We've Got A Pulse!

I’ve been a bad blogger. My last post was over 6 months ago, and I have become the great procrastinator. I was considering waiting ‘til spring to start posting again, as there’s currently a few feet of snow on the ground and the temperature is way below the freezing mark – not exactly the right motivation to get me writing about motorcycles again, eh?

But then I got the buzz. Motorcycle magazines are featuring new models on their covers, bike shows are happening, and the annual hunt for new farkles is well under way.

But first, my excuse: I’ve been busy. I know: it’s weak. Life’s other priorities took control for a while, but I’ve now managed to take the reigns again.

The Yamaha is in pieces: frame, engine and wheels are in the garage, while the various body parts, seat, exhaust and suspension components are in the basement. What started out as a simple “freshening-up” of the ’82 Seca has turned into a full blown restoration. Why can’t I ever leave good enough alone? Must be some sort of affliction. I'm sure there's a support group for people like me. But I digress.

Winter is a great time for this kind of project... It’s not like I’m going to be riding it anytime soon – so I might as well take the opportunity to get to know my bike from the inside out. So I’ve converted a small corner of the basement into a parts cleaning/restoration/paint shop. The Seca doesn’t exactly look like a classic bike, at least not in the same way as a Bonneville or even a Honda CB750, but I’m hoping the makeover will give it a bit of that old charm.

By the first days of spring, the Seca will have traded it’s severly sunburned metallic red paint for a nice light beige taken from the Toyota paint catalog (same colour as available on the FJ Cruiser). The seat will have gone from the torn black vinyl to dark brown faux-kangaroo vinyl. And finally, all the shiny bits will have spent considerable time under the buffing wheel.

Mechanically, other than some basic maintenance like rebuilding the carbs, there really isn’t much required. I’ve ordered a nice new micro blade fusebox to replace the breakage prone OEM glass tube type one, and I may consider changing the big, round turnsignals for something a little more modern.

But that’s it as far as modifications go.

By the way, if anybody knows of someplace where you can get nice looking brown leather saddlebags, please let me know. I don’t want anything with metal studs or fringe – it would look out of place on an UJM. Plain, simple and functional is what I’m looking for here.

In the meantime, fiddling around on the bike has been a nice way to fend off the latest bout of cabin fever.