Finally broke down...

[adamtheha]

Ouch...that's my biggest worry, getting smoked by some tard in a car.

 

[duivendyk]

I dug up an old Yamaha 400cc 2 cylinder job a few years ago and reconditioned it.Still reliable with 20k miles on it,always starts& runs.Not as exciting as their 2 strokes.That Kaw. 750 2 stroke is a monster,too much power for the frame,gas milage not the greatest either,their 2 cyl. 500 cc was a better combination.I ride my Staton NV for leisurely cruising the country side,you see a lot more than at 50+ on a motorcycle, where you have to look way ahead if you care to survive.

 

[Jax Rhapsody]

I wanna build me a motorcycle. Somim like a cruiser, dont really like sport bikes.

 

[blacksmith76]

my last big bike was an old K1000P...it rocked the house, itellyawut...but for some reason i'm even happier going 30mph on something i built.

Yeah, I have owned a bunch of motorcycles over the years, and eventually got into vintage choppers because of the cost of parts/maintenance on a newer bike. But, even with an old beaten up Japanese project bike, every time you turn around you spend a bunch of money.

I just finished my first MB this weekend, so I'm not speaking from a lot of experience, but these things are so simple and maintenance free (not to mention cool looking) that I don't know if I will ever go back. If you are cheap and practical, but want something with a lot of style, these things are the holy grail. I was cruising in the bike lane around my neighborhood yesterday and just had a great time doing my own thing on something I built. Now when I look at my current motorcycle project, all I see is insurance, registration fees, and repairs. Then I think about how many motorized bikes I could build with that money.

 

[duivendyk]

My 26 year old Yamaha doesn't require much in the way of maintenance,yearly oil change,chain&battery care and adjusting 4 valves every couple of years.Registration&insurance run $100.If you manage to stay below 500cc and out of the clutches of motorcycle mechanics,you'll do fine.Who needs a 1000 cc + monstrosity anyway,to do 80+ on an interstate?

 

[blacksmith76]

Bit of an exaggeration on my part, I admit, but with all the stuff you have to do to get an old bike up and running, I always feel like I'm nickel and diming myself to death. I have an XT500 supermotoish project in the garage, but motivation is low now that I have my MB.

 

[duivendyk]

Yes,I can see why, getting the old Yamaha running again was mostly a treasurehunt on eBay for electrical parts which were pretty cheap to come by and undoing what socalled motorcycle mechanics had perpetrated.The engine was OK mechnically,apart from the kick starter.But that stuff is not too hard to fix, if you know what you're doing.

 

[Skyliner70cc]

My 1st was a Nitehawk 400 with 2 speed hondamatic tranny (no clutch). It was good for 65mph and was easy to drive but a school bus would beat me in a drag race.

2nd. Yamaha 650s....a very sweet ride

3,4,5,6: Nitehawk 700s Had almost every color made.

Current bike: 70cc Skyliner motorized bike...I got married

Future bike: My dream bike is a Yamaha V-max or a Honda VFR (old or new)