I need sympathy!

I am a simple person. I don't ask for much. Somehow, I have fallen into a motorcycle nightmare and I still haven't recoverd. Last year, I decided I wanted to get into motorcycles. It was a dream I've had for 20 years and it was time. I'm not wealthy. I'm a substitute teacher who works as a catering server part time. I worked double shifts for three months to save up and buy a bike. I specifically wanted something vintage. I looked around for months on craigslist asking my uncle and my cousin for advice. My cousin told me the right bike will find you. My uncle told me to buy something that was at the very least, running. One day I came across a picture of the 81 Seca with only 7000 miles. it was so pretty. I just had to have it. I called the guy up and he said he bought it off the original owner who was trying to get rid of it. It wasn't running but it did turn over. He also told me it was a solid bike that had rust in the tank but if you take care of that you'll have a solid daily driver. Nothing could have been further from the truth. I paid $1200 for that thing and took it home.
I immediately took it to the local shop and that's where the nightmare soon began. When I came back to hear there assessment of the bike I noticed there was a huge dent in the gas tank and the original paint job was ruined. I had to bring this to their attention rather then them telling me. Apparently one of their workers did it but tried to hide it. The owner agreed to repair it but made ME pay for the decals. The nerve! But whagt did I know. Before I did that I had the tank professionally cleaned. It was a 3 week process that cost 500 bucks. When I came back to get the tank the YAMAHA emblems were gone. He said that he burned them off when he had to heat the tank. He also said it was my responsibility to have taken them off in the first place. Do people like this really exist? I brought the tank back to the original shop where the owner said he would repair the dent and give it a new paint job. It took him 3 MONTHS to do that. He then overcharged what little service he did to the actual bike to probably take care of the cost of the paint job. Since I was a newbie I had no idea what was going on but in hindsight he basically charged me 350 bucks for an oil change.
So now it's February about 4 months after I initially purchased the bike and I still haven't done any riding. I failed the motorcycle course the first time but they gave me 60 days to retest and somehow with no practicing on a bike I came back and passed it. I still had no bike to ride after. Oddly enough, the guys at the shop rode my bike home and it was nice to see it running. That nightmare was over.
But the nightmare was just getting warmed up. As my friend and I went through the bike it was not rideable, not even close. I mean it started and everything but unless I was on a suicide mission there was no way. This bike needed SO MANY THINGS. I'm sure anyone who has restored an old bike could relate. The thing is, this was my first bike. I was suppose to be riding by now. WTF! Just to give you an idea of the many obstacles I had to face with this thing, the shocks were unusable so when I went to change them with some used ones I found on ebay the original owner welded the mufflers onto the sidearm so I had no way of taking the shocks off. So now I have to have a guy cut them off. Another situation was that the original owner or SOMEONE made the wheel speedo dysfunctional by bending the two tabs so that the speedometer wouldn't work. It was slowly becoming obvious that this bike had way more then 7000 miles on it. I have literally twenty to thirty more stories similar to this with this bike. It wasn't suppose to be this way!!!
I decided to call the original owner whose name was on the bill of sale just to have a little chat. He was actually a nice guy. He told me a little history of him and the bike. How he used it back in college and what not. I asked him how many miles he thinks was on the bike and he didn't want to give me a straight answer. I then asked him how much he sold the bike to the middle man whom I bought it from. $400 bucks. I couldn't believe it. I paid 3x that much.
But after 8 months the bike was finally rideable, not perfect, but rideable. I called up a friend and said let's take it for a spin. We went up into the canyons and my lack of experience combined with my pent up energy and excitement led me into a low side crash. That's right. I crashed it. The bike was basically okay but the original bikini fairing was destroyed and now the bike accumulated a host of other problems, dents, noises. Why is this happening to me?????
Now it has been nearly a year and the bike still needs a couple hundred dollars of repairs. It has an oil leak, the tires are old and I still have yet to cut the muffler off. I have put nearly 4k into this thing and what really sucks is that I'll see one of these Secas on craigslist perfectly running and beautiful for 2k. As an experiment I put my bike up for the same price. Not one phone call. I'm now stuck with a poorly running bike that drained 4k out of me. I don't have another bike to ride. I've become depressed because of this experience and there are days I just want to cry. It's Labor Day weekend and I could've gone up the Pacific Coast Highway on a motorcycle. Instead I'm here writing this pathetic letter. Not to sound sexist but this experience is very similar with the women I've dated. They're beautiful on the outside but they come with a ton of issues and drain all the money out of me.
At this point I don't really know what to do. I'm broke and I have a poorly running bike sitting in my backyard. I just wish I could somehow start over. This bike now represents so many bad memories all I want to do is take a sledgehammer to it. I've put in so many personal hours reading articles and watching youtube vids on how to repair bikes. I'm thankful for the knowledge but the experience has been overwhelming.
So, if any of you want to share your stories to make me feel better please do. I'm kind of at a low point. Thanks. Josh

