1978 Yamaha XS750SE Special
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 17 พ.ย. 2024
- One of my favorites, I ride this one more than any of my others. This isn't the one I bought new, but it's the same year, model, and color. I went on a 5 week trip with a friend on his new Triple in '78, they ran flawlessly. The retail prices for these bikes are very reasonable, but good ones will be harder to find and will cost more. If you buy one that needs work, you'll need tools and mechanical skills, but once they're done, they're very reliable. The online Yamaha Triples Club is a great source of information on these bikes. - Rick
I am rebuilding an xs 750 SE Special from 1981 and will use yours as the example. Without the backpack rack of course😉 Very beautyfull machine you got there. Keep it!
I had purchased a New XS750 in 1978 in Utah for about $2100. I loved the bike and drove it cross country from California to New England then back to California tru Canada. I had to sell it in 1980 when I got married. I miss it dearly. Thanks for posting the video.
Thanks for the pointers on the petcock.
I bought a left-over of this model in May of 1979. It was a sweet ride, but after only 4 weeks I crashed it, then spent the next 2+ years in and out of surgery. I never saw the bike again. That was 40 years ago this summer. Ride smart, ride safe.
You did a wonderful job on this video. Thank you very much for taking the time
Reluctantly, I sold this bike two summers ago. The carbs simply refused to stay in tune or stop leaking, and after rebuilding and re-syncing them 8 times, I finally gave up and sold it. It ran good when he got it, that's the best I could do. Time has passed and I don't think there's much activity on the Yamaha Triples website. I'm only purchasing bikes now that are fuel injected!
One of the main problems with the Mikuni carburetors on these bikes is the only float valve needles available were steel tipped. I just saw on mikesxs.com they have viton or rubber tipped needles. If these were available several years ago then I wouldn't have sold my 750 Special.
I had one of these. From 1985 to maybe 1990. I beat the hell out of it too. Tough, reliable bike.
If you had the manual and the tool kit that came with it (under the seat), you could perform most maintenance tasks on it, including tightening the timing chain.
the xs 750 SE Special is rare....you'll find the xs 600 850 1100 but the 750 is rare, hard to find in a functioning state. The 3 cilinder that will always run and sings a different song everytime you let it run idle.....like music. Stock only..highest value, good investment.
Georgeous bike.
Awe man... I had two of these... and did experience the petcock engine seize on my first. So my second had all the good components of both. But my first, was my one bike I miss.
Excellent! Thank you 🙂
Best, most fun bike I ever had.
I had a 250 Enduro also a Yamaha. Then I thought I was a real man when I got on one of these. I actually wanted the '79 or 80 with the alloy rear grab rail instead of that tubular one which kind of didn't look as refined. However, interest rates in the early '80s when I was in the Navy were about 25% and I didn't qualify for financing, for either the 750 or 650 and they gave me a pathtic little xs400 and I was 6 ft 200lbs. I was 17 and it was nice of them to keep my safety in mind. 8 months later guess who calls the Yamaha dealer? They wanted to know if I was still alive and interested in a 750. I took one look at that beast and said heck yes. Well, I'm from California and I was in Virginia. I toured the entire Eastern sea board with that thing. The 650 was faster or at least quicker off the line as a couple of guys on my ship had the 650s and we would drag race. Eventually the slop in the drive shaft got so bad that I blew first gear. The dealership wanted big bucks to repair the transmission. So I said forget it and bought a car. But I'll never forget that bike. My buddy Chris Mahoney was from NYC. We did the 10hour ride up from VA to New york. His family lived in the Bronx and let me tell you NYC in the early 80s was a dangerous place. His sister Corrine was a knock out and we just hit it off from the word go. Isn't human chemistry inexplicable? The only thing we had in common was being catholic. I'm dark and she was a fair maiden. I thought no way, "she's playing with my mind". During dinner Chris's Dad sensed the static and was quick to put me in my place and in no uncertain words. One day she showed up in Norfolk and it wasn't to see her brother Chris. Thank you XS 750 Special. Special indeed.
Great video! Thanks
Pretty quick bike,
I noticed that you didnt set the petcock position to prime. When would you do that? Also, I now own a 1979 Xs750 special, so should I start it in the prime position the to the fuel on position which appears to be straight up and down?
