1984 Seca - Should I buy? - Opinion Requested

[brackerman]

Hi all,

I am a beginner rider looking to purchase my first motorcycle. I was browsing Facebook for something on the cheaper and smaller side that I could hone my skills on and enjoy. I have already taken the basic rider's course and I have my license, just need the machine now.

I found a listing for a 1984 Yamaha Seca 400 at $600. It allegedly runs, has 20,478 miles, and has a clean title.
After speaking more with the seller, I was informed that the last time someone rode it was in 2020. The seller told me than they essentially bought it, put it into climate controlled storage, and then didn't get the opportunity to ride it ever and now is just trying to make their money back on it.

I am curious on your thoughts on the bike and whether you think it could be a good purchase.
If you have any thoughts on it, I would also appreciate things to look out for if/when I go look at it.

Also I read another post from someone picking up a similar bike and they mentioned resale value, but I don't really care about reselling it and really only care about the possibility of getting it to ride safely and somewhat smoothly to ride regularly.

 

[tstidham]

The 400s are great beginners bikes and just great bikes all around. I used to ride in my late teens to early 20s 40 years ago and decided to get back in it and bought my 78 xs400 four plus years ago and I'm still riding it. But then I always prefer the smaller displacement bikes myself. I've never had anything bigger than a 700cc.

 

[Travis]

A running bike with a title for $600? Buy it. Check the date on the tires and look for dry rot.

 

[GuyS]

Check the tires like Travis suggests. They will have a date stamp on them as well (it’s a number of 4 digits that gives the month and year of manufacture). If there are cracks or dry rot, don’t take any chances. Replace them.
I just bought a non running 1982 Yamaha Maxim. I am in the process of getting it running.
My thoughts are you should be prepared to do your own work on the bike mechanically. That is primarily being able to take the carbs out and clean/adjust them or deal with other mechanic issues as they arise. My bike is a real oddball being a 12R Maxim version of the bike. So far I’ve been able to find parts but I’ve had to search North America to find them.
The good news is these bikes were made to be repaired and serviced by the owner. Thats possibly less true with more modern bikes. Mine was a barn queen too and suffers from being not regularly run. They need to be! I’m redoing the front brake caliper “as we speak”. There is a huge amount of Youtube videos and information (like this website provides), to help with the process. 400cc is not going to be a screamer but yet has adequate power for hills and highway speeds. That’s all I need. I love the look of the bike.

 

[JPaganel]

Forget about resale value. This is a 40+ year old bike that is not highly collectible. Also, ignore whatever the seller tells you. "Ran when parked" is right up there with "check is in the mail", and "I swear ossifer, I had one beer".

You will need to do some maintenance on the bike. This is mostly elbow grease. Parts are not expensive, if you need any. The most expensive things are the tins and the tank. They don't make those any more.

Needing some work would not be a deal breaker for me. Old bikes is old bikes, and that's how this cookie crumbles.

At the very least you will need to clean carbs. You may luck out and they will work as is, but that's pretty regular maintenance on old bikes.

In addition to tires, check the carb holders. They are rubber as well, and can dry out and crack. That makes air leaks and bad idle.

Check inside of the tank. If it's clean, you are in luck. If it isn't, you will need to clean it, or the dirt will travel to the carbs and clog them.

Check the petcock/fuel valve. That also has rubber bits and may have dirt. And it's not a hard job.

Check brakes. If the rear is a drum, make sure the shoe linings aren't coming loose. Some old Yamahas had this problem. On hydraulic brakes, check fluid. Also, see if you can see a manufacture date on the hose. If it's original, it would probably be a good idea to replace it. It's cheap insurance.

I would also advise to check valve clearances. This is something that people tend to ignore until it actually causes a problem. It also isn't hard, just tedious.

Almost nothing on these bikes is hard to do. Well, unless a previous owner got real cute and you need to un-do.

 

[Lou Ranger]

I agree with JPaganel.
If there's old gas in it, drain it all and then, before you try and start it with new gas, disconnect the line at the carbs and flush it with a bit of new gas.
Then install an in-line gas-line filter. Then and only then, see how it runs.
You might get lucky, like I did with my Maxim 400, and never have to service your carbs for over 4 years. What a Godsend.