Any opinons or experiences with either of these two bikes?

[northsidegz]

Been feeling like the GZ just doesn't quite meet my needs out on the highway. I do a big mix of rushhour/highway travel where I can go from 3mph to 70mph. I've owned the GZ since August and it was a great first bike for me, but just thinking it's time to move on. A shop in town has 2 bikes for sale both around $700 a piece. He's cleaned them up, taken care of them (fluids, tires, all is good) and is ready to move them out.

1981 Yamaha Seca 750
1983 Kawasaki Spectre 550

Does anybody have any comments about either of those bikes they'd like to share? :) Many thanks in advance.

[bonehead]

Just looked at a pic of the yamaha. Paralell 4's = 4 carbs to keep in sync. I once owned a honda 750 and 900. Great bikes. And screamers!. Just depends on what you want. Old school, or new technology. 900 was shaft and 750 was chain. I personally will not own a chain bike again.

[jonathan180iq]

Any particular reason you are looking at these two bikes? Is this just what happens to be available locally?

The reason I ask is because there are tons of good bikes out there in the price range and category you are looking at.
Everything from 400cc up to 750 in different skins and all made by different manufacturers.
What exactly are you looking for? Highway cruising? Riding up and down mountains? Passing in any gear?

I love the Secas but they didn't really start whetting my appetite until the early 90s. There were a couple of mid-range bikes that are super cheap now, like the Honda Ascot and the old Vulcan, in both 500 and 750. A buddy of mine has an 86 750 Vulcan and that thing was very smooth and comfy when I rode it back for him after he bought it. Great little everything bike. Easy to maneuver in town and very solid and stable on the highway. Decent mileage too.... something like 52mpg was the first tank after we cleaned it all up.

http://www.usabobbers.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/2006-Kawasaki-Vulcan750d-1.jpeg
Shaft drive


Also, for slightly newer bikes, the Kawasaki made a class throw-back called the W-650 that was super awesome but didn't sell well enough to keep them on the market. They can be had for the price of a 250.

http://dayerses.com/data_images/posts/kawasaki-w-650/kawasaki-w-650-04.jpg

There are also loads of GS500s and the air/oil cooled Katanas out there for cheap and they a little more modern rides.

[northsidegz]

Thanks for the comments and recommendations so far!

To be quite honest, I really don't know what I "want." But I don't do much in town travelling really. And I don't do any touring either. My motorcycle is pretty much my daily driver to-and-from work (often in rush hour).

Whatever I get, the bike has to ride well on the highway and good in traffic (as needed). My wife is NOT going to ride with me on back for quite a while, so I think whichever bike I get, I'll have it for a few years before she's ever willing to ride with me. So, really, it just needs to hold my 5'10" 220lbs (hopefully losing pounds along the way) body and keep up with traffic. Also, I want a bike that will merge well on ramps and off ramps. The GZ struggles there rather mightily IMHO because it doesn't seem to go from 45-60 as fast as a car will when merging.

In terms of a "feel for a bike"..... I had a GS450 (the only other bike I've ever ridden besides a GZ) and I like the feel of that one. But it had been chopped, lowered and bobbed. But I like the feel of having the handlebars at my mid-chest level (like the GS450 bobber I had) moreso than lower chest (like my GZ today). I also want to keep the engine to a lower displacement. I'm not ready for too big of a bike. Just need to be able to dodge 60-65mph traffic from time to time and be able to merge more quickly.

A Vulcan has also been recommended to me. Especially because of the ride/handlebar feel.

I'd probably have to try out both the Seca and Spectre to know if they're what I'm looking for. Links are below if anyone is interested.


http://minneapolis.craigslist.org/dak/mcy/3128130891.html

http://minneapolis.craigslist.org/dak/mcy/3093770337.html

[northsidegz]

Oh, I was going to mention, for me, personally anyway, I would rather spend $1,000 less (for something like a Seca, or whatever the case is), if it meets my needs in the areas of performance. The whole handlebar comfort level thing is not worth an extra $1,000 to me. For example, the GZ is a fine ride. It's not uncomfortable. It's just not "as" comfortable as the GS450 that I compared it to. But I wouldn't necessarily want to spend an extra $1,000 to have that comfort. Hopefully that makes sense in some way.

[jonathan180iq]

For the price..... either of those bikes will make you very happy, so long as they don't have some sort of lie hidden in the post somewhere. I mean, they both say they are freshly tuned up and ready to ride. Either way, you to need to inspect the gas tanks for rust and the vacuum lines for deterioration. Also check the condition of the tires. Any sidewall cracks and you need to keep negotiating.

Based on what you are saying you need, I can't think of a bike better suited for you than the Vulcan 750. It's not get-in-trouble-fast. It's powerful when you need to avoid something strong. Great bike.

http://minneapolis.craigslist.org/ank/m ... 04073.html (http://minneapolis.craigslist.org/ank/mcy/3147404073.html)

[frempath]

I have owned several Maxim's over the years.
It is the same as the Seca, but on a cruiser frame.

In short, I loved them. Rip your helmet off power, good economy, low maintenance.

Would get one in a moment if the price was right.

I've looked at the spectres, never found the right one, but I have not heard anything bad about them.
They are Kawasaki's take on the same theme as Maxim.

With Regards,

[northsidegz]

Thanks for the comments! :) So far, have not purchased another bike yet.

