Brand Spankin' New

Hello XJ crowd! This is my first post here and i'm hoping that i can get some help. First off i'm going to be completly honest and say that i'm the least mechanically inclined person that you will ever see, i can't even change the oil in my car. However, i'm hoping that i can change that and can start learning how to do some mechanical stuff.
The reason for me being on this site today is that someone at my job is sell a 1981 Yamaha Seca XJ750 with 16,000 miles on it for $750. He says that it has a new battery and a new windshield. I basically wanted to know if this is a good price and i just wanted to know any other information that you might have about this bike. Are there known problems? Is it hard to fix/get parts/find someone to fix it for me?
Your help is greatly appreciated. Thanks

 

most things are easy to fix. Parts are generally widely available as there are many production years and models that are interchangeable.

Known problems: like many 80's bikes, the second gear can go out (I am looking at you V65). Just shift into 2nd and hit it hard. If it doesn't slip, you're good.

Check the basic things; No leaks (check to make sure the engine looks "clean"), Headers aren't colored "rainbow-y" (This suggests running lean which leads to permanent damage to engine)

If all this checks out, and you have the bank, buy it. $750 is a great price for a fun (and fast) bike. Plus insurance will likely run you $80/yr with a decent driving record. 16000 miles is a relative new-born.

If you are mechanically 'new-born,' your first purchase should be a shop manual. Haynes or Yamaha or better: both. This will walk you through most repairs and you will get more confident as you go. Afterall it is a Yamaha and they are known for being easy to work on, unlike Hondas (I'm looking at you, Goldwing).

 

x2

SP which part of the world are you in?

 

Smashingpimp,

I'm relatively new here myself but can share a bit and others will chime in soon enough to give you some further direction.

1. Price sounds good if there is no major engine or cosmetic issues. If it's been well kept, I'd consider that a great price.

2. 16,000 miles would not be considered high mileage for this bike/engine

3. Regarding "known issues". I would say there are relatively few things that would be considered poor design, but there are certain things (fuse box) that should be done/upgraded simply do to the age of the bike.

From my reading here and elswhere the engine, when maintained properly, is nearly bulletproof. Depending on the previous owners maintenance routine, you may have a fair amount of maintenance catch up to do but it is for the most part fairly simple and the members here are very willing to help walk us newbs through these projects.

4. Finding a shop to work on the bike can be difficult and cost prohibitive from a labor charge standpoint. Nearly everyone here is the do-it-yourself type. Id recommend you use this site, and the availalbe manuals, resources to become one as well. Two benefits of doing your own work are a sense of satisfaction, and knowing it was done correctly.

Put your location in your profile. There may be someone right down the road from you that can help get you started. Possibly even look at and listen to the bike run to rule out any major problems.

 

Thanks for the help everyone. I'm in New London CT so i'll have to navigate this site a little more and see if there's anyone else in the general area. I have yet to see pics of the bike but the owner says that it runs and was kept in well maintained condition. The ad is posted on our intranet at work and there's a 90% chance that the person is a doctor so i'm assuming that it's been well taken care of. I'll try and find out some more information about the bike but it honestly all comes down to one thing, whether or not i can get the wife's approval :?
Any suggestions about that??? lol

 

remind her of the fuel mileage? maybe she always had a desire for a biker? tell her you need a hobby? Tell her you want it to go rides with her on the weekend (for a picnic)?

Use the angle best suited for the wife. I am lucky, my wife rides too.

 

I'll have to try some of those. I don't know if she'll buy the , "I need a hobby" thing though, she already complains that i spend too much time with my current hobby, (my car)
I'll see if i can convince her that she'd enjoy riding it and i'll say some sort of picnic idea to get her to like the bike lol

 

I have an '81 750 Seca that is rolling up on 42K miles. It's my daily ride to... well... pretty much everywhere. It starts first bump every morning, even on a cold day. About the only issue that I have with it is the carb jetting -- it has a K&N filter and 4-1 exhaust. I paid $825 for it, and the only thing I added was a new front tire and a windshield.

I would consider 16K fairly low mileage for that bike. Assuming that it's all stock, and doesn't have holes in the exhaust, you should have little to no problems with it. The driveshaft is damn near bulletproof.

My wife rides with me on the Seca all the time. It's not as comfortable as say, a Goldwing but it has plenty of power to carry two people. The rise on the seat is minimal, so it should be comfortable for the missus :-D

 

As far as whether or not it's a good buy for $750, if I were closer I'd buy it and I already have one!

 

nice thing bout these old bikes is it give you something to tinker with... you can chop it up or restore it and feel good about it... also if you crash it ... don't matter... it was paid for and your not stuck making payments on something that you can't ride