XJ750 changes by year?

[Tryhard]

Anyone have any info?
a 1981 seems to have a 4 into 1 and an electronic looking warning system on the dash as apposed to a 1986 4 into 2 and a analog rev counter in the center of the dash.

Cant seem to find much online.

Whats the ride like on one of these as I'm looking for a budget buy to commute on and possibly restore for fun

[Warr]

Hi there TH .. I have 1Gig of XJ info originally compiled and distributed by a guy in Timaru .. I may think of his name later ....!

Here is a snipit of the intro ........ I have a couple of CD's of info I bought off him containing all info on the XJ range


General Information

Yamaha XJ1200/1100/900/750/700/650/600/550/400/250
The Yamaha XJ900/750/700/650 share the base air cooled inline DOHC four-cylinder shaft drive 5 speed powerplant, with adjustments to displacement. The first model introduced was the XJ650, which started in 1980 while the 750 was introduced in 1981. Lumped together, these are the most common of the XJ series. The XJ1100 engine was based on the earlier XS1100 series, and was also a 4 cylinder inline DOHC shaft drive. While the engines are similar, there are some major design differences internally from the 650 based machines.

The XJ550/600/400 are based on a different 4 cylinder air cooled inline DOHC powerplant with a 6 speed chain drive transmission. The 250 was only produced for 1 year, and had little similarity to it's bigger cousins. This line made it's debut with the 550 in 1981.

The XJ models in North America were either a Seca or a Maxim. The Seca is a sport-standard; meaning it is regular street bike with a sporty edge while the Maxim is a cruiser, but has a pretty standard riding position and is more of a cruiser-standard (whatever that means!). The original 650 was known as the Maxim I in North America, but was Seca-styled elsewhere in the world. North America didn't get the 650 Seca until 1982. Yamaha also produced a pair of twin cylinder XS400 bikes wearing the Seca and Maxim livery for North America.

Europe and Japan got a 'real' XJ400 -- a 4 cylinder Seca apparently based on the 550. Similarly, the XJ600, also based originally on the 550, was produced in 84 and 85, but was known as the FJ600 for the North American market. In later years, a new XJ600, with all-new frame and monoshock suspension was marketed as the Seca II in North America and the Diversion elsewhere. Somewhere along the line, Yamaha introduced the XJR1200 (a chain-drive based on the FJ1100/1200) that never made it to North America either. In 2001 that was replaced by the XJR1300 and the FJR1300. Oddly enough, the XJ1300 is the chain drive, and the FJR1300 is the shaft drive, a reversal of the convention used originally in North America. It will be interesting to see what they call the shaft drive when they finally bring it to North America in 2003.

The Seca 650 only lasted until 1982, but the 750 Seca was made at least until 1983 in the US, 1984 in Canada and Austral-Asia. The 750 Seca turned the motorcycle world on it's head when introduced in 81. From it's futuristic "Computer Monitor" to it's record breaking track times (with a shaft drive no less!) the 750 became a benchmark that other manufacturers had to meet.

The 84 750 Seca was actually based on the 1983 Seca 900, and shares everything but the engine with it's larger sibling. For some reason the 900 lasted only one year here, but production has continued sporadically to date in other parts of the world where it's now known as the Diversion.

The 750 Maxims were made from 1980 to 1983, and then the XJ700 Maxim was introduced for 1985 to 1986 model years. The XJ700 was only sold in North America, but US servicemen spread them around the world.

Also introduced in 1985 was the Maxim X, again only made for two years. It had a liquid cooled engine with five valves per cylinder based on the FZ750, but still shared the same bottom end and drive shaft unit as the other 650 based XJ's. The Maxim X was the fastest of the XJ series, as fast or faster than many sportbikes of its day.

Canada got the MaximX 750 in 1985-86. They only displaced 700 cc in the United States instead of 750cc because of the ITC tariff in place in the US. (The regular Maxim was downsized to 700cc's even in Canada, as Yamaha figured the sales numbers weren't worth the effort. In 86, the Non-X was discontinued in the US, but Canada still got it in 700cc's.) The tariff was an attempt to help out Harley Davidson Inc. and included all imported bikes above 700 cc's. Yamaha, in an effort to keep sales up and avoid excess taxation, downsized the XJ750 and came up with the XJ700N. It had the same features of it's slightly larger cousin but did not exceed the 700 cc limit. (In late 1986, U.S. Courts rules the embargo illegal and cancelled it. This is why the Maxim 700 was only available in 85 and 86. Owners of Maxim 700's now sort of own a piece of U.S. Legal history, and a "limited edition" (so to speak) bike.)

A standout of the XJ series was the Seca 650 Turbo, which was one of the few direct from the factory turbocharged motorcycles. It came with a full fairing and looked completely different from the Seca 650. The 1981 and 82 models are virtually identical, but in 1983 the boost pressure was increased for even greater kick.

Yamaha produced a few limited variations to common models over the years. There were Police versions of the 650 Seca, 750 Seca and the 900 Seca. The Japanese home market saw a fuel-injected 750D, and the 750A was a 650 Seca frame with a 750 engine installed. There are also rumours of a 900 Turbo, but this author has never seen it or any literature concerning it.

[BMWST?]

they were always ugly.....:shutup: The 650s were much nicer(lookin)

[Tryhard]

Hi there TH .. I have 1Gig of XJ info originally compiled and distributed by a guy in Timaru .. I may think of his name later ....!

Here is a snipit of the intro ........ I have a couple of CD's of info I bought off him containing all info on the XJ range

Must be this guy http://members.tripod.com/dave_jack/index.htm
I found this today

[Warr]

Yes thats him Dave from Timaru

[Bonez]

The first ones released here had a 4-2 exhaust exhaust system, electronic dash, retangular headlight, riding light and front brake master cylinder operated via a cable. http://classic-motorbikes.net/images/gallery/12409.jpg