 

Joshua Joshua. Sadly you're nowhere near the first person to be scammed like this, you won't be the last, but at least make it the last time you will be.
I think you can see where you went wrong - from the start, so I won't go over it all advising you of this and that.
What to do with it now?? Probably best to sell it, because you will likely allways resent it - unless - you believe it is now fixed and good - other than the accident damage? I do think though, given you haven't taken on any of the repairs yourself, you probably aren't likely to try to learn? The thing about mechanical work though is it's visual and largely logical, so anyone can do it - is this you?
You're never too old to learn, as a teacher you should know this. So the question first is, are you going to take this learning, and repair work on? If the answer is yes, fix the bike, learn to enjoy it, and keep it until you're old and grey.
Well done for baring your soul here, I don't know if I could have done it....

 

I appreciate your kindness. Baring my soul is kind of my nature. I guess I failed to mention that I took on ALL of the repairs myself because I was broke. I couldn't afford a mechanic even though I ended up going to one, two actually. In doing so I made so many costly mistakes. One of which is never buy used electrical parts. But some repairs I just couldn't do and ended up paying all those fees for mechanics. For example I snapped a screw while tightening it on a hot engine hoping it would stop an oil leak. I had to get it drilled out. Another 100 dollars... and I've made countless mistakes like this. I'll admit, I have a wealth of knowledge now concerning motorcycle repairs. I repaired the petcock by learning to sand the edges so that the gaskets would have a smoother service to seal against but that was after I bought 2 used ones both 20 bucks a pop. I accidentally made a hole in one of the diaphragms when attaching it. Another 20 bucks down the drain. The list is endless. Nevertheless, I do see a faint light in the distance. Still needs new tires and shocks, charging system is still weak and there is an oil leak which probably means I need new gaskets. More things to buy. All in all I could've bought a brand new bike or at least a vintage bike that was in way better shape. I can only hope that I get enough riding time out of this bike that can make up for themoney and time I've spent working on it. But now a ticking in the engine has appeared. Another problem. As far as selling it, well, like I said I put it up on CL for 2000 hoping someone would pay 1500 at the lowest and I haven't had a single phone call. So, I feel kind of forced to move forward. It's pure misery.

 

And that has a lot of value, that money was not entirely wasted. Minimutly has spelled out your options going forward.
Post us a pic. Lets see what you have. Members of this forum are the BEST the internet has to offer.
Let's get you riding!

 

Would love to. I still need new mufflers and a right side panel.

 

This kind of thing is hard because owning a motorcycle, especially and older one, will almost never work out financially, even if you are penny pinching and trying your best. It's a hobby that you're going to constantly put money into.

Now lets be real, you started out by over-paying for the bike, then had some professional services performed on it that would never increase the value. A good running XJ is likely worth around $1500-$2000 in great condition, and as BigFitz52 has posted in the past, you should always include about $600-800 for the basic recommissioning (no aesthetics). So you'll never get your money back on something like derusting the tank, professional paint jobs, or even new shocks. And I know, I've done it all to both of the XJs I owned.

Beyond that, there are just plenty of other newer, used motorcycles, that are way better performing, flooding the market everyday. So the only thing you can get for your hard work and money are the miles you put on the bike. If you want something that is more likely to limp around or could potentially sell if money was tight, get a beginner or sport bike that's much newer.

