Thinking about a bike

[Hersbird]

Yeah, that pick is a 550f like mine but with lower bars and a different saddle. Mine is mostly stock with a aftermarket muffler and the wrong pattern on the seat. I paid $800 but put another $800 or so in it.

I wanted to do something similar to mine but it is really low first year production with just over 3500 original miles.

[Eddie25]

would agree with a duel sport bike. i would give anything to get back on a bike again. i had a 2003 bmw 650gs Dakar. Awesome bike it does everything! if you are brave enough to withstand the cold it will be fine on the winter roads too. some models came out with heated grips. It is also a bit more earo than klrs of similar years. remember these are single cylinders with plenty torque. so when it comes to modifying them you can go quite drastic with changing the sprocket sizes . getting a bike is not something to think about. its something you just do.

[Frank Lee]

Originally Posted by jkv357

That's a 70s Honda (CB550 I think), redone in a "Cafe Racer" style. It's usually something you build yourself from a unrestored bike purchased for cheap.

Thanks to this "Cafe" craze it's getting really hard to find a nice, non-hacked-up stocker.

If the modifiers were starting with beaters that'd be different.

[spacemanspif]

I can deal without the drag bars on the pic I posted but I saw the bike in a parking lot and snapped it for reference. I like it just the same as one with stock handle bars. Dealing with 4 carbs doesn't sound fun and don't think is something I want to dive into which is why the tu250 just went up so high on my list. I'm not a guy from the country so a dual sport's ability to trail ride doesn't really make it better for me; I didn't grow up on dirt bikes and I don't see myself getting into another hobby that I have no time for. However, if I come across a deal on one and know it will get crazy MPG I'm not against buying one, it will most likely never see dirt again while its in my possession. The toy aspect of this is a very real one but I want to get better MPG than a car, like Frank said "why get a 45MPG bike when you can drive a 40mpg Tempo". Plus, I've never owned a bike nor ridden one regularly in my life so I'd like to start off with a relatively small bike that is easy to ride.

[Frank Lee]

I have a '71 CB450 dual carb and a bike like that has all the power and speed you want!

It's identical to this google image except for color:



I'd imagine a CB350 or even smaller would be totally more than adequate.

[spacemanspif]

Perfect, Frank!!! That's the style I like, just need your guys help telling me the goofy letters all the OEM use to name their bike.

[darcane]

These bikes are known as UJMs or Universal Japanese Motorcycle. Also may called a "Standard". The street bike I learned to ride on was a Honda CX500 which is very similar to those CBs but with a V-twin. They were great bikes, but they are all getting rather dated for a reliable bike.

Suzuki had the GS which were also great bikes. Yamaha had the XS bikes.

Old Mech's TU250 is a modern version of one, and would likely be exactly what you want. Kawasaki W650 and Honda CB1100 are both modern UJMs too, but larger and more expensive.

A Royal Enfield may fit too. There aren't a lot out there, but they are still making them so you may find something that is fairly new that has the right look. Triumph Bonneville and Scrambler are also modern bikes with classic looks, but pricey.

[roosterk0031]

The Honda CB's were also called Nighthawks starting in 80's, I like the 83+ better as the engine is narrower, has hydraulic valves so no adjustment, and 550, 650 700 have shaft drive. I liked the 650 best, brother had 700S which was nice. They offered 250, 450, 550, 650 and 700S, later narrowed down to just 250 and 750. Honda Ascot was a 500 single and later V-twin. .

[ecoboy]

Originally Posted by spacemanspif

Just picked up a new job closer to home and once I start I'll have a 4 miles commute to work. With such a short ride I'm thinking about buying a motorcycle to serve daily duty in the warmer months and in good weather. I'm looking for cheap, really fuel efficient and able to survive a 2 mile stretch at highway speeds at 60-70 mph. I like the look of cruisers and old Hondas with the long, flat seat. Other companies have a similar look. What I need are ideas from you guys on what models and engines to look for in my searches. I'd like close to 100mpg with no mods and am guessing that anything 750cc and larger is out of the question, but are 600cc engines too big too? I'm guessing 250cc engines are going to be the best MPG machines but can they propel the bike at 70mph while still sipping fuel? I don't really know all the letters and numbers used to name different bike so if you could please recommend bikes to search craigslist for, I'd appreciate it becuase I don't know what Hondas, Yamaha or Suzukis are dirt bikes, sport bikes or cruising bikes.

On lunch break today I also found "Cleveland cyclewerks" bikes. All bikes are powered by a carb'd 250cc single cylinder OHV engine that supposedly delivers 80mpg and is capable of 70+ mph. Also looks like new ones sell for just over $3,000 and I really like the looks of the 2 soft tails they offer.

Thoughts? Comments? Criticisms?

Thanks,

I am really into Old 70s hondas specifically cb750 and cb400f. For such a short commute you could get anything. Going smaller than 400cc may up your mpg, but it will top out around 50 to 60 mph ie.

For MPG you can't beat a newer bike like a ninja 250cc. For something with a soul go for the vintage honda.

It all depends on what you want. Old bikes also have a cranky attitude at times and require ongoing work. I love my cb750s and won't ride anything else. For most people I recommend buying a new bike.

[user removed]

Check the bikes in my garage. First bike I ever owned was a 900 Kawasaki Z1 in 1974.
Keep your eyes peeled for TU250x. I bought one a few years back for $2300 with 2.7k miles.

I have owned a 1971 CB350, purchased for $250 with 4718 miles. The early CBs are neat but you will be doing a lot more maintenance and repairs than on the newer bike.

The electronic ignition and fuel injection of the TU, single cylinder, nickasil coated cylinder walls all are light years ahead of a 40 year old design, while retaining the classic beauty of those standards from the 1970s and earlier. Hit the starter and go, forget choke feathering or forgetting to turn the choke off and fouling a plug.

As far as how fast a 250 will go, my 2006 Rebel would do close to 90 mph, or three stripes a second on the Interstate, easily 80 plus. The Tu was not quite that fast but at close to 80 the two miles on the Interstate will be a minute and 40 seconds on the leg of you commute. Over 80 in Virginia is reckless, 4 points and $500 fine, plus court costs.

If the standard is not your only consideration, consider the GZ250 Suzuki, or a Rebel. I bought an 06 Rebel with 1800 miles for $600, not running. Replaced the battery and cleaned the carbs, rode it 5k miles and sold it for $1400 even after dropping it and denting the tank.

regards
mech