Motorcycle Question

[kdbgoat]

Your '70 125 yammy was close to my first dirt bike, a '69 175 yammy enduro. Mine ended up with an aftermarket frame, a Redline, if I remember correctly, and my engine was built by a guy in Virginia. I used to give those Suzuki 185's a fit on the MX track. I did have to watch those Honda's though, with their 11,000 rpm redline engines.

 

[xrated]

anyone that doesn't love cars and motorcycles.... should buy Japanese vehicles.

They are disposable transportation vehicles...if something goes wrong they are not worth fixing,  just throw it away and get a new one.

Comparing a Honda to a Harley is like comparing a Bic lighter... to a Zippo lighter.

I agree  Honda = Zippo, Harley = Bic Lighter

 

[Alpena Jeff]

You might backwards have that.  8)

 

[Oldgator73]

Welcome back O/G.

if you had an Ossa in 1970 you were King of the Hill,  I dreamed of a Husky, Bultaco or an Ossa but all I could afford was new 1970 Yamaha 125 Enduro.        Loved that bike.. took it everywhere with me in the Army.

(In fact I may just go on EBay and get me another one as a lovely little retirement award.  ) )

This is the model I had:

http://www.2040-motos.com/_content/cars/images/17/404417/001.jpg

Available on eBay.

 

[Old Radios]

After 49 years of riding I've had them all.  First one was A Honda, then Yamaha, etc.  Wound up with Harleys and will never go back. Harley's are just so much more fun to ride.
Unless I find this little customized Honda Scrambler I first had in the '60s. That I would buy back.
Still, to each his own.

 

[TonyDtorch]

Old Radio.

funny you should mention Honda Scramblers.....Another of my all time favorite bikes,  if fact.. I still have one.  A 1965 Honda 305 scrambler.  (first year of the 305 ) I had fun restoring these bikes and have a bunch of parts if you ever get one.

 

[Old_Crow]

One option we're looking at is a dolly tow with the motorcycles cross loaded.  At destination can switch to tow the dolly with the Jeep if needed. 

http://www.tandem-tow.com/HDXL.htm

I'm not getting into the whole Honda/Harley thing.  I've had both, and I can't ride anymore, so it just seems silly, BUT, I looked at the dolly in your link, and I think you'd better do some research on the Jeep forums. 
Some Jeeps don't take well to being dragged around on a dolly.  Not sure exactly which models with which transfer cases(didn't pay that much attention because I tow 4 down)but apparently it damages something in the transfer case.

 

[xrated]

You might backwards have that.  8)

OK, if you insist.....

Harley = Bic Lighter, Honda = Zippo!  Is that better?

 

[Alpena Jeff]

If that pleases you, sure.

 

[catblaster]

  I simply love motorcycles, all motorcycles and would probably ride a Honda again so long as I was in a strange town where none of my friends could see me. and it didnt leave me sitting alongside the road 4 times like my last new one did. 

  Did you ever notice that a BMW rider will not wave back at you unless you are riding the same model and color of BMW. Honda riders wont wave back because they are afraid of making eye contact.
No one ever said "I want my Harley to sound just like that Honda"

  I can still buy parts for my 52 pan head, all the way down to the throttle plate screws.Thats something you cant do with a Honda ....especially since they didn't start making them until 55 (according to my source) but I do have a pressure washer that is top notch.

 

[TonyDtorch]

A friend of mine owns a Honda dealership. He was telling me when a Goldwing comes in with a bad alternator (a common problem with them)  the repair estimate will be more than the bike is worth because the entire engine has to be removed. At that point the insurance usually totals the bike.

Like a disposable lighter.  They are not designed to be repaired.

 

[xrated]

A friend of mine owns a Honda dealership. He was telling me when a Goldwing comes in with a bad alternator (a common problem with them)  the repair estimate will be more than the bike is worth because the entire engine has to be removed. At that point the insurance usuallly totals the bike.

Like a disposable lighter.  They are not designed to be repaired.

Insurance totals the bike?  Since when does insurance take care of a maintenance item.....unless it's a service contract.  Your regular insurance is for accidents, not breakdown repairs....except maybe the towing part of the breakdown.  And let's face it, cars, trucks, motorcycles, refrigerators, ....you name it, has gotten a LOT more complex that they were years ago.  I haven't heard about any specific issues with Goldwings and that being a common problem, but then again, I don't own a Goldwing.  And the Goldwing is just one of many motorcycles that Honda makes.

And on the flip side of that coin, back in 2003-2006 when I sold Honda AND Harley motorcycles at a dealership (and yes, they were both on the same sales floor), I read a published article about a guy that had bought a brand new 1995 Goldwing.  He was a salesman and used the bike for his sales route, as he loved to ride.  The article was published in 2005 and he had 584,000 miles on the Goldwing at that time......and the engine had never been apart.  He had obviously gone through a ton of tires, oil and filter changes, spark plugs and the normal maint stuff, but the engine had never been opened to repair or fix anything.  I'm sure covers had to come off for valve adjustments, but the point is, Hondas, generally speaking are dead nut reliable cars and motorcycles.  My last track bike, a Honda CBR600RR, was sold with 16,000 miles on it.  That doesn't sound like a lot, but when you realize that the bike lived it's life in the 12-15K RPM range for all those miles, it's pretty impressive.

Ride whatever you like, enjoy the experience, but just know that if everyone all like the same thing......it would not be the same experience

 

[TonyDtorch]

I was doing a brake job on a really nice older Suzuki road bike...it needed new rotors.

When I went to the dealership the parts department told me they no longer support that bike in parts.... :-\

The Japanese automotive industry just wants everyone to buy a new Bic lighter..

( yes you can write up the repair estimate to be an insurance claim.... the same thing as a wiring short can total a vehicle.)


and then there's that old motorcycle joke...

A Honda is just like a fat girl...they're still fun.... but don't let any of your friends see you riding them.... ;D

 

[xrated]

I was doing a brake job on a really nice older Suzuki road bike...it needed new rotors.

When I went to the dealership the parts department told me they no longer support that bike in parts.... :-\

The Japanese automotive industry just wants everyone to buy a new Bic lighter..

( yes you can write up the repair estimate to be an insurance claim.... the same thing as a wiring short can total a vehicle.)


and then there's that old motorcycle joke...

A Honda is just like a fat girl...there still fun.... but don't let any of your friends see you riding them.... ;D

Or the old Harley joke.....
Since 1973, 94% of all the Harleys made are still on the road!  The other 6% made it home!  ;D

 

[TonyDtorch]

Or the old Harley joke.....
Since 1973, 94% of all the Harleys made are still on the road!  The other 6% made it home!  ;D

but in reality...I see a lot more 1973 Harleys on the road today than I see 1973 Hondas  .....

 

[Randy328]

My quick 2 cents...I currently have 3 Hondas, 2 Kawasakis, and 1 Harley. They each have different purposes for me, and I love them all.

One of the Hondas is a race bike that I now teach on, and like xrated mentioned, it's impressive since it has 65,000 track miles on it with no issues.

 

[xrated]

but in reality...I see a lot more 1973 Harleys on the road today than I see 1973 Hondas  .....

They probably aren't really 1973 models.....they just look the same now as they did in 1973.

 

[RVRAC]

As someone who has a Class C, a Jeep and a motorcycle would be too much weight. MHO

 

[Molaker]

Gee, don't anyone have a Hodaka these days?

 

[TonyDtorch]

Gee, don't anyone have a Hodaka these days?

I see them at the motorcycle shows....I had one and raced it,...they sure seemed bigger back in 1973  ???