merv
23rd July 2006, 19:00
The comments from Cougar about the XR200 prompted me to offer this thread.
Those that know me know I buy bikes new, ride them reasonably hard, but fuss over them and make sure they look like new as much as I can.
The XR200 was a case in point. I bought one in 1983, raced it for 2 years in enduros and then trail rode it and did adventure rides on it until 1998 and did no more than replace a set of clutch plates once, replace the back tyre once, replace the rear wheel bearings twice and the brake shoes once and eventually had to buy a new air cleaner element. In 15 years that wasn't much. You could drop that bike too and it didn't break and that helped. I never so much as bent a lever on it.
That bike was bullet proof, but one of the reasons is I'm a fussy prick. Get it filthy, then clean it and service it with care and it responded with love and devotion. I'm basically saying take that approach and you will feel rewarded. For me it suits my pocket too because I don't spend too much.
See the pics of what it looked like on rides. First pic is after an enduro in Lismore forest 1984, second is at an Onga Onga trail ride 1996 and then what it looked like the day I sold it in 1998 in the last pic - that bike looked like new and I had not refurbished it - just cleaned it meticulously.
I treat all my bikes the same and look after Mrs merv's bikes likewise.
Those that know me know I buy bikes new, ride them reasonably hard, but fuss over them and make sure they look like new as much as I can.
The XR200 was a case in point. I bought one in 1983, raced it for 2 years in enduros and then trail rode it and did adventure rides on it until 1998 and did no more than replace a set of clutch plates once, replace the back tyre once, replace the rear wheel bearings twice and the brake shoes once and eventually had to buy a new air cleaner element. In 15 years that wasn't much. You could drop that bike too and it didn't break and that helped. I never so much as bent a lever on it.
That bike was bullet proof, but one of the reasons is I'm a fussy prick. Get it filthy, then clean it and service it with care and it responded with love and devotion. I'm basically saying take that approach and you will feel rewarded. For me it suits my pocket too because I don't spend too much.
See the pics of what it looked like on rides. First pic is after an enduro in Lismore forest 1984, second is at an Onga Onga trail ride 1996 and then what it looked like the day I sold it in 1998 in the last pic - that bike looked like new and I had not refurbished it - just cleaned it meticulously.
I treat all my bikes the same and look after Mrs merv's bikes likewise.