Thanks for posting this video. I picked one up as my first bike just a few weeks ago. Runs great, but had to replace the gaskets on the carbs due to them leaking gas. Seems like I might also have the gas leak from the petcock that you described and will check that out also. Is there any way to check to see if I do?
Hi Mitch- Be sure to replace the stock vacuum petcocks( if your bike still has them) with manual ones from MikesXS.com , and shut them off every time you park the bike. You can get rubber caps for the vacuum tubes on the cylinder head as you don't need them anymore. The steel float needles don't completely seal and "gasoil" can happen, plus they can overflow the float bowls and make a mess through the airbox. Enjoy your bike, I sold this one last March. Great bike.
Hi¡ Great content, i Was wondering ir you could please tell me Where you bought the engine components? I just bought a 79’ special with The same “gasoil” problem. Thanks
It depends if the gas-oil was run until the engine seized, that's how I got this bike. I had to buy a good replacement crank and a set of rods on eBay, avoid parts that have turned blue from the heat. You'll need to be a good mechanic to take the engine apart and replace the damaged parts. Buy a manual. You can leave part of the transmission in the case half. Replace both the rod and main bearings, and you'll need a complete gasket set. Don't bother trying to rebuild the stock petcocks, buy a set of manual petcocks from MikesXS.com . One of the problems with these is the factory carb float valves are steel tipped. That's the way they all came, and it's not unusual to have them leak,.Do some research and find viton or rubber tipped float valves. Mikes XS may have them. You'll have to grind 2 of the cam chain pins to separate it so you can remove the head, I think Yamaha still sells a replacement chain link. Good luck. - Rick
@@ricklesliej hey! i'm very thankful for your feedback Rick. i'll keep you posted!
A looker !
I'm mechanically inclined but not a mechanic. Could you tell me how you modified the petcock? Was there any custom machining involved? Kit?
Thanks.
I didn't modify the stock petcocks, I replaced them with manual petcocks from MikesXS., there's no machining involved they fit right on.
I just got one of these running for $400 with a clean title. Only problem is, I have the fuel in the oil you were just talking about. What should I do about that? I'm also missing pieces. Where would you recommend I look for parts?
The problem is called gas-oil. The stock petcocks go bad and allow fuel to enter the engine and dilutes the crankcase oil. If it's been run that way there may already be damage. Drain the oil and smell it. If there's a gas smell, the petcock(s) are leaking. If there's tiny metallic looking stuff in the drain oil it could be main or rod bearings are bad. MikesXS sells manual petcocks, buy 2 of them and replace the stock ones. Be sure to turn the petcocks off every time you stop running the bike. The Yamaha parts supply has pretty much dried up by now, you may be able to find some parts, try eBay for other parts. Good luck.
Would you recommend one of these for a beginner? There’s one near me that runs but it’s in kinda rough shape. They’re only asking $400. I know parts can be hard to come by. I’d like to get something I can work on myself and possibly turn into a cafe racer.
NO, I wouldn't recommend this bike to a beginner. When running properly these are pretty fast bikes. Read the other posts to see what problems take place.Too many of these bikes get the rear frame cut-off to make a "cafe" bike and then the owner realizes that was a big mistake and the bike then sits behind the house for years. A Honda 250 Rebel would be a great first bike. It only has one carb so that's a no-brainer. Take a motorcycle safety course. Ride it for two seasons and then maybe sell it and get a bigger bike. Have fun and stay alert on the road.
Where do I get the rebuild kit for the engine
I don't know of a rebuild kit. You might still be able to get a gasket kit. There probably aren't many bearing kits left as the gasoil problem ruins either main, rod, or both bearings and the supply now is probably very low. Rings should still be available, not sure about pistons. Mike'sXS may have some parts, he is mostly a xs650 supplier. The Yamaha dealer may have some parts for sale. Keep searching on eBay, and the internet. If the engine won't turn over, suspect the gasoil problem, stuck bearings, not a top end problem, check the engine oil by smelling for gas. Check to see if the original petcocks have been changed to manuals. Changing the crank, rods and main and rod bearings requires splitting the cases. The carbs on these triples are notorious leakers, finally a fix is available from Mike'sXS in the form of rubber tipped float valve needles. Yamaha only had steel needles and they were terrible. Good luck - Rick
Where do I get the manual shut off
MikesXS.com or eBay
Looks like Utah mountains