There is a part of me that would like have to been a bit older in the early 80s, and one of the reasons would have to be all the turbochargers that were being bolted onto motorcycles by OEMs. The theory behind turbocharging is simple: making horsepower out of exhaust. For a short period of time in the 80s, the big four from Japan were all doing it. Yamaha’s offering was the XJ650LJ Seca.
The Seca Turbo produced an incredible-for-the-time 90 horsepower out of its 653cc DOHC inline 4 engine. Interestingly, Kawasaki’s competition (the ZX750E1) utilized fuel injection along with a turbo. That, in conjunction with the bigger displacement of 750cc, made for a faster bike, but for me, the Seca’s styling draws me in and make me forget about the additional maintenance of cleaning carbs. Unfortunately, high insurance rates for these turbo bikes were one of several reasons why they disappeared from the 80’s market almost as quickly as they entered it.
Luckily we can still enjoy them now, and according to this seller you “won’t find a cleaner turbo”. I would have a hard time arguing that. With zero rust, a freshly cleaned fuel system including the carbs, and only 6,300 miles, this is a rare find. Find this Yamaha XJ650LJ Seca for sale in Peoria, Arizona for $4,250 here on Craigslist.