Go Back   Horizons Unlimited - The HUBB > Technical, Bike forums > Which Bike?
Which Bike? Comments and Questions on what is the best bike for YOU, for YOUR trip. Note that we believe that ANY bike will do, so please remember that it's all down to PERSONAL OPINION. Technical Questions for all brands go in their own forum.
Photo by Hendi Kaf, in Cambodia

I haven't been everywhere...
but it's on my list!


Photo by Hendi Kaf,
in Cambodia



Like Tree3Likes
  • 1 Post By Threewheelbonnie
  • 1 Post By Sam I Am
  • 1 Post By Alexlebrit

Reply
 
LinkBack Thread Tools Display Modes
  #1  
Old 29 Jul 2013
Registered Users
New on the HUBB
 
Join Date: May 2013
Posts: 3
Classic vs Modern Machine? How old is too old!

So I'm torn between choices here...

I'm purchasing a motorcycle and riding through the Americas, putting it on a boat to Europe and living there a while before riding further on to South East Asia and I can't for the life choose whether it would be better to go with a modern day motorcycle or a classic motorcycle? So I'm looking to get some votes that may help me decide.

Classic Pro's and Con's. (Royal Enfield, Triumph, Honda, Suzuki, Yamaha)

Sex appeal? You know you're getting around on a classic adding to the adventure feel
Engine capacity? 250-400 would benice
Fuel consumption? Possibly worse than a modern motorcycle
Parts availability? Can stockpile somemyself the US/Canada
Easier to repair? Less electronics to screw up

Modern Pro's and con's.

Electronics? more expensive/harder to repair in 3rd world country?
More attractive to thieves? A flash new dirt bike looks expensive!

Any further pro's and cons or recommendations would be great!
Reply With Quote
  #2  
Old 29 Jul 2013
Registered Users
Veteran HUBBer
 
Join Date: Feb 2002
Location: Wessex, UK
Posts: 2,136
My recommendation would be an airhead BMW twin, classic bike, as reliable as anything if you don't buy a dog, good spares availability and a reasonable price if you don't go for an overpriced G/S or GS model.
The biggest downside is petrol consumption but they can still manage 50 mpg, imperial if driven steadily and 5000 mile service intervals.
Reply With Quote
  #3  
Old 30 Jul 2013
chucky55's Avatar
Registered Users
HUBB regular
 
Join Date: Sep 2009
Location: Melbourne
Posts: 65
Air Head

Using an Air head, with a simple single cylinder engine is the easy way to go.
Less things to go wrong. Easy to fix on the road. A Carby is easy to work on as opposed to EFI.
__________________
I'm not getting older; I'm just progressing through LIFE!! Harleys do not have a throttle- they have VOLUME control!!!
Reply With Quote
  #4  
Old 30 Jul 2013
Registered Users
Veteran HUBBer
 
Join Date: Apr 2008
Location: West Yorkshire UK
Posts: 1,785
Do you know where to find the air bypass o-ring on a diaphragm carb? Can you balance a pair of bings by ear? I can but it is less natural than starting a flash code display. Do you have the time, skill and money to put a quarter of a century of previous owners fiddling right before you set off? Do you have the patience to track down classic parts or deal with importing them?

The "get an airhead BMW" plan is too simplistic IMHO. Get the bike that suits your knowledge, background and what you want, or plan the learning experience around the trip.

I've had mz's since before the wall came down. Motorway performance from a 250 , no valves and oil changes/chain adjustments at 10000 mile intervals. I could be happy getting one ready for a big ride, or I could just fill the wee's tank and go. The mz would break down and need parts from Germany, the wee would have a dealer network. It's all just part of the trip.

Andy
Reply With Quote
  #5  
Old 10 Aug 2013
Registered Users
Veteran HUBBer
 
Join Date: Sep 2007
Location: Kamloops, BC Canada
Posts: 109
Another vote for an older BMW

Robert...

