I'm looking to pick up a classic motorcycle and just wonder

Mulliganal · Post by **Mulliganal** » Thu May 05, 2011 2:09 am

what vintage/classic bikes you guys either currently own, have owned or would like to own?

I’ve been looking through CraigsList for something like one of these:

197? Honda CB550
BMW R65 or R75
Triumph Bonneville
BSA
Norton Commando

I don’t want to get too crazy on the price so I’m trying to find something around $3,000-$4,000 but in good condition. I’d like to find something that is running well but would like to be worked on a bit to make it beautiful. Anyone have any thoughts on which of these, or others, would be a good choice?

desmolicious · Post by **desmolicious** » Thu May 05, 2011 2:19 am

Either the Honda or the BMW.

The Triumph, BSA and Norton (especially the latter two) would just be too expensive and too much work to maintain if you can find the parts.

babblefish · Post by **babblefish** » Thu May 05, 2011 2:37 am

I'm currently looking for either an BMW R90 or R100. Preferably the "S" versions.

irishtim · Post by **irishtim** » Thu May 05, 2011 3:02 am

The CB would be cheap and plenty of stuff available. Easy to keep it stock or cafe it out. Great buys on Bonnies now too. BSA and Nortons are gonna set you back and parts will be in the megabuck range.

PeteH · Post by **PeteH** » Thu May 05, 2011 3:14 am

I used to have a 1975 CB550F Super Sport with the 4-into-1 exhaust. Great bike. The comparable CB400F was sweet, too. It had a nice six-speed trans.

Post by **jrsjr** » Thu May 05, 2011 3:33 am

Look around for the US magazine Motorcycle Classics. They did a running series on a CB550 (CB500?) restoration that was worth a read.

/End of Useful Information

Begin Opinionated Rant

I had a 1973 BMW R60/5 with a toaster tank added to it and IMHO, there's a good reason why the R75 is much more loved. The R60 was just ok, but not special. If you buy one, take a look at the shaft drive enclosure. There is a "long shaft" version and a "short shaft" version. The long shaft has a longer wheelbase because they welded an extender onto the shaft tube (and used a longer drive shaft). It's obvious by inspection which is which. The short shaft might be a collector's item, but I would not particularly want one. I would definitely take an R75 over any of the 60s. I like the 1980's R65 a lot better, but it wasn't hugely popular because folks wanted the R80 instead. The R80 bike acquired a rep as a rock-solid motor with fewer electrical gremlins (for some reason) than other Beemers. I love the looks of the Norton, but they can be genuinely temperamental which is not my thing. Beautiful, fast, good handling for their time, but high strung. Good luck finding a BSA with an unmolested frame. You're much more likely to find a serviceable Triumph Bonneville. You can get parts for those and they're satisfying to ride, though they noticeably don't handle as well as the Norton. I like the Rocket 3/Tridents but I can't recall ever have seen one for sale around where I live. You might could find one at a Brit bike meet. I think that would be a cool bike to own though I've never had the chance to even ride one. I'm the wrong person to ask about the Honda 550s because I just can't get over the SOHC 750s. Somehow, for me, that bike synthesizes a lot of different elements of a certain era of motorcycling into a nice serviceable package that looks good and works well, though it doesn't handle by modern standards. It's just my thing, is all.

/End Opinionated Rant

Sorry if I wasn't much help.

Skootz Kabootz · Post by **Skootz Kabootz** » Thu May 05, 2011 4:01 am

A Bonneville T100 is coming my way soon. Hopefully within 6-8 weeks. This will be my first MC. Soooo excited. There are loads of other vintage bikes I'd really like to own, and maybe one day I'll be lucky enough to have a collection, but for me the Triumph has always been #1.

easy · Post by **easy** » Thu May 05, 2011 4:02 am

check out chattanooga TN craigs list theres a couple bmw on there now 1 very nice toaster for 4000

Post by **jrsjr** » Thu May 05, 2011 5:22 am

easy wrote:check out chattanooga TN craigs list theres a couple bmw on there now 1 very nice toaster for 4000

That's a nice-looking '72 R75, but I can't get around the chrome-plated cylinder head covers. Did you notice those? On the other hand, the bike has the side covers and it looks very clean. For 4000, I guess it should be clean. I wonder if he's done a dual-plug conversion or a gasket or something to lower the CR so it will run on modern gasoline? The R60 was finicky about that though the R50 reputedly would run on anything, something I never understood.

babblefish · Post by **babblefish** » Thu May 05, 2011 5:42 am

From what I've read (Motorcycle Classics magazine), the R60 had gearbox problems and is not too poplular because of lack of power. The R65 was very much improved, but is still a little on the weak side.