I've got to have over $4k into my Turbo Seca (which I bought for $250 in pieces). I recently bought a high mileage 2011 BMW K1300S for $4k, and it does everything I could ever ask of the Turbo and more. I couldn't get more than $2k out of the Turbo now unless I part it out (I've tried). When I was getting back into riding I bought a Seca 750 for $400. It took a year and a half of recommissioning (lots of time dreaming about painting it) before finally putting it on the road.

Barring all that, the money you have into it is a sunken cost. You aren't getting that back. The bike looks good, and you are getting to know it, so if it is worth it to you, ask questions on this site before you dig into another task but get it on the road, maintain it, and enjoy. The only other option is selling it cheap, as a problem bike with issues (looking at maybe $1000 or less) and moving on.

 

I understand everything you're saying. I decided to sell it. Let me know what you think of the craigslist add: https://losangeles.craigslist.org/sfv/mcy/d/1981-yamaha-xj550rh-seca/6688951163.html

 

Sad story should go in the PO file , never heard if welding muffler to the shock, that is original. This is why never take the PO word unless you know them . I have bought bikes and flipped them for a little profit , but also dumped money into them and lost money , done the same with cars , (BMW ..bring more whompem) break my wallet )
Point is I still don't have a ton invested (1/2 ton) but I intend to keep my Seca and I hope you can sell it on , and get another bike in better condition and enjoy riding.

 

Sincere sympathy, Joshua. I can't believe how bad the garages screwed you. Blaming you for things that they ruined seems highly unethical. Hopefully the gang here will be able to help you get on the road!

One issue with your ad is terminology. A side arm is a gun. Do you mean swingarm?

 

Joshua I understand all the problems you had with the bike. I once bought a Honda CB 250 when I was young and it was a non runner and I poured a considerable amount of money into it and eventually sold it for a very low price. But worse than that my sister bought a Nissan Micra which looked in excellent condition off a dealer in Scotland, she paid £7000.00 for it when the finance etc was all calculated and it eventually went to the scrap yard because it had been accident damaged and poorly repaired. She mistakenly assumed the car would be fine. I don't trust dealers or previous owners of vehicles and my sister especially learned the hard way but I hope you can get things sorted out. I have been a member of XJ4Ever since 2015 and if you need help there are plenty of people on here who will help you with mechanical or electrical problems, all the best.

 

If misery loves company, here's some more. I have been screwed over by dealers on a couple of Subarus that i have bought. One of them is currently leaking in my driveway. Spent $7000 on the thing, rear wiper and defroster has never worked, air conditioning is fried (hottest summer in history!), multiple oil leaks... And now the windshield is cracked...

Sometimes you bite the bear, sometimes the bear bites you...

 

Thanks Jetfixer. Yeah, that welding thing was just a jaw dropper. It just floored me. Just curious what does PO means?

 

Haha. Thanks for pointing that out. Maybe I secretly want a side arm to shoot myself with. It seems like it's come to that sometimes.

 

Thanks MattiThundrrr. I can honestly say I've had pretty good luck with vehicles until now. I'm currently driving a 96 Toyota Corolla with 256,000 miles on it that shows no signs of slowing down. I initially paid $800 for it. So, maybe it's time for a little splash of water on the face.

 

I have been ok most of the time but once in enough, that killed my trust in dealers. But on a positive note I am able to fix most things with cars and bikes and that has saved me a fortune over the last forty years.

 

PO is previous owner, there is thread on P.O. master pieces ...

 

I can't buy a new motorcycle that is in the same class as my XJ for less than $8,000.
At some point a new bike will need work done to it too.
There is much more to the worth of a thing than its resale price.

 

They are so reliable dispatch riders in London used to call them the Volvo of motorcycles.

 

Yeah, sometimes I have to remind myself that it's only money.

 

Which bike are you referring to? My Seca?

 

The XJ 900f Joshua they were referring too although all of the engines are well engineered.

 

Bike couriers have used a large variety of motorcycles, but yes, the XJ series, particularly the 650/750 were a fairly common site in most major UK city's, 80's/90's...well into the early 2000's...and yes, the XJ900F and later Diversions were popular too!!

