Yer basic bike - does such a thing exist?

[Winston001]

Well that is refreshing to know. Glad to hear there are still simple bikes around. Not perhaps quite in the Enfield tradition but at least there are people who also appreciate the simple things in life.

[Bonez]

Lots of CB400SS singles being bought into NZ. Sort of a GB400 with smaller tank, more upright seating position and tubular handle bars.

Had my GB400 3 years now. Having a ball of fun on it.

[MaxCannon]

Up until quite recently the bandits (600 / 1200) were air cooled, carb motors and pretty simple design.

That was partly what drew me to mine - easy to care for and easy to fix.

Although I think fuel injection probably solves more problems than it causes.
A properly designed engine computer system should never break down.

[madbikeboy]

GT650R is watercooled, but otherwise its pretty simple, carbyed, CDI. If you don't want a faired bike rip the fairings off it, sell them, and fighter it and it still looks not too shabby. By the time you sold all the fancy bits off of it you will likely have change out of $4k for a 2005+ model bike with under 20,000kms on it and it does 60+mpg.

Steve

What sort of Suzuki is that?

[FROSTY:Me]

Lots of CB400SS singles being bought into NZ. Sort of a GB400 with smaller tank, more upright seating position and tubular handle bars.

Had my GB400 3 years now. Having a ball of fun on it.

That CB400 ss looks good to my eyes. So much like my CB360 from many many years back

[xwhatsit]

That CB400 ss looks good to my eyes. So much like my CB360 from many many years back

Yes! They even do a two-tone paint job in Japan that looks identical to those couple of model years that did the two-tone (blue and silver was common on the CB360s, wasn't it?). Very cool bike.

Seems a shame that you have to purchase a `retro' in order to get what should be a standard class of bike you can purchase from any manufacturer.

[Skunk]

KLR650. Its basic AND gutless.
20 year old design. The sort of bike you could ride around the world on, or even Auckland to Wellington

Got one of them. Stopped for no reason and using the tools supplied could strip it down and fix it on the roadside. Simple and basic(ish).

Get right back to basics and get an old two smoker.

[vgcspares]

Up until quite recently the bandits (600 / 1200) were air cooled, carb motors and pretty simple design.

That was partly what drew me to mine - easy to care for and easy to fix.

Although I think fuel injection probably solves more problems than it causes.
A properly designed engine computer system should never break down.

not picking a fight, just not so sanguine about computers - the datalogging on my bike shows that though the mapping might be the same day by day, the air fuel ratio wanders a bit depending on on slope and humidity amongst other things. ECUs don't seem to self-adjust much at all really despite service manual claims to the contrary and they can be on the fragile side too

[imdying]

Winston it's the bikers that have lost their way, not the bikes... People have become lazy and stupid... never before has there been such a wealth of information available so easily, and spare parts are only an email or phone call away. If people can't fix their own rides, that's not because the bikes have become too difficult to work on, because in reality they haven't. The only people that think EFI is some sort of mystery are the people that haven't taken a little bit of time to read up on it. I dare say that those same people wouldn't have a clue about the internals of a carb either. Obviously I'm not talking about things like the new R1 which is technically very impressive, but simple bikes like my SV1000.

[Forest]

I'm seriously thinking about getting a W650.

[The Baron]

I'm seriously thinking about getting a W650.

Go for it Forest. The W650 is great bugs in your teeth fun. I just picked one up two weeks ago. But don't sell the Beemer.

[Bonez]

That CB400 ss looks good to my eyes. So much like my CB360 from many many years back

Nice lookers alright.

[Forest]

Go for it Forest. The W650 is great bugs in your teeth fun. I just picked one up two weeks ago. But don't sell the Beemer.

They look to be pretty solid. Anything I need to be aware of?

[davereid]

Electronics have changed things, but they havent really complicated them. I reckon my Kawasaki ER6F is a good example of a simple, modern motorcycle. A basic, reliable engine, simple ECU and fuel injection. Just good old fashioned transport really.

[Max Headroom]

They look to be pretty solid. Anything I need to be aware of?

Yep. They don't leak oil, they're quiet, smooth, reliable......and surprisingly dull.

My wife had one for about three years, which I rode occasionally too. We opened up the mufflers to liberate a bit of a "voice", and removed the exhaust gas recirculation cr@p. Also fitted a Stage 1 jetting kit. The bike went quite well after that, with a bit more sparkle performance-wise.

It was still boring.

The biggest drawcard is the apprearance and the build quality. Old farts regularly would come up all misty-eyed to congratulate us on the "restoration", start reminiscing about their Trumpy or BSA, and then get confused when their bifocals finally locked onto the Kawasaki badge...

I'd have another one again, but only to convert into a cafe style bike with alloy tank and solo seat and clipons and rearsets and.......where's the Bike Trader magazine?