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GnarlyCharlie4u posted:There should be achievement medals for doing Magna carbs. So many linkages! My first bike was an '82 V45 that had been sitting for years with a punctured oil pan. I had to clean and seal both gas tanks, and rebuild and re-install the carbs- Twice, because I realized after putting it all back together that I mixed up the slide springs (it had both down- and side-draft carbs with different length springs.) I appreciate the experience because it makes doing the valves in my VFR800 seem reasonable. Edit: gently caress JIS.
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Sep 25, 2014 04:49
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Boys who love boys
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My only plan is to buy a bike I can ride. Would a '75 CB550 in good shape really need wrenches turned that often if it's ridden 50-100 miles a week and maintained? Obviously if it hasn't been being ridden it will start to wear out bits here and there like any older vehicle when you shake off the cobwebs, but usually once you've knocked off all the rust, as it were, the ones I've owned have been perfectly reliable. Tactical Bonnet fucked around with this message at 07:26 on Sep 25, 2014 |
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Sep 25, 2014 07:23
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The problem is one of deferred maintenance, for a variety of items that may not be obvious on a test ride. A CB550 is going to be pushing 40 years old. Do you think it's had its wheel bearings replaced, timely and properly? Steering head bearings? Swingarm bearings? What kind of shape is the electrical system in, and what sort of boogerfixes and kludges have the POs left behind? Is it still rocking the original brake lines? You said you had an '80s bike and after doing a carb refresh, which is just the tip of the iceberg for old bike maintenance, you realized it was just the tip of the iceberg and moved on. The problem with a vintage bike is that, unless the PO has been plowing time and cash religiously in following the maintenance schedule, that iceberg is right there looming, all that poo poo that theoretically should've been serviced is just waiting to fail and leave you with a janky ride or stranded on the roadside. This thread and others in this subforum are full of anecdotes of dudes with bikes this age, who went in to do something they thought was routine, only to find 5 other things barely hanging on or crumbling into ruin as soon as they touched them. 'Knocking off the rust' for some people has included up to rebuilding the entire loving engine. That's all well and fine, if you're willing to put in the time finding parts and wrenching away. If you just like the look but want to spend your time riding, get a late-model CB1100.
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Sep 25, 2014 08:10
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I've owned multiple 70's Japanese bikes and I just make sure to get one that's always been stored indoors and usually has less than 20k on it. I've never paid more than $800 for one. I always clean the carbs, buy a new battery and check the wiring. I'll sometimes replace the regulator and rectifier as those are generally the weakest link. I put 13k on my 79 cb650 last year and it was fine. It's old but it's still a honda. Buy one in decent shape, put some work in up front, keep oil in it and it'll work well for you. If something fails it's typically dead simple to fix.
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Sep 25, 2014 15:32
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monsterzero posted:So many linkages! My first bike was an '82 V45 that had been sitting for years with a punctured oil pan. I had to clean and seal both gas tanks, and rebuild and re-install the carbs- Twice, because I realized after putting it all back together that I mixed up the slide springs (it had both down- and side-draft carbs with different length springs.) I appreciate the experience because it makes doing the valves in my VFR800 seem reasonable. Word got out at the shop last spring that we do stupidly over complicated jobs for the same price as incredibly simple ones because we have no time management system. I did three sets of magna carb rebuilds (full kits) and a custom Harley exhaust that day. A week later it was Hayabusa engine rebuilds. After having to deal with all those vacuum lines, the 'Busa motor rebuilds were cake.
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Sep 25, 2014 17:01
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Snowdens Secret posted:Do you think it's had its wheel bearings replaced, timely and properly? Steering head bearings? Swingarm bearings? What kind of shape is the electrical system in, and what sort of boogerfixes and kludges have the POs left behind? Is it still rocking the original brake lines? Ha, this is me. Tore it down to clean it up and decided to bore the cylinders, oh what's that crack in the lower case all about?  It's been nearly a year since I've worked on my bike, I really need to get after it. Not having an enclosed garage anymore sucks
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Sep 25, 2014 20:23
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Snowdens Secret posted:If you just like the look but want to spend your time riding, get a late-model CB1100. I had no idea that the CB1100 was a thing and it is definitely a dead sexy ride but I also simply don't want a bike as fast as the modern sport bikes I've ridden. Plus, it'll be a second vehicle so if it's unrideable for a week here or there while I rebuild this or that then it only means I have to suffer through driving a convertible instead of riding a motorcycle. $800? I've yet to see an example in Oklahoma for less than $1000. The only one currently on craigslist is asking $2000 for a '75 with 6k original miles that's been sitting in someone's garage for who knows how long, and I'm not going down that road again. Tactical Bonnet fucked around with this message at 23:27 on Sep 25, 2014 |
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Sep 25, 2014 23:25
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Tactical Bonnet posted:I had no idea that the CB1100 was a thing and it is definitely a dead sexy ride but I also simply don't want a bike as fast as the modern sport bikes I've ridden.
