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these are the worst motorcycles ever

Discussion in 'Hangout Lounge' started by fatabebabe, Mar 26, 2012.

  1. fatabebabe

    fatabebabe New Member

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    ok look....i dont mean to be disrespectful to the people who love these things but lets get real....they are old......they are unreliable........even if you get them all the way back to good condition they is always something to maintain on these.....i just want a motorcycle that i know when i hit the starter its gonna start, run, and be fun to ride. i know some people find it fun to fix these up and thats fine, but if i dont want to do that all the time...these blow......i just sold mine for a lot less than i paid for it purely to get it out of my garage.......im saving up to buy an actual reliable motorcycle
     
  2. dmccoach

    dmccoach Member

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    Good luck, don't let the door hitch-a, where the good lord split ya.
     
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  3. Orange-n-Black

    Orange-n-Black Well-Known Member

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    Any brand old bike will require work and cost you some dollars. If these were all that bad, you wouldn't see so many of them. Most people would rather ride than tool. If your more ride minded, then your going to have to spend more money on a bike that is restored or new. Trouble is, restored or new will need maintenance after a couple of seasons. What will you do then? You can neglect a car and not die, not so on a bike. Biking is a sometimes expensive hobby, but a lot of fun.
     
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  4. Metal_Bob

    Metal_Bob Active Member

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    Apparently he wants a NEW bike that once it starts acting up he can take to the dealership.

    Granted if they weren't 30 years old and enjoy some tinkering, I'd want to do the same thing (take to shop that is).

    However, most of the "real" wizards on here keep claiming, other than winter/spring maintenance you can go a couple of seasons without fully redoing the carbs/valves/sync etc. once you do it right the first time(s).
     
  5. Orange-n-Black

    Orange-n-Black Well-Known Member

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    I talked to a guy last week that bought a new VStar 650. He rode it 3 seasons till a dirty carb problem stopped him. The bike has been sitting in his garage for 3 years now because he doesn't know how to fix it and can't afford to take it to the dealer.
    I will be making a few extra dollars this week. :wink:
     
  6. TIMEtoRIDE

    TIMEtoRIDE Active Member

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    I've done embarassingly little to my Seca 900 in the 4 years I've had it, so I have issue with "they're unreliable". I've never been left walking.

    I've never had the carbs off. Petcock works. Bled brakes (no rebuild), Adjusted valves, Oil & Filters, Bought a rear tire, and recently did the steering bearings in 12,000 miles.

    May I recommend the most reliable bike in history - -

    Low Maintenance
     
  7. OldBikerDude

    OldBikerDude Member

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    It sounds to me that you just didn't know how to fix it up properly. I did mine right and would put it up against anything new. You may want to take some classes on motorcycle repair because your NEW bike is going to need work in just a few years.
     
  8. mlew

    mlew Well-Known Member

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    These bikes are old but I would not hesitate to ride mine anywhere. With proper maintenance they will keep running. Even a new bike will require work to keep it running.
    Afrer fixing many years of neglect from the previous owners my bikes are just as reliable as anything new.
     
  9. markie

    markie Member

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    I thought I was going to be reading about one of those awful "Hongdu" Chinese things!

    I agree, 20 yearsof abuse and neglect can take its toll but disagree the XJ series was "Bad"!!
     
  10. andrewlong

    andrewlong Member

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    User error.
     
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  11. fakeplay

    fakeplay Member

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    I hit my starter it starts it runs and I have fun. All I'm really doing is oil and filter changes. What are you a momma's boy spoiled brat ? Bet you buy a new one and it wears out in five years. Ya, don't let the door hit ya where the lord split ya.
     
  12. Massimo33

    Massimo33 Member

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    What a lot of people don't understand is if you want to own an old bike, you better be prepared to become a shade tree mechanic, since I have only found one shop in my area that works on older bikes and he is always busy, so it's hard to get in.

    These bikes are not unreliable, they are old (20-30 yrs depending) and like any other old item, car truck, appliance, house, ect. it takes time and maintenance to keep them in good shape.

    Unfortunately if you are not the original owner and don't know for 100% certain that the PO took proper care of the bike, you are going to have to put effort and time in to making then run, but once that is done, the maintenance is no harder than any newer bike (in some cases simpler, since its 20+ yr old technology), and I would put my bike up for reliability against any new bike and any Harley out there.

