My XJ750 Seca Rant

You may have read elsewhere and seen that I've been asking questions re an XJ750 Seca before buying it. After learning some things re the Seca, I'm giving Yamaha AN FFFFFFFF.

Yup, too bad I wasn't 'available' in 1981, in Japan, as I would have rode (a Seca?) to the Yamaha factory and told the president that his bike FAILED.

Why ? No engine should have to be removed from the bike, have the cases split, to fix a starter problem that should never have been an issue in the 1st place. 1000's of different starter types have been designed and made in the history of the engine. NONE of those engines have to be removed to fix the starter. What - are starters too difficult for Yamaha to copy one ? Many auto's, trucks, MCs, airplanes, will go hundreds of 1000's of miles, and the starter is not the thing which does or should fail 1st.

And then, to design and build such an engine-starter combination, and NOT put a kick starter on it is insanity. How much weight could it add ? A 1/4 gear, a shaft, bearing or 2, and a kicker, 2-3lbs ?

Insanity.

And while I'm on it, why do MC timing chains last so few miles ? Why are they such problems when I can drive a car (Toyota or an) 300,000 with the same timing chain ?

The rest of the bike is ok, but w/o a key ingredient like a starter, an F.

Can you imagine someone taking a Seca to AK and then stopping beside the road, in the winter, then it won't start ?

Insanity Yamaha.

 

Judging by the number of XJ's still on the road, I'd say Yamaha did a pretty decent job of things.
Personally I've never had the starter clutch issue.
You're reading too much into this.

 

I hope so, if I buy one. That's why my other post asks for data on how percent have this prob, and how the clutch fails when it does. In the past I've taken a bike on dirt roads, and I don't want to get stranded in the woods.

 

I hope you feel better now

 

good thing you did not look at an early virago starter


yamaha was trying to hit price points to gain a share in the market

1980 yamaha had the 650 and 1100 maxims
81 82 83 came the seca 750
82 maxim 750 built with seca dash 83 maxim750 built with 650 cluster

82 had a 650 seca just 1 year.

Yamahas bread and butter was the 650 maxim and the 550 maxim and seca

 

Maybe an XJ is not the bike that fits your needs.

 

The Xj series was (and still is ) among the most reliable machines of the era.
Pick a motorcyle (or any machine) and you will find flaws in the design somewhere.
When looking at forums, keep in mind that people post when they have a problem to solve, and typically don't post when everything is running fine.
The starter clutch is a minor issue, and while it's a pain to rebuild when needed you won't have to do it again for 30 years.

 

I have owned Kawasaki, Honda and a couple of yamaha's/ Buell , my seca is by far a favorite it checks all my needs . Shaft drive , style and power , smooth running 4 cylinder , most parts can still be found (xj4ever/eBay) . I'm a professional mechanic so most things I do myself as I have most tools required .

 

As a Professional mechanic you have one of the most important assets, that being a professional attitude. When something needs repair/replacement you can see it as a job, beginning, middle and end, done. Amateurs get all emotional and p'd off. The most difficult part of an unwanted job is to start, once I start I'm fine.
Note, My '79 XS11 had an e-start but also a kick starter and the lever was not on the shaft but came stored under the air box in the event of a weak battery or faulty starter motor.
Cheers, 50gary

 

Don't buy one... more parts for me.

 

I’m an average shade tree mechanic imo. Actually probably less than average. One of the things that brought me to the xj market was the seca gas tank. Man. Love it. Secondly is the fact they’re inexpensive because they’re so popular and plentiful.
Point is this. The bike is old and you should EXPECT things to be wrong even if it is a low mileage bike. You should expect, given the age, that most shops will have a very limited knowledge on how to work on them. That said, you should expect to learn to work on it yourself.
1–good bike
2– inexpensive
3– work on it yourself
4– have pride in what you’ve accomplished
5–. If #4 doesn’t happen then refer to #2 and buy whatever it is again to fix

I actually bought a cheap parts bike just to learn how to take the motor apart to fix said clutch issue. Not a hard job by any means. 30 minutes and the motor is out. The actual clutch replacement took probably a few hours total over a weekend after work.

If you like the bike then buy it.

 

get in line

 

I've decided to wait for another XS650.
Although that doesn't mean I wouldn't buy a Seca.
Thx for all the replies.

 

Plenty for sale in my neck of the woods. Good luck

 

Ok, so----I have about 65 or so bikes....about 60 of them are XJ's. NONE have needed a starter gear replaced. I HAVE had a TWO with the chatty gear, but in BOTH cases I swapped out the started and the issue was solved. So...MY stats ---0% have had the starter clutch issue. Issue with the starter itself....what's that, about 3%?

 

Thx for the info. Still would prefer another XS650...am looking.

 

Because owners rag the shit out of them.
Timing chains wear fast because of accelerative forces. You can run the same bike for hundreds of thousands of miles up and down freeways at steady speeds and the timing chain will hardly be worn at all. Take that bike and rag it around the back roads for a year or two and you can shag the chain in a few thousand miles or less.

I agree about the brain-dead starter chain design, though. Yamaha were so keen to keep the engine slim they were determined to have it all in there with nothing outside of that line.
Kickstarters had gone the way of the Dodo a few years before the first XJ though, so I'm not blaming them for that, but it would have been nice if there had been a kickstart variant for some market and we could fit those parts.

 

What would have been nice is if they had used a sprag clutch with a few more rollers on it.