Syd · Post by **Syd** » Thu May 05, 2011 5:56 am

In your shoes, I'd be looking for a 1952 Vincent Black Lightning.

(But I'd settle for tickets to a Richard Thompson show.

)

babblefish · Post by **babblefish** » Thu May 05, 2011 6:00 am

Syd wrote:In your shoes, I'd be looking for a 1952 Vincent Black Lightning.

Yea, like theres dozens of those laying around for $5...

lmgreco · Post by **lmgreco** » Thu May 05, 2011 12:31 pm

I have a 75 Honda CB200 that I rebuilt over the winter. This forum is full of priceless information if you decide to look at vintage twins:

http://www.hondatwins.net/forum/

If this is going to be you're first vintage bike and would like to do some shadetree wrenching on it, you can't go wrong with a 70's Honda.

PeteH · Post by **PeteH** » Thu May 05, 2011 12:36 pm

Yeah, even though I had a CB550F, if I were to get another 'classic' (gawd, I feel old), I'd be on the hunt for an early-70s CB350. I didn't like the 360s or 400 twins too much. Of course, I just missed a beautiful CB350-4 on Craigslist a couple years ago.

An old buddy of mine had a Yama RD350 that I helped him get running. He bought it before he even got his driver's license. If he were in town today, I'd be kicking him for getting rid of it.

babblefish · Post by **babblefish** » Thu May 05, 2011 1:07 pm

Have you considered an early 70's Yamaha XS650? They're pretty rare and I think quite good looking. Though having ridden one for a year or so, I'd have to say that they don't handle too good when pushed hard. Even so, if I found one in good shape, I'd jump on it.

Post by **jrsjr** » Thu May 05, 2011 2:26 pm

babblefish wrote:Have you considered an early 70's Yamaha XS650?

Nice bikes with one well-known glitch, the electric starter. If you buy one, you'll learn to love the simple joys of kick starting.

JSharpPhoto · Post by **JSharpPhoto** » Thu May 05, 2011 2:35 pm

if you don't start it with a kick start, it's not vintage.

Hwarang · Post by **Hwarang** » Thu May 05, 2011 3:12 pm

I've got a Honda CB650 Custom. I chose it for a few reasons. Many people said that this bike (or similar models/brands) were great starter bikes. There were also many like this on Craigslist. I wanted to buy a cheap old bike as my first full-size motorcycle, to see if I liked it. I paid $600 for it and put in another $600 at the shop this winter (carb love). It's a good size frame for me (just shy of 6' tall), but is lighter than the 750 so you have a better torque to weight ratio.

The only caveat I would give is to know that a 30 year old bike will have issues. I would probably avoid a Triumph or some "wonky" bike as my first one ... although a brand new Bonneville is my ultimate goal. If you can avoid a 4-cylinder I would. 2-cylinder = half the cost when you have to fix the carbs.

It's really quite nice to have a small, nimble scooter and a big full-size moto. You learn how they ride differently. The moto dislikes the slow cruises with lots of sharp turns. It desires the freeway. The scoot, it is the hummingbird. Both are fun, and for different purposes.

Incidentally, riding the moto encourages me to wear my helmet more often. It is something I was bad about last summer, and have been a stickler about so far this year. On the scoot, I sometimes "just want to be free" but on the moto, well, everything feels much more powerful and serious.

Mulliganal · Post by **Mulliganal** » Thu May 05, 2011 3:30 pm

Thanks for all the information and input everyone. I'm going to focus on one of the early 70s Honda CB bikes for now; they seem to be popping up around the South East. But if something like this BMW comes around at a good price I'm grabbing that baby.

I also noticed a Crème BMW R1200C that was recently listed, and even though it's not an old classic it was one of my dream bikes many years back. It's sure is pretty but bigger than what I want at this point in my life.

I guess I'm feeling a bit nostalgic in my old age and remember the early 1980's Suzuki GS650e I had back when I was in my 20s; I wouldn’t mind having another one of those either.

Again, thanks for the great information everyone and thanks for the link to the Honda site.

