82 XJ650RJC Seca time capsule

I remember shopping for a 650 Seca in 1989 because I needed a reliable bike for a Velorex sidecar I bought.
At the time I had a choice between about 5 red Secas. I still have that bike/sidecar.
Anyway I was looking at my local classifieds and found and bought this gem.
It looks exactly like it's 1989 gain.

 

That's a beauty.

 

The previous owner saw that the oil pump covers were not 100%
I would give them a 98%, too nice to worry about anyway.
He ordered new Yamaha covers then found out they weren't original for the RJC.
nice bonus

And Kawasaki parts, bonanza!
I know where those fit on my KDX

 

Does anyone know if this tool kit is complete?
Unfortunately I didn't get the door for the compartment

 

WOW! Here is the most complete tool kit I've seen on an XJ. It's from my 82 650RJ.

 

Its a stunning bike. Definitely was not rode hard and put away wet. I have a couple tool sets that are almost complete, sans the screwdriver handle.

 

How much did that little jewel cost you?

 

@Simmy, that is even nicer in your pictures than in the ones in the ad you had previously linked to. You have done very, very well.

 

I finally got around to registering this bike in my name.
The serial number is about 120 bikes made after my sidecar bike, another RJC.
Registered in 83, next owner in 90 then he sold it to his BIL in 2000 who never rode it, just kept in his heated garage and polished it every year. That's who I bought it from. He said he even changed oil a few times.
So I'm owner #4
This bike doesn't run, at least I was told that.
My aim is to keep it as original as possible for as long as possible.
The carburetors are currently untampered, perhaps that has some appeal but I do need to get it running, ha.
It needs new tank emblems and the Yamaha sticker for the tail piece.
The rubber grommets for the side covers need replacement. Battery of course.
A few tools are missing from the tool kit I'll need to find.
I have an original owner's booklet for the XJ650RJC which belongs in the tail compartment.
And the chain lock, missing that.
It has BS Spitfire tires on it, where can I get some Bridgestone Mag-Mopus tires, just kidding
Apparently still available in 18" fronts
MAG.MOPUS | | Motorcycle Tires | Bridgestone Corporation

 

Beautiful. Good score

 

I just started looking at this bike.
#2 Exhaust valve was tight so I fixed that.
2 spark plugs were resister type and 2 were not.
The carbs are on the bench now.

 

I found the first evidence of the DPO,

Someone must have gorilla tightened this at one point then broke the bowl.
Looks like they epoxied it closed. No way to drain it so looking for another.
I noticed the #2 and 3 bowls were reversed and drains were inaccessible.
I'm looking for a RH drain-bowl anyway.
Something I don't have as I've always sold any Hitachi stuff I aquired.
My other XJ's and FZ are all Mikuni
The carbs had been cleaned up previously and everything came apart nice.

I took my finger to each throttle slide, they were all gummed up but #3 stayed compressed, wouldn't return.
I thought about splashing fresh gas in it and giving it a go, glad I didn't bother.
One carb's jets were plugged, I could visibly see that.
Rodded it with a wire brush strand and have it flowing cleaner now.

 

All 4 pilot jets were #43, good.
3 mains were 112 and #2 was another 43 pilot jet, not good.
Carb #4 had the air jets mixed up.

When a bike has not run in decades, always inspect it!

 

I absolutely love how blacked out the SECA and Midnight Maxims were

 

Good point, I wonder which Japanese bike first had black engine cases

 

Speaking of which...........I thought the black-engine-cases bikes used black bolts (bolt heads) instead of the zinc-plated (silver) headed bolts.....are all of your engines with black cases equipped with the bright zinc cinching bolts (upper-to-lower case bolts)?

 

The acorn nuts holding the head on are not chrome
Is that what you're referring to?

 

No I was referring to the small-ish (10mm heads, a few are 12mm heads) bolts that are used to secure the upper crankcase to the lower crankcase......they're scattered all around (I think 38 in total, including the 12 crown nuts that cinch the head/jugs to the lower crankcase).

 

Just looked at my RJC
The 10 and 12 mm nuts by the cam tensioner are nothing special
The big one I think 14mm at the front holding the cases to the block is blacked out

 

I discovered why the one carb slide wouldn't return.
There was a burr on the inlet to the emulsion tube jamming the needle from closing.
I think someone had mangled it with a screw driver.
I removed the burr with an exacto knife and now the needle closes.
I suspect someone rebuilt the carbs but screwed a few things up in the assembly, couldn't get it running correctly and gave up.
Tucked in a warm corner for 35 years until now.

 

@Simmy, it was just waiting for you to find it. Did you hear it's sigh of relief when it rolled into your shop and met your other XJ's and it realized it was finally home?

 

I think it looked around and feared what Frankenstein experiment is in store for me?
Rest assured this one has survived intact this long, I'm determined to keep it so.

 

I fired this bike up for the 1st time.
Started at 2-1/8 turns on the mixture screws.
I think I had them about 2-3/4 out and it was starting to settle into a sweet spot.
Then it got lean again and I messed more with the screws before I noticed I was out of gas.
I was using the colortune and actually had some good results.

Very optimistic next time playing with it I can get it dialed in.
The starter clutch was slipping at first, hoping that is just from sitting so long.
I never actually experienced the problem before, maybe just lucky.

I dropped the oil immediately and put in some conventional oil.
XJ4ever had a replacement for the broken float bowl and supplied the missing main jet.
I made the mistake of not ordering float bowl gaskets, it had rubber ones I thought were good for re-use.
Not so, they had all shrunk and when stretched over the 4 mounting screws they curved inward enough to interfere with the floats.
I want to have this running for next weeks Vintage Rally so I ended up making my own float bowl gaskets.
And I have another float bowl drain screw with a persistent fuel leak.
But it's still going to the show running or not.

 

Sounds like you’re progressing nicely