From barn rat to 2013 road test - 750 Seca Lives!

I bought this seca in pieces after it was highsided in 1999. It looked pretty complete but was rashed: bars were bent, headlight gone, damage to the the engine fins, fender, case, gear shift lever, dents in the tank, scrapes on the speedo, grab handle, signal lights, missing passenger pegs and exhaust. Basically everything on the left side had minor to major damage. The previous owner started to part it out, but lost interest and it sat in a covered barn for 5 years before I got it.

Since then I bought parts one at a time, had it running rough in 2006, but then moved 8 times in 7 years and had little time to work on the bike. Fast forward to 2013 and the carbs had to be pulled again, some sort of exhaust had to be mocked up, and some cosmetic improvements.



I need to still tidy up the wires under the headlamp and put a fork emblem, find somewhere to put the horns, finish mounting the mufflers (they are hanging on the clamps) tidy the paint on the tank and add tank emblems, get the side covers back on.

I need to get the suspension and steering sorted out as there is some gremlin. My mechanic buddy bent pipe for the Harley mufflers, and I was not keen on it, but they are growing on me. I may also swap out the signal lights, but since things are flashing and working, I am leaving it alone for now. The bar mount mirror is terrible so I may figure out something else.



Well today I finally plated the old girl and put it on the road for 15 km. Felt good!

 

Gold star for tenacity, the shape of the pipes is early Triumph.
If I am allowed one gripe, I would have swopped the meters for round, to match the h/light.
Great work.

 

nice job...enjoy the riding!!

 

To paraphrase Queen: Another Hits The Road!
Well done. I like the red accent on the seat.

And Hey! Let's be careful out there.

 

Funny you would say that, I was going to, I had maxim instruments to put on, but the Atari has so many wires and harnesses I became scared and sold it to a member on this site. He then installed them and told me the tach needle broke off.

 

nice looking ride. liking the red striping on the seat. enjoy man.

 

Beautiful job. Enjoy the wind.

 

Beautiful job. Enjoy the wind.

 

The seat came with piping on it, I am not sure if it was OEM or a stylin' PO.

 

If you change your mind, remember that the 750 Seca has an electronic tach while most other XJs have a mechanical tach. Of course you could go with just a speedo that has integrated idiot lights. Tachs are cool but fairly over-rated. Several others have swapped out their Atari units; search in "XJ Modifications" for Seca. I'd also recommend custom side panels for your bike that follow the frame and have a flat bottom since it looks so good so far! Not a big fan of the "flying apostrophe" look with the OEM tank/side panels.

 

If you change your mind, remember that the 750 Seca has an electronic tach while most other XJs have a mechanical tach. Of course you could go with just a speedo that has integrated idiot lights. Tachs are cool but fairly over-rated. Several others have swapped out their Atari units; search in "XJ Modifications" for Seca.

 

Thanks for the tip. Some of the new Vapor speedos are nice, but the one I like is about 350, so I am content with the atari for a little while, lol.

 

Quick question about the anti-dive block off. How did you accomplish this - just ran the brake hose to the caliper, or modify the anti-dive unit (i.e., always soft or always hard)? What's been your driving experience after the mod?

 

Nice work!

What's this new headlight you put on? It seems pretty big. How many inches in diameter? I'd like to put a bigger one on my '95 Honda Magna becuase mine looks too small now that i have a big windshield.

 

It is close to 8 inches when you measure the outside, but the insert is closer to 7 inches. EBay has inserts with bulbs for 20 bucks that may work.

 

My steering feels different than I am used to, but I also changed the head bearings, so I have to check that out and the wheel alignment. It feels a little wandering and stiff but when you want to put it into a turn and lean, it really goes over quick, which I partially attribute to the large skinny tires, it is like riding a low, heavy dirtbike, lol.

The front suspension and braking feel strong and predictable for a 30 year old bike, I am very pleased with it.



Here are some pictures of the aluminum block and the hose routing for your edification. This was all done in 2005 early on, so I forget a lot about the process, my buddy helped with the machining of the blocks.


Thanks for the interest, I hope this helps, I have been helped a lot by the site, so I will try to offer info where I can.