Lusting after older bikes

I'm just getting back into riding; bought an '82 Suzuki GS650GL, which
is in the shop having a couple of safety items fixed.

I've been finding lots of sites with older bikes out there and have
taken a fancy to late 60's, 70's and 80's models that seem to have more
character than today's bikes... seems like every one out there now
wants to look like a Harley only meatier.

Now, I'm not against Harley's and would own one if I could afford it,
but I find the older bikes have more visual and differentiating
character even if during various model years Yamaha's bubba-buster
looked like Honda's flapmaster.

I could owning an 80's Suzuki GS1100E, 70's Yamaha RD400 and others.
Granted, I would prefer them completely restored which could prove
expensive... hmmm, maybe a Harley doesn't cost so much, after all :)-

I've seen the sigs here from posters and it looks like I'm not alone in
liking older bikes.

Cool. I want a 1979 Honda CBX.
For what, I don't know? I suspect parts are impossible to come by.
Someone posted on this NG that they owned one, just recently.

There are plenty of really nice older bikes out there at dirt cheap
prices as long as you buy locally from something like a newspaper
classified ad. Bike sales on the internet have a whole new higher
price range because of the amount of potential customers...but you
have more bikes to choose from if you're willing to travel.

Nice thing with the internet is all the support groups for specific
older bikes. Parts are easy to come by as there are online junkyards
that specialize in older bikes and there is always ebay for a never
ending supply of bike parts. Many of the older bikes have a huge cult
following which means plenty of new modern performance upgrades.

If you stick with a classic Honda, odds are good your local dealer
will be able to order most necessary mechanical parts needed to keep
the bike running. On the other hand, Yamaha tends to abandon older
models quickly.

I disagree. I have no problems getting parts for my old Yamaha (1978) dirt
bikes. Maybe street bikes are a different story, but there are still a lot
of RD350s out there as well as the 650s.

The Suzuki dirt bike is a whole other story. It is almost impossible to
find parts. Right now I need brake shoes and I am having a real hard time.

Bryan,

EBC for some dumb reason recently stopped making a number of older
brake shoes, although they still make pads. Since EBC is the favored
manufacturer of a whole lot of online sellers, that is probably
why your having problems.

I think classic bikes are just as cool as any classic muscle car.
Personally if I had to get rid of one bike, my Hayabusa would be
kicked to the curb in a heart beat over either of my Honda CXTs.

George
CX500 TURBO
CX650 TURBO
'86 Elite 150 Deluxe
'04 Hayabusa

No, you're not. My interest is in the Kawasaki KZ series and I have two
now, both 1979 KZ650s. The second one I took for its first road test in
many years last night. There are some things still to sort out and I have
to do the DMV tango, but this one is on the road to redemption.

With older bikes, one has to expect such things as brakes of varying
effectiveness, finicky ignition systems, aging electrics, carburetion of
suspect engineering as the goal was to meet EPA/CARB regulations as easily
as possible, and years of neglect or outright abuse. People have worked
out corrections for many of the more popular models and the Web has been a
great enabler for those of us wrenching on these older machines.

But as long as you remember friends like Boyer-Brandsen/Newtronic, EBC,
and know where to get universal replacement parts for some bits, it's
not that bad :)

In a world flooded with "me too" cruiser individuality, it's nice to be
truly different and individual. People are more frequently noticing these
old classic rides. It's nice to get the unsolicited "nice bike!"

- Nate >>

It's TRUE, it's TRUE!

I've always had a hankering for old iron. Right now I've got one from
each decade I've been alive (except the '80s and '90s):

'56 Harley FLH
'65 Triumph TR6R
'72 Honda CB500
'01 BMW R1100S

(I shoulda kept the '86 BMW K75 and the '93 Ducati 900SS to have EVERY
decade represented.)

As much as I enjoy the old rides though, it's the BMW that gets ridden
the most. There's a lot to be said for the comfort, reliability,
performance and starting ease of a modern motorcycle . . . .

-pooder was here when he shoulda been out riding