Let's see your past bikes...

[3way]

Texas, why not a fjr ?  Proven and pick them up for a great price ?  Not bashing goldwings, I have a 1500, I love it for its capabilities (chilled, comfort and luggage) and its classic that's actually useful,  but not sure where the new ones fit in at their price point ?

Edited July 25, 2020 by 3way

[SKYFLIX]

35 minutes ago, texscottyd said:

@SKYFLIX - Thanks for the insight on the Africa Twin.   Since you’re in the bike review business now, what are your thoughts on the new Gold Wing?   I test rode one briefly, and I was impressed with the ‘leaner & meaner’ feeling of this new generation.   I think I liked it, but curious what it’s like to live with for an extended period.    Thanks in advance! 

Oh boy. Where do I even begin other than to say the current generation Gold Wing is the finest motorcycle I've ever owned. I will NEVER replace it. I can't give it higher praise than that. It's not without it's flaws, but IMHO, it's about as close to a perfect motorcycle as can be for me. I put just over 14k miles on my '18 bagger before realizing that I needed the trunk and trading it for the 2020 Tour model. Perhaps it would be helpful if I compared it to our triples.. The Yamaha is faster, lighter, has better lean, and overall a much more spirited bike to ride. And believe it or not can carry more cargo when equipped with better luggage. The stock saddle bags on the Tracer are more useful than the ones on the Gold Wing, and my GIVI Top Box is more useful than the trunk on the Gold Wing. BUT, and this is a HUGE BUT (giggity), I would choose the Wing over the Tracer for any trip longer than about 200 miles. It is immensely more comfortable, and smooth as silk no matter how fast you're going. You just can't beat a flat-6.

There are really just a few flaws that come to mind. The Seat: It's adequate only for about an hour to hour and a half of riding. I now have an aftermarket Ultimate seat. Luggage: it's a good deal smaller than previous generations, and you got what you got. There is NO replacing it for something else. But that being said, it's enough for a 4-5 day trip for me. Tupperware: My goodness is this bike a PITA to work on. You can have the fuel tank off of the Yamaha in under an hour. The Gold Wing? Hah! Better part of an afternoon (or weekend! for the first time you do it), and better not lose the 100 or so screws and plastic pushpins. Normal maintenance is easier, however. No chain maintenance, of course, and the oil changes are as simple as any other bike. Easy to get the wheels off, too.

Having both bikes is the perfect combination. (And now I have Android Auto on the 'Wing. Yeah!)

[3way]

Variety is the spice etc.

 

[texscottyd]

46 minutes ago, 3way said:

 

You still have that RD, by any chance?   There was a time that you couldn’t give these things away, but now they’re getting scarce and valuable.   I was a bit shocked by the money a nice RZ350 will fetch these days... 

[3way]

 

2 minutes ago, texscottyd said:

You still have that RD, by any chance?   There was a time that you couldn’t give these things away, but now they’re getting scarce and valuable.   I was a bit shocked by the money a nice RZ350 will fetch these days... 

Yup, and It's a 250 in 400 colours.  I ride it loads but no long distances. They drink fuel to say the least. The price of the 400's are ridiculous, and overrated, but most are restored to better than showroom and hardly ridden just in case they get a bit of dust on them. Shame. Anything from that era is going up, the lc's included. The price of nostalgia ! Try looking up the price of a restored Yamaha Fs1e 50cc if you want a real laugh. I need to build a time machine !  I did see an mt09 dressed with a lc looking kit, very nice. 

[keithu]

18 hours ago, SKYFLIX said:

You can have the fuel tank off of the Yamaha in under an hour. The Gold Wing? Hah! Better part of an afternoon (or weekend! for the first time you do it), and better not lose the 100 or so screws and plastic pushpins. Normal maintenance is easier, however. No chain maintenance, of course, and the oil changes are as simple as any other bike. Easy to get the wheels off, too.

I guess I should stop complaining that it takes nearly an hour to remove the FJ-09 tank. 😆

Interesting comment about the wheels. I was under the impression that removing the rear wheel was a huge PITA on older Gold Wings. Do the saddlebags come off easily for that?

I was really surprised by your comments about the Gold Wing luggage.

 

[SKYFLIX]

4 minutes ago, keithu said:

I guess I should stop complaining that it takes nearly an hour to remove the FJ-09 tank. 😆

Interesting comment about the wheels. I was under the impression that removing the rear wheel was a huge PITA on older Gold Wings. Do the saddlebags come off easily for that?

I was really surprised by your comments about the Gold Wing luggage.