    If you're not willing to twist a wrench, work a screwdriver, or bust out the torque wrench, then I have to say owning an older bike is not for you, no disrespect meant, some like to turn wrenches and ride (bikers) and some like to ride until there is a problem and then let some else fix it (guys/gals who ride bikes), there's nothing wrong with either one. But I feel working on my bike makes me feel better about riding it, since I know what's been done, as well as now I know every inch of my bike and I think I'm better off for it.

    Okay done now and stepping off the soapbox.
     
  13. bigfitz52

    bigfitz52 Well-Known Member Premium Member

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    AMEN. And then some, because they're easily maintained once the neglect has been reversed.

    Granted, they require valve clearance adjustments every 5000 miles; and the chain driven ones need a chain adjustment every 1000 miles or so; but beyond that and regular oil changes they require very LITTLE to keep running fine.

    But you have to properly recommission them first; or experience "problem after problem" which aren't "problems" at all; just the symptoms of neglected maintenance and all the time they spent sitting.

    OP simply went in with the same false expectations that a lot of folks seem to have: that a 1982 bike will be the same sort of "ownership experience" as a 1982 car.

    But it just don't work like that. It's not that we didn't try to tell him...

    These still are some of the best motorcycles ever built; you can't blame a 30-year old example for the results of what we humans have done, or failed to do, to it.

    But you do have to have some idea of what you're doing; and it isn't for everybody. And apparently OP wasn't up to it.
     
  14. Polock

    Polock Well-Known Member

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    ".......im saving up to buy an actual reliable motorcycle"
    what are you looking to get?
    i have a 85 bmw k100rs and it's stone reliable except when the mass air flow unit goes bad, then it's $250. and a 06 suzuki sv1000s and you still sync the throttle bodies, set the TPS and modify the TRE.
    and price some radial tires, so it ain't all roses out there
     
  15. AngryGnome

    AngryGnome Member

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    damn i wish you would have listed your bike here before you sold it so cheap. i love making money off of impatient people that dont know what theyre talking about! good luck finding a maintainace free motorcycle. its just not gonna happen bud
     
  16. wwj750

    wwj750 Member

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    I hear Schwinn makes a pretty reliable bike.
     
  17. tskaz

    tskaz Active Member

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    I wonder if he has the same problem with his girlfriend?

    The list of bikes I have owned has been long and distinguished, and every single one of them have needed maintenance.

    My experience has been, the newer the ride, the more required to keep it that way.

    I did a re-sync and colortune on Saturday and it took me all of 7 minutes.

    A friend of mine went to buy a battery for his 2006 Star Motorcycles something-or-other, and it cost him more than my my tires, colortune plug, gauges, and shocks all put together.

    If the OP has that much money to throw away, maybe he should just buy a "maintenance free boat". LOL
     
  18. Bobe7316

    Bobe7316 Member

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    I have owned and ridden a lot of motorcycles over 40 years of riding
    and the XJ650 that I have now is the best of the lot. Rebuilt by myself
    back to origional specs over a 2 year period. I just go out to my shed
    press the start button and away I go. I dont even have to think about
    break downs it just never happens. Shaft drive, shims under the
    cam lobes, electronic ignition on a bike that still has proper carbs I am
    in heaven. Modern motorcycles having catalitic converters in there exhaust pipes blocking every thing up air injection and electronic fuel
    management meaning that the owner can not easily make adjustments,,, are not for me.

    Once these older bikes have been sorted out and rebuilt properly they are
    just as reliable as any new bike.
     
  19. mwhite74

    mwhite74 Member

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    I smell a troll... Like the only dude to dislike a Justin Bieber video or something lol.

    My friend has a bandit with fewer km and most issues I've had with mine, kind of comforting to tell the truth. Rock on XJ bruthas and sistas!!!
     
  20. Jamie

    Jamie Member

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    Don't let the little boy get ya' going, he obviously hasn't owned, ridden, or experienced these great bikes long or at all. LOL. I re-built a starter, put new brushes in the pick up coils and changed oil and filter in less than a couple of hours.

    I too wish he would've listed the bike here first.
    Jamie
     

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