Posts by tag: Unrestored

Yamaha May 11, 2019 posted by Donn

Never Say Never – 1982 Yamaha XJ650 Seca Turbo

Someone bought-it-now Friday afternoon – a reader ? -donn

It was a short bandwagon but early 1980’s was the time for early turbo systems, and Yamaha developed the XJ-650 Turbo but resisted the urge to break the bank. This Phoenix example is quite clean with just a couple of foibles and barely 10,000 miles.

1982 Yamaha XJ650 Seca Turbo for sale on eBay

Using a relatively low-tech two valve four as a base, the blown 650 used carburetors instead of injection and was rated for 90 hp and 60 ft-lbs. torque. The YICS intake control system capitalized on the speed of the charge air to improve combustion. Air cooling limited boost to 7.7 lbs., adding a gentler push than some of the competition. Exhaust is simplified with one muffler dedicated to the wastegate, emissions kept quieter in the other single muffler. Despite the higher speeds and weight of the turbo bike, brakes weren’t upgraded from the normally aspirated model. Styling was one area where the Seca Turbo excelled, with and integrated fairing with a sport touring windscreen and locking glove boxes.

Averaging nearly 20 years for each of its two owners, this XJ650 Turbo has been only occasionally ridden, and looks very good. The undamaged fairings, pipes, and cases far outweigh the worn stitching and tired trim shown in the owner’s video – here –. Comments from the eBay auction:

I’m selling my 1982 Yamaha XJ650LJ Seca Turbo. Low Miles, 10,100 Miles. Excellent Condition. 2nd owner. This is the same type used in the James Bond Movie never say never. Recently serviced. Runs great! I also created a video of it running and a walk around.

James Bond’s stunt double shredded a Turbo in a chase scene early in 1983’s – Never Say Never Again – but the real Seca had a less sporty rep. The turbo era fizzled shortly afterward, along with a drop in fuel prices. But each solution had their good points – Yamaha’s showed how 25% more power could be achieved with relative simplicity. As presented, it’s a lot of bike for the fan, and for the buy-it-now.

-donn

Never Say Never – 1982 Yamaha XJ650 Seca Turbo

Honda April 16, 2019 posted by Donn

De-Stabilization – 1983 Honda CB1000F

This Florida owner shows a few other classic -80’s machines behind, but this unrestored CB1000F might be the one to cut away from the herd !

1983 Honda CB1100F for sale on eBay

Honda’s was looking deep into the corner and the vee-four 750 was brand new, but before the carburetted inline four left the sport category, displacement was increased to 1,062 cc’s and 38mm carbs delivered 110 hp. Just oversquare 69mm stroke kept torque up there at 72 ft.-lbs. Though still a typical twin-downtube, the chassis was beefed up and sported 39mm forks and a box-section swingarm. Dampers were premium with air-adjustable anti-dive forks and adjustable twin rear shocks. More UJM than sport, the 18-inch front and 17-inch rear wheel kept seat height low. Brakes reflected the 543 lbs. dry weight with three 296mm disks.

Obviously a fan from the looks of the garage, this owner has taken nice care of his reference CB1100F. The preservation of the deep blue paint and black engine finish is as rare as the factory black chrome exhaust. Just a few rubs tell of its 21,000 miles. The owner is correct that at this age, most have been disassembled, restored, and altered. From the eBay auction:

Original bodywork with original paint and factory original 4-2 black chrome exhaust. All in excellent condition with only minor imperfections. Tank is dent free with no trace of rust inside original key opens all the locks, tool kit and original owners manual included, seat is perfect, no nicks or anything. I put 3000 miles on it last year, just put on new tires, all carburetor O-rings have been changed, then carbs synced, only ethanol free gas used. new o-ring chain, old one was fine, but old is all, This bike is 100% ready to ride and enjoy, no modifications, just stock and original.

As you can see in the pictures, this bike is in excellent condition. hard to find one that has not been apart, repainted or screwed with especially in the awesome blue paint scheme. one minor scuff on right fairing, hard to get to show up in pics some oxidation under aluminum clear coat in spots as well, but a really nice bike, always get compliments. Tires are new Dunlops in original factory sizes.

Honda tweaked the CB1100F until it did pretty much everything well – it got high marks for usable power, stable handling, and comfortable cockpit. Answering the escalating power competition, it ran a quarter in just over 11 seconds, and Honda quality insured popularity. Starting out at a reasonable $4,900, this example should do better – last January a red one with less miles brought $9,350 at Mecum in Vegas. Sure to be a hit at a show or cruise night, this CB1100F marks a sweet spot in Honda history and owner care.

