new motorcycle (not an update, this is new info)

ken k · Post by **ken k** » Fri Apr 11, 2008 11:26 pm

Well since i owe Uncle Sam some big bucks this year by April 15, I sold my mid life crisis bike (BMW R1150R in my avatar, which will soon be changed) and found an older and MUCH cheaper (and less expensive to insure and gas and hopefully maintain) 1981 Yamaha XJ550 Seca.

There is a local bike repairman who also is a vintage jap bike nut, and he fixes up old clunkers and sells them for a song. Hopefully the weather will cooperate this weekend and I can get some nice pix of it and post them here.

fun little screamer of a bike, a bit of culture shock after the BMW, but it will be a fun ride for this summer anyway until I can get a bigger bike. At these prices, I maybe able to have two bike who knows. Don't know what the boss will say about that though.

I took it out for a nice ride Thursday and can't wait for the weather to break abit more. We have just had a lot of dreary damp yucky days here in PA for that past 2 weeks or so.

ken k

bearphonium · Post by **bearphonium** » Sat Apr 12, 2008 10:54 am

Ken,
Enjoy your new ride, even if it means giving up an R1150R (drool). The Seca is a fun little scoot that you will enjoy. Here's to better riding weather!!

Ally"who finally got to ride yesterday after way too much PMS(parked motorcycle syndrome)"House

ken k · Post by **ken k** » Sat Apr 12, 2008 10:10 pm

yes I guesss I need to update my avatar....

done...

k

tubatooter1940 · Post by **tubatooter1940** » Mon Apr 14, 2008 6:26 am

I still get my 1976 Yamaha RD 400 out for a ride at least once a week. I am older now and cell phone wielding car and truck drivers make me increasingly nervous.
I stay to the back roads and try to reassure my family that I am not yet too big an idiot to ride.
Many bike mechanics around here collect old Yamaha parts and build usable bikes from them cheap.

ken k · Post by **ken k** » Mon Apr 14, 2008 8:19 am

tubatooter1940 wrote:I still get my 1976 Yamaha RD 400 out for a ride at least once a week. I am older now and cell phone wielding car and truck drivers make me increasingly nervous.
I stay to the back roads and try to reassure my family that I am not yet too big an idiot to ride.
Many bike mechanics around here collect old Yamaha parts and build usable bikes from them cheap.

Cool! From what I've read, the 550 Seca was designed to replace the RDs. The govt. was gettting stricter with their pollution regs and they had to stop making 2 strokes. They made a few oin the 80's but not too many.

I had an orange 1975 RD350 back in the day. They were fun bikes and this 550 is very similar. It has a 10K redline and once it get past 6K you had better be holding on!. Very similar to the RDs power band, only this one has useable power below 5000 rpm!

ken k

trseaman · Post by **trseaman** » Mon Apr 14, 2008 9:38 am

I haven't ridden a bike since high school (20+ yrs!) but I've wanted one for a long time. With the ever increasing price of gas maybe it's time to reconsider that thought???

But how would I carry my tuba? I guess a side-car would solve the problem!

Tim

bearphonium · Post by **bearphonium** » Mon Apr 14, 2008 11:03 am

Ken,
Nice bike!

Tim,
I haven't figured out how to transport my tuba on my bike. One of my M/C buddies wants to see me and my sousaphone on the bike! I only have a gig bag for my tuba, and there is NO WAY I'm risking any more dents by strapping it to the back of the bike.

Ally

ken k · Post by **ken k** » Mon Apr 14, 2008 1:36 pm

trseaman wrote:I haven't ridden a bike since high school (20+ yrs!) but I've wanted one for a long time. With the ever increasing price of gas maybe it's time to reconsider that thought???

But how would I carry my tuba? I guess a side-car would solve the problem!

Tim

definitely a side hack. I will be getting one of those eventually!

ken k

bearphonium · Post by **bearphonium** » Mon Apr 14, 2008 1:45 pm

C'mon, Scoob, you know you want to. What would Scooby do?

tubatooter1940 · Post by **tubatooter1940** » Mon Apr 14, 2008 1:51 pm

ken k wrote:
tubatooter1940 wrote:I still get my 1976 Yamaha RD 400 out for a ride at least once a week. I am older now and cell phone wielding car and truck drivers make me increasingly nervous.
I stay to the back roads and try to reassure my family that I am not yet too big an idiot to ride.
Many bike mechanics around here collect old Yamaha parts and build usable bikes from them cheap.
Cool! From what I've read, the 550 Seca was designed to replace the RDs. The govt. was gettting stricter with their pollution regs and they had to stop making 2 strokes. They made a few oin the 80's but not too many.

ken k

You are right about two stroke polution. People behind me are alarmed.My old bike only gets 30 miles per gallon or so but it is such a hoot to ride. Two strokers have sweet brakes because engine braking is not ideal.

trseaman, Riding 60 MPH with a guitar strapped to my back was very enlightening. I take the minivan when a tuba goes along.

MaryAnn · Post by **MaryAnn** » Mon Apr 14, 2008 4:06 pm

heh. I toted my VERY expensive violin on the back of my Honda 160 in the late 1960's in Bloomington Indiana. Bungeed crossways on the seat behind me. We never fell off.

Some years after that rode an RD 350 from Albany to Chicago and back....eh, don't do that; you end up with blood oozing from orifices that it should not. I learned first hand what "buzz" meant when applied to two-strokes as opposed to brass instruments. It meant "shake kidneys loose from what they are attached to."

I came really close to buying a Honda 250 something or other a couple weeks ago but luckily it was gone before I got there. Whew. My car gets 25 mpg but I sure would like to see 60 mpg again.

M "who-also-must-resist-bike" A

ken k · Post by **ken k** » Mon Apr 14, 2008 5:12 pm

bearphonium wrote:Ken,
Enjoy your new ride, even if it means giving up an R1150R (drool). The Seca is a fun little scoot that you will enjoy. Here's to better riding weather!!

Ally"who finally got to ride yesterday after way too much PMS(parked motorcycle syndrome)"House

Unfortunatley I owed the Uncle Sam big bucks this year and had to get the money somewhere, so i sold off the BMW and bought the Yammie and had over 5K left. I almost thought of getting anohter tuba... you do not have to insure it and oil changes are cheaper and can't get killed while playing it (unless you are playing really badly perhaps??/)

ken k

ken k · Post by **ken k** » Mon Apr 14, 2008 5:15 pm

trseaman wrote:I haven't ridden a bike since high school (20+ yrs!) but I've wanted one for a long time. With the ever increasing price of gas maybe it's time to reconsider that thought???

But how would I carry my tuba? I guess a side-car would solve the problem!

Tim

The new big scooters are very tempting Hnoda makes a Silverwing 600 and Suzuki makes a 400 and a 650 Burgman. those are BIG scooters.
you could strap a small tuba to the back of one of those.
k