So i want to start to travel in two years but im still searching for a motorcycles the new motorcycles are sure cool but old bikes is a other thing, i would like to travel with a old motorcycle (80-90s), i will do the revision every year, i will cherish my motorcycle and i will only buy Japanese brands for a motorcycle
Recently i have seen a KAWASAKI Z650 F2 so classy so beautiful .
So what do you thinking about it ? hope i don't get criticize too much.

Problems with old vehicles;

There are some countries that may not allow them in ... they don't want vehicles dumped in their country.

Getting parts can be a problem. You want the parts quickly, not to have to search for them, and you want the parts cheap. The longer you wait for parts the more you pay for food and accommodation. The more the parts cost the more you may pay for import duty.

The good stuff with older vehicles - they can be cool, cheaper and less likely to be stolen.

What country for example ?

So i have found that the Kawasaki Z1 900 have the most parts, if something go down and the parts are not like damn expensive, it's all depends but i can go to 7 dollar to 300 dollar.
I just wanna know why some country don't accept motorcycles like that ?

Because some people have brought an old vehicle into the country ... the vehicle brakes down and they leave it behind ...some times in a location that presents an eye sore and/or is expensive to get rid off. Some times the cost of the vehicle were so low that it is cheaper to abandon the vehicle rather than ship it back, ride it back .. so it gets dumped at the airport.

Because of the costs of these thoughtless peoples actions the Government ban older vehicles from coming in.

That so freaking dumb, because the prices are not cheap at all, i saw once one for 5000 euro for that price you don't want to dumb it, but if is the only problem, im gonna try to find a solution.

An 80s Kawasaki is "an old motorcycle"?

Showing my age I guess...

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Bruce Clarke - 2020 Yamaha XV250

I travel on a 1983 BMW R80G/S which is still up to the task despite it's 175,000 miles, I have never been denied entry to any country with it but there are now areas of Europe where it is banned for environmental reasons. If properly maintained there is no reason an older bike should not be reliable and a perfectly good travel bike, just know where you can source spares if needed.
The Z650 was a reliable bike when new and should still be one, it would certainly be a conversation starter and if you enjoy riding it then use it.

Thats the best way you can travel. Its way more intelligent to use an old, trustfull bike insted to waste lifetime in an office to pay the rates for a new one and then you get a green banana were nobody knows how good it is. You know a bike is good after 20 years if many of them have reached more then 250.000 kms and still running fine.

Old Japanese bikes are way more reliable then any "cool" new BMW http://www.motorradonline.de/dauerte...schaden/559102 and you can repair them if needet without special computer tools. I also went with a Honda from 1992 and would do it again any time: Motorcycling around the world - 50.000km across Africa

Thats exactly the problem with new computers on wheels such as BMW 1200 GS but for an old bike you get parts cheap on ebay or gumtree and can also use parts from other local bikes in case of an accedent. No registering at the computer controler necessary...

True and you can sell them at the same price after your trip. Try this with a brand ne BMW. Its loosing a few thousend bugs just if you leave the store


The information that you cant enter countrys with a old vehicle is wrong. I visited more then 90 countrys. They just write them in your passport or use your carnet so you cant leave the country without. True is you cant legaly import and sell old vehicles in some countrys http://reisemotorrad.eu

Welcome!
A few questions to help us help you!
What country are you from?
Have you ever ridden a motorbike before?
Have you ever fallen off a motorbike and hit the road?

Are you more interested in finding a cool Japanese vintage bike ...?
or traveling?

Where do you want to travel ? How far? How long will you travel for? (weeks? Months? Years?)

Answers to above questions will help figure out a few good bikes for you to try out.





Above are TWO different Z650's. One is an old one ... called KZ650. The other is a few bike from Kawasaki ... and a fantastic beginners bike.

Echoing what others have said. Parts may be an issue. Other logistical problems as well. One thing that I underestimated on my trip was comfort. A modern bike will have a (generally) better performing suspension, better brakes and so on. My recommendation would be to take your "old" bike on a test trip and see how it holds up to various conditions.

I wouldn't say that it "can't" be done, but you don't want to get out on your trip and be where I was, asking myself "why" I didn't just buy a more modern, practical, economical and comfortable bike.

They build touring bikes for a reason.

Concerning old bikes, ther´s no difference in parts.
It´s not easy to get an alternator for a jap. brand or an old beemer...just same complicated...buuut almost every shag can repair them. Suspension is no difference between old bikes and new bikes.
I ride a R100GS from 89, very modified and very easy to repair.
Even a torn valve which caused a total brakdown was repaired in south of spain within a week.
So I would look for an old bike which is easy to repair, avoid fuel pumps as they tend to break with fine dust you find almost everywhere and you can´t avoid it.
they key to succes is that you know your bike and you know how to repair and maintain it. It´s not the question of brand, it´s a question of your knowledge an what suits you. I would never change my ride, it took me everywhere I wanted to go (last time to Japan).
BTW. one maintainance per year:

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KurvenfiebersReisen.blogspot.de

Well things like the z650 were a pile then and even worse now, Japanese build quality back then wasn't good and kwacker were also furthest from the grease pot out of the big four when it came to initial assembly. The brakes, forks, suspension etc are terrible when compared to even a modern budget bike..... Rose tinted glasses comes to mind and as u say they are not cheap. Who in their right mind would pay six k for a fizzy? Well my mate for a start, also paid big money for a Z900 and an Xjr 600, that's why I know they are piles.
I'm sure there will be tons of people who did a million miles on a cx500 and won't like what I'm saying........ They are not the ones who will have to ride what ever u buy everyday for how ever long u take. Stick to a modern low tech bike that has a good spares back up and is common to where u r going......... Prob a Honda.

Are you honestly saying that suspension technology has not changed in the past 30-40 years?

Do keep in mind Herr Kurvenmeister is riding a nearly 30 year old BMW GS Air head ... which, in my experience, was not the most RELIABLE bike ever produced.

... my best friend owned a '92 for 20 years and I rode with MANY R100GS's in the 90's all over USA, Mexico. So many problems ... mostly electrical. I towed a few and also owned an R80GS and a very troublesome R100RS myself.
Both disasters.

Such a poor charging system design. BMW (back then) could not even design a proper throttle mechanism. Even Harley got that right.

But there are many die-hard BMW Air Head fans out there and the smart ones have done the MANY mods required to keep those old nails running ... and for those who travel ... they carry required spares on board. When all is set up correctly ... they are capable motorcycles! (for a 1980's design! :smarts
Look at Grant, owner of HU. He is an expert Air Head BMW guy having spent years going RTW on his Air Head. These days,
knowledge and experience is what it takes to keep the old bikes running smooth.

But some suffer from dreaded "Teutonic Myopia" where it turns out they have very little experience on other brands of bikes ... and especially avoid Japanese machines.
We have several Air Head GS riders in my riding club ... even a nice original R80GS ... which BMW and others claim is the "First Adventure Bike"! (I guess they weren't around in the 60's and 70's when me and my buddies toured around Baja on our Honda 175's, 250 Scramblers and XL250's.)

But to travel on an older bike may be a challenge in another way. In USA at least many shops will NOT work on older bikes. This true for some BMW shops and multi line dealers as well. They just don't want to be responsible for all that could go wrong on an unknown machine 25 to 30 years old.

But here in San Francisco Bay Area we have specialist shops who service older bikes ... both
BMW and Japanese bikes.

In much of the 3rd world the mechanics can figure out just about anything .... and they probably are THE BEST for working on older machines. They will fix it ... one way or another!