Modern bikes ??

[BIG BILL]

Is it just me or am I old
I'm 57 and getting close to 58 in March next year.
I like to keep up on the Motorcycle life as I have loved it all since my dads early days in the late sixties' on BSA's/Nortons/Royal Enfield's and the like then the Jap's came along (sorry if this offends none intended) made great engines and bike that handled (sort of) and were quick.
China now has many, many, many bike manufactures now and is closing in using good value bikes like Japan did in the 60's, I have been lucky enough in my life to own over 30 motorcycles most being Japanese and went to Triumph in 2002 with a new 955i Tiger.
My point being is..... when you bought a new bike in the sixties and later the warranty was to go to if your bike self combusted
Guy's/Girls hade to know how to fix road side, The Japanese bikes were fast and reliable, cheaper than the UK had to offer hence the end of BSA and a lot of British bike manufactures
People are more interested in the Technology and mine has this and yours has not..
more Tech, more problems.
Remember this one tip, engines can be fixed if needed any where in the world, modern electrics cant......
All this EURO ....3/4/5/6 is life now, a 1970's super bike like the XS750 triple easy fix..


My penny's, so hope don't offend.
BB

[Richard Simpson Mark II]

The interesting thing is that modern vehicles (from motorbikes to heavy trucks) mostly don't have mechanical problems and can cover massive distances with nothing more than oil-changes. Most breakdowns are caused by poor-quality electronic components.

I'd be put off buying one of the new KTM vertical twins because of all the electronics...and some have reported scary safety-critical issues with brakes, but there's a modern generation who think nothing of plugging-in a laptop to fix or improve their vehicles.

From what I recall, the first Japanese 250s were a good deal more expensive than the likes of the BSA C15/25 they competed against, but they offered consistent on-road performance that a British 650 couldn't match. A Suzuki Super Six could cruise at 70+ mph with only stops for fuel and oil for as long as you liked, while a big British 650 twin, although maybe 30 mph faster, would vibrate itself and its rider to death if held at sustained high speed.

[Jak*]

I think in some ways the golden age for motorcycles was the late eighties/early 90s. Bikes like the square barrel Guzzis, GS Suzuki’s etc. were reliable, fun and fast enough for most sane people on the road, They were relatively easy to fix and maintain for the home mechanic. The first Airhead BMWs and arguably the most versatile bikes that they have ever produced. I suppose the modern Enfields come closest with their limited technology, although I worry whenI look at how small the diameter of the wiring is on my Himalayan and how many sensors it has got.
The other thing that most bike manufacturers seemed to be able to do in those days was make a comfortable seat and provide a lasting finish.

[Crossrutted]

I think in some ways the golden age for motorcycles was the late eighties/early 90s. Bikes like the square barrel Guzzis, GS Suzuki’s etc. were reliable, fun and fast enough for most sane people on the road, They were relatively easy to fix and maintain for the home mechanic. The first Airhead BMWs and arguably the most versatile bikes that they have ever produced. I suppose the modern Enfields come closest with their limited technology, although I worry whenI look at how small the diameter of the wiring is on my Himalayan and how many sensors it has got.
The other thing that most bike manufacturers seemed to be able to do in those days was make a comfortable seat and provide a lasting finish.

I'm with you on the seats! My early '80's bikes are much more comfortable to sit on than the modern ones.

[Magnon]

Riders of all ages these days seem to be influenced more by the gizmos than the fundamental bike. I suppose that this is because bike development has reached it’s pinnacle and trying to make next year’s model an improvement on last year’s is only really possible by adding a playstation to the dashboard or some such other electronic gimmick.

I have to say that most bikes post about 2005 leave me cold. There are a few exceptions - RE Himalayan, Guzzi V85TT and ...um, struggling a bit to think of others. Both the Guzzi and RE have been designed with the luddite in mind. It is difficult for all manufacturers to comply with modern emissions legislation without adding significant complexity (especially electrical) which inevitably reduces the scope of a roadside repair.

I’m probably at the grumpier end of the older rider and have no interest in buying a new bike either now or in the future. I might buy something more modern but my other pet hate is having an expensive lump of metal kicking around depreciating significantly and hardly getting used. In the late 80’s I had a couple of new BMWs but they both covered 60k miles in 2 years as my only transport.

[Richard Simpson Mark II]

What makes me laugh are those PCP 'deals' which limit you to three or four thousand miles a year on big tourers etc.

If that's all it's going to do, why bother?

[Chalky723]

I think it also depends on whether you're the one doing any work on it or whether you just drop it off at the dealer.

I like servicing my own bikes and have found my 1995 Serow to actually be fun to service & maintain (there's nothing to it) whereas my Baby GS (650 Twin) is nothing but a pain - acres of plastic to come off to get to anything, battery compartment has to be removed to do the plugs etc...

Fault wise, I'm more likely to be able fix something on the Serow by the side of the road than the BMW.

But there's no way I'd commute every day on the little 'un, so each has its place.....

D

[dave h]

love my modern ktm its a wonderfull creation,

if i were to go on a long tour out of the way id take my 35 year old armstrong though,

dave.

[Tonibe63]

Back in my late teens I only rode 2 strokes which were a nightmare for breaking down but that was usually down to my youthful exuberance causing them to sieze up and leave me stranded.
After a 20 year gap I got back into bikes with a TDM850 and ever since I've had 4 strokes which have proved very reliable with zero breakdowns in nearly 20 years. Personally I would rather have a fuel injection bike along with the associated sensors than mess about with carbs and ignition timing. The amount of information on the internet is incredible as are the code readers that tell you where to start looking if you have to get your hands dirty. The only issue could be a breakdown where you will struggle to get a decent mechanic to do a roadside diagnosis but let's face it by the time they arrive you probably want a ride in a nice warm cab.

[minkyhead]

sure some of the new stuff is over complicated ...but a lot isnt ....

do i really want to go back to cable opertaed disk brakes contact breaker points and yokahama tyres surpresserr caps that elecricute yer legs and stop the bike in motorway spay ......
???
no bloody chance


braaaaaap