-donn

Yamaha March 3, 2019 posted by Donn

Engine Contract – 1985 Yamaha RZ500

Sold before we went to press, still worth a look – Donn

Like buyers of a Gulfstream business jet refer to their Pratt & Whitney engine maintenance agreement that just happened to come with an airplane, the Yamaha RZ500 was built around their smashing V-4 two-stroke. This one has some miles but looks to be in special condition.

1985 Yamaha RZ500 for sale on eBay

Yamaha had some very good years in the 500cc MotoGP days, and the RZ500 ( known elsewhere as the RD500LC ) used a lot of race-derived ideas. The engine is a masterpiece with the clutch gear-driven from twin crankshafts. The Yamaha Power Valve System tailors exhaust port position electronically, helping widen the power band and lower emissions on the way to 88 hp. The airbox surrounds the engine feeding four side-draft Mikunis, and water cooling is used to stabilize temperatures and limit noise.

The race bikes had gone to an aluminum DeltaBox frame, but the RZ kept the steel chassis, with semi-adjustable suspension on both ends, even anti-dive forks. Strong tire stagger of 16-inch front and 18-inch rear should make turning in just a thought exercise. A pillion is offered, but likely the painted cover doesn’t get removed often. Starting is kick only, engaging the rider right off the bat.

Appearing pretty stock, there’s no readily apparent damage, but with the 1999 registration sticker inactivity might be an issue. The ask is up there but in the middle of recent sales. The senior rider from Michigan gives a few thoughts in the eBay auction:

All original. Never messed with. Been in my collection, stored inside with all fuel drained. Miles are 22,691, odometer as you know reads kilometers as these were never imported into the U.S. due to the EPA. She’s a great ride and gets lots of attention. Time to let her go as I am turning 70 soon and have been letting a few of my prized bikes go. Tires are great.

After being built for only a few years and selectively marketed, the RZ has an outsized reputation and a has had nice amount of import activity. Yamaha stayed with the 500 two-stroke racer until 2002 when the FIM made them an offer they couldn’t refuse. It would’ve been nice to see more years of development in the street machine as well.

-donn

Ducati March 1, 2019 posted by Donn

Barn Bevel – 1982 Ducati 900SS

Toward the left side of the sportbike diorama you’ll find the Ducati Super Sports, with bevel-gear drive desmodue and long tubular frame. This example is one of the last before belt-driven cams arrived, and appears to be a special order with nickel plated chassis.

1982 Ducati 900 SS for sale on eBay

Close enough to be called a 900, the 864cc L-twin pushed 65 ponies with twin Dell’Orto 32mm carbs. Giorgetto Guigiaro and Ital Design had been enlisted to pen the mid-70’s 860GT, and the bevel’s crankcases have the angular shape then in vogue. The twin downtube frame used the engine to transfer loads to the swingarm connector, with Marzocchi dampers front and rear. Brakes were triple solid discs of 280mm diameter. The tank became more rounded than the GT, along with frame mounted fairing derived from the early -70’s racing bikes.

The El Paso dealer who offers this SS doesn’t delve into the history, but with just 7,500 miles it’s been accumulating barn dust for a while. The clear bevel-drive covers show that there was a fan in the list of previous owners. A vignette of Berliner Imports is in the auction, maybe they ordered it with the nickel plated frame as a display. Some selective cleaning has been done, but there’s more. From the eBay auction:

VERY RARE NICKEL PLATED FRAME LESS THAN 5 KNOWN TO EXIST WORLD WIDE HAS 7434 MILES GREAT CONDITION. BARN FIND WITH TEXAS TITLE. SEE PICTURES. BUY AS IS. GREAT CONDITION.

The bevels lost fans as other supersports caught up, but the bike reviewed as a stable high-speed platform, appropriately carburretted for the road. Ducati got busy with the MHR’s, and not so many Supersports were built in 1981-82. This one has great potential, maybe not monetarily with the buy-it-now, but maybe down the road. When sold for a little less and restored to perfection, this interesting 900SS might be the hit of an early sportbike show.

-donn

Suzuki January 23, 2019 posted by Donn

Quintessential – 1986 Suzuki GSX-R750

From its U.S. introductory year, this Suzuki GSX-R750 looks and acts the upstart role. This bad boy has been some rider’s favorite, with almost 33,000 miles and a tidy state of patina.

