Old bikes that slowly die

[Dani-D]

Rode to work as usual this morning. Running later than usual and finally caught up to one onf the others I ride with in town. A certain old green honda. Noticed no tail light. Thought nothing of it. Passed him to the next set of lights and noticed no headlights.

Leaned over to ask whats up with the lights this early in the morning, and he starts swearing about electrics, generators, and plain bad luck.

Seems its dying. Slowly.

Yesterday he ran out of gas when someone (me thinks himself) turned it to reserve and not "on" lol OPPS! so we lft him then as well.

How many others have odd glitches and faults with their older bikes and why do you put up with them and not upgrade? Apart from the $$$. I know this guy can afford a new bike, hes just odd and likes flogging the underdog bikes and cars.

[Subike]

How many others have odd glitches and faults with their older bikes and why do you put up with them and not upgrade? Apart from the $$$. I know this guy can afford a new bike, hes just odd and likes flogging the underdog bikes and cars.

Older bikes are easier to maintain.
Older bikes have personality
Older bikes stand out in a pack
Older bikes contain memories of good times.
Older bikes develop love affairs with older men that are stronger than the handbrake that dominates them , that resides the kitchen.
Older bikes can be fixed without a computor.
Older bikes dont (usually) get ridden fast enough to get a ticket

[Kickaha]

How many others have odd glitches and faults with their older bikes and why do you put up with them and not upgrade? .

We don't want to be like the rest of the sheep on late model bikes

I like my 1980s bike, there's been very few bikes built after the mid eighties I'd be interested in owning and they don't all have glitches and faults

[Dani-D]

See thats where I dont get it. This things
a. not old enough to be a classis
b. had a ton of timne spent on it to make it go faster, stop btter sound bigger and look like the latest bikes and
c. its not ridden slow AT ALL. Not even close.

[breakaway]

While I agree completely with the 'special bond' sentiment in this thread (I'd be hard to not form a special bond with a bike that you crashed at 110km/h down a bank, and lived to tell about it), sometimes the need to have reliable transport (ESPECIALLY when you're not a very handy mehanic, and your bike is your only wheels) has to come first.

If I had lots of money, I'd restore my 'old bike' (1989 is old, right?) to it's former glory. Unfortunately due to financial issues I don't think this is going to happen anytime soon. Not to mention old bikes like to chew things out - such as alternators, reg/recs on older hondas (Although mine goes fine still ) which can be a pain in the ass to shell out for when you aren't loaded.

[slydesigns]

The JadedBlade in NOT dying. It maybe tired but its far from dead.
It ran out of gas because another biker at work likes to turn my gas off. I turned it to reserve. I ran out, you stop, laughed, took a picture, rode off and struck yourself off my Xmas list. And I had such a great present picked out for you.

The biggest lump of coal I could find...

This morning I had to crash start it.

5 times.

Then halfway to Palmy the lights went. Seems the battery is toast.

[Subike]

this is what 30 years of abuse can look like after a little money is spent on it

http://www.kiwibiker.co.nz/forums/al...pictureid=8783

[Murray]

Older bikes are easier to maintain.
Older bikes have personality
Older bikes stand out in a pack
Older bikes contain memories of good times.
Older bikes develop love affairs with older men that are stronger than the handbrake that dominates them , that resides the kitchen.
Older bikes can be fixed without a computor.
Older bikes dont (usually) get ridden fast enough to get a ticket

SPOT ON!!!!! Especially stand out in a pack, Harleys are boring as hell now and all the newer bikes are starting to look the same. My wife also loves being pillion on my bike rather than some of the newer ones due to it feeling more solid and protective due to its size and weight

[yod]

The JadedBlade in NOT dying. It maybe tired but its far from dead.
It ran out of gas because another biker at work likes to turn my gas off. I turned it to reserve. I ran out, you stop, laughed, took a picture, rode off and struck yourself off my Xmas list. And I had such a great present picked out for you.

