Cycle News is a weekly magazine that covers all aspects of motorcycling including Supercross, Motocross and MotoGP as well as new motorcycles
Issue link: https://magazine.cyclenews.com/i/126509
into four sections that turn off as the tank reaches three-quarters full, half full and one·quarter full. If gas level faU~ tJelow one-quarter, another LCD rea:ds-"Fuel", and the red warning light flashes on. The system automatically lights each LCD in sequence just after the engine is started. as a system check, and the rider can recheck the system at any time by pushing a button. If the warning light comes on. and disturbs the rider, he can make it stop flashing or even go out completely by pushing another button once or twice. Then there is the anti-dive suspension. When the brakes are applied. brake fluid pressure activates a piston which pushes a spring which pushes a valve located on the side of the fork slider. The valve closes off a damping oil passageway, restricting oil flow and slowing fork compression. If the front wheel hits a bump while the brakes are on, the increased oil pressure caused by hitting the bump overcomes the valve spring pressure and forces the valve off its seat, allowing the forks to react to the bump. Using the system, the fork springs can be soft enough to respond to small bumps when the brakes are not applied and still avoid excessively rapid fork compression when the braltes aTe applied. After all, a sport bike shouldn't nose-dive at every hint of applying the brakes. And a sport bike should turn, which is why the Seca 750 has a 56.9 inch wheelbase. The big question is, does it work? Can a bike that comes with an onboard micro-computer, a fog light perched underneath the headlight, dual horns, padded handlebars and a cable·operated hydraulic front brake master cylinder hidden underneath the gas tank actually work for sport riding? Yes. The first thing the rider notices is the low (30 inch) seat height. The next , thing is that the engine maltes lots of power over 6000 rpm. After revving up the engine, slam on the brakes and the bike stops better than a machine that uses a cable-to-a-master-cylinder-to· hydraulic-braltes system should; It stops like a normal bike with good braltes. Except that the front forks don't compress rapidly or ~Iam down to their stops when the brakes are applied. even if the braltes are pulled on hard and sudden. Put on the brakes just before a bump and the pop-off-valve feature works. The forks don't lock up under braking, and do still respond to bumps. It has good cornering clearance, too. But the rider' still knows instantly that he is on a shaft-drive bike. The Yamaha is as good at controlling shaft drive torque reaction as any machine, but it doesn't feel like a chain-drive bike, and as good as it is it will neve.r match a chain drive machine in pure handling. The Yamaha Seca 750 has enough other advantages that the tiny handling idiosyncracies associated with its shaft drive will not matter to most people. The bike will even see success on the racetrack, and it seems fast enough, even if it doesn't come off the turns as hard as a Kawasaki or a Suzuki. . In all, it's a brilliant piece of work, far better than the XS750/XS850 and a worthy opponent for the other sporty bikes. After too many years of semichoppers and no sporting 750cc street bike, all we can say to Yamaha is "Welcome" and "Domo Arigator' (Thank you very muchl) • .-4 00 0') DID HE EVER· WITHE SUPERCROSSJ HE flNALL Y g~:rtt~'ES AT THE SEATTL BACKTOBA .-4 ' choice of boots Darrell s H· _point. & gloveS are , Point Dealer for See your HI- tItIon needs. all your compe CING PRODUCTS HI-POINT AArts company \ * RlC'"G * Penton I~:Ave.. lorain. oH ~95827 3709 w. D sacramento. 9604 OateS r.. The 6200 mile Paris to Dakar race. 1st 2nd Hubert Auriol BMW on Dunlop 3rd M. Merel Yamaha on Dunlop M. Bacou Yamaha on Dunlop 4th M. Fenouil BMW on Dunlop MDre qd.S ride . . DUllliop th.....oth.r tlrelft ... worIcI. ~ DUN~OP p.o. Box 1109. Buffala. NY 1OlO 17