1986 Suzuki GSX-R750 for sale on eBay

Suzuki went all in on light weight and simplicity with the GSX-R750, and came up an air/oil-cooled winner. The additional oil pump for the Suzuki Advance Cooling weighed less and avoided the complexity of a water-cooling system, even if the oil cooler is nearly as big as a radiator. A nice round 100 hp was available, giving the lightweight alloy chassis a ruun for its money. Suzuki’s own suspension was used, the Posi Damp Fork being adjustable with early anti-dive, and Full Floater monoshock rear. The brakes are 310 mm with four pistion calipers, and the endurance template fairing has the serious twin headlight look.

This GSX-R comes out of Santa Fe, with easy access to miles and miles of two-lane, and has the odometer reading to show for it. Aside from a right-side slip and fall, it’s in good shape, complete and substantially original. The owner’s impressions from the eBay auction:

This is a bike that has been sympathetically preserved over the years as an original driver quality condition.

In other words, lots of patina but not unsightly. I would hesitate to restore this one because it just has a loved/used but not abused quality to it.

I bought it not too long ago but just landed two more motorcycles that I am more passionate about and I need the room.

Runs great, stops, shifts and doesn’t leak! New tires! New fork seals and battery.

Uncut rear fender! Original upholstery! Solo seat cover!

All the fairings appear original with only the nose appearing to have been replaced with a high end replica nose professionally painted with a proper decal kit.

The lower right side fairing appears to have been professionally repaired on the “blister” portion – naturally from having fallen over. Seamless repair/paint from the outside but inside the fairing you can see where the crack once was.

Rare stock pipe has only a small bit of rash on the rear that could be buffed out as it is not severe at all.

I will include a stock set of proper OEM period correct Suzuki grips as the bike currently has the foam type and I wanted it to be 100% factory.

The rest appears all original and solid with areas of wear and chips in paint etc…

Not a museum piece but just as stunning to look at and ride without being a trailer queen that you have to worry about.

While a minty example would be cool, there’s a lot to be said for a classic you can ride – if not without a care, without panic. Maybe a riding restoration – if you don’t have to pay extra for the patina. A lot of improvements could be made without taking it off the road, and ride the benefits…

-donn

BMW November 15, 2018 posted by Donn

The Venerable – 1976 BMW R90S

BMW attempted to put some pizazz in their stodgy 70’s reputation with their first S-bike in a while. The R90S had an improved powertrain, the usual excellent BMW build quality, and design by the up-and-coming Hans Muth. This example looks original but has had the works restored.

1976 BMW R90S for sale on eBay

Wanting to thrill and retain their existing customers, BMW stuck with the flat twin and bored the engine to 898cc’s and built cylinders for 9.5:1 compression resulting in 67 reliable hp. 38mm Dell’Orto carbs helped breathing through the two-valve heads. A second hydraulic front disk was added with the master cylinder still under the tank, and a steering damper is mounted on the triple clamp. A comfortable ride was afforded by the long chassis with typical shaft drive. After many years of black with white pinstripes, the factory “smoke” paint highlights were a revelation.

This S looks to be complete and pretty original, with 43K-plus miles there’s some patina, but more desirable than a new almost correct re-paint. The crash bars are a bit much but the engine and chassis re-build is what makes this a standout. A neat two-into-one exhaust, oil temperature and pressure gauges are a nice addition. Not mentioned in the notes, I think the cast wheels are a period update. From the eBay auction:

The bike is offered in excellent mechanical condition, fresh from service to ready the bike for sale. At 41,000 miles the bike was thoroughly mechanically restored. A full engine rebuild was undertaken with lightened flywheel, oversized pistons, new valves and guides, and dual plug heads were fitted. A deep oil sump was also installed. For added reliability a Dyna3 electronic ignition system was added with new upgraded coils.

The front suspension was rebuilt and progressive shocks were installed at the rear. The steering head bearings were replaced and a new steering damper fitted. The brakes were overhauled as well, rebuilding the master cylinder in the process. The electrical system was gone through and new switchgear installed on the right, powered by a fresh battery. Even the clock works! Heated grips were installed for some added comfort.

The original paint shows some blemishes here and there, most noticeably on the tank where the wearer’s jacket zipper has made contact and rubbed through a small patch. The paint is good, though, and showing nice patina rather than needing restoration. The side panels aren’t correct. The whole bike has an air of a super well-maintained and cherished machine, with no signs of neglect or abuse.

