Yamaha Radian 600

[leveredge]

I'm thinking about going to look at an old 1986 Yamaha Radian 600 for a friend of my wife. Air cooled I-4 standard. It would be her 1st bike. She has rode my old GS450 a little and has passed the MSF BRC.
Any issues I should be aware of?
Still get parts for these old things?
I think it would be worth while to take a look at.

[vulcanbill]

I remember it being deceptively quick.  Good ergos for a first bike but more engine there than one would assume by looking at it methinks.  Not a dealbreaker, just something to be aware of.

[Tyrroneous]

I believe the Yamaha Seca II is a direct decendent of the Radian.  My Seca II made a good learner bike and it was used to teach myself and two others how to ride.  The motor was never too much to handle but was always adequate for whatever task was at hand (touring, scratching, etc.).  I think the Radian would make a fine first bike assuming it is in reliable condition.  

[JamesG]

Expect little things typical of older bikes.  Plasticy bits broken and dry rotted. Oil burning and weeping seals, that kind of thing.

Parts can still be gotten, but can take a while to source. The persistant, "saved"  search feature on ebay is awesome, and dealer/online ordered parts come from Japan or from dusty warehouses somewhere.

[Doug Just Doug]

I believe the Yamaha Seca II is a direct decendent of the Radian.  My Seca II made a good learner bike and it was used to teach myself and two others how to ride.  The motor was never too much to handle but was always adequate for whatever task was at hand (touring, scratching, etc.).  I think the Radian would make a fine first bike assuming it is in reliable condition.  

The Radian (YX600A) and Seca II weren't related; the Radian's engine is desended from the FJ600 and FZ600 IIRC and its frame was from the old '80s Seca 550.  A well-kept Radian was actually quicker and better handling than the much newer Seca II.  I bought a '90 Radian in '94 w/ 834 miles (!) on it, and put about 78K miles on it over ten years.  They're very reliable with a few well-known issues as they age such as head bearings, petcocks and carb boots -- nothing that's difficult to put right.  It's a fine beginner bike IMHO.  Just make sure the rider isn't very tall -- the Radian is a physically small bike.

[black hills]

The radian would be great, but a fazer would be better!!

[leveredge]

Thanks guys. It sounds like it would work. Going to take a look Sunday. We shall see.

[leveredge]

It's not a super powerhouse. 1980's 600 cc I-4. It's a nice little machine. It's a good size for her. Not real tall. You have to wind it up pretty good for any torque. I rode it around the guys development to make sure everything worked. It did! It would be a fine 1st bike for anybody. She took it home yesterday and has rode it already a little! She is missing the gear indicator of the Suzuki GS450l already.

[nevinfs327]

Nice ride.  I walk past one fairly often that was chained up and abandoned some time ago.  Often think I'd like to acquire it but I'm sure it would be cheaper in the long run to buy a solid runner.