Post by **jrsjr** » Thu May 05, 2011 3:31 pm

JSharpPhoto wrote:if you don't start it with a kick start, it's not vintage.

Hahaha. Point taken. Have you ever used the kick start on a "vintage" BMW like my old R60? The arm comes down away from the bike so you stand to the side of the bike and step on it like a stair-climber machine. But first you had to tickle each of the carbs with a spring-loaded plunger. Now that was an old school machine! I actually used to tour on that bike! LOL.

CWO4GUNNER · Post by **CWO4GUNNER** » Thu May 05, 2011 3:40 pm

I think If I was going to buy a moderately classic motorcycle in the way of value, I would be very patient with cash in hand and look for something you like that has been completely restored. Restoration may be a labor of love but on motorcycles more so then cars, restoration is a huge money pit. Most people that resell OK classic bikes like the CB550 never get what it cost them to restore it unless its a super classic like the Vincent Black Shadow a bike I had an opportunity to buy fully restored in 1988 for $7000, a decision not to buy I regret to this day. Of course be ready to do keep-up maintenance with very expensive parts.

I suppose if I were to look for a classic motorcycle it would be in the custom category and I would want to fine a vintage chopped chopper Honda or Kaw 650-900 from the late 70's to late 80". They are rare but affordable as the most chopper-weenies are mostly interested in the Harley chopper. Something like this below

Dooglas · Post by **Dooglas** » Thu May 05, 2011 3:40 pm

jrsjr wrote: Have you ever used the kick start on a "vintage" BMW like my old R60? The arm comes down away from the bike so you stand to the side of the bike and step on it like a stair-climber machine. But first you had to tickle each of the carbs with a spring-loaded plunger. Now that was an old school machine! I actually used to tour on that bike! LOL.

That is still how you kickstart a Ural

. The few classics that bridge to the present are worth a look in my opinion. Ural and Royal Enfield are probably the two best known and supported of the true production classics though some would certainly also call the current Thruxton and Bonneville modern classics. (You gotta love the look of the Thruxton!)

PeteH · Post by **PeteH** » Thu May 05, 2011 3:44 pm

Oooh, or maybe a SOHC CB750 cafe-rat bike. Yeah, that's it. Don't mind the rattlecan paint.

Post by **jrsjr** » Thu May 05, 2011 3:58 pm

PeteH wrote:Oooh, or maybe a SOHC CB750 cafe-rat bike. Yeah, that's it. Don't mind the rattlecan paint.

I'm with you letter-for-letter on the "SOHC CB750 cafe-" right up to the "rat" part. I just can't get excited about that look. Slightly shabby with the patina of age is more my style, but, hey, different strokes...

PeteH · Post by **PeteH** » Thu May 05, 2011 4:18 pm

Look on it as a theft-deterrent.

Post by **jrsjr** » Thu May 05, 2011 5:37 pm

PeteH wrote:Look on it as a theft-deterrent.

"Anti-theft styling?"

teckhardt · Post by **teckhardt** » Thu May 05, 2011 6:50 pm

I have a Ducati 450 single in addition to the Italia.

I actually got the Buddy because I tore the Duc apart. That was two years ago.

My advice: If you want to ride it on a regular basis w/o fuss, get a Honda or a Yamaha. If you like to tinker, get whatever strikes your fancy. Just expect to pay to upkeep it.

siobhan · Post by **siobhan** » Thu May 05, 2011 7:00 pm

You can't go wrong with an old Honda CBxxx. There's a gazillion of them so you can find one cheap. Your budget would get you a really, really, really nice CB350, even a really nice 750 (be patient). If you want to do some work, you shouldn't pay anywhere near that. CB350s in particular can be had very cheaply. Heck, I paid $300 for two of them! There's tons of support (parts and knowledge).
Here's a good site for SOHC-4: http://forums.sohc4.net/index.php

Don't forget that there's also a CL350 (the scrambler version), or even older the Honda CA77 (Dream), CL77 (Scrambler) and CB77 (SuperHawk). Always gets attention.
http://www.honda305.com/

As for BMW, if you want something cool that will get a lot of attention, get a /2 (although you'd have to up your budget). If you want something rock solid with good support both parts-wise and knowledge-wise, look for an R75/5. I paid no where near your budget for a solid runner. The airhead guys are really good people if you're looking for a fun community.

Or a really, really cool vintage BMW police bike.

