Topic: 78 Yamaha 750 shaft drive

[medic09]

Anyone have experience with these bikes?

This one is immaculate, a little more than 14,000 miles, with fairing and bags.  A buddy wants $2000 for it, and I want to test ride it.

[bill440cars]

         No experience here, I haven't heard anything really Pro or Con on them. I wouldn't be much help to you. I would be interested to hear what folks have to say about them though.

                                                           Later on, Bill

[medic09]

Update:  I rode it for about 23 miles, on interstate in in town.  The fairing (a Vetter design) and hard bags are Yamaha original equipment.  The paint shows a few little chips and fading that a 30 year old bike will have.  I'd never ridden a shaft before, so it was a different experience than my other bikes.  At top end it accelerates more slowly than my 750K, but it kept climbing till I stopped pushing it at 90 mph.  It was a little wobbly above 75 mph, but there's strong crosswinds today and that big fairing is a bit of a sail.  I've also never ridden with a large fairing before, so that's a little different.  The shaft drive seems to respond more sensitively than a chain, and WOT is less throttle motion than on my Honda.

Hmmmm....

[bill440cars]

           Now, I have ridden an XS1100 (four & shaft drive) and it was very powerful. It was loaded w/ fairing and hard bags also. Quite impressive but the seller and I couldn't reach an agreeable price. That's been about 15yrs ago, or so.

                                                         Later on, Bill    

[crazypj]

It will need new fork springs as the front end was too soft without a fairing.
 Second gear was weak on early ones but most got changed under warranty
 The Mitsubishi carbs were never much fun but K & L Supply company now list alternative jets for them, if its running OK don't mess with it and keep fresh gas in there so they don't get clogged up
Needs a bit of a revving,  but sounds great .
 It takes a lot to push a 'greenhouse' to 90mph, remove fairing and try another test ride 
PJ

[Bar50]

I had one, needed carbs, it still sits to this day. 
Splash in some race gas or aviation gas at the end of you riding season to help with the carbs setting!  Works on lawn mowers and Weedeaters too, I promiss it is worth the $6 a gallon!

[medic09]

It will need new fork springs as the front end was too soft without a fairing.
 Second gear was weak on early ones but most got changed under warranty
 The Mitsubishi carbs were never much fun but K & L Supply company now list alternative jets for them, if its running OK don't mess with it and keep fresh gas in there so they don't get clogged up
Needs a bit of a revving,  but sounds great .
 It takes a lot to push a 'greenhouse' to 90mph, remove fairing and try another test ride 
PJ

This one's got Mikunis, I think.

In any case, it looks like reason wins out and I'm holding off on this for now...

Not forgotten, though.  It was a good ride.

[bryanj]

750's had doubtfull cranks on some batches, regulators and rectifiers give trouble and some gearboxes. 850 tripple is a better bike

[medic09]

Thanks, Bryanj.

Meanwhile, someone's waving a CB900F under my nose.

Temptations...(but little cash)!

[bryanj]

900F?, #$%* to do the shims on and needs using regularly or carbs go west otherwise any problems are "one offs"