1981 Yamaha seca 750

Hey, hows everyone doing ?

I am a new rider since 6 months and I have an opportunity to buy a 1981 yamaha seca 750 in prestime condition from a rich guy who has other bikes too. I rode a 2010 honda cbr250 and 2015 suzuki gw250 but sold them. Someone on youtube wrote that " The torque while accelerating or decelerating can send you where you don't intend and is dangerous ".

Is this bike more difficult to handle and maneuver than a new bike ? Thanks !!

 

Welcome to the forum. I don't think that a xj750 Seca I have would ever let you down. I like the bike and don't think would do anything uncontrollable for a normal driver. This is a great starter or mid level bike. Once you get them running good they are very reliable motorcycles.

 

Hi, thanks so much for replying and the warm welcome ! but what is your view about what the guy said " The torque while accelerating or decelerating can send you where you don't intend and is dangerous ". Thanks

 

My thoughts are that fellow did not really know what he was talking about. In my experience the XJ series is one of the friendliest motorcycles to ride. They are the easiest to do the slow speeds for parking lot and riding test type riding I have been on. They do lack the "modes" of power delivery of the new bikes.

 

Thanks for your help and info. this is the bike

 

That is a nice, clean, unmolested looking bike. Well acquired. If you are nice to it and take good care of it and do reasonable maintenance it will last you a long, satisfying time and will take good care of you as well. They really don't require a lot, just reasonable care. Everything they do they do well without being "too much" of anything.

 

I think to answer your question; I see your statement of 6 months of seat time raises a red flag to me; a 750 cc bike is not a "beginners" bike.
The youtube comment was a cautionary statement to say that you could get in over your head very quickly if you are not careful, based on the limited rider ship you possess
With that said, buy the bike, learn, respect it, ride within your abilities, have fun, it (the bike) will give you years of service and good times

 

Thanks =)

 

I learned on my 750 Maxim and lived to tell the tale. If you are looking for trouble you'll be able to find it regardless of size. Really the only downside I think is the weight and the higher center of gravity compared to those 250's. I had a few oopsies when I was figuring out that whole balance thing. On the plus side, when I got on one of those Gz250's for the MSF course having the confidence to throw it around a little was a lot of fun.

 

Fwiw, I learned to ride on a Vespa 150.
That, at 60mph, was capable of dealing a death blow to a careless rider, and nearly did, once or twice.
Size only counts for how quickly you get to speeds that can have a serious impact if you get stupid.

 

Mine was a MZ 150. Didn't look that great but was cheap for parts.

 

I loved my MZ250 TS-1 (iirc). Great commuter bike, did 80mph and 80mpg on the trip to work and back for four years. Cost virtually nothing to run, and was reliable as a rock.
A decade later I tried another one, which wasn't the best of ideas.

 

I got it for work. Then I wanted to pass my test and get a bigger bike. Those Barum tyres were lethal though on wet roads.

 

Weren't they just? I finally wore them out and put a set of Pirellis on. What a difference - I discovered the humble 250 actually handled a lot lot better than I'd previously known.

 

Think l put Metzer's on mine.

 

I started on a Triumph t595 Daytona that I still have. Stupid thing to do, it had swapped cams, full racing exhaust, modified airbox and custom software. God level torque and loads of power combined with some idiots trickery all over the bike and stupid ergonomy and geometry of a poorly build fighter bike could have been a disaster. Clearly wasn't since I'm still aroun to tell the tale. Take it easy with the bike and practice with it until you know what to expect from her and what she expects from you and you'll be fine.

 

My '81 750 Seca was my 'starter bike' and it's still (well, again, there was a long layoff detailed in another thread) my main ride nearly 28 years later. If you redline it and dump the clutch, yeah, you'll be in some trouble. But I never found neither acceleration nor engine braking to be unpredictable. That is a really beautiful specimen you posted pics of. If you're into it, I say get it and respect it as you would any other potentially lethal weapon.

 

I moved to a 650 Maxim after my first two bikes, a 76 RD250 and an 83 Honda CM250C. Had no issues at all with adapting to it. The XJ bikes are a very well balanced bike and very easy to control. I had gotten my full license in '88 with the road test and slow maneuvers on the Honda, and I know that I wouldn't have had an issue doing it on the 650 if it was my bike at the time...

I wouldnt hesitate to suggest one of the mid sized XJ's for a first bike. That 750 is only abt 10hp more than the 650.