I wish I could remember who said it on one of the HU DVD's, but the advice given there was to buy the motorcycle of your heart. That's the best advice anyone can ever give you. I was fortunate enough to come to that conclusion on my own several years ago and found myself a '75 R60/6. I've put 70,000 miles on it... from the top of Alaska to central Turkey. I love it. It's an easy bike to become your own mechanical expert on, all parts are easily available on-line and there are some excellent maintenance-oriented websites to help you understand what's going on.

I'd have to say that the only drawback is that it seems to be a real heart breaker. People come up to me all the time, gaze at it and sigh. It seems that a lot of people had them in their youth and regret ever having gotten rid of them. Many have told me that it was the best bike they've ever had. Makes me feel bad. Sort of.

But follow your heart, and you will not regret your decision, no matter what it is. Once you decide, shop carefully, get one in good condition, and learn it inside and out. It's your horse. Take good care of it, treat it nicely and it will always take good care of you. Good luck!
__________________
Samuel Longiaru
Kamloops, BC Canada
1975 BMW R60/6
http://thetwilightproject.net
Reply With Quote
  #6  
Old 11 Aug 2013
Registered Users
Veteran HUBBer
 
Join Date: Apr 2005
Location: Oxford UK
Posts: 2,116
Quote:
Originally Posted by Sam I Am View Post
I'd have to say that the only drawback is that it seems to be a real heart breaker. People come up to me all the time, gaze at it and sigh. It seems that a lot of people had them in their youth and regret ever having gotten rid of them. Many have told me that it was the best bike they've ever had. Makes me feel bad. Sort of.
That's very true. This year I've been running around on a couple of mid 70's bikes - a 125 Suzuki and a 400/4 Honda, and each journey seems to take quite a bit longer because of people coming up to me and chatting about the bikes. Usually I'm not in much of a hurry (I wouldn't be using them if I was) so I'm happy to chat but I never get it when I'm riding anything modern.

Whether it's a good idea to do a long trip on a classic bike comes down to how spanner friendly you are. Older bikes need more looking after because -

a. they're old, so different parts are at different stages of their life cycle and it can be hard to tell what's likely to fail next.

b. back then a more hands-on approach was expected.

Whatever you choose it might be an idea to check out the spares situation first as some makes (Honda springs to mind) seem to be better served that others.
Reply With Quote
  #7  
Old 11 Aug 2013
Registered Users
Veteran HUBBer
 
Join Date: May 2008
Location: SW France
Posts: 304
As eluded to by others, the major downside of using a classic bike is finding one that hasn't had dozens of invisible bodges and make do repairs carried out over the years by miscellaneous owners.

You can still find 1/2 owner airhead BMWs with low'ish mileages which might be a good prospect.

My 1989 R100GS, which I've owned from new, is for me an ideal travel bike but then I know exactly what has been repaired and replaced. If I were to buy one today with a view to setting off on a long trip I would strip it down to large parts and get each part (engine, geabox and final drive) refurbished by a specialist. When rebuilding it I would fit a new clutch and rear shock and all new consumables. Stripping and rebuilding the bike yourself will allow you to familiarise yourself with it and fine tune your toolkit for when you're on the road.
Reply With Quote
  #8  
Old 11 Aug 2013
Contributing Member
Veteran HUBBer
 
Join Date: Aug 2005
Posts: 839
bike

I did own old and new BMW and many other bikes , for me going back to a classic will be very difficult . The new bikes perform way better than many old bike and as far as reliability some of them are bullet proof (vstrom . ,dr650 , xrl650 ,xtz660...) you will not have to worry much about repairs and part are easy to find . ABS can be also available , tubeless wheels, injection (in high altitude you will enjoy it. Old bike have sometime more character but they are heavy are just not as easy to ride .( I did cross Africa years ago on a old air head , deep sand was not fun , I will take an XR or DR any days over a bemmer )
Reply With Quote
  #9  
Old 12 Aug 2013
Registered Users
Veteran HUBBer
 
Join Date: Jan 2013
Posts: 289
Quote:
Originally Posted by HendiKaf View Post
( I did cross Africa years ago on a old air head , deep sand was not fun , I will take an XR or DR any days over a bemmer )
As this dude mentioned a light bike is best, i currently own one DRZ which is in central Asia and one back in the UK i am prepping for another trip but i still feel at around 140kg dry weight I could go lighter?

