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clutchpuck posted:New bikes aren't usually worth the extra money and depreciation hit anyhow, unless it's an uncommon model that you just have to have. As someone who's bought 6 new bikes and 5 used ones... There are good reasons to do both depending on your financial situation, what bike it is, why you want it, etc. The trick is to not be an idiot either way. That's really all it comes down to.
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Sep 17, 2013 21:49
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Spiffness posted:As someone who's bought 6 new bikes and 5 used ones... As someone who buys your new bikes as used bikes from you at heavy discount, you're the best.
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Sep 17, 2013 22:32
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Razzled posted:Hey guys, I'm new to cycles in general. I want something that I can work on/fix up and enjoy but it's also gotta be something relatively cheap, I was thinking something like a Honda Shadow 500. I have very basic mechanic skills (can do pretty much all the basic maintenance work on my car-- oil, brakes, bumpers, headlights etc) but would like to use the opportunity to tinker with a motorcycle to improve them as well as have fun riding it. This got skipped over but: I'm not sure what bike you're thinking of. The Shadow is a cruiser. I'm not sure it was ever made in a 500 displacement. A Shadow 600 or 750 is not a bad bike and shouldn't be bad to get parts for if it's <25 years old or so. Older Hondas can be surprisingly hard to find parts for as Honda felt the need to change little poo poo every model year for no apparent reason. Newer years are better in this respect. If I was getting a newer bike to tinker with I'd look at something like a KLR650 - single cylinder is simple, everything's big and easy to get to, no fairings to deal with, parts are super easy to find. Of course this assumes you fit on a KLR650.
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Sep 17, 2013 22:41
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They had the 'VT500' engine which was also shared with the Ascot. Just about everything else is different. Some (of the earlier Ascots) are thumpers, some are twins. All are fun to ride, and none are fun to maintain.
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Sep 17, 2013 22:57
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Snowdens Secret posted:Of course this assumes you fit on a KLR650. Everybody fits on a KLR. The question is how roomy it's going to be.
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Sep 17, 2013 22:59
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Snowdens Secret posted:This got skipped over but: My problem with Dual Sports is mostly I don't like the way they look. I'm not a big fan of dirt bikes in general. My dream bike would be something like a Ducati Sport 1000, not necessarily that hardware, but that style and look of the bike.
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Sep 18, 2013 01:08
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Razzled posted:My problem with Dual Sports is mostly I don't like the way they look. I'm not a big fan of dirt bikes in general. My dream bike would be something like a Ducati Sport 1000, not necessarily that hardware, but that style and look of the bike. You could try looking for a Honda GB500 or Yamaha SRX600 if you want an older, cheaper retro looking bike.
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Sep 18, 2013 07:47
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Razzled posted:My problem with Dual Sports is mostly I don't like the way they look. I'm not a big fan of dirt bikes in general. My dream bike would be something like a Ducati Sport 1000, not necessarily that hardware, but that style and look of the bike. Well, there's the Honda CB1100, which has a nice retro UJM look, or you could go nuts with a Moto Guzzi V7 Racer, which is absolutely gorgeous. It also has a 7-cylinder V-configured engine, which would be completely awesome and also probably unworkable if true.
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Sep 18, 2013 17:54
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captainOrbital posted:It also has a 7-cylinder V-configured engine, which would be completely awesome and also probably unworkable if true. quote:But I, being poor, have only my dreams; I have spread my dreams under your feet; Tread softly because you tread on my dreams.
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Sep 18, 2013 18:07
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Had to look up the v7 specs just then, a 750cc v-twin that makes 50hp and a dry weight of 180kg. Well I'd imagine the performance is quite leisurely then, shame they're so pretty.
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Sep 19, 2013 00:00
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Aargh posted:Had to look up the v7 specs just then, a 750cc v-twin that makes 50hp and a dry weight of 180kg. Well I'd imagine the performance is quite leisurely then, shame they're so pretty. Most of the reviews have been positive though, it's comparable to the bonneville. They pretty much all warn not to expect blistering performance though, just enjoy the sound and the scenery.
