Old rider-new member

Hi guys,

I've been lurking here for a couple days and after seeing the amount of talent here, decided to join.

Like a lot of guys, I stopped ridding for a few years when I got married and raised a family. After getting back into bikes several years ago, I began collecting and restoring older Japanese bikes. After a couple of years, I began selling off all the 4 strokes and gradually switched to almost all 2 stroke street bikes from the 70's.

Then, last week I stumbled onto an ad for a pristine '82 650 Seca Turbo. I remember when the bike first came out and being let down by the fact that the boost level was so low, hampering the overall performance. I also remembered that it was a very heavy bike for it's size. Keeping all this in mind I did a little research and found that while I couldn't do too much about the weight, I could greatly increase the performance. So, with that thought, I called the owner of the ad and found he was only a couple of miles from my home in Maryland. Well, as someone who has traveled to Ohio for a Z1 and drove to Rhode Island through a blizzard to pickup a couple of H1's, this was to close to pass up at least looking at the bike.

Maybe that was my "mistake", because one look and I was hooked. Other then a cut in the seat, the bike was visually perfect, not a single scratch and only 12k on the clock. Like many others, it had sat and the owner, who doesn't do his own work on bikes, couldn't get it started. My research had taught me that it would have to be disassembled, rebuilding the carbs, fuel pump, regulator, petcock, gas cap, check valves(one gas and one oil) and finally, check the turbo for play in the shaft....the kinda stuff that is right up my alley.

The owner and I spoke for a while and we made plans for me to return the following day with a battery. Saturday morning we connected my battery and I listed to the engine turn over, checked all the gears and handed him his waaaay to low asking price.

So now I'm the proud owner of a 85 Seca turbo. He signed a receipt for me and will get the title transferred to his name in the next week or so. Then he'll be able to sign it for me and I'll wait until them to pick it up.

Since the garage is full, it will have to go straight into my basement workshop. I was planning on finishing a '74 RD first but I think I'll set that one aside and get right to work on the Seca. In fact, I already bought a new seat and the YCIS tool online for it.

I know that most of you guys already know this but people often ask me why I like the older bikes so much yet own a new Vstrom 1000 and I tell them all the same thing. The older bikes have a soul that you can feel when you ride. They are completely different then my new bike (Vstrom 1000). When I ride my RD, CB, H2 or others, there is no doubt that they all have a soul and character all their own.

Hopefully, I'll be able to help out the new guys when I can and learn what I need to put my new bike back on the road, where it belongs.

Jeff

 

Welcome to the site !!
You'll find that your bike is an '82 or '83, but sold and titled in '85
You can post up your VIN # to know for sure.
And Yamaha was adding a "power up" kit for free, boosting the boost from 6 LB to 14 - 15. Do you see an odd washer crammed into the right muffler?
Look at the rear brakes when you have time.

 

Thanks for the info TtR, but why would have been sold in '85? I remember seeing them locally in the early '80's so I would assume it would have been titled then. The P/O is transfering the title so I don't have it to check but that's interesting.

I had read about the powerup kit but since there was another easily accomplished work-around, I didn't even bother looking to see if it was installed. I was too busy checking the important things while there. I also have read many, many, many posts about the brakes being bad, both front and rear. I think one site indicated that the front rotor looked like a DVD<LOL>!! Being an owner of a couple of Satans' own H2's, I'm familiar with that sinking feeling of "oh crud, I'm never going to stop in time". Usually, that is thought with quite a bit more "emotion" but you get the idea. I'll have to pull that rear brake off afterall. got any suggestions to improving them? I used to roadrace so most times depending on road surface etc, I only use the front. I was going to see if any of my donor bikes, rotors will fit in the front but I have no idea what to do with the rear so any suggestions will be appreciated of course.

My plan at this point is to get it inside then strip all the covers & fairings off and begin at the front and work back pulling each connector and cleaning, checking the valves, rebuilding check valves & carbs, etc as I go. That seems to work pretty well for these older bikes. Usually, by the time I get to the tailight, I'm financially broke but I have a nicely running bike! At least I won't have to count on crank rebuilds like I have to do with the H series bikes!!

Thanks again for the help, I can sure use it!!
jeff

 

Welcome to the site. I also picked up a 82 Turbo recently. Couldn't pass it up for the price. I'll be doing a lot of the same work to my bike. At least it's low mileage and the engine is sound.

 

Yup, sounds we're in the same boat! Congrats on the aquisition. Let me know if you need any help as you're going through it in case you find something strange in there and I'll do the same.

jeff

 

hey jeff K

about the rear brakes... the seca 900s have disc brakes and the same pattern rim so you may need a whole swingarm and junk from a 900, but that's an option, I think it will fit... turbo's and 900's arent in my alley, but TimetoRide has both of those machines...

 

I appreciate the info Schooter but I haven't gotten aorund to going and picking up my turbo yet. Maybe I'll do it this weekend. I'm hoping to take off the week between Christmas and New Years and that would give me time to putter with it.

It's kind of funny because I bought a new seat for the turbo (only thing wrong with it cosmetically)....yup, I have a new seat for a bike I haven't picked up yet<LOL>....

jeff