XJ750RJ Seca Cafe Project

Hi guys, Noob here with a few more questions.

I'm planning on lowering my bike, and I want to make sure I get everything I need to do the job, befoire I jump onto it and run into problems.

For the front, I found out I can just losen the bolts that keep the forks in place and let them go up as much of I drop as I desire. In my case my handlebar will be in the way so plan to go with clip ons eventually so that I can lower the front 1.5"

For the rear I hear you can use Harley Sportster rear shocks, to lower the rear. I'm assuming they have to be the "lowering rear shocks" and not stock. Since I measured my stock shocks eye to eye at 12 and 5/8" and the ones I see on Ebay are 11.5" Will I get exactly a 1" drop in the rear?

I know the shock will be shorter by 1", but wanted to know if spring rates and what not will affect the height as well. I hear people doing the drop with sportster hocks, so if you have done it , Please give me some input.

There are also the 11" sportster shocks but those are more expensive.

How did you guys solve the kickstand lenght issue after lowering the bike?
Did you just cut and reweld? or purchase one for another bike or aftermarket?

Are there any other shocks out there around 11" other than sportsters that will fit the seca? like Maxims maybe?

I apreciate your replies.

 

Re: Lowering my XJ750RJ SECA

WOW, 49 views, and no one has lowered their secas? LOL

Well I searched and figured out about the kicks stand. Heat it with a torch and bend until desired angle.

I will try the Harley rear shocks ASAP and will let you know how it turned out.

 

Re: Lowering my XJ750RJ SECA

Hey Xulf. Sorry I've neve done a Seca but tere are some pics of my MaximX I lowered in this thread:

http://www.xjbikes.com/Forums/viewtopic/t=11332.html

There's also a picture of my heat-bent sidestand. Somewhere I posted up some pics of a few different shocks, including 10.5" Suzuki Savage shocks, pretty much as short as you're going to find without going to solid struts.

http://www.xjbikes.com/Forums/viewtopic ... art=0.html

 

Re: Lowering my XJ750RJ SECA

I lowered mine but its a hardtail now

 

Re: Lowering my XJ750RJ SECA

I put shocks from a honda 250 rebel on my maxim. They are 10 1/2 eye to eye. I heard that the 11 inch sportster shocks are really stiff. The 250 rebel shocks worked perfect and I only have them turned about half way up. They are plenty strong for 2 up riding at that setting.

I cut 1/2 inch out of my kick stand and welded it back together, and moved it forward aprox. 6 inches. That makes the weight come off the front forks when it is parked. makes it sit nicer... that probably isn't a concern with the seca.

 

Re: Lowering my XJ750RJ SECA

Aftermarket shock absorbers come in a wide variety of lengths; if go with Progressive suspension the springs are sold separately so you can choose the "rate" as well. You don't need to get shocks from a different bike; simply buy the length you need. I know Progressive (as well as most other manufacturers) supply a variety of spacers and adapters so fit is generally not an issue.

That being said, be sure you're still going to have room for the suspension to travel. You don't want your rear tire rubbing the fender, and you sure don't want your front fender to come up and crash into the bottom of the lower tree at full compression.

If you're working to resolve an "inseam issue" you might also consider having the seat resculpted and pick up another inch or two there.

 

Re: Lowering my XJ750RJ SECA

Thanks to all. Those are great tips. I was mostly concerned with doing the drop on a budget. I'll be checking on those shocks pretty soon. i'm wondering now, what spacers will extend the handle bar mount up 1/2 to 1" so i can slide my forks up to lower the front? Or where to find them or how should I search. I've come up empty on Ebay.

 

Re: Lowering my XJ750RJ SECA

I lowered my Maxim with sportster shocks, 10.5". Like the guys said above thats about as low as you can go without bottoming out. I had my stand cut and rewelded to fix that problem.

Keep an eye on Ebay, I got my shocks for $25 for the pair, how could you go wrong, and if anything I found the ride 10 times better not too stiff at all.

 

Re: Lowering my XJ750RJ SECA

Well, Since I have the rear lowering all figured out and will get some sportster rear shocks (i'm going with the 10.5") I have plenty of clearence.

I have realized that the front wont be as easy as I thought. first off:
Unlike the 650's the front forks are different. meaning my 750 seca has those air filler pieces in them for the shocks near the triple tree, (that will get in the way unless I lower the front about 2" or more. I think the 650's also do not have the anti dive system.

Seems to me that if I want to lower the front by moving the forks further up, I will have to get XJ650 forks to do so. I know they both are 36mm, but the 650 are 31" long from top to center. i will measure my 750 and figure out if they're the same or not.

Does anyone know if I can run 750 calipers on the 650 shocks?

 

Re: Lowering my XJ750RJ SECA

Maybe before you go to that much trouble with the front, cus it sounds like it's going to be a lot of work, swap out the rear shocks and go for a ride without changing the front's height. When I dropped the rear on my X, I really didn't feel the need to do anything to the front even though I already had some shorter fork springs at the ready to do so. It handled well (better than stock, actually) and looked great. But I guess it depends on what kind of look you're going for...

 

Re: Lowering my XJ750RJ SECA

I really want and I'm almost sure I will end up with a cafe style bike. Maybe not with the glass rear though. So I don't want my back to be lower than the front at all. I don't think removing or swaping the forks is that hard at all.
I measured My seca's fork from top to center of axle mount and compared to the measurments of that of an XJ650 and they are both 31"

Now all I need to know is if the calipers are interchangable. Anyone know this?