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Sep 19, 2013 10:40
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captainOrbital posted:Moto Guzzi V7 Racer, which is absolutely gorgeous. It also has a 7-cylinder V-configured engine, which would be completely awesome and also probably unworkable if true. Uhh...what 
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Sep 19, 2013 10:53
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There's a new black and gold V7 in the bike shop in my neighbourhood. They've had it for ages and I sometimes think about making a ridiculous lowball offer on it.Linedance posted:just enjoy the sound and the scenery. Exactly. Also you can get this fairing/seat kit for it: 
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Sep 19, 2013 11:27
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The other side has six tiny cylinders.
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Sep 19, 2013 14:23
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Well at least they use tiny valve springs like normal people.
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Sep 19, 2013 15:43
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I test rode a V7 about 6 months ago. I hate them. I hate them with every fiber of my being, they're boring, sound boring, handle real nice, plenty of power. BORING. I can't begin imagining how they made something SO BEAUTIFUL so absolutely soulless. If the V7 said "Honda" on the side they would sell 100 million of the things.
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Sep 19, 2013 18:43
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PadreScout posted:so absolutely soulless. Don't talk about soul or HNasty and n8r will show up with their terrible opinions.
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Sep 19, 2013 18:45
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Pretty sure everything made in Italy is full of soul. That's how Italy works.
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Sep 19, 2013 20:19
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PadreScout posted:I test rode a V7 about 6 months ago. I hate them. I hate them with every fiber of my being, they're boring, sound boring, handle real nice, plenty of power. BORING. I can't begin imagining how they made something SO BEAUTIFUL so absolutely soulless. This is kind of the opinion I hear all over the place; they're UJMs with no power, Italian looks, and Italian reliability. The Bonneville / Thruxton is noticeably faster, and is still pretty slow.
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Sep 19, 2013 20:31
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clutchpuck posted:Don't talk about soul or HNasty and n8r will show up with their terrible opinions. Those aren't terrible opinions, they're character.
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Sep 19, 2013 20:52
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Slavvy posted:Those aren't terrible opinions, they're character. Be nice if they shared some of it with the V7.
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Sep 19, 2013 20:54
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captainOrbital posted:Well, there's the Honda CB1100, which has a nice retro UJM look, or you could go nuts with a Moto Guzzi V7 Racer, which is absolutely gorgeous. It also has a 7-cylinder V-configured engine, which would be completely awesome and also probably unworkable if true. Well honda ran a V5 for a while, so it's not "that" insane.
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Sep 19, 2013 20:55
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 Interesting, is that where they derived the current VFR setup from - with the rear cylinders placed inboard of the front cylinders?
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Sep 19, 2013 21:06
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clutchpuck posted:
Pretty much. I can't find anything on the net about this but in superbike mag they had pics of the new patents Honda have taken for a road-going 5 cylinder bike with a single cam on the front bank to save space.
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Sep 19, 2013 22:03
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PadreScout posted:I test rode a V7 about 6 months ago. I hate them. I hate them with every fiber of my being, they're boring, sound boring, handle real nice, plenty of power. BORING. I can't begin imagining how they made something SO BEAUTIFUL so absolutely soulless. I own a 1984 V65SP and it's stunning how similar they are. I worked on a new V7 Stone today and I'm pretty sure the frame, the block, the transmission, the swingarm, the final drive, even the dipstick, are all literally identical. The valve train appears identical, the heads and valve covers are cosmetically different. It lacks a dual disc brake like my 84 has. It has more low end torque and less top end power. It's fuel injected but it runs kinda crappy in exactly the same way my old carbs do. Lots of hesitation when accelerating after starting up cold. Seemed to me that the only improvement they'd managed in 25 years was a final drive that didn't leak directly on the brake disc when it leaked. Oh and the seat lock is a little less of a pain in the rear end to get to. And they're not that cheap. That bike retails for slightly more than a small size BMW. Given that they've spent nearly $0 in R&D since Reagan was in office, they ought to be pricing down near the bottom end of Japanese street bikes. Actually Carter, cause I think my V65 first came out in 79. Pretty amazing. Even Harley can't top that, can they? Haven't they changed an engine case slightly since 1984? A swingarm? Maybe?
