New sister for the FJR (see pics)

[Leskid]

A couple weeks ago, I stumbled across a listing for an '82 Seca 650, which was my very first streetbike when I was 17. It's one of those rare finds where it's all original (original tires, even), just gathering dust in a retired fellow's garage (14K kms / 9K miles on the clock). After a full carb cleaning this past weekend, it starts if you so much as breathe on the starter button. It's so close to mint that I don't want to do anything duct-tape on it. I would love to blacken-up the engine and polish the cooling fins.

This is probably a stupid question but here goes:

Whenever I've read about someone repainting the engine and polishing the cooling fins, it's always while the engine is already torn-down. If the bike is fully assembled and I were to spend a couple hours with toothbrush, solvents etc.. to get the block really-really clean in all the nooks & crannies, is there a kind of black engine paint that could be brushed-into all the grooves with a fine artists paintbrush?

Next: if the above is possible, once it's dry, then couldn't one carefully sand & buff all the cooling fins and end-up with a decent job?

EDIT: or would it be better in reverse order?

If that's a stupid duct-tape approach, please advise. If it is a viable approach, hell, I would love to attack it this weekend.

RSVP - thanks

Rims, seat, paint, headers, chrome, plastic, forks, rear shocks etc… have no pitting, corrosion or fading. Generally-speaking, the whole bike gleams.

there is a visible scratch under the Seca emblem on the side cover and another scratch on the front fender.

Here you can see that it would be so much nicer if the engine were 'blacker'. The fins polished up in contrast would be sweet but I'm not going to break-open a virgin perfect engine for aesthetic purposes. You can see the aluminum cover on the end of the crank. It need polishing. That's the roughest spot on the entire bike.

Headlight, instruments, control pods, master cylinder, rubber boots & wiring harnesses & loom etc… all perfect & black (I can’t believe it). Those Canadian Tire mirrors have to go. I already took off the windscreen. It’s nice but it’s not original.

 

[BwanaDik]

Ah, first ya have to 'splain about the white latex gloves......

 

[Leskid]

Ah, first ya have to 'splain about the white latex gloves......

that's not me lol. That's the original owner, before I took delivery. Note his mint 66 Impala through the windscreen (drool)

 

[wfooshee]

Don't even try to paint that while it's assembled. You can't get it clean enough to paint, a brushed finish will never in a trillion tries ever be smooth, and it'd take years to even try it. Twenty minutes into it you'd see what I mean, change your mind, and then where ya gonna be?

 

[Checkswrecks]

Wow, what a find! Really pretty and those were great riders.

+1 to what Foosh said for painting the black is pretty true. I did it once with VERY careful use of a pressure sprayer (not close to ANY mating surfaces) and MEK, but even then it made the touch-ups stand out next to the original paint. I'd suggest going the other way. Try a little paint renewer from the car store, applied with Q-tips.

That alternator cover ought to clean up, but you're going to have to fight the clear coat. I'd mask off that original black before anything.

Look for dried out rubber and expect to replace donuts, boots, plug wires, brake hoses, etc.

 

[Leskid]

Well, you have to look right at it in the right light to notice it so I guess I'll just have to settle for it as-is. Glad I asked then, thanks!

Yup, already gone through the whole exercise with plug wires & caps. With that old YICS system, you need a special tool to do a proper carb balancing. Found a local guy who does color tuning and the YICS thing.

Fork oil & final drive oil are factory original too.... Rear brake pedal is a little mushy (DRUM BRAKE!) but aside from that, I don't see anything that needs any more attention. Front calipers slide OK and lever has good feel.

Still have a way to go but I hope to be riding her within a week.

thanks!

 

[Bungie]

First the CX now this. Your chronic!

Nice find though!

 

[exskibum]

Agree with wfooshee. Last time I did that (circa 1971), was on my '69 BSA, after I'd blown a hole in the right piston and while I was rebuilding the engine. Used a grinder, file and lots of emery cloth to square off and even out the ends of the fins (the castings on that were a lot more uneven than on that Seca), then polished them with a buffing wheel and cleaned the resulting gunk out. After prepping it with solvent to get all the grease and process remnants off, I used a crinkle black engine paint to spray between and on the fins, followed by wiping the polished fin ends clean with a solvent soaked rag. No way I can imagine doing a cosmetically adequate job with the engine in the bike, and that was an inline 2 cyl, not an I-4.

Downright gorgeous bike you scored, BTW. A friend bought one of those new (same as yours, in red) as his first real street bike when we lived in Tahoe City back then. I rode it on at least one occasion when we'd ride down to Nevada City on 89 to 49. Great little bike, but it sure made me appreciate the difference in comfort that displacement made -- I was riding a '78 Suzuki GS 1000EC back then.

Keep that good vintage moto-**** coming!

 

[Leskid]

First the CX now this. Your chronic!
Nice find though!

Sadly that CX is no longer in my possession. It was the same as this bike. I bought it expecting just to have some fun with it, spruce her-up and sell (hopefully not at a loss)

I'm tempted to keep this one. It's the most seriously cherry, all original bike I've ever seen. And it happens to be my first-ever streetbike.

Bah, I'll sell it. What the hell do I need 2 cars and 2 bikes for? But you are right Steve, I am chronic! I'm leaving at 1:00 to drive 100kms and take a look at this. I always wanted a katana After speaking with the owner, this one sounds like another great find - all original paint and runs like a top, so he says.

https://www.lespac.com/d-vehicules-motos-be...-KKKaZZ21073772

why did I ever start compulsive browsing of online ads* make it stop!!!!!!

* well, I found my FJR this way so I can't *****

 

[Rogue]

Nice find! I was a bike mechanic in the 80's and we used to spray the engine with WD-40 and it would make it look blacker for a while.

 

[Big Sky]

These old babes should be allowed to accumulate some "patina" as a testament to their age, in my opinion. My brother has an '86 700 Fazer that is pretty cherry but engine paint is fading. I tell him to leave it alone and keep it in exact original condition. Maybe I've watched too many episodes of Antique Roadshow but I have become an advocate of leaving the natural signs of age (no face lift for me, though it would probably make me look younger).