 

Re: Lowering my XJ750RJ SECA

Well no, the actual swapping of the forks isn't all that hard. I was thinking more about the work involved in actually finding a good set of forks for the swap and the expense of the project.

As for the calipers, having looked at some diagrams from manuals and pictures of bikes, it looks like the calipers are different and have different mounts. So if you're shopping for Seca 650 forks you might wanna put calipers on your list too.

 

Re: Lowering my XJ750RJ SECA

Yeah I see what you mean now MaximusX. I also noticed that most XJ650's have single rotor and not dual like the 750. But i have seen them with dual as well. I wonder If I can just open it up and cut the spring inside a bit. I gotta wait for the weather to clear up and I need some time in my hands. It seems like the older I get the busier I become, and I have less time for the things I like.

 

Re: Lowering and modifying my XJ750RJ SECA

Alright, I figured I'd change the tittle to lowering and modifying my 750 seca because I want to keep all my mods under one thread.

So I did the drag bar swap.
From this:




To this:



But then I could not see behind me with the new mirror location. So I went with these and new grips.


I also finally swaped my forks to the ones from my spare parts bike.
From this:





to these:


And this is how the bike looks now.






I still need (want) to lower the bike. But funds are tight. I still need some maxims shocks in order to lower the front, because the stock 750 seca forks have that air fill piece on top of the stanchion which prevents you from lowering the bike more than a 1/4"

This week I will be receiving my round headlight bucket so i can do that conversion as well.

Question: How do I know if my forks need new seals? Mine are holding air pressure ( XJ750RJ SECA) , but they have a bit of oil on the stanchions near the dust seal.

 

Re: Lowering and modifying my XJ750RJ SECA

The 1982 xs400j maxim shock lenght is 13 3/4" from eye centwer to eye center. I am also looking for a shock that is shorter by 1" -2" .

 

Re: Lowering and modifying my XJ750RJ SECA

[/quote]

The 1982 xs400j maxim shock lenght is 13 3/4" from eye centwer to eye center. I am also looking for a shock that is shorter by 1" -2" .[/quote]

I'm not sure if the xj 750 and 650s use the same shocks, or if the eyelet widths are the same. If so, I don't see why you couldn't use Sportster rear shocks as well.

 

Re: Lowering and modifying my XJ750RJ SECA

please take pics and document the headlight swap i want to swap mine in the near future.

how do you like the feel of the drag bars??

 

Re: Lowering and modifying my XJ750RJ SECA

I have drag bars on my 81 seca 750. I flipping LOVE them. Night and day difference in the feel and handling of the machine. First corner I pushed into after putting them on, I dragged a footpeg without even feeling like I was pushing the limits of the bike. Much more comfortable than the stock hangers IMO.

As for lowering by moving the forks up in the triple trees .... can't you take the air stanchion thing off, move the forks, re-attach it, and go on with life?

 

Re: Lowering and modifying my XJ750RJ SECA

I can't just take the air things off and just move the thing up, because i would have to go lower than 2 inches in the front to do that And.. the forks would hit my handlebars anyways. I would then definetly have to get Clip ons. Which I do plan to do in the future. So yes it can be done, but depending on how low you want to go and how much $$$ you have available. So when I get around $250 to spend then yes I will go that route.

I love my drag bars as well. Way more confortable stance than the stock bull horn type. I also don't fee like I have to force myself forward at high speeds any more. I will post pics of when I start my round headlight conversion as well.

 

Re: Lowering and modifying my XJ750RJ SECA

Well it looks like I will be following some of switch263's advice but I won't get clip ons. I will be using maxim risers to clear the forks and that should allow me to lower the front 1.75" and once I get some sportster 11" rear shocks that should get me set on my lowering.

Back to the headlight swap.

I found out that in order to change one thing you must do your research very well or you'll end up like me. Doing and buying things twice.

On the XJ750RJ the brake MC is behind the headlight. So it gets on the way of the new headlight bucket. I would have to modify the brake line and find a way to remove the bolt that holds the MC to it's mounting frame. I could not push it further back because of clearance issues. So the cafe style brackets I first bought were too short.



so I had to order some that were a bit longer. 130mm from center of fork to last mounting hole. These worked just right, but you still have to do a bit of grinding on the ends facing the master cylinder, because the right side one hits the master cylinder a tad.



Being that I needed to purchace a new shorter brake cable anyhow from my lever to the master cyl. because I swaped handlebars and my stock brake line was too long, I decided to just upgrade my brake system and ordered an R6 MC and new steel braded hoses for the calipers. Since I was going at it. I decided to just remove the whole stock MC bracket and unit, so that when I do the MC swap i would be able to have more room for my bucket and use the cafe style headlight brackets.

The square to round headlight conversion itself is pretty easy. I just made sure I wrote down every color wire and took note of what wire went where.


I'm removing the auxiliary light (I won't use this anymore)


Popped the headlight out.


I will have to relocate the horns. I think I might go with an after market in the future.



Rear of maxim headlight, the connections are the same as the stock square light.. (ebay. $25)









At one point I was going to try to use the stock brackets, but that would have only worked if you swaped your brake master cylinder for that of an XJ650.



Anyone like spaghetti?



You gotta cut the stock brakets of the MC bracket support, in order to place the after market bracket on your forks.





Placed wires back in new bucket.





It's starting to look much better IMO.

Here you can see how the cafe style brakets were too short because I could not bring the headlight further back with the stock MC in the way.





But it does seem like it will look much better, huh?





I ended up removing my forks again since I will be redoing the seals. (that will be in another post. On the other hand, i think this is the first XJ uni-cycle out there, LOL








I'll continue to post as I lower the bike and what not.