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Sep 20, 2013 00:23
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You guys are making Billy Joel sad. Stuff like that isn't that uncommon though - aren't Enfields essentially unchanged since WWI? And the TU250X looks like the same bike from the '70s but with bonus EFI. And yeah since like 1999, Harley's updated the engine from the bottom up, redesigned the touring frame, added ride-by-wire, cylinder shutoff, another cog to the gearbox, reduced the drive belt width considerably, added ABS, liquid cooling, CD PLAYERS!, GPS, etc
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Sep 20, 2013 00:42
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clutchpuck posted:You guys are making Billy Joel sad. Stuff like that isn't that uncommon though - aren't Enfields essentially unchanged since WWI? And the TU250X looks like the same bike from the '70s but with bonus EFI. We're not holding Moto Guzzi up as an example for praise. They get poo poo on pretty relentlessly for being behind the tech curve and the price/value curve, and their market share, aided by a healthy dollop of nostalgia but nothing like Harley, reflects that. It's a big deal that the new California is a nearly ground-up redesign and the clear message from MG (now that they have external funding for R&D for the first time since the Carter era) is that the other bikes in the line are going to follow. MG and Enfield are barely blips in terms of US market and dealer presence. Enfield is what Enfield is because their R&D budget was exactly zero, the priority was banging out rugged enough bikes at the lowest possible cost to developing market customers (might as well throw Ural in there too.) That doesn't make them good bikes, outside the charm / looks angle. I'd imagine TU250X sales outside of training schools are also minimal, but the tooling is long since paid for; I've never seen one on a showroom floor. Compare these bikes or your Harley example to the progression from a late '90s ZX-9R to a modern ZX-10R and they look more like you replaced your stone axe blade with a bronze one.
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Sep 20, 2013 01:11
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Japanese love making GBS threads out bikes for years on end if they still make money on them. Look at the DR650/XR650L/etc.
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Sep 20, 2013 01:15
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Rev. Dr. Moses P. Lester posted:Enough power for a sidecar if you don't need to go hella fast. They make good torque. They made a dual disc front, you could convert it to that without tremendous work if it's got the stock wheels and forks. One disc is gonna be a bit lacking for a sidecar. I assume it has the original telescopic forks. Those aren't really great for sidecar use I hear. Not sure exactly what issues will arise, though. They do have the single dry plate clutch sandwiched between the engine and transmission so you have to loosen or pull half the drivetrain to replace it. The clutches last a long time in solo use, dunno about sidecar. If the wheels are stock, tires are not hard to find, just not sport bike tires. They run forever if you take care of them. Not sure about the price. Wild guess, in good shape, 4-5k? More serious BMW sidecars would have the dual disc and some kind of leading link front end. It's in pretty rough shape. Rust, pitted chrome, dull aluminum and plastic bits, ripped seat. Single disc, telescopic forks. Looked like the carbs were probably in dire need of work, as the throttle cable jam nuts weren't jamming anything and the cables could wobble around pretty well. The sidecar seat holds water pretty well, though. Only wants $5800 for it, and it's a consignment, so the shop was pretty firm on price.
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Sep 20, 2013 01:19
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Are first generation ZX-10r's any good? The bike in question. The only other two options currently in contention are a 954 blade (hilariously high-priced here) or an early gixxer 1000 (terrible quality, all seem to have very high mileage). I don't know much about zx10's but a quick scan of reviews indicates they're very fast but also quite unforgiving. How bad are we talking here? I got a feel for the blade as being very compact and user-friendly, and a gsxr as being pretty large and extremely powerful. I can't really ride like a lunatic on a test-ride, especially on a bike I've never ridden before, and I don't want to buy something that I'll end up crashing on later because it has some sort of unpredictable handling quality I wasn't aware of. Is the difference in rideability that substantial?