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Sep 25, 2014 23:30
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Faster than a CB550.
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Sep 26, 2014 02:00
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If he wants kinda slow AND vintage looking, there's always the Bonneville. Plus, being British, it'll give you at least a little of the charm by breaking every so often so you can feel like you have something to fix, a thing that will likely not happen with a new CB1100.
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Sep 26, 2014 07:28
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Tactical Bonnet posted:edit: what about successfully rebuilding a rack of carbs tells you I shouldn't be looking at classic bikes? I'm hoping to find one I don't have to spend a ton of time turning wrenches on so I can ride it entirely too often. Tactical Bonnet posted:My only plan is to buy a bike I can ride. Would a '75 CB550 in good shape really need wrenches turned that often if it's ridden 50-100 miles a week and maintained?
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Sep 26, 2014 07:42
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The most important question when looking to buy a lovely old bike is: How often do you ride it? A bike that has been ridden consistently for a few years at least will probably hold up pretty well. Bikes that are just recently brought back to life and appear to be good now will be nothing but a headache. If a bike has sat you can bet on just about every piece of the bike failing within fairly short notice. My last old bike was incredibly reliable after I spent a year loving with it.
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Sep 26, 2014 19:41
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n8r posted:The most important question when looking to buy a lovely old bike is:
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Sep 26, 2014 21:38
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Ah, so the trick is to recondition or replace every part that isn't cast iron or the VIN tag. Easy peasy.
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Sep 26, 2014 22:20
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monsterzero posted:Ah, so the trick is to recondition or replace every part that isn't cast iron or the VIN tag. Easy peasy. Not "quite." Everybody: Check the charging system, if anything is at all wrong, replace the battery, and fix the symptoms. Clean the carbs, really clean the carbs. Do not half rear end it. Check the valves, make sure no clearance is to tight. Check for air leaks. Check the wiring harness (everything should work, if it doesn't, you're in for a world of hurt.) Yamaha: 1978-84 ish.. Replace the fusebox. They're poo poo, and will strand you when the fuse holders fall out. XS400 - Just don't. Ever. Never ever. the square head XS400 likes to drop chain guides and lock the engine. And it's a gutless wonder. Honda: The only thing safe to assume, is each model, year and version, is different. You can not assume any compatibility between hondas. Keeping them running is easy, but I would not recommend buying a project, as it will be a long term adventure. (I've been involved in those, never again.) Suzuki GS: Replace the intake boot o-rings. Replace the R/R with a modern R/R, the factory ones are almost universally undersized. 1980+ models have electronic ignition, those are worth seeking out. Kawasaki.. I've got nothing to say about. Getting old bikes running well.. isn't necessarily a challenge. But you need to do the work if it needs it. For instance, this year, my GS650 needs a new speedo cable. Last year, it got new shocks and fork fluid. Still, keeping my old bike going is cheaper than the cost of a newer worthwhile bike. And.. at least right now.. I have better suspension than if I had bought an equivalent newer bike. (It did cost me $400 for the luxury, but I can do that for 10 years straight before I cover the cost of a new bike.) And you're not going to be perfectly safe buying a newer used bike either. If a 2000 bike has been sitting for 12 years.. well you're still looking at dead boots and other rubber bits.
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Sep 27, 2014 02:22
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n8r posted:The most important question when looking to buy a lovely old bike is:
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Sep 27, 2014 02:41
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Don't buy a 40 year old motorcycle if you just want something to ride. They are old and poo poo breaks some more than others. As long as you are aware of that then buy what ever suites your fancy.
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Sep 27, 2014 05:31
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Will I regret having painted my drum brake hubs and rims with paint that is only rated to 200°F ?
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Sep 28, 2014 19:34
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Unless you're racing the bike, I doubt it. I never noticed the brakes on my CL350 becoming too hot to touch.
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Sep 28, 2014 20:27
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A little while back the points started to go on my 78 cb750k. Wasn't sure on whether to keep the points or go to electric, 50/50 suggestions from all over. Got a pamco electric ignition, and I'm sold. No more loving around with points and the bike even starts first kick on a dead battery. "Keep the points at least you can work on them on the side of the road......" No thanks now I don't need to worry about that hahaha.
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Oct 16, 2014 22:01
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Any time a 360, 350, 550 or 750 ownership comes up at the bike shop or salvage, whether it's about aesthetics or power or parts, someone always says "well, but points..." A typical pair of old grey dudes were reminiscing over my 30yr old "classic" and one guy was commiserating about "yeah but those points" and when I told him it was a modern setup he sounded like George Constanza, "no points!?"
