A question of taste: choosing a classic bike

[Easy-X]

After a few weeks of pulling miracles out my arse getting two old Hondas running I've decided if I were to ever get another classic bike it wouldn't be something with a bank of 4 interlinked carbs!

What's got ez-mode maintenance, reasonable parts availability and pre-1981 ('82 at a push) for the heritage discounts. The Benley CD200 on the "eBay's worst" thread is tempting but it'd need to be happy to do 60 on NSL roads on occasion (i.e. sunny afternoon, heading to Box Hill.)
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Husqvarna Vitpilen 401, Yamaha XSR700, Honda Rebel, Yamaha DT175, Suzuki SV650 (loan) Fazer 600, Keeway Superlight 125, 50cc turd scooter

[kgm]

CX500? Dead easy to work on.

Maybe not quite classic enough in shape?

[arry]

The Benly would happily do 70 I'd say, just not for prolonged periods - much like my Enfield, I reckon.

Suzuki GN250? My mate has one that he's had for ~15 years and will never part with it.

[ThatDippyTwat]

[WD Forte]

buy this quick!

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/1979-Honda-cx-500-e/254923729171?hash=item3b5aa36913:g:rssAAOSwVtpgZMRx

shaft drive water cooled tourer

all it need is clip ons, a brown seat, cheap clocks, exhaust tape and the rear frame cutting off to make it truly classic

seriously though folks

Easy for the home mechanic to work on
a shit ton of online info, tips and tricks to upgrade and keep it running
Cruise at 70 easily all day long, 50 mpg when set up well and not caned.
They have issues just like any other bike but solutions and alternatives all well documented by now.

If I wanted another one I'd probably just do enough to use it as a
fun/rat/hack
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bikers smell of wee

[pepperami]

What about an old pre 1970 Triumph?

I read ‘Classic Bike’ most months.
I genuinely believe that there is nothing you can’t get for a pre 1970 Triumph.


Sadly for me, I can’t think of a pre 1970 Triumph motorcycle that I could afford that floats my boat
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I am the sum total of my own existence, what went before makes me who I am now!

[Bhud]

CB350

[Easy-X]

Suzuki 250's sound like a good shout. Could easily fettle with it for a year before changing it to "historic" on the V5 CX500... hard to find one that hasn't been totally fucked with, as exampled in the other thread

I suppose it's a choice between dropping two bags on something already running and in good nick or finding something unloved like this:

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Yamaha-XJ650/124611291370
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Husqvarna Vitpilen 401, Yamaha XSR700, Honda Rebel, Yamaha DT175, Suzuki SV650 (loan) Fazer 600, Keeway Superlight 125, 50cc turd scooter

[WD Forte]

Just remembered dint yu say you wus a short arse?
You'd probly hate a CX anyway.
They can feel top heavy initially even you is a lofty sod like me

what about a Yamaha Viagra 535?
A neighbour had one and it was light as a feather compared to my CX
and we all knows you is like well gay anyway innit
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bikers smell of wee

[Blah blah]

Air cooled stroker, like a RD250DX would be my choice, plenty of bits available, easy to tweak but without the LC tax.

[chickenstrip]

[stinkwheel]

An MZ.

An ETZ at a push but a TS250 or ES250 are more "classic".

They are actually relatively quick and can be made to be very quick.

Piece of piss to work on, good knowledge base and parts supply. Suprisingly well made in many respects. Quality of the tinwork and alloy on them eclipses anything the japs make.

You need a period of mental re-adjustment to get over things like a hammer being a valid tool to use to fit an exhaust.
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“Rule one: Always stick around for one more drink. That's when things happen. That's when you find out everything you want to know.”
I did the 2010 Round Britain Rally on my 350 Bullet. 89 landmarks, 3 months, 9,500 miles.

[ThatDippyTwat]

[redeem ouzzer]

All RD’s are expensive, I was looking at a 200DX on Friday that someone had paid 4K for, and they aren’t a great bike.

All RD250/350/400 are silly money, even for projects, despite good spares availability.

CB250 and 350K became valuable as soon as they became the dominant small capacity bike in CMRC.

If you want something to potter around on then things like the GN250 are a good shout other than their appeal to the hipster scene.
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Be a REAL MAN!

[chickenstrip]

[Easy-X]

Funny, at Box Hill on Sunday the first thing I saw when I hoped off my bike was an MZ. Some sort of omen
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Husqvarna Vitpilen 401, Yamaha XSR700, Honda Rebel, Yamaha DT175, Suzuki SV650 (loan) Fazer 600, Keeway Superlight 125, 50cc turd scooter

[Polarbear]

I wouldn't restore simply because I can't think of a bike I'd like to have that wouldn't be silly money even in a shit barn find state. I'd love to have an old Mk1 Goldwing or Guzzi T3. Even an AMF Harley 2 stroke or a boring DT175 but anything a bit unusual or rare old is premium money.

I'd rather do something stupid from a custom point of view like a totally OTT Swedish style chopper with whatever doner bike I could get at a decent price. A mini one with a superdream engine would be a laugh.

Of course you would need more money than sense for that as well.
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Triumph Trophy Launch Edition

[redeem ouzzer]

[chickenstrip]

[A100man]

[Robby]

[blurredman]

[trevor saxe-coburg-gotha]

anything two stroke automatically commanding 2 grand more
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"Life is a sexually transmitted disease and the mortality rate is one hundred percent."

Mobylette Type 50 ---> Raleigh Grifter ---> Neval Minsk 125

[blurredman]

[Polarbear]