Hmmmm?

[Crasherfromwayback]

Spoken like a true salesman
Go Pete!!

Go?? Too late mate...I've gone!

[Kickaha]

And no mention of the small but growing number of 675s eating their crank because they run dry of oil before the oil warning light comes on.

What of mileage is this happening at? there's two in Christchurch that have been racing since they were released with out any problems

[scracha]

bike would have hand grenaded. Go take a look at Trademe. How many 30 and 40 year old Jap bikes are there for sale ? Now go count up the number of 1960s and 1970 Triumphs. Well ?

Just out of interest....how many people had big Jap bikes in New Zealand in the 1960's compared to the number running about on big Brit bikes?

[Lou Girardin]

The 675's do tend to sip a bit of oil, but one of the retards featured in 'Bike" didn't check the oil between services. That's 6,000 km. I hope Triumph tell him to make love elsewhere.

[James Deuce]

What of mileage is this happening at? there's two in Christchurch that have been racing since they were released with out any problems

Check the oil and you're OK, provided you have the nouse to top up as well as check.

The "retard" from Bike is not the only one caught out because the oil light doesn't come on until after the engine is toast.

[Lou Girardin]

Check the oil and you're OK, provided you have the nouse to top up as well as check.

The "retard" from Bike is not the only one caught out because the oil light doesn't come on until after the engine is toast.

Sorry to tell you this, but a low oil level light is not going to save your engine when it's being used hard.
The horse will have already bolted.

[Fatjim]

Yeah but having a oil warning light that comes on when the bikes already shat it's big end bearings is like having a pacemaker that takes 4 minutes to kick in.

Too fukin late!

[Fatjim]

Calm down Paul

Don't worry mate, Paul was brought up in a time when a broken record was really a broken record.

[Ixion]

Just out of interest....how many people had big Jap bikes in New Zealand in the 1960's compared to the number running about on big Brit bikes?

Big Jap bikes in the 60s. None that I recall. Depends on your definition of big I guess. Honda CB450 (rare) ; Suzuki T500: Kawaa 500; Megura, rare as. . But heaps of smaller ones. In that era the Jap two strokes redeined the definition.

[Motu]

Most bikes I've ever ridden or owned never had an oil light,and even though some have burned and leaked oil at a considerable rate,I've never managed to sieze an engine.Low oil presure lights are more often used on cars - and when the light comes on your engine has just destroyed itself.Why should a motorcycle be any different.

However,I have siezed a VW engine....When fitting a 1300 into my 1958 Kombi I wanted to fit my big tacho,but couldn't be bothered running a wire all the way to the back for the coil pickup.So I used the oil pressure light wire.And as I am a favorite nephew of Murphy the obvious final result happened on a saturday night,on the corner of Wellesley St and Queen St.I parked it half on the footpath and walked away.

To find a Jap bike with the longlivety of the Triumph twin you have have to pick the Yamaha SX650.Come down and take a look at my XS650 motor if you want to see what happens when morons work on bikes.

[NighthawkNZ:Me]

You guys haven't read the last two Bike magazines then? Their long termer shat itself in the way described and they have discussed the same problem with a couple of readers. Anecdotal at the moment, but Bike are actively seeking stats and an explanation. And not being given either.

Nope have read them... hmmmm interesting... luckily I not own one

[Bonez]

To find a Jap bike with the longlivety of the Triumph twin you have have to pick the Yamaha SX650.

Ok I'll bite. I have a garage with one 1976 jap bike(30 yo), a 78 jap bike, (28 yo) a 81 jap bike (24 yo), a 86 jap bike (20 yo) and an 88 jap bike, all running. Now I'm no mechanic. Neighbours mate buys a Triumph 650. Fucked in the first week he owned it. Had it for 3 months. Even had so called "experts " try to sort it. 3 sets of pistons later he got so pissed off he flogged it off and got an early xv1000(the first of them) The xv is still running as sweet as the day he bought it 6 months ago.

Another example. Chap restores a 500 trumpy, looks fantastic. Takes it to the cold kiwi. Had to trailer it home becease of a broken crank. Yes there's a great aftermarket spare setup for the old girls. As time goes by the same is happening for popular jap models. The CB750k for example you can by just about any part conceivable new. There are a lot more old Jap bike in curculation than some think. A guy at work has a '81 GSX1100 and uses it quite regularly.

I have to ask this question. Why are folk getting rid of these all these Triumuph twins if there's such a good spares back up?

Maybe the reason there's not so many old Jappers on Trademe is that they are actually being ridden Met a chap getting a wof for his dohc cb750 (1980/1 model by the looks of the dash) on Thursday which is testiment to this. An original milage bike,no engine work done, that hadn't been that well looked after. A gent who is getting back into bikes and wanted someting cheap and reliable to get going on ..........

Forgot to mention. The last time I visited the local Suzuki dealership I could still buy new bits for my GSX750EX, at a cost obviously and ex Japan. Quite surprised really. I'm sure I've mentioned this outfit before too- http://www.oldbikebarn.com/
There are many others about as well that support these bikes and make a good living out it. Google is your freind.

[Motu]

We are still talking different eras,'60's British bikes and late '70's early '80's Jap bikes.I am a mechanic,and I can assure you 90% of British bike problems were owner inflicted....even on my own British bikes.But I didn't blame the bike,I knew where the problem lied.Japanese bikes just never got owner ''involvment'' like British bikes did,a little too complicated for the hammer and screwdriver brigade.

Like those who like to poke fun at Harleys,most of the riders of Japanese bikes who like to make fun of British bike oil leaks have never owned or ridden one....that would spoil the fun.

[onearmedbandit]

Q: Know why the British don't make computers?
A: They couldn't figure out how to make them leak oil!

[Ixion]

,,.Come down and take a look at my XS650 motor if you want to see what happens when morons work on bikes.

Woz wrong wiv yer motor, then ? Yer didn't fit the pistons upside down again did yer?

BTB, I reckon one of the best oil pressure indicaters was the old pre unit Triumph plunger thingy in the timing case. Popped out under pressure, y could easy see it, even feel it in the dark.

Point was, I fink, not to say the Japs woz bad. But that the Triumphs were not as bad as some crack on.

Most troubles with the old Brits were down to the uncertainty of metallurgy in the day. Bear in mind we're talking 60 year old designs here. They just didn't have the understanding of the metallurgy , or the materials back then. Give those old guys modern steel and alloys and they've have been on a roll.