bike back in February 2015. This is going to be her learner bike, so it probably wont turn into a $10,000 cafe racer build. However we plan to do some aesthetic mods to the bike such as replacing the atari gauges, the square headlight, the stock mirrors, signals, delete the fog light, ditch the rubber handlebar covers ect... A full paint job is also in the future for this bike. We have both already found tons of useful knowledge on this site, so I think it's only fair that I share what I learn along the way.

 

Welcome to the Group, Tyler. My name is Matt and I too am an addict. Hopefully together we will get the help we need.
Matt
Bike-aholic

 

Hey Matt we're in this together! Our first major project was changing the stock square headlight, and the Atari cluster. The hard part wasn't deciding what bikes we wanted to pull parts from, it was finding parts in decent condition on ebay at a half decent price. We settled on a Virago cluster (1985 XV1000), and a Maxim headlight (1980 XJ650 Maxim). We were able to find both in pretty decent condition for pretty cheap. I think the headlight was $50 and the cluster was around $150 before shipping. It's hard to believe but we started the swap at 10am this Sunday, and by 11pm the same day the bike was running and we took it for a spin. I was extremely pleased at how well everything went considering we hadn't even looked at the wiring on the Virago cluster yet. I'll take some more detailed pictures and a more official build post about how we actually did everything. I just haven't had the extra time between finishing this off, and the paint job my Virago is getting right now as well. Plus you know, eating and going to work and all that other stuff that really just gets in the way of whats important...




There are still MANY things to come, and there are also lot's of other mods we've done that you can clearly see. I'm just trying to keep my posts from dragging on too long.

 

Yeah, the Atari has got to go! My Seca will follow yours down this path eventually. But have you noticed how SQUARE the mirrors are now that the gages are round? Also, I noticed the turn signals are off... I think we have a similar vision! I think the designer of these bikes wanted to make a two wheeled Knight Rider. Maybe Hasselhoff would ride one in a black satin bomber jacket. So '80s.
PS did you relocate the warning light panel, or just ditch it? I suppose we'll find out when you put up your build post

 

If you look closely you'll see that we actually did install new signals on there, they are also relocated. I love pictures...





I promise better quality pictures to come, and more details.

 

Like the virago gauges nice touch and if your lady not very tall she can actually see the gauges without a ton of glare.
The insurance thing I guess you out east Ontario insurance is nuts from all the horror stores
West coast I have collector multi-vehicle plate that makes it very reasonable to insure my bikes

 

Woah... those last pictures were HUGE!! The page took several minutes to load! You may want to lower the resolution on your camera a bit for pics for the web...

 

I don't believe there's a 12-step program that can help any of us. We're going to have to suffer from our addiction. (Oh. Yeah!!!)

 

Oh yes there is a program that I started about 10 years ago... Realizing I could not ride 23 bikes( many stored in friends garages), many waiting for rebuild. Cut the fleet to 15 6 years ago then cutting to 8 last fall I won't have the time to fix them all. Now I have a manageable group that I can ride. But 2 weeks ago had a small relapse added an 1100 shadow that was too cheap to say No and 2nd seca. Thankfully sold the shadow and seca up for sale because I have found an 84 cb750sc nighthawk and an 84 xj750rl, both near mint and may keep them both.....
Oops I've done it again

 

Just realized a pattern.
.. I'm in love with shaft drive bikes
Cb900custom
Xj650
Cb750sc
First shaft drive 78 xs1100e "macho maroon "wife still give me razz about it but at the time she liked the colour cause she went for a ride with me instead of buddies bike and the rest is history

 

Here's our twelve steps:
1. Valve adjustment
2. Compression test
3. Take the carbs to "Church"
4. check bearings
5. fresh Brake pads n lines
6. inflate or replace tires
7. new Battery
8. gap plugs
9. clean filters
10. change fluids
11. clean and polish
12. Gas up and GO!

 

Sorry about the pictures, on my phone it didn't look big at all. She's really enjoying the bike with the new cluster and light!

 

Nice collection

I am not sure how much it costs to insure a sports bike in Quebec since I never owned one... mostly because it costs $1,200 per year to plate it. Heck it costs 600$ per year to plate my '84 XJ750 and can't ride the thing in the snow from November to April... crazy prices.

 

Hi, my name is Dave.....I'm not an addict yet----I only have 29 bikes. You have to have 3o before you become hooked. It's another 38 before you become an addict.

Dave

 

If I had that many still I'd be single
Hey there's an by idea by a bunch more bikes and drive wife nuts until she runs out the door screaming !!

 

As a teacher, I just LOOOOVE fast learners!!!

 

What he said. Lol

 

Nice! That headlight and gauges made a huge difference.

 

as long as she does not kick them over before leaving.
how many would she get in the divorce?

 

46$ a year for me plus 600. a year for ins if I get it all year long.

 

Geez. My insurance is 200/year, registation 18/year, inspection 20/year....

 

IIRC, I pay $128/yr for my '80 xj650 and '87 VF700c Super Magna's insurance. Tack on reg. for both bikes, I'm right around $200 annually. Not too shabby

 

Annual inspection?? Is that just a PPM (emmissions) test or full road-worthy inspection?

 

Comparing insurance costs is silly when you don't know what each other's policies cover.

 

Pennsylvania state inspection. Basically, make sure the lights + horn work, mirrors, turn signals, fork seals dont leak, and make sure you have insurance. Cars made after 1996 get emissions tests too

 

Looks exactly what I want my 750 Seca to look like! Did you tear out the computer or just move it?

 

Hi,

My name is Thom, just bought my 750 Seca. I like the headlight and cluster suggestions and started in on the 12 steps. You were TOTALLY right.

Anyhow, Looking to change out the handlebars. I'm 6'2'' and am thinking cafe, any suggestions? Also, is there any way to integrate the turn signals in the tail light?

 

Thom, I don't know if you have got new bars yet, but I also have a 750 Seca. I suggest trying to mock up a set and measuring where you want them to be. I wish I would have followed my own advice haha. Somehow I got it in my head that a set of drag bars would fit. Just the bare bar hits the tank, so now I've got really shiny, really big paper weight.