Nothing fancy here, just a good, honest motorcycle in the classic UJM mold–in-line four, single disc brake, tube frame.

You probably wouldn?t think that new riders looking for a cheap and unintimidating starter bike would have much in common with budget-minded veterans who neither need nor want the expense and complexity of new models. But the requirements of both often seem to converge around middleweights from the mid-1990s. At the center of this particular Venn diagram is Yamaha?s Seca II, a bike whose modest specifications belie its versatility, and whose used price is such a bargain you almost can?t afford to not buy one.

The Seca?s 599cc engine has dual overhead cams, two valves per cylinder, four 28mm Mikuni carbs and a six-speed gearbox. There?s little in that list to make a sportbike rider?s heart beat faster, but that wasn?t what Yamaha was after. With 61 horsepower on tap, the 452-pound Seca is sufficient to introduce novice riders to the heady joys of acceleration while keeping the transportation-focused ones from becoming hood ornaments on the freeway.
Basic scheduled maintenance is usually all it takes to push the understressed Seca past the 50,000-mile mark.

What the Seca lacks in sheer excitement it makes up for in practicality, usually as a backup for your hot-blooded sportbike or your elephantine tourer. The Seca won?t take up much of your weekends with maintenance or repair; the understressed engine routinely sends the odometer past the ...