OT: Motorcycles - Let's See Em!

[gemship]

I will say one thing regarding my engine repair project as well as the motorcycle industry. So I have been collecting parts for the 75 YamahaRD250 and it's amazing that you can get so much available thru online shopping. Some stuff is still available thru Yamaha but most of the stuff I found thru a company that specializes in the RD's. I also find a lot of stuff on Ebay. What I have found is that it's kinda addicting to order online, in other words to hell with the LBS. Ironically thats who sold me the bike and they misrepresented the running condition of it and they couldn't even fix it right, probably because very little of the parts needed to fix it are available thru Yamaha. I just find it interesting that it's kinda the same deal with motorcycles as well as bicycles in that shops are kinda going out of business with online sales out there. I unique to my situation the local motorcycle dealer doesn't seem to wanna be bothered with any more in depth repairs or even tune ups. I also have a 06 Suzuki GSXR1000 that could really use a valve clearance check/throttle body synch. That bike runs great but it's at that mileage service point and my dealer seems to be under the belief that valve clearances don't change which maybe somewhat true but you still gotta check it to know for sure. They just seem to wanna deal with bikes they sold more recently and do oil and tire changes, pretty pathetic. Since the bikes are paid for and supplemental toys and the seasons, days are numbered here in New England I pretty much relegated myself to the fact that I have to work on my bikes myself. So now I find myself even wondering why I would even bother to buy anything at the Motorcycle shop but they still do a good job at changing my tires and giving me inspection stickers.

Did you know that if you need a OEM part you can order it online and chances are it will come from the same distributer/warehouse as if you ordered it from your local dealer? It will also cost less but you will have to pay for the shipping and you may or may not have to pay a sales tax. Simply no incentive to buy from the dealers any more. Unless I am buying a new bike.

[r_mutt]

Originally Posted by gemship

Isn't that a pretty rare bike? and valuable?

Yes it was made as a homologation special so Honda could go racing in WSBK when the series first started. HRC made them for 4 years in very limited numbers. I think the total was somewhere around 4000 worldwide. One went for sale at an auction house last month for $115,000 but it was NOS never started. The price varies but I've seen them for as low as 20K and as much as 40K for ones in good nick. I of course, did not get nearly that amount when I sold it. Mine was an Italian market bike brought to the USA and no one was able to get it a title until I was able to as it qualified as a "classic" as it was over 15 years old. I had it in storage for years and then brought it out from a deep sleep and gave it the business for a year or so. I felt like I couldn't wring it's neck properly because I was afraid to crash it (bodywork was over 5K!!!). So I sold it to a gentleman in Canada. Presently, it's in Indiana and the new owner tracked me down 2 years ago with lot's of questions. Seems like Honda got something right with that bike as many of the present 4 stroke MotoGP bikes use this somewhat rare engine configuration - a V4.

[gemship]

Originally Posted by r_mutt

Yes it was made as a homologation special so Honda could go racing in WSBK when the series first started. HRC made them for 4 years in very limited numbers. I think the total was somewhere around 4000 worldwide. One went for sale at an auction house last month for $115,000 but it was NOS never started. The price varies but I've seen them for as low as 20K and as much as 40K for ones in good nick. I of course, did not get nearly that amount when I sold it. Mine was an Italian market bike brought to the USA and no one was able to get it a title until I was able to as it qualified as a "classic" as it was over 15 years old. I had it in storage for years and then brought it out from a deep sleep and gave it the business for a year or so. I felt like I couldn't wring it's neck properly because I was afraid to crash it (bodywork was over 5K!!!). So I sold it to a gentleman in Canada. Presently, it's in Indiana and the new owner tracked me down 2 years ago with lot's of questions.

That is so wild. Yeah I have seen a few on Ebay for like you say bids north of 20k. 115k just seems amazing to fetch that for one. I suppose you could of got an extra set of plastics but the tank would be a hard thing to get a spare of and still if you crashed hard that could tweak the frame or other bits. It's sucks when bikes get so nice that you really can't ride them for fear of being priceless.

[nighthawk]

Originally Posted by adampaiva

im currently having my annual should i sell my moto or not inner-debate

20180624-DSCF9895.jpg by Adam Paiva, on Flickr

20170702-DSCF8346.jpg by Adam Paiva, on Flickr

Let me know if you decide to sell! I'd happily make a trip out of visiting friends in NY and then riding that across the country.

[iTripped]

Originally Posted by kingpin75s

Moto Guzzi V11 Sport

Hi Kingpin, nice to see a fellow Guzzi rider. Here's mine:
https://i.imgur.com/54yp3oY.jpg

[seanile]

Originally Posted by gemship

That bike runs great but it's at that mileage service point and my dealer seems to be under the belief that valve clearances don't change which maybe somewhat true but you still gotta check it to know for sure.

valve clearances absolutely change, can be due to carbon buildup on the valve head and wear on the cam bucket's shims or the valve seat..

[PaMtbRider]

Seeing all these bikes bring back so many great memories of past bikes I've had. Can't wait till it's warm enough to get out and ride. BTW, if that R80GS goes up for sale I'm calling dibs. I wish I still had my 93 R100GS/PD

[kingpin75s]

Originally Posted by iTripped

Hi Kingpin, nice to see a fellow Guzzi rider. Here's mine:
https://i.imgur.com/54yp3oY.jpg

Nice Guzzi bud and welcome aboard!