What you need to concern yourself is the following-

Weight of bike= 110kg to 160kg

Fuel range= if you can add aftermarket tanks easy or you need to fab some up?

Protection needs/bikes weakness= what the common problems of your chosen bike are and how easy it is to fix them before hand.

Before i went on my trip with my DRZ i took it out my back garden fully loaded ready to go and whilst running the engine i dropped it on both sides to see what damage was done and to see how easy it was to pick it back up.

After dropping it i needed one new clutch lever and the cheap plastic bash hand guards snapped on one side, i then brought small levers that bend back and heavy duty bash hand guards before i started my trip.

i did this as it was easy to fix back in the UK rather than finding out what would snap of in some remote area, i have had numerous offs/drops on my bike since then with no real issues and levers are intact due to the changes i made whilst drop testing it in the UK
Reply With Quote
  #10  
Old 12 Aug 2013
Alexlebrit's Avatar
Registered Users
Veteran HUBBer
 
Join Date: Mar 2006
Location: West London
Posts: 920
Airhead fans I think you're missing the point, one of the OP's requirements is a smaller capacity engine in the 250-400cc range, that's hardly BMW territory.

Given that the sands of Africa seem not to be on the itinerary, which means that the majority of the journey could well be on at least semi-paved roads and given the idea of something classic I'd suggest something like the late 90's retro-styled Honda CL400.



Yes, it's a faux classic and yes it's a Japanese only model and yes you'll have to kick the thing into life instead of pushing a button, but the engine's straight out of the XR400 the frame is simple and robust and there's a thriving, and cheap, custom scene not just in Japan but wherever they're to be found (the example in the photo was built in London).

They're also not that expensive, a low mileage bike shipped from Japan with all the paperwotk completed and ready to ride in the UK can be had for £2500-3000. No doubt that would be the dollar figure in the US.

I reckon a few hundred spent on tweaks to the bike and then a bit of fabrication work on luggage racks and you could have a great bike to make you smile every time you look at it which would be both classically stylish while remaining happily unthreatening when you're in lands where the knackered 125cc is king.

If I had the cash I'd buy one in a shot.
__________________
Happiness has 125 cc
Reply With Quote
Reply


Currently Active Users Viewing This Thread: 1 (0 Registered Users and/or Members and 1 guests)
 

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Trackbacks are On
Pingbacks are On
Refbacks are On


Similar Threads
Thread Thread Starter Forum Replies Last Post
Harley Davidson ultra classic crate needed hcdavis Trip Transport 0 23 Jul 2013 21:50
UK to N.Africa March 13 - Classic bike FannyB Travellers Seeking Travellers 10 21 Mar 2013 01:29
Modern sophisticated vs old simple technique duive01 Which Bike? 15 27 Apr 2012 01:05
Classic Motorcycle Mechanics cathal Yamaha Tech 3 17 Dec 2011 12:56
Classic 125cc MINSK FOR SALE jimpees West and South Asia 1 11 Dec 2011 16:39

 
 

Announcements

Thinking about traveling? Not sure about the whole thing? Watch the HU Achievable Dream Video Trailers and then get ALL the information you need to get inspired and learn how to travel anywhere in the world!

Have YOU ever wondered who has ridden around the world? We did too - and now here's the list of Circumnavigators!
Check it out now
, and add your information if we didn't find you.

Next HU Eventscalendar

25 years of HU Events
Be sure to join us for this huge milestone!

ALL Dates subject to change.

2025 Confirmed Events:

Virginia: April 24-27
Queensland is back! May 2-5
Ecuador June 13-15
Germany Summer: May 29-June 1
CanWest: July 10-13
Switzerland: Date TBC
Ecuador: Date TBC
Romania: Date TBC
Austria: Sept. 11-14
California: September 18-21
France: September 19-21
Germany Autumn: Oct 30-Nov 2

Add yourself to the Updates List for each event!