 

No need to pull off the saddle bags. It slides right out the rear with the removal of only a tail bracket, and a piece of the left exhaust shield. I can have it off in less than 5 minutes.

[keithu]

45 minutes ago, SKYFLIX said:

No need to pull off the saddle bags. It slides right out the rear with the removal of only a tail bracket, and a piece of the left exhaust shield. I can have it off in less than 5 minutes.

I was looking at the Honda website and saw that the GW has a single sided swingarm. That definitely simplifies wheel changes. One of the few good things I'll say about my old K100RS is that I could have the rear wheel off in about one minute.

[texscottyd]

@SKYFLIX - Thanks for the great insight on the new generation Wings!   Did you get the DCT automatic on yours?   The photo of your 2018 doesn’t show a clutch lever, so I believe that’s a DCT, but I can’t tell for sure on the 2020.     Just curious, as I’ve heard great things about Honda’s DCT gearbox, but haven’t ridden one myself (the demo I rode was the conventional manual transmission).   

[SKYFLIX]

@texscottyd Indeed, both of them have been DCT. I was initially going to get the manual, but I read where the DCT's were outselling the manual something like 10-to-1. I'm glad I made that decision. It takes some getting used to; you have to drag the rear brake in low speed maneuvering since you can't feather the clutch. But it's just so effortless otherwise.

[andz]

I found a picture of my own CB400N, this was us having a rest on the way from Johannesburg to Durban back in 1981. Note the black chrome Moriwaki 2-1 pipe and the Fiamm air horns, even back then I liked a good sound when I hit the hooter button.

The distance is around 550km and in those days it wasn't the freeway it is now so it took most of the day to get there.

This is the bike loaded up for a 2 week holiday, believe it or not we rode it 2 up like this!

I still have that open face helmet tied on the back but I don't wear it anymore.

[Stew]

In order (as best as I can remember)...
Honda CB250N (Did 15,000 miles in my first year, with a solid frame rucksack on my back)
Suzuki T500 (I had 2 at the same time)
Honda VT500
Suzuki GS550 (Did 30,000 miles in 6 months despatch riding) what a great wee bike that was.
Suzuki GSX600f
Suzuki RF900
Yamaha FJ1200
Yamaha 1000 Exup
Honda CBR600
Kawasaki KLX650R
Honda CR250 (raced in enduro's and made it road legal)
Yamaha FJ1200
Yamaha XT600 Tenere
HOnda 650 Transalp (what a piece of junk)
Yamaha FJ1200
Yamaha XT600 (painted blackboard black, ratbike)
Kawasaki KDX250SR
Suzuki GS(x)750L (Still owned)
Suzuki GS650
Suzuki DL650 Vstrom (I loved this bike soo much)
Honda CRF250L (current)
Yamaha MT-09 Tracer (current)
(There may have been others, but those are the ones I can remember. Not got many photos but here you go.... (that is not me on my GS(x)750, it's an old pal)

 

[andz]

This is the only picture I could find of my Suzuki AC50, circa 1979. I still haven't found a picture of my CBX550F 🙈

It's a bad scan of a bad print, taken at Kyalami racetrack north of Johannesburg.

The girl in the picture has been my wife for almost 36 years.

 

[andz]

So I did some more digging today, sorry for the bad quality but they are scans of prints around 40 years old.

Here's my AC50 during a short spell with clubman handlebars, they were terrible!

 

My 1980 CB400N when it was new and still stock

 

Another couple of shots during the aforementioned trip to Durban. I forgot to mention in my first post that I had also replaced the rear shocks with S&W as well as the Moriwaki parts.

 

As you can see ATGATT wasn't so important back then... nice shiny black chromed headers though!

 

Finally found a picture of my CBX550F. It had the same sort of forward/backward adjustable handlebars as the first CB-X 6 cylinder, clamped onto the top of the fork tubes. It was also my first bike with single shock rear suspension, Honda Pro-Link.

[Stew]

1 hour ago, andz said:

As you can see ATGATT wasn't so important back then... nice shiny black chromed headers though!

 

 

 

ATGATT for me on my 250 version consisted of a Boeri Helmet (which got regular resprays when my mum worked in a paintshop) , a belstaff jacket, pair of jeans and trainers. Never did me any harm (other than permanent scars on both knees from getting the pegs to ground and spark on roundabouts
It was my first bike, and I had no idea how to ride it, so I took a week and toured all over Scotland, at the recommended run in revs , which was approx 30-35mph. I did 1000 miles that week, and the bike shop were in shock when I was back for my first service the same week I bought it I loved that wee bike, but I imagine it would be horrendous to ride now.