I ran an XJ650, XJ750 and a Maxim 750......most of my XJ's went North of 120,000 miles (abused, maintained sparsely) until the dreaded shift fork/alternator chain guide breakup disease struck.....but once fixed, one of mine went on for another 120K.....for a total of 240,000 miles, still on the ORIGINAL driveshaft, albeit very clunky in 1st> 2nd......my others went to 140K, and the Maxim i sold on at 90K miles.....only my Kawasaki GT550's/750's came close, in reliability, although my chain drive GPz900R also hit 120,000 miles.......but not on the original chain!!

Other courier favorites were the Beemers.....especially the R90's,R100s but also the K 'brick' series, CX500's/650's and Vt500's.....occasionally you'd see a GT650 Suzuki shaft...one of my mates went round the clock.....twice!!

It wasn't unusual for bike (motorcycle) couriers to average anywhere from 50K miles a year, upto and beyond 100K......

 

Thanks for sharing. I wish I knew the exact mileage on my bike. It's definitely had a full life. Any chance you've heard of high mileage XJ550 Secas?

 

No...not specifically but it is a very similar/robust engine design.......

Mostly it was the shaft driven motorcycles that got (regularly) chosen as courier/dispatch bikes......not exclusively, but more than often.....

In fact there was a famous Manchester (UK) courier outfit that would ONLY hire shaft driven BMW riders......i was turned down, more than once, and proceeded to laugh my head off when I heard one of their riders BM's had 'expired' at a measly 90,000 miles......of course, i has to go round there, with my (then) 110,000 mile XJ750.......just to teach them a lesson.....like you do

 

Not sure, but the XJ550 was a bit different design in that it used a primary chain to drive the transmission instead of direct gears. This chain has a tendency to stretch and thereby eventually need replacing. I have a 30,000 mile 550 SECA with the tell tale symptom of a lumpy (irregular) idle sound. This is due to the hydraulic (uses engine's oil) tensioner which is not enough to off set the chain stretch at idle. At higher rpm the hydraulic pressure is strong enough for the tensioner to work more effectively. I am running my bike this way without issue. But I would guess this will limit the bikes overall service life.

 

Interesting you say that since I've heard Volvos are hard to work on too but very good cars nonetheless.

 

What limits service life is irreplaceable wear items. The primary chain is replaceable.

Unless you're using the thing to make money, in which case the limitation on service life includes R&R cost.

Take the machines running in the Motorcycle Cannonball as an example of how service life can be extended nearly indefinitely with due care.

 

K-moe they have a 1914 Harley Davidson in it. To be honest I have never heard of the Motorcycle Cannonball until now. Awesome keeping older machines servicable I like that.

 

If you're doing it right, an old bike costs as much as a new one. An old one allows you to trade some time for $$, and to make the payments without interest. Even the nicest old bike will have neglected servicing items.

BTW, I bought a new XS650 in 1983. I still have it and it's getting tired. At VYR, the guys behind me offered to wring out their clothes and put the oil back in my engine. Time for overhaul. I am my own dreaded PO!

 

Yikes! Get thee to an exorcist stat!

 

I know this post is a little old but I thought I'd update on changing the exhaust with that god forbid old one that was welded to the swing arm. In a nutshell, the new exhaust sounds awesome! I stumbled upon an Kerker 4 into 1 exhaust that literally says XJ on the muffler that a guy with a 550 parts bike sold to me for 65 bucks. The baffle inside was broken and I couldn't find a new one for it so I had a welder fix up the original in 10minutes. He didn't even charge me. Then my car mechanic cut off the old mufflers for free also!!! Note, bring your mechanic beers and sandwiches every once in a while. I bought some fiberglass wrap and wrapped the crap out of it and voila. The sound has a nice lower body bass sound that is just awesome. It is also waaaaaay lighter then what was on there. The original stock exhaust is HEAVY! I mean, like, really really heavy. I was also able to finally change the shocks and man this is a whole new bike!

Next: adjusting cam chain and valve job. Ugh! Almost there before this bike runs perfect.

Question: Can a lose cam chain and or bad valves affect the gas mileage? I still feel like I'm getting horrible gas mileage on it.

 

Yes