Questions about an event? Ask here

See all event details

 
World's most listened to Adventure Motorbike Show!
Check the RAW segments; Grant, your HU host is on every month!
Episodes below to listen to while you, err, pretend to do something or other...

Adventurous Bikers – We've got all your Hygiene & Protection needs SORTED! Powdered Hair & Body Wash, Moisturising Cream Insect Repellent, and Moisturising Cream Sunscreen SPF50. ESSENTIAL | CONVENIENT | FUNCTIONAL.

2020 Edition of Chris Scott's Adventure Motorcycling Handbook.

2020 Edition of Chris Scott's Adventure Motorcycling Handbook.

"Ultimate global guide for red-blooded bikers planning overseas exploration. Covers choice & preparation of best bike, shipping overseas, baggage design, riding techniques, travel health, visas, documentation, safety and useful addresses." Recommended. (Grant)



Ripcord Rescue Travel Insurance.

Ripcord Rescue Travel Insurance™ combines into a single integrated program the best evacuation and rescue with the premier travel insurance coverages designed for adventurers.

Led by special operations veterans, Stanford Medicine affiliated physicians, paramedics and other travel experts, Ripcord is perfect for adventure seekers, climbers, skiers, sports enthusiasts, hunters, international travelers, humanitarian efforts, expeditions and more.

Ripcord travel protection is now available for ALL nationalities, and travel is covered on motorcycles of all sizes!


 

What others say about HU...

"This site is the BIBLE for international bike travelers." Greg, Australia

"Thank you! The web site, The travels, The insight, The inspiration, Everything, just thanks." Colin, UK

"My friend and I are planning a trip from Singapore to England... We found (the HU) site invaluable as an aid to planning and have based a lot of our purchases (bikes, riding gear, etc.) on what we have learned from this site." Phil, Australia

"I for one always had an adventurous spirit, but you and Susan lit the fire for my trip and I'll be forever grateful for what you two do to inspire others to just do it." Brent, USA

"Your website is a mecca of valuable information and the (video) series is informative, entertaining, and inspiring!" Jennifer, Canada

"Your worldwide organisation and events are the Go To places to for all serious touring and aspiring touring bikers." Trevor, South Africa

"This is the answer to all my questions." Haydn, Australia

"Keep going the excellent work you are doing for Horizons Unlimited - I love it!" Thomas, Germany

Lots more comments here!



Five books by Graham Field!

Diaries of a compulsive traveller
by Graham Field
Book, eBook, Audiobook

"A compelling, honest, inspiring and entertaining writing style with a built-in feel-good factor" Get them NOW from the authors' website and Amazon.com, Amazon.ca, Amazon.co.uk.



Back Road Map Books and Backroad GPS Maps for all of Canada - a must have!

New to Horizons Unlimited?

New to motorcycle travelling? New to the HU site? Confused? Too many options? It's really very simple - just 4 easy steps!

Horizons Unlimited was founded in 1997 by Grant and Susan Johnson following their journey around the world on a BMW R80G/S.

Susan and Grant Johnson Read more about Grant & Susan's story

Membership - help keep us going!

Horizons Unlimited is not a big multi-national company, just two people who love motorcycle travel and have grown what started as a hobby in 1997 into a full time job (usually 8-10 hours per day and 7 days a week) and a labour of love. To keep it going and a roof over our heads, we run events all over the world with the help of volunteers; we sell inspirational and informative DVDs; we have a few selected advertisers; and we make a small amount from memberships.

You don't have to be a Member to come to an HU meeting, access the website, or ask questions on the HUBB. What you get for your membership contribution is our sincere gratitude, good karma and knowing that you're helping to keep the motorcycle travel dream alive. Contributing Members and Gold Members do get additional features on the HUBB. Here's a list of all the Member benefits on the HUBB.




All times are GMT +1. The time now is 01:10.