Resurrecting Yamaha 750 Sportbike

1811 Views 28 Replies 8 Participants Last post by enos, May 19, 2006

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Discussion Starter · Mar 10, 2006

Whats up, Im Chris and am wanting to get my Grandpa's 1978 Yamaha 750 Sportbike up and running. He passed about 5 years ago and his bike is sitting in the garage rotting away. I need to do something with it.

What do you suggest for a bike that has been sitting for 10 years? Battery, tires, plugs, oil, carb rebuild? Is there a way to see if it is worth the money and not locked up? Throw in a battery and some oil with a bit in the plug holes and fire away? What kind of oil and how much do they take anyway?

Sorry guys, Im a car man. I just getting into the biking scene. Help me get this thing back on the road!

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RayOSV

· #2 · Mar 10, 2006

csiamanis said:
Whats up, Im Chris and am wanting to get my Grandpa's 1978 Yamaha 750 Sportbike up and running. He passed about 5 years ago and his bike is sitting in the garage rotting away. I need to do something with it.

What do you suggest for a bike that has been sitting for 10 years? Battery, tires, plugs, oil, carb rebuild? Is there a way to see if it is worth the money and not locked up? Throw in a battery and some oil with a bit in the plug holes and fire away? What kind of oil and how much do they take anyway?

Sorry guys, Im a car man. I just getting into the biking scene. Help me get this thing back on the road!

Everything you said would be good to do. If it was in running condition when put in the garage, nothing has likely seized. But, it was also close to 20 years old when parked.

I'd recommend motorcycle specific 10-40 oil and it should take about 3 quarts. Add brakes to your list. The fluid should be flushed and changed, pads checked, lines checked for cracking, and caliper pistons checked. Not sure what kind of clutch it has (cable or hydraulic), but that should be checked over and fluid changed if hydraulic. Air or water cooled? If water, coolant should be flushed and changed.

All of this is likely to cost several hundred in parts and labor you may not be able to do. Check your local Cycle Trader and Craig's list to see what those bikes are selling for in your area. That will help determine if it's worthwhile. Remember though, it will never be a modern sportbike if you get it back on the road. Have fun!!

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RayOSV

· #6 · Mar 10, 2006

csiamanis said:
Thanks guys. This info is of help. Some sites have been telling me to check the fork and oil it. What fork are we talking about? I am a automotive technology student and should be able to take of most of this stuff myself, yet is there things I should worry about handling?I only want it to be a weekend cruiser. Some sites have been telling me to get new pistons and rings and to hone out the cylinders. I can do the honing at the shop, but I do not want to put too much money into it. Let me know if you think of anything else!

Fork is the front suspension - one spring and damping on each side making the shape of a fork. Not sure exactly about your bike, but most have some sort of damping rod or cartridge with oil to smooth out the springs. It's like a shock or strut plus a spring. Not a bad idea to change the fork oil after so long. In order to do this, you're going to need rear and front stands or some other way to hold the bike up while you take the front forks off.

I wouldn't worry about pistons, rings, or cylinders until you know there's a problem. A compression test or leak down test will help tell the story there.

+1 on the shop manual. It will really help with what you're doing. Might want to check out the suggested maintenance schedule and see what we've missed.

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RayOSV

· #8 · Mar 11, 2006

csiamanis said:
Where can I get a repair manual from?

Is it an XS750 triple?

http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&...,GGLG:en&q=yamaha+XS750+repair+manual&spell=1

If you can find a Yamaha factory manual, that would probably be best. The Clymer and Haines manuals are sometimes not exactly accurate.

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RayOSV

· #18 · Mar 16, 2006

csiamanis said:
Also, I am having trouble getting the oil filter out of its housing. Is there a special way or is it just seized up? Thanks for the site!

Not sure what you mean by this. Is it a cartridge filter that is under a cover and you can't get the cover off? Is the manual clear on what should be done? Pic?

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