A Norton or BSA is going to cost you. It'll also be more difficult to get parts. But man, you show up on a BSA, you'll get a lot of attention. It's the Brit bike I'd put in my stable, even more so than a Norton.

If you want something that looks the part but is new, have you considered the Suzuki TU250?

Or the Kawaski W650? Those are hard to come by as they were only available in the US for a couple of years, but I've seen really good examples with some farkles for about $3800-$4500. It's a weird bike so you would definitely get attention.

Whatever you get, you can't go wrong with a Honda. But if you get a good example, don't ruin it by cafe-ing it out. When will this trend end? You meet the nicest people...

lmgreco · Post by **lmgreco** » Thu May 05, 2011 9:19 pm

teckhardt wrote:I have a Ducati 450 single in addition to the Italia.

That is one nice lookin' bike.

Post by **ericalm** » Thu May 05, 2011 9:45 pm

Skootz Kabootz wrote:A Bonneville T100 is coming my way soon. Hopefully within 6-8 weeks.

Seriously? Wow!

Post by **ericalm** » Thu May 05, 2011 9:53 pm

Syd wrote:In your shoes, I'd be looking for a 1952 Vincent Black Lightning.

(But I'd settle for tickets to a Richard Thompson show. )

Skootz Kabootz · Post by **Skootz Kabootz** » Thu May 05, 2011 10:13 pm

ericalm wrote:
Skootz Kabootz wrote:A Bonneville T100 is coming my way soon. Hopefully within 6-8 weeks.
Seriously? Wow!

That's the plan. I should start the serious hunt for the right bike next week. So I figure 6-8 weeks to find it. But I am willing to wait as long as it takes for the perfect one to come along.

My Yella Stella is next on the list after that!

Skootz Kabootz · Post by **Skootz Kabootz** » Thu May 05, 2011 10:20 pm

Dooglas wrote:You gotta love the look of the Thruxton!)

I absolutely love the Thruxton. Definitely a part of my dream stable. The only downside I've heard about them is that they are comfortable only for about as long as it takes to race from one café to another. We had a friend on his Thruxton with us on our scooter ride up the coast two summers ago. I definitely would not have traded rides with him. But then, if he wanted to he could have got there twice as fast as us.

babblefish · Post by **babblefish** » Thu May 05, 2011 11:45 pm

I used to ride a Kawasaki H1 Mach III. Faast bike, lousy brakes, lousy handling and they didn't call it the "widowmaker" for nothing. I sure wish I still had it...

I also had a 1968 Honda CL350 Scrambler. The actual displacement was 325.6cc. I wish I still that one too...

But my very first motorcycle was a 1971 Suzuki TS90. My father bought it for me without first consulting with my mother. I needn't have to tell you how that turned out... Rode the heck out of it throughout high school. Loved that bike, but then we always remember our first, don't we?:)

Skootz Kabootz · Post by **Skootz Kabootz** » Thu May 05, 2011 11:47 pm

Wow. This is fast becoming one of my favorite threads here! So many beeeeutiful bikes! Total vintage MC porn! I want them all!

Post by **ericalm** » Thu May 05, 2011 11:53 pm

You can get the Hondas, and sometimes the BMWs, for far less than a Norton, Triumph or BSA. Extra money for parts & customizing!

The Yamaha 650s are also pretty popular these days. If you can find a Kawasaki W650, it's their take on the Bonneville, but cheaper! Also great is the Honda GB550, a cafe bike way before its (revival) time.

Post by **jrsjr** » Thu May 05, 2011 11:53 pm

babblefish wrote:I used to ride a Kawasaki H1 Mach III. Faast bike, lousy brakes, lousy handling and they didn't call it the "widowmaker" for nothing. I sure wish I still had it...

Oh yeah, been there, done that. Mine was a 1973 that looked exactly like this.

Post by **jrsjr** » Fri May 06, 2011 12:00 am

ericalm wrote: Also great is the Honda GB550, a cafe bike way before its (revival) time.

Do you mean the GB500? I had one of those, too.

Wish I'd hung on to that bike. They sell now for about 3x what I sold mine for.

Dooglas · Post by **Dooglas** » Fri May 06, 2011 12:26 am

Sounds like we all used to own a CB or two back in the day. These were two of mine (CB350, CB450). Great bikes!

Post by **ericalm** » Fri May 06, 2011 12:36 am

jrsjr wrote:
ericalm wrote: Also great is the Honda GB550, a cafe bike way before its (revival) time.
Do you mean the GB500? I had one of those, too. Wish I'd hung on to that bike. They sell now for about 3x what I sold mine for.