After 25 years on an 87 BMW K75s, I wanted something different to go with the Beamer. My family all had Guzzi's when I was a kid and they have always spoke to me as such.

[gemship]

Originally Posted by seanile

valve clearances absolutely change, can be due to carbon buildup on the valve head and wear on the cam bucket's shims or the valve seat..

I agree. I think part of the problem with motorcycle shops in Ma. is the reality that bikes are really a two and a half season at best, weather permitting. I had a sales guy tell me that my bike wasn't worth much because it had over 24k miles. He said that's high miles...

[Gummee]

Originally Posted by gemship

I agree. I think part of the problem with motorcycle shops in Ma. is the reality that bikes are really a two and a half season at best, weather permitting. I had a sales guy tell me that my bike wasn't worth much because it had over 24k miles. He said that's high miles...

You're obviously not going to BMW dealers... Both the R bikes I sold/traded had over 50k each on them. This one has 69k... I've seen buddies' bikes with 100k+ on them

M

[gemship]

Originally Posted by Gummee

You're obviously not going to BMW dealers... Both the R bikes I sold/traded had over 50k each on them. This one has 69k... I've seen buddies' bikes with 100k+ on them

M

My bike is a Suzuki GSXR1000 sportbike. I would say a quality bike but what sells on Monday to race on Sunday it's not for all day comfort. Then factor in short riding seasons and these kinda bikes just don't get used enough. Years go by along with styling makeovers and the bikes become not only old but dated. I do believe Suzuki's are a quality product, actually I would bet that if the bike was serviced one would find it's valve clearance's in spec along with cam chain. It truly is a sound running engine and really under utilized for the street as I don't race it. Having said that the marketing for a BMW is just so different. I see BMW's as the go to bike for owners who are looking to do bike touring and maybe their first and last bike. They are seen as a forever bike and as such looked upon different. Having said that it was just some callous comment a sales guy made at my local Suzuki dealer, make of that what you will. The poor dealer also sells KTM, Honda, Yamaha, MV Agusta and Ducati bikes. Because of this their service dept. is stretched to thin and because bikes are seasonal and expensive the shop also sells snowblowers, power generators, ATV's, and jet boats. Too many products... Getting back to my bike or sportbikes in general as the years go by it gets hard to find nice original examples. They're owned by kids and neglected or crashed so they go thru a long period of depreciative value. I imagine the service dept. would rather I just buy a new bike as it's surfaces are cleaner to lay their wrenches on for a simple oil change. They probably think I'm nuts to own a bike long enough to be bothered with a valve clearance check, lol. Maybe they're right?...I did have a low speed accident where someone pulled out in front of me and I had to lay the bike down. I paid 5800$ for the bike and the insurance company gave me 3400$ for the damages. Fixed the damage my self scouring Ebay for made in China fairings and various parts used for less than 800$. In that respect after four years of ownership and more sore wrists and neck experiences doing the ton this bike owes me nothing. On that note I would love to own a BMW s1000xr. It's not their typical Boxer powered bike but really a nice hybrid of a GS style with their performance inline four.

[speedevil]

Here is my stable:

[Gummee]

Originally Posted by gemship

My bike is a Suzuki GSXR1000 sportbike. I would say a quality bike but what sells on Monday to race on Sunday it's not for all day comfort. Then factor in short riding seasons and these kinda bikes just don't get used enough. Years go by along with styling makeovers and the bikes become not only old but dated. I do believe Suzuki's are a quality product, actually I would bet that if the bike was serviced one would find it's valve clearance's in spec along with cam chain. It truly is a sound running engine and really under utilized for the street as I don't race it. Having said that the marketing for a BMW is just so different. I see BMW's as the go to bike for owners who are looking to do bike touring and maybe their first and last bike. They are seen as a forever bike and as such looked upon different. Having said that it was just some callous comment a sales guy made at my local Suzuki dealer, make of that what you will. The poor dealer also sells KTM, Honda, Yamaha, MV Agusta and Ducati bikes. Because of this their service dept. is stretched to thin and because bikes are seasonal and expensive the shop also sells snowblowers, power generators, ATV's, and jet boats. Too many products... Getting back to my bike or sportbikes in general as the years go by it gets hard to find nice original examples. They're owned by kids and neglected or crashed so they go thru a long period of depreciative value. I imagine the service dept. would rather I just buy a new bike as it's surfaces are cleaner to lay their wrenches on for a simple oil change. They probably think I'm nuts to own a bike long enough to be bothered with a valve clearance check, lol. Maybe they're right?...I did have a low speed accident where someone pulled out in front of me and I had to lay the bike down. I paid 5800$ for the bike and the insurance company gave me 3400$ for the damages. Fixed the damage my self scouring Ebay for made in China fairings and various parts used for less than 800$. In that respect after four years of ownership and more sore wrists and neck experiences doing the ton this bike owes me nothing. On that note I would love to own a BMW s1000xr. It's not their typical Boxer powered bike but really a nice hybrid of a GS style with their performance inline four.

That is really tough to read without paragraph breaks, just sayin

I have a problem controlling my right wrist on my relatively underpowered BMWs, so a sport bike is probably not in my best interest.

M

[DarkStar]

Had one of these, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bpYHg3Q5Nao
Then I discovered MTBs and gave up riding dirtbikes.

[dancinkozmo]

Originally Posted by Gummee

That is really tough to read without paragraph breaks, just sayin

M

cut him some slack...he's a gixxer guy