Revered for the boxer’s smoothness, the R90S had sporting aspirations and the importer’s race team took it all the way to the AMA Championship in 1976. Most were ridden more gently and burnished the reputation for reliability. Because of updates to the crankshaft and block, and drilled brake disks, the ’76 model was worth the wait. The combination of condition, originality, and maintenance might make this the R90S to go for…

-donn

Yamaha September 29, 2018 posted by Donn

Swimsuit Issue – 1977 Yamaha RD400

Mid-seventies the two-stroke era was winding down, most manufacturers were looking for ways to tie their new mid-size four strokes to their smoking forebears. Yamaha stretched it out, keeping the RD-400 in the line-up until 1980. For 1977 they offered cast wheels, all disk brakes and 14-second 1/4 miles.

1977 Yamaha RD400 for sale on eBay

In today’s era of jamming a lot of complication into a small engine, Yamaha’s air-cooled twin is a statement of simplicity – 44hp from 398cc without fuel injection, overhead valves, counterbalance shafts, etc. It still requires a poke with the right leg to start, though at least oil injection is standard. Light construction helped the RD make a quick getaway, the twin downtube frame, suspension and brakes are all right-sized for the mission and keep the fully-fueled weight well under 400 lbs. Historically noisy, Yamaha did what they could with the generous mufflers and airbox to quiet things down.

Looking a few years old rather than its decades, this RD has been carefully stored, and recently returned to rideability. This required rebuilds of the carburetors, oil injection pump, and brakes – refreshingly OEM parts are still available. What wasn’t required were cosmetics, which are excellent and original. From the eBay auction:

This is a 1977 Yamaha RD400 VIN # 1A1304892 Verified by Libby’s in New Haven, Conn.
In dry storage for 18 years.
Full disclosure right front fender is scratched. The front brake lever has been replaced.
The right muffler does not have any damage.
The gas tank has a minor dent in the pin stripe. There is no rust or paint chipping.
tank inside is perfect, no rusting no tank treatments . also new petcock valve OEM.
New chain and sprockets.
New front and rear brake calipers.
Rebuilt front brake master cylinder.
New rear brake master cylinder.
New tires.
New clutch cable.
Rebuilt carburetors
New TDR reed valves.
All new vent and fuel hoses.
New battery.
Rebuilt auto injection pump.
Too much to list. Original bodywork, pipes etc…
Starts 1st kick every time.

The RD400 was skinny all over – seat, tires, and powerband. But a blast if you stayed in the envelope, as reviewers claimed if it wasn’t lifting the front wheel in second gear, there was something wrong. As the other big three were in transition to lumbering four strokes, it out-performed the competition and undercut them on price. An unrestored bike of this age is unusual, as is this RD’s alternate color, interesting as Yamaha later adopted blue for their race teams…

-donn

Suzuki August 13, 2018 posted by Donn

Summer Fling – 1987 Suzuki GSX-R400

For 1987 Suzuki left the GSX-R400 substantially unchanged from ’86, but thankfully returned to the twin headlight fairing. In a catchy single-year iteration of Suzuki blue and white, Deftone Cycles has brought this GK-71F with low km’s and Ohio title.

1987 Suzuki GSX-R400 for sale on eBay

Suzuki had introduced the 400 Gixxer in 1984 and made steady improvements over the years, the ’86-87 models using water, oil, and air cooling to keep temps down. Since it was a JDM progressive license machine, horsepower was stuck at 59 by statute. Still the topped-off weight of just 365 lbs. made the most of the available ponies. An interesting concept was the Deca Brake system, with a separate brake pad for each caliper piston, ten in all, hoping to work around some unhelpful disk brake dynamics. New vents on the endurance fairing help draw heat out of the fairing and away from the rider.

As very few GSX-R400’s were exported by Suzuki, most recent arrivals have some cosmetic issues from long storage. Deftone has gone over the bike to insure trouble free running, but doesn’t try to gloss over the truth. A short cold start video is available – here –. This is a low-mile fighter that could easily be a lover with some TLC. Greg’s comments from the eBay auction:

8,484 Miles (13,653 Kilometers) Completely original and unrestored. Four stroke, transverse four cylinder, DOHC 4 valves per cylinder. One-year color scheme. Mechanically Sorted. All fluids are fresh. Shifts and revs to redline perfectly. Starts effortlessly every time. Very Honest Bike. Very few scratches overall. Left lower fairing is where most of the issues are. Please see Images. Fuel tank is Rust Free.

Having stayed mostly in the home market, Suzuki’s 400 gave ground in the period shoot-outs, but had their usual simpler, stronger, lighter cards to play. Now rarer, they often don’t have their original price advantage. But this one is more affordable, if there was ever a 400 to doll-up as you learn to ride a lightweight, this might be it…

-donn