Dat's the one.

babblefish · Post by **babblefish** » Fri May 06, 2011 1:22 am

Ah yes, the Honda CB450. That's one of the Japanese bikes that contributed to the demise of the British motorcycle industry. As much as I like British bikes, the CB450 has to be one of my all time favorites.

PeteH · Post by **PeteH** » Fri May 06, 2011 1:23 am

Aaahhh, the CB350. Sooooo many colors over the years.

Mulliganal · Post by **Mulliganal** » Fri May 06, 2011 1:53 am

Check out the photos at the bottom. It's a shame to think of all the beautiful bikes, and pieces of history, that were left there to die.

http://dcclassiccycles.dynamitedave.com/graveyard.html

Motorcycle Graveyard

Post by **jrsjr** » Fri May 06, 2011 1:54 am

CB450s are BA. Even the gas tank on that bike is BA.

I learned to ride on a CB350, but I always had the CB450 jones. All those bikes vibrate but that's a small price to pay for riding something that cool.

Post by **jrsjr** » Fri May 06, 2011 2:17 am

Here is period video of another of my favorite 1970s bikes, the Kawasaki KZ650. People rave about the KZ900, but I like the KZ650. It would make a fun first vintage machine. The video shows other bikes that were new in 1976. Enjoy!
<iframe width="480" height="390" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/5dUC2p6ddfs" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

Post by **ericalm** » Fri May 06, 2011 4:22 am

Mulliganal wrote:…would like to own?

Man, the list goes on and on…

I'm kind of fond of the sub-200cc bikes for a lot of reasons, but one plus is that you can find some great bikes (well, the Hondas at least) relatively cheap.

Honda CA175

C200—only 90cc!

CB200

Looks pretty generic, but it grows up to be this.

Benelli 175/Wards Riverside 175

Ducati Cadet

…and oh so many more!

babblefish · Post by **babblefish** » Fri May 06, 2011 6:46 am

Eric, I've seen examples of all of those motorcycles you posted on my local Craigslist including that Gilera and Benelli!

I forgot to post this, the last motorcycle I owned; an '83 Suzuki GS750E. I first saw it at a local dealership, but unfortunately, my girlfriend at the time forbade me from even thinking about buying a motorcycle. Well, we broke-up about a year later (not because of the motorcycle) and one of the first things I did was go back to that dealership to buy that very bike (they hadn't sold it yet) for $3300 OTD. Life is sometimes funny like that...

Mulliganal · Post by **Mulliganal** » Fri May 06, 2011 12:39 pm

ericalm wrote:The Yamaha 650s are also pretty popular these days. If you can find a Kawasaki W650, it's their take on the Bonneville, but cheaper! Also great is the Honda GB550, a cafe bike way before its (revival) time.

Eric, I didn't know anything about either of those and both the Honda GB500 and Yamaha 650s are beautiful, especially that Yamaha, it looks just like a Bonneville. They may be hard to find but I'm going to keep my eyes out for both of those. For now I'll jet let my little bit of fun cash sit until I find exactly what I want.

jasondavis48108 · Post by **jasondavis48108** » Fri May 06, 2011 1:15 pm

jrsjr wrote:
babblefish wrote:Have you considered an early 70's Yamaha XS650?
Nice bikes with one well-known glitch, the electric starter. If you buy one, you'll learn to love the simple joys of kick starting.

You know the main thing I don't like about the FI scooters N bikes is no kick start. Maybe I watched The Wild One too many times but a bike without a kick start just doesn't feel right. My sh150i is in this camp and although I love the ride, I can't see myself not having at least one with a kick start, I'd just miss it too much

lmgreco · Post by **lmgreco** » Fri May 06, 2011 1:33 pm

ericalm wrote: CB200

Looks pretty generic, but it grows up to be this.

Here's my CB200T. Pretty much stock, except new seat cover, missing air cleaner covers, and bar end mirrors. It was sitting since the late 70's and only had 800 something miles when I got a hold of it!

Modern Buddy

I'm looking to pick up a classic motorcycle and just wonder

I'm looking to pick up a classic motorcycle and just wonder

As a lover of vintage machines this brought tears to my eyes

Re: I'm looking to pick up a classic motorcycle and just won

Re: I'm looking to pick up a classic motorcycle and just won