I would still trust a *NEW* (c)honda over this
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So here is one of those 30+ year old $3,000 motorcycles the naysayers always talk about. "Oh I would take a used Honda over a new chinese..." blah blah blah.
However, the parts are still 30 years old and good luck finding that one part that just happens to break that tje beloved dealer can't get. And for those that have bad knees, good luck.kick starting em as well. Don't get me wrong the big-4 all have a place and have made some great stuff along the way, but new is still new, and I would still take a slower less refined chinese bike over a 30 year old enduro. Commence mud slinging. |
Old vehicles are for troubles, yes a lot of people restore them and keep them pristine for another 30 years. That's fine but if you want to use them, you need something that's somewhat new and still made somewhere in the world.
Most of those 30 years old motorcycle are indeed amazing, they were made when mfg didn't worry about the enviroment. |
The issue with old bikes isn't really the reliability. I daily rode several old Hondas. The real issue is parts availability when they do eventually break. It is no fun shelling out $200 for a part that should cost $30.
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I'm with you. That's why I bought a new Tbr7 instead of using my 78 Yamaha dt250 to ride back and forth to work. It's only got 6600 miles on it and parts are still available, but I prefer to keep it in the condition it's in.
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Plus you need to be somewhat lucky to find an old motorcycle that is just ready to roll. Quote:
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Reliability has zero to do with parts availability. That would fall under more of am ease of service and repair. Example My 1975 Goldwing was dead reliable (it was over 32 years old when I bought it). I could and did ride it almost every single day for years without any real problems, putting over 60,000 miles on it. Then one day the swing arm bushing on the right side fell apart, and I could not get a new one. I ended up paying a guy in Scotland $80 for a bearing kit he adapted from the GL1200 swing arm, I had to wait 5 weeks for it to arrive, and then had to spend the better part of a full day replacing both bushings with the new bearings. After that, the bike was back on the road as if nothing happened. Just because I couldn't get the bushing I needed didn't mean that the bike itself was unreliable. |
My 52 year old Trail 90 was a pretty reliable little bike but it did have it's issues. The ancient 6 volt electrical system was a problem from time to time. After I swapped out the original engine with a Lifan 140 about 10 years ago it has had zero problems. It may well go another 50 years.
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Loved my Trail 90!
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Thinking of finding a C70 (Passport) and putting a Lifan or other 140 or 150 engine in it. I would just do a 90, but want electric start and those seem to be hard to find. I have been looking at Tbolt USA, as they provide all wiring, carb, etc. Any other good source that provides in almost kit form like they do? |
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I hate to see any of the old Honda underbone bikes end up in the scrap yard when they can be saved with a modern engine transplant. Last time I looked there were lots of places selling engine kits, and I think that's the best way to go. I bought a couple Lifan 110 kits from Larry in Washington but he's out of business. Got the Lifan 140 from DRATV but the intake tube was wrong and the supplied oil cooler was defective. DRATV would not replace the defective parts so I stopped ordering from them.
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....there actually WAS a time when Hondas, and the other Big 3 from Japan, really were affordable ,we weren't always at where we are now with a Honda 450 dirt bike being $10k. , etc.
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Then prices soared.... I blamed it on rich parents who would spare no expense, getting their spoiled brats into the sport. Priced me right out of the game. |
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i have a 90cc engine, would u be interested? it has electric start. DM me. |
I've seen that ad.
I am just about done parting out an old XL350R. I would agree, I'd far rather have a China Bike than that thing (and I'm looking at them now). Parts were a colossal pain to get (so I've made decent money parting it out) and expensive. Some things were unobtainium. It had the weirdest dual carb. Plus it was a hassle to kick start. I wouldn't pay $1500 for the bike in that ad. The prices for used dual sports are insane these days. |
Hi all, that's the bike I wanted to get when I decided to look for a duelsport. Those are the years that I remember when I was riding bikes, I love the LOOK of the older bikes.
Those old thumpers are hard to find, there either in very good shape (expensive) located to far away, or beat to death! Plus you gotta kick the beast over, something my 50 year old body does not want to do. I got me a 2020 tbr7. Still breaking it in, got my jets and Sprockets. Dialing it in but I like it so far, making it better is half the fun. |
Sent Pete an e-mail about some other stuff...never a reply
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