1982 Yamaha XJ550 review from United States of America

When I bought this bike brand new in 1982, it quickly developed a leaky head. That is that the head was porous and oil just seeped through. Yamaha fixed that under warranty.

I then put 32,000 miles on the bike with no issues until it needed an ignition module. That's pretty good if you ask me.

I guess you assume that I did all the maintenance on the bike, gas tires and oil, etc..

This was my first new motorcycle. This was also one of the best bikes I ever owned. Granted it was a 550. But, it was very quick, nimble and just a joy to ride every mile.

The XJ550 Seca was my only source of transportation for over three years. I rode it in every kind of weather you can imagine. I once rode about 300 miles in a freezing rain. That was miserable. But, the old Seca was reliable and stable.

As a tourer, I rode the Seca over a 1000 miles in one weekend from Friday night till Sunday. The seat was a shade harsh for that kind of riding but, I didn't know any different. The seating position was pretty perfect. The engine is what really shined. The 550 engine was smooth and revved up very quick. The YICS carbs were ahead of their time. Every motorcycle that I have owned since 1982 has been measured against the Seca, and many have been found wanting.

Awesome bike!