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Oct 17, 2014 02:43
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TheCoconutman posted:A little while back the points started to go on my 78 cb750k. Wasn't sure on whether to keep the points or go to electric, 50/50 suggestions from all over. Got a pamco electric ignition, and I'm sold. No more loving around with points and the bike even starts first kick on a dead battery. "Keep the points at least you can work on them on the side of the road......" No thanks now I don't need to worry about that hahaha. I have Dyna electronic ignition on my GS, but I keep the old points around as a spare. If the electronic ignition fails, you can swap back to points while waiting for a replacement. AMHIK 
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Oct 17, 2014 17:16
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Yeah I also looked at the Dyna but the 5 year warranty with the pamco was too much of a perk. Also saw several incidents where he replaced units that burnt out from customers not knowing how to do electrical. Of course now I have a carb leaking again cause the overflow screw corroded from the ethanol fuel.
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Oct 17, 2014 21:41
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I got points on my 56 BMW, it's taken me about 25000km over the last 6-8 years, never had a hiccup on the ignition system except on the spark plug caps which was my fault anyway.
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Oct 17, 2014 23:28
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Points are perfectly acceptable I've kept them on my '67 t100c but the cb750 is my "daily rider". I only need one vintage bike that takes a process to start up. After I buy a more modern bike I definitely have an itch for an old bmw. Just seems easy to to work on with everything sticking out like that.
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Oct 17, 2014 23:39
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This feels like some viral marketing for an electronic ignition company. I've never messed around with them but I've never found points to be problematic. Same thing with carbs, too many other problems get blamed on carbs. Even when they are the problem, if you take a deep breath they are pretty easy to service. Glad you like them though!
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Oct 19, 2014 09:47
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n8r posted:This feels like some viral marketing for an electronic ignition company. I've never messed around with them but I've never found points to be problematic. Same thing with carbs, too many other problems get blamed on carbs. Even when they are the problem, if you take a deep breath they are pretty easy to service. Glad you like them though! I actually love working on carbs and electrical which everyone seems to hate hahah
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Oct 19, 2014 22:32
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I've never had problems getting bikes to run on points, but I'll admit my GL1000, and CB750 ran so much better with electronic ignitions. Spark is much more consistent and doesn't require adjustment every time you change the oil. I still keep a new points set under the seat for when my Dyna decides to poo poo the bed, though. TheCoconutman posted:I actually love working on carbs and electrical which everyone seems to hate hahah This. I love carbs.
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Oct 20, 2014 14:36
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https://www.etsy.com/listing/184997...ew_type=gallery
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Oct 20, 2014 22:13
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See now I need to buy an old bmw so I'll get the joke.
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Oct 20, 2014 22:26
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I haven't posted my CB550 here yet.     
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Nov 18, 2014 02:52
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pennywisdom posted:I haven't posted my CB550 here yet. Outrage manufacturers gotta keep manufacturing, but I like this, and the world isn't going to mourn the loss of a stock CB550 (unless you took a machete to a time capsule.) As long as you can stop and go, it behaves without the airbox, and the retro tires are suitable for the terrain ahead, godspeed you black emperor. I too ultimately went nuts with the PJ1 Satin on my old CB cases. The leather wrapped grips are an interesting touch. Plate positioning wouldn't cut it in this jurisdiction, but that's OK, mine never has. Not sure if the big Honda decal remnants are intentional or not; personally I'd eradicate them and throw a couple of repop wing medallions on the tank. Good stuff, I'd ride the hell out of it but I'd probably be screaming to the gods for another inch or two of seat foam after a while.
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Nov 18, 2014 03:47
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Yeah the tires aren't the hottest, but as a little fair weather city bomber, she seems to be doing fine. The honda decals are gloss, but don't seem to really pop on the matte tank. I think I might put white ones back on. Winter has begun, so the tinkering begins. Currently rewiring the because my turn signal switch is garbage, and I'm going to replace the speedo with one I just picked up.
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Nov 18, 2014 04:32
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That bike is sexy as gently caress. So is it a capacitor/kicker, or did you hide a battery in there somewhere?
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Nov 18, 2014 05:59
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pennywisdom posted:I haven't posted my CB550 here yet. Niceee. Don't let anybody give you poo poo about your tires.
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Nov 18, 2014 06:21
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Tamir Lenk posted:That bike is sexy as gently caress. There's a kicker on there.
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Nov 18, 2014 06:23
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Very nice. That's a seaweed and gravel bike if I'm not mistaken? I have 2 customer projects going right now and both of them sent me photos of s&g bikes as inspiration. I really dig that cb750 they did recently.
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Nov 18, 2014 07:14
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Yeah It was built earlier in the summer by Brady Young at Seaweed. It has both a kick and electric start! (You can kind of see the anti-gravity battery near the bottom of the bike where the pipe wrap ends and the mufflers start)
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Nov 18, 2014 08:24
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pennywisdom posted:Yeah It was built earlier in the summer by Brady Young at Seaweed. It has both a kick and electric start! Nice. What's an "anti-gravity battery"? Also, are those just UNI foam filters over v-stacks? No K&N pods?
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Nov 18, 2014 17:10
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Tamir Lenk posted:Nice. What's an "anti-gravity battery"? LiFePo battery.
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Nov 18, 2014 19:37
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