My Seca project

[smurfy71]

very nice!

be careful for flash rust though, make sure you clean the inside of the tank right before you apply the epoxy

I cleaned it Tuesday night, and went to seal it last night, but the tank was still wet in spots.

 

[willem]

I used my better half's hair dryer to dry it out in about 15 minutes

also having some warm weather will help, the sun can warm up the tank quite quickly as well

 

[smurfy71]

Stopped by the licence office today. Need to jump through some hoops to get the ownership. Get to play detective and try and find the current registered owner. He last validated it in 1993.

Oh, and they told me it is an 83, not an 82, value just went up!

 

[smurfy71]

So the bike is running, got to take it for a ride around the field on the weekend. I have found a shock, but will cost me about $100 when all is said and done. I have decided until I get an ownership for the bike I am not putting anymore $ into it. I will work on getting the engine running well, in the mean time.

 

[smurfy71]

I got some good news about the ownership today, a few less hoops to jump through.

Celebrated by ordering the shock. Bike is running great, can't wait to try it on the road.

 

[smurfy71]

Took her outside, and for a short ride up and down the lane. Took a few new pics. Going to need to find a way to straighten up those droopy rear turn signals, also need to find the plastics for the right side. Still waiting on the shock to arrive.

 

[Scorpio1963]

You might be able to replace the bushings or put some spacers to help them out.Other option would to just order some new ones.My bike is a sohc and the stems on the signals are long.I shorten them by a couple of inches and replaced the bushings on them.No more sagging signals.

 

[smurfy71]

Shock is at the post office waiting for me to pick it up. I'll do that today, but bass season opens this weekend, so it will wait until next week to get put on.

 

[smurfy71]

The project is moving along slower then I would have liked, but it's still moving. As it sits now:

I have welded the rear frame back together, shock is in, forks rebuilt, tires changed, and Dyna Beads for balancing. Now waiting on parts: new brake pads, brake piston and seals, relay for sidestand switch, and new handlebars.

 

[JaredK]

What kind of shock did you put in? Stock? I'm thinking of swapping mine out even though it only has 8500km on it (it's quite soft to begin with). Mine's a Maxim, but I'm not sure if the shock is the same as the Seca. The frame is, but maybe they put a sportier spring in the Seca?

Also, you opted to put the rear plastics back on? Kinda liked the look of the brake light under the seat and shortening up the tail a bit.

 

[smurfy71]

It was a stock shock I found on Kijiji. Haven't rode enough to say if I like it or not.

I took the bike for a safety check last week, they wouldn't safety it with the frame cut. I welded the piece back on. I actually like it better this way. Looks more finished.

 

[willem]

On the highest preload the rear shock is OK on the Seca (at least it was for me). Riding with a passenger it was a little soft still. If you were to replace something it should be the front fork springs imo.

 

[smurfy71]

I'm curious Willem, how much do you weigh? I'm 210 lbs, I set it to the highest preload and the limited riding I've done, it's not too bad.

 

[willem]

I'm about 170 lbs. Curious what JaredK weighs?

 

[JaredK]

On the highest preload the rear shock is OK on the Seca (at least it was for me). Riding with a passenger it was a little soft still. If you were to replace something it should be the front fork springs imo.

Yeah, my experience is about the same. I have it on 1 or 2 down from max preload (I'm about 150lbs), but it bottoms out if I'm not careful when I'm riding with a passenger, especially on lousy roads or gravel. I've thought about adding a small spacer by the spring to increase the preload (maybe some plastic from a cutting board).

I'm planning to put in some heavier oil in the forks to stiffen them up a bit, maybe 20w. My forks make a weird clunking sound when they rebound from bigger bumps. I haven't changed the fork oil since I've owned it, so I'm wondering if it might even be low on oil. I am also considering getting progressive springs, they're not too expensive. But one step at a time!

 

[JaredK]

I should note that I move it up to max preload when I have a passenger. Having it 1 or 2 steps down from max is what I prefer when riding solo.

 

[smurfy71]

Took it out for my first real ride on it. Runs well, could be better, but still good.

It has an odd vibration in the front. I don't think it was there before I did the fork seals, but there isn't much to screw up there. It feels like the tire is out of balance, but I used Dyna Beads for balancing, not wheel weights.

 

[16VGTIDave]

A tire imbalance, while possible, is unlikely with beads installed. A bent rim, warped rotor, loose wheel or steering bearings are more likely. Can you describe the vibration and when it occurs?

 

[smurfy71]

Seems worst when cruising, improves under acceleration. I presume as the weight transfers. Start to notice around 50kph, doesn't get worse with speed.

Like I said, started after doing forks, didn't notice it after tire change. Did a short test run after both. Felt it on last test, but thought it maybe the road. I live on a dirt road, today I was able to get it on asphalt.

 

[16VGTIDave]

If you removed the forks, then check their alignment and oil levels. While you have the forks loose, check the steering bearings for correct adjustment. You might be feeling a slight "head shake".

Also check the rear tire alignment and swing arm bearing play.