Motorcycles

[Tck13]

Originally Posted by Ludeykrus

^ what he said.

Any old 70's/80's Suzuki/Honda/Yamaha/Kwaka will do and will be priced right.


This is what I'm thinking... What kind of CC's are they? Any names of bikes from back then? I'm not familiar. I've never ridden a bike older than a couple years old. How do I know what they're worth?

 

[crazyquik]

Originally Posted by Tck13

This is what I'm thinking... What kind of CC's are they? Any names of bikes from back then? I'm not familiar. I've never ridden a bike older than a couple years old. How do I know what they're worth?

If they run smoothly and you can ride them around, they are worth a lot more.

Having a clean title in hand is worth ~$150. Otherwise you will probably need to launder, err, procure, a title from a title service like http://www.its-titles.com/

 

[Tck13]

^ What are some deal breakers for older bikes? Too old? Rust?

 

[freshcutgrass]

 

[Tokyo Slim]

I think you'd have to be a very strangely dressed or obscenely wealthy to the point of not giving a **** type of person to ride one of those bikes.

 

[Tokyo Slim]

Originally Posted by Tck13

^ What are some deal breakers for older bikes? Too old? Rust?

Safety above all else. You must be able to start, stop and turn. Frame damage is another big one.

 

[intent]

I read this entire thread and grew an appreciation for motorcycles, but how do you guys wear suits or bring them to work?

 

[Joffrey]

You can definately wear a suit if you aren't the "careful about falling!" type. Just wear gloves and a full face helmet (if it's not a scooter). A few years a go I saw a guy in a great suit and snazzy briefcase riding a BMW motorcycle from the 70s. Awesome.

This thread has made me want to get a simple bike (maybe a cafe racer or dual sport) but i don't know...

 

[Ludeykrus]

Originally Posted by Tck13

This is what I'm thinking... What kind of CC's are they? Any names of bikes from back then? I'm not familiar. I've never ridden a bike older than a couple years old. How do I know what they're worth?
They came in all shapes and sizes, from 250cc and smaller up to 1150cc and bigger. Usually they went from two cylinders to four around 550cc's, and the smaller twins are much easier for a newbie to maneuver. Cost varies widely by area. A cheap area, like north midwest US, may run around a buck a cc or less. Around here, better condition bikes run around two bucks a cc or even more. You're at the whim of the market. Grab a paper 'Bike Trader' from the gas station, and check out the online classifieds like Craigslist to see what the going rates are in your area. Beware of the 'It ran when parked....xx years ago' bikes... Most bikes were 'standard' back then, so each manufacturer had a similar line that mainly varied in trim and engine size. Suzuki had the GS, Honda had the CB, Kawasaki had the KZ, Yamaha had the XS...

 

[imightbechad]

Can anyone tell me anything about this bike, besides the fact that it's nearly perfect?

 

[kever]

Originally Posted by imightbechad

Can anyone tell me anything about this bike, besides the fact that it's nearly perfect?

It's a Honda GB250 made by Gravel Crew in Japan.
Heres a link.
Lowered forks and rear suspension, smaller seat and gas tank, different tires, clip on handlebars, smaller headlight, etc etc etc. Check out Bratstyle and Wrenchmonkees as well. They all make some awesome custom bikes out of old Japanese bikes that can be purchased for cheap. The modifications aren't that extreme (on some of them), and they look awesome.
One day my CB750 will look like :

One day....

 

[Tokyo Slim]

Originally Posted by imightbechad

Can anyone tell me anything about this bike, besides the fact that it's nearly perfect?
I can tell you that you won't want to ride it for more than 20 minutes at a time.

 

[CodeRed]

What do you guys think about the Zero Engineering bikes? Any real world feedback? The bobber/choppers look nice, very minimalistic. Could you replicate something really similar for a lot less $$? In otherwords, buy a frame, engine, etc and have it all put together yourself..or would that cost even more?

 

[ConcernedParent]

Any recc's for a cheap, reliable naked bike between 250-700cc?

 

[j]

Originally Posted by ConcernedParent

Any recc's for a cheap, reliable naked bike between 250-700cc?
sv650