[blaine]

This is the predecessor of the Vulcan.A 1990 454 LTD (en450).Same engine as the Vulcan & Ninja.It will beat cruisers twice it's size & gets 60 mpg.


http://s17.postimage.org/yny4rah2z/yada.jpg (http://postimage.org/image/yny4rah2z/)

[northsidegz]

Thanks for the comments everyone! I ended up purchasing a 1998 Kawasaki Vulcan 800A for $1,500. Definitely feels like a bigger bike to say the least. I can already tell a positive difference when merging in traffic on the onramps, etc. It is exactly what I need as compared to the GZ for the type of riding I do. Will be posting the GZ for sale at some point soon. Just got to give it an oil change (it's about due in 500 miles) and reinstall the throttle side handlebar balancer (bar end) that had come off. Fortunately there's a topic on the bar end reinstall that looks helpful! :)

[PimpS]

Congrats northsidegz!!! Thumbs up!!!

[Water Warrior 2]

It didn't happen unless we get pics. It's the law.......................honest.

[northsidegz]

It didn't happen unless we get pics. It's the law.......................honest.

Ok, so I kept meaning to take a picture during the day this weekend and guess what? Didn't happen. O_o So, while I personally can't stand it when folks take pictures of their motorcycles in the garage with dim lighting, that's exactly what I did anyway. :tongue: At some point, I'll get better pictures on here.



http://s15.postimage.org/l00jw0eaf/008.jpg (http://postimage.org/image/l00jw0eaf/)


http://s7.postimage.org/vlo1vi9uv/005.jpg (http://postimage.org/image/vlo1vi9uv/)

[Water Warrior 2]

Nice. Now I will have to do a search to find out more about the bike. Congrats and never worry about indoor pics. The garage is where the bike calls home.

[PimpS]

Nice! Although I'm a fan of fatter front tires, I can imagine how great must be on your bike! ;)

[northsidegz]

WW: The vulcan has a pretty decent following over at vulcanforums.com. Naturally, there's a fair amount of always new discussions about pipes and rejetting. Funny story there (kinda?).... My Vulcan has Cobra pipes. When I bought it, I asked the guy if it had been rejetted for the pipes and he was bewildered as though I was speaking a foreign language.

Pimps: Yeah, I'm trying to decide if I like the skinnier tire, or not. I like the look, but it does feel a bit bumpier on the road than I expected. The guy who sold it to me said it was recommended to him to reset(?) the spokes as they're a little off right now and that "bumpiness" feeling is a little more pronounced. I know very little about resetting spokes (haven't read anything on it), so I may just have to have that done when I have it winterized.

[Water Warrior 2]

Slip over to vulcanforums.com and ask about tightening the spokes yourself. The only tool needed is a spoke wrench. As for winterizing the bike they can let you know if there are any tips to use on the bike. In all likelyhood it is much the same as a GZ. Get a Battery Tender and just top up the battery once a month for an hour. Oh yeah, liquid cooled, you may want to do the coolant change just to keep on top of things.
Drive shaft?????????????? you may want to change the gear oil if it has one. Belt ???? I can't quite remember. Hmm, on second thought I'll go with a belt.
Just read a short bit about the 800. It has quite a potent engine. Don't grab too big a handful of throttle until you have more time in the saddle. Overall it sounds like a real nice ride.

[northsidegz]

Thanks for the recommendations! (and yes, it is a belt drive) :) Changing the coolant looks to be pretty basic on the Vulcan, so it's best I do that now than risk any issues (I can't remember what the prior owner said in regard to when he last changed it even though we talked about it). Thanks for mentioning.

So far my only real complaint on the Vulcan is the fork lock. Ugh. It is not easy to use (and it would seem I'm not alone with that complaint). I definitely like the GZ's fork lock much better. In fact, I like it 100 times better easily.

[Water Warrior 2]

While you are doing the coolant change you may want to check the coolant hoses to make sure they are snugged up. All it takes is one loose hose to spoil your day.

[Maggie]

It didn't happen unless we get pics. It's the law.......................honest.

Ok, so I kept meaning to take a picture during the day this weekend and guess what? Didn't happen. O_o So, while I personally can't stand it when folks take pictures of their motorcycles in the garage with dim lighting, that's exactly what I did anyway. :tongue: At some point, I'll get better pictures on here.



http://s15.postimage.org/l00jw0eaf/008.jpg (http://postimage.org/image/l00jw0eaf/)


http://s7.postimage.org/vlo1vi9uv/005.jpg (http://postimage.org/image/vlo1vi9uv/)
Nice! And when do you ride the scooter on the right of the pic? :poke2: :biggrin:

[Water Warrior 2]

It didn't happen unless we get pics. It's the law.......................honest.

Ok, so I kept meaning to take a picture during the day this weekend and guess what? Didn't happen. O_o So, while I personally can't stand it when folks take pictures of their motorcycles in the garage with dim lighting, that's exactly what I did anyway. :tongue: At some point, I'll get better pictures on here.



http://s15.postimage.org/l00jw0eaf/008.jpg (http://postimage.org/image/l00jw0eaf/)


http://s7.postimage.org/vlo1vi9uv/005.jpg (http://postimage.org/image/vlo1vi9uv/)
Nice! And when do you ride the scooter on the right of the pic? :poke2: :biggrin:

Hush Maggie. It's his little secret. :whistle: :whistle: :whistle:

[northsidegz]

Nice! And when do you ride the scooter on the right of the pic? :poke2: :biggrin:

LOL. :biggrin:

Actually, I'll give props to http://www.fatwheels.com for making great training wheels. My oldest daughter has some disabilities that limit her ability to ride a bike with normal training whees, but these fatwheels are pretty awesome. Whodda thunk? Until my wife found them we weren't sure quite what we were going to do because she really wanted to ride a bike and your typical special needs bicycle costs a fortune (says me with my two motorcycles :whistle: ).