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Sep 20, 2013 01:41
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Slavvy posted:Are first generation ZX-10r's any good? The bike in question. I'd propose looking at it a different way. Having ridden the next generation of ZX10, they're not that bad and I'd say most of the issues with the handling are down to the insane spring rates (super stiff in the front, super soft in the back). If the suspension is set up somewhat sanely, then the primary difference between the ZX10 and the 929/954 series of bikes is going to be how much effort you have to expend going fast. The Hondas/GSXR will make it easy to go fast, the ZX10 will make you aware of every mph you gain in a way that's great fun - but it also makes you work for it. If you treat it casually it'll be perfectly fine, if you take it to the racetrack you'd probably go faster on the 954 but have more fun on the 10.
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Sep 20, 2013 01:53
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n8r posted:Japanese love making GBS threads out bikes for years on end if they still make money on them. Look at the DR650/XR650L/etc. babyeatingpsychopath posted:It's in pretty rough shape. Rust, pitted chrome, dull aluminum and plastic bits, ripped seat. Single disc, telescopic forks. Looked like the carbs were probably in dire need of work, as the throttle cable jam nuts weren't jamming anything and the cables could wobble around pretty well. The sidecar seat holds water pretty well, though.
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Sep 20, 2013 02:06
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Slavvy posted:Are first generation ZX-10r's any good? The bike in question. I used to have one of those. I wouldn't exactly describe the 10R as user friendly - especially for commuting - but it's fun as hell. Had zero problems with it even though the engine sounds like a garbage disposal eating gravel and bones and there's nothing unpredictable in the handling in my opinion. Well, other than the suspension stuff Z3n mentioned. His post was spot on.
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Sep 20, 2013 09:33
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clutchpuck posted:You guys are making Billy Joel sad. Stuff like that isn't that uncommon though - aren't Enfields essentially unchanged since WWI? And the TU250X looks like the same bike from the '70s but with bonus EFI. Actually the Enfield is an all-new engine design since the mid-00s, with EFI and unit construction, although prior to that yes it was unchanged from the 1950s Enfield Bullet. It's still about as cheap and simple an engine design as you can get while still meeting emissions regulations though.
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Sep 20, 2013 11:13
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goddamnedtwisto posted:Actually the Enfield is an all-new engine design since the mid-00s, with EFI and unit construction, although prior to that yes it was unchanged from the 1950s Enfield Bullet. It's still about as cheap and simple an engine design as you can get while still meeting emissions regulations though. New Enfields are still $6k though. Are we paying for the name? That puts them squarely in line with CBR500Rs.
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Sep 20, 2013 16:14
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Rev. Dr. Moses P. Lester posted:That sounds like a piece of poo poo. 5800 is a lot for a piece of poo poo. Yeah. I walked, without a glance back. Thanks for your help.
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Sep 20, 2013 19:04
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SquadronROE posted:New Enfields are still $6k though. Are we paying for the name? That puts them squarely in line with CBR500Rs. Mostly for the name, yeah - Bullets cost >£2k in India and while things like homologation, delivery and duties obviously bump that up quite a bit it still doesn't really account for the massive price difference.
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Sep 20, 2013 22:58
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If you want a solid sidecar motorcycle take a look at the Urals, they're expensive but they're pretty sweet. All the old school charm but completely modernized, also most of their sidecars are 2WD! 
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Sep 22, 2013 04:38
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Tanz-Kommandant posted:If you want a solid sidecar motorcycle take a look at the Urals, they're expensive but they're pretty sweet. All the old school charm but completely modernized, also most of their sidecars are 2WD!
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Sep 22, 2013 14:28
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Or modernized - they're mostly unchanged since the 40s. This year they are changing a few things, but it's a very old design. Even Harley has advanced more.
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Sep 22, 2013 15:32
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