How long will he last?

Alright, so I've cobbled together a 750 Seca that I bought from a co-worker with a passel of parts obtained from eBay and Chacal (thanks Len!).

All things considered, the bike is GREAT.

The good:
In spite of the 4-1 exhaust and pods, it doesn't run too lean, it pulls hard enough to make afraid that I'm going to slip off the back.

It doesn't smoke.

Starts easily, hot or cold, even in 20F degree weather.

It idles well (but could be a tad smoother).

I just tested the head bearings. The handle bars slip smoothly from left to right without a hint of binding. The fore-aft shake test reveals no slop. The wheel bearings seem fine.

The bad:
The engine (probably) has significantly more than 50k miles on it.

The plugs don't tan but they're not white. They just get this light, sooty ring around the tip which says my valve guides are worn.

The forks leak. I have the 750 Seca anti-dive units.

The valve train will require adjustment by the end of the riding season.

The front calipers should be flushed. Maybe rebuilt. Brake lines replaced.

The chain guide has broken off a piece which I had to fish out of the gearbox.

The engine drops a dime sized spot every time I park it. I haven't tracked it down yet.

Based on this assesment, how much life is left in this bike? I love it to death, but I really can't bear the thought of completely tearing it down and overhauling it. Not soon anyway. I live in a townhouse with no garage. If it'll survive a year or so until I can upgrade to a single-family home with a garage or workshop, I'll consider keeping it even if it needs that level of maintenance. The brakes, forks and valve train I'm willing to tackle and still keep the bike but if I have to yank the engine and split the case and all of that before I get into a real house...

I know these bikes are tough but there is a limit. What say you?

 

"you got to ask yourself...do you feel lucky? Well, do ya, punk?"

(Clint Eastwood as Dirty Harry)

IF you don't have the stupid chain guide explode on you, it should hold up fine. I would definitely check your valves, and flush the brakes completely if you're not going to replace the lines right away. If you don't know the condition of the valve train, I wouldn't wait for that one either. (Sound is not an acceptable diagnostic aid for that.)

What you're seeing on the plugs MAY be a result of the pods/exhaust mods and not necessarily cooked valve stem seals but at 50K it's something that will need to be done eventually.

What is your riding habit? Is this just a pleasure bike, or do you count on it as part of your households' transportation resources? How many miles are you going to put on it in that year?

 

I did check the valve clearances, I'm not going on sound. They are actually in spec, but they are on the tight edge of tolerance. That's why I feel safe in riding it until the end of summer.

I appreciate the data point on pods and valve stems.

Riding habits:

Um...I do tend to get into the throttle a bit. I like the rush of acceleration but once I hit the speed limit, I usually get off of it. I run between 50-75 mph when I'm on the super-slab but I usually try to ride the back roads. So yes, the engine does see high RPM's but I don't keep it there.

I have other vehicles to drive, but I'm riding the bike a lot because I enjoy it, and because it's very fuel efficient at 40 mpg.

You know, I'd even be willing to pull the head this year if I HAD to. I just don't want to pull the engine and split the case.