$7,000
Tampa, Florida
Category
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Engine
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Posted Over 1 Month
BET YOU DON'T HAVE ONE OF THESE!!! I have a very rare 1983 Yamaha Seca 650 Turbo with OEM hard saddlebags for sale. Bike is in excellent condition and I would not hesitate to ride it anywhere. It is 100% complete, new tires, steel braided brake lines, E.B.C. brake pads, Euro Gauge cluster that goes up to 150 miles per hour. (U.S. models only went up to 85). This is a real head turner and would make a nice addition to your collection. Recent 1st Place Trophy Winner at Webster Motorcycle Swap Meet.INFORMATION ABOUT YAMAHA SECA TURBO'S FROM WEBSITE1982/83 Yamaha XJ650 LJ/LK Seca TurboSuggested price in 1982 $4,999Suggested price in 1983 $3,500ENGINEType Air-cooled transverse turbocharged four-stroke in-line four/71 rwhpValve arrangement DOHC, 2 valves per cylinder, adjusting shims on top of bucketsCarburetion Four 30mm pressurized Mikuni CVsDisplacement 653ccDRIVE TRAINClutch Wet, multi-plate, 5-speedFinal Drive Shaft. 4.179:1CHASSISFront suspension 36mm Showa ('83: 37mm), 5.5 in. travel, adjustments for air pressureRear suspension Dual Showa dampers, 3.1 in wheel travel, adjustments for air pressure, rebound dampingFront tire 3.25 V19 Bridgestone Mag. Mopus L3030Rear tire 120/90 V18, Bridgestone Mag. Mopus G508Wet weight 565 lbs. (257 kg)Fuel capacity 4.2 gal. (15.75 L), '83: 5.2 gal. (19.5 L)PERFORMANCEAverage touring range 198 miles ('83: 246 miles)Best 1/4 mile acceleration 12.68 sec., 106.13 mph ( Cycle World , June 1982) 12.06 sec. 109.89 mph with wastegate deactivated ( Cycle World , July 1983)200 yd. top-gear accel. from 50 mph 74.5 mph terminal speedTotal production '82: approx 6500, '83: approx 1500Total imported into U.S. ?Best press quote: "The Turbo Seca transforms itself from motorcycle to superbike and back again with ease, and the transformation is simply controlled by the right wrist." Cycle World, June 1981Hot on the heels of Honda's CX500 Turbo, the Yamaha 650 Seca Turbo, despite its futuristic looks, was something totally different. With air instead of water cooling, four instead of two cylinders, and, interestingly of all, pressurized carbs in place of fuel injection, the blown Seca took an entirely different approach to what a turbocharged motorcycle should be.Many expressed doubts as to the durability of an air-cooled engine under duress of a turbocharger; those reservations would prove unfounded (80,000+ mile Seca Turbos that have never had major engine work or even blown a turbocharger are quite common). The pressurized carbs worked very well ("Best carbureted bike I've ever ridden" -- Bob Miller, President, T.M.I.O.A.).'82 Seca Turbos suffered from weak performance when they were initially introduced. Tired of being embarrassed by Honda CX500 Turbos in head-to-head tests Yamaha rushed out a "Power-Up" kit (free of charge!) that consisted of an inline boost pressure sensor/restrictor that fooled the turbo into thinking boost was lower than it was, and a washer that you stuck at the end of your right-side turbo exhaust muffler to increase back pressure. Both measures were designed to increase boost pressure and keep it in the cylinders longer. Peak boost went from an anemic 7 psi to a respectable 12 psi. The bad news for '82 Seca Turbo owners ('83 models came with the modification) is that Yamaha ran out of the kits in 1985. The good news is that you don't need it. Simply disconnect the vacuum hose leading to the wastegate actuator, clamp it shut, close up the hole in the actuator and experience the thrill of 14 psi. The poppet valve in the surge tank now serves as your "wastegate" to keep the engine from exploding. This also solves the problem of turbocharger wastegates failing to close, a common cause of power loss in Yamaha Turbos (blame it on the placement of the unit under the engine where it collects all sorts of road debris).The Power-Up Kit, thicker forks and a larger 5-gallon gas tank in 1983 helped sales somewhat, but a price drop to $3100 in 1984 (an '82 could be had for $2800) helped more to clear the floors of unwanted Seca Turbos. Average Seca Turbos go for $2,500-3,500. Low mileage bikes bring about $3,500 to $4,500 today. Showroom/museum examples may fetch $5,000, but Seca Turbos in such a state are extremely rare. '83 models, with their 1mm thicker forks and 1 gallon larger gas tanks bring more due to rarity and production numbers.
