1981 Seca 750 recent purchase maintenance questions

i just bought a 1981 Seca 750 with a little over 9000 miles on it from the original owner. He said he put 8000 of those miles on the first two years and has been driven very little since. Three years ago he had the carbs cleaned and drove the bike some that summer but has been sitting since. The good news is it has been in a garage its whole life so cosmetically it is in superb condition. Since I bought it in non-running condition, the price was way too good to pass up.

Here's what I'm thinking: clean carbs, drain fuel tank, change oil/filter, air filter, replace both front & rear tires.

Is there anything specific to the Seca 750 that I should give some extra attention to? I know bikes can have their weak spots so I'd like to address any of those issues before it hits the road.

 

start with the valve shims make sure they are in spec.
your changing the tires so this
would be a good time to rebuild calipers and Master cylinders check or replace rear brakes because of the delamination issue(I would replace them) brake lines.
9000 miles your wheel bearings should still be good. see if they are open bearings when you change the tires regrease and evaluate them.
put a fuel filter on it

 

Go over everything as if nothing was ever done. The only weakness of the 750 is the same things as on the other shaft-driven XJ's; Starter clutch (wears and skips), and alternator chain guide (disintegrates from age). I'd also adjust the anti-dive to each setting and see if it needs attention. The small piston on the brake-fluid side can stick and make the system inoperative. It's a simple thing to repair though.

 

Thanks for the replies. I looked at the bike a little closer today and now I have a few questions.

First: Since the bike was non-running, we had to push it on my trailer to bring home. It pushed hard but I attributed that to low tire pressure. Today I aired up the tires and it still pushes around very hard. I put the bike on the center stand, the rear tire rotates EZ so I'm assuming it's the front tire. I pushed my Seca 550 around the garage to compare and it pushed really EZ but this 750 is really hard to push. Is there anything other than the front brakes I should look out for? This appears to be my biggest and most pressing issue to solve so far.

Second: why are there two hoses that go to the fuel petcock? My Seca 550 has this as well but I don't really know what the second line is for. Reason why I ask is it appears as if the aftermarket replacement petcocks only have one fuel line coming out of the petcock.

Third: what would be a good set of replacement tires for this bike? Tires still have tread but are weather checked pretty badly.

Fourth: I ordered brake shoes front & rear. As long as I will be changing tires and brake shoes should I replace the bearings as well? Anything to grease or lube up? This is my first shaft drive bike.

Fifth: I ordered new pilot & main jets so the carbs will be getting a full cleaning and work over. Anything else to look for in the carbs?

Lastly: it has a cracked blinker housing. Should I just get a used oem one off eBay or has anybody tried any of the aftermarket blinker housings?

This bike will need a thorough going thru I am finding out and maybe a little more than I originally anticipated but cosmetically its in really nice shape so hopefully with all your help I'll get it purring like new again!

 

First: Brake drag is likely, which is part of why rebuilding them is reccomended. Wheel bearings should also be looked at, or replaced. 30 year-old grease is about as viscous as dried snot.

Second: The big line feeds the carbs. The small line is the vacuum line that opens the petcock when the engine is on, and closes it when the engine is off. Aftermarket petcocks come in both types, and the rebuild kit for the stock petcock costs less than either.

Third: That all depends on what you'll be doing with the bike. I had Conti-Go tires on mine, but the rear wore out in 4,000 miles (the front is still going strong with almost triple that). My next tire is going to be a Shinko 230. I mainly tour and commute, but spirited riding is never out of the question.

Fourth: Yes. Replace the final drive gear oil too.

Fifth: The Church of Clean (it's unlikely that you will need the jets you bought)

Sixth: Chacal has replacement lenses and housings. Start a conversation with him. Ebay works too, or you can fit turn signals from a later Yamaha (Seca II signals look nice).

Seventh: If you don't have the battery acid level sensor replacements are available, or it can be turned into a low-voltage warning with a few dollars in parts. Without the sensor, or the conversion you will have a flashing red warning light glaring at you everhy time you start the bike.

Lastly: The information Overload Hour