The biggest lump of coal I could find...

This morning I had to crash start it.

5 times.

Then halfway to Palmy the lights went. Seems the battery is toast.

she trying to wind you up too??

apparently I'm not right in the head cos I ride a 'tourer'

[GSVR]

I know someone heading down from palmy to Wellington on the 12th Oct with an empty wagon. You can store the parts either with him or me until that weekend if thats helpful? He already owns 2 NC29s as well so I'd say he'd look after your gear pretty good.

Would you be able to tell me if Sly and Melissa are going to turn up to the Friday night ride?

[sunhuntin]

While I agree completely with the 'special bond' sentiment in this thread (I'd be hard to not form a special bond with a bike that you crashed at 110km/h down a bank, and lived to tell about it), sometimes the need to have reliable transport (ESPECIALLY when you're not a very handy mehanic, and your bike is your only wheels) has to come first.

If I had lots of money, I'd restore my 'old bike' (1989 is old, right?) to it's former glory. Unfortunately due to financial issues I don't think this is going to happen anytime soon. Not to mention old bikes like to chew things out - such as alternators, reg/recs on older hondas (Although mine goes fine still ) which can be a pain in the ass to shell out for when you aren't loaded.

i didnt give up my 80s ginny till she got hit by a car, and only then cos it was cheaper to buy new than to repair the old.
she had crap in the carby i think, and every so often, all power would drop, shed splutter a bit, then sugre like hell and go into involuntary mini wheelstand before continuing like normal. rather embarrassing right outside a packed pub!

had that bike not been wrecked, id likely still be riding it. hell, even after being munched by a car, she still started first pop and ran without any hassles. only problem was the brake levers werent in the right places, which almost resulted in a motorbike vs. house

im happier riding older bikes. my only brand new one caused me a years worth of frustration and repair bills. my 98 virago has given me nothing but almost 30,000k of smiles and touring.

[slydesigns]

Danica... you have no taste for the classics. I enjoy the intimate moments I spend in the garage tenderly carressing my babyblade at night. Even when I end up yelling, swearing, rant and raving, bloody knuckles and all.

Your toy gets plugged into a laptop, mine doesn't need the PC to tell me how it feels.

But, I have got a taste for capacity now after riding both yours and SarahVets bikes. A shame really to se the blade replaced soon, but atleast it still goes like a cut cat!

she trying to wind you up too??

apparently I'm not right in the head cos I ride a 'tourer'

Your not right in the head.

Neither is she, can't wait until Darren returns and knocks her down a peg or 12.

Mellissa won't be there this friday, shes going partying. I MAY be assuming I cansort out the little gremlins I have OR I bring the Ninja OR I steal the Blade Breaker or even the black R6 collecting dust next to it... PLEASE DANI, You know I'll treat it nice.

[Bonez]

Oh goody a thread just for me.

Have a number of bikes over 20+, two thirty in fact, years old. Funny thing is even though they are "old" they can still do multi day rides reliably. Each has its quirks but all of them but a smile on my face each time I ride them. .

Thats what really matters in the end.

Oh and another thing-you don't have to stop for a latte every half hour or so

It really sucks being stuck at home sick dammit

[xwhatsit]

Heh. I fix one thing on my bike, another crops up almost immediately.

Doesn't matter, I've got some curious attachment to it. No other bike, old or new, makes me smile so much -- at least when it's running right and it's on the right bit of road!

[XxKiTtiExX]

Its called "forced learning." You know where your bike constantly breaks down/has something wrong with it and you can't afford to constantly take it to the garage to be fixed. So you spend endless hours scratching your head. Kicking the thing and cussing. Then you eventually fix it. And yes its usually something simple. I see that as a bonus. No better way to learn than forced learning. You become attached to them with this whole love hate relationship thing that you get going on. Then again, not all new bikes run perfectly either. Everyone has their own personal taste in bikes. We don't all insist on having the hottest item on the market.