If there is one thing about me, I can’t resist a good offer. Be it a deal online, some rare antique that is undervalued at a yard sale, or an odd piece of tech at a local Goodwill, I am constantly tempted to indulge in collecting things that seem too good to pass up.
When Charlie offered me a 1982 Yamaha Seca Turbo because he needed to clear everything out of his house to move suddenly, I jumped at the occasion. After borrowing a truck, I hauled the lovely project home. Apparently this bike has changed hands a couple times in a non-operational state since it was last registered in 1999. I doubt it has run since that year, if not earlier. Upon a quick survey of the bike, I found that almost everything appeared to be there, which is rare for a bike this old which hasn’t run for about a third of its life. One thing I noticed right off though is that the right muffler that is attached to the wastegate of the turbo was missing. We’ll see what else I discover going forward.
The only known conditions that were communicated through the chain of owners was that there was fuel leaking from the carbs (likely float bowl needles) and an oil leak from the turbo (possibly a stuck check valve for the oil supply…or worse). Beyond that is anyone’s guess. After a bike becomes a certain age, and also sits for any amount of time, one can assume that almost anything rubber is brittle and on the brink of failure. After diving into it, we will see just how much that is true. Surprisingly, there appear to be brand new tires on it.
Here’s to hoping that this is a worthwhile project to take on.
–Ben
