My Next Bike??

[Allie]

This is what I've been looking for for the past 15 years or so... a basic dual sport to knock around on rutted fire roads and trails. Basically a slightly modernized version of the SL125 I rode around on as a kid with a cheep $$$ tag. It will be even cooler when used ones start popping up.

https://www.cycleworld.com/honda/xr150l/

[Baatfam]

Ya know what?
I kinda like it.
Just something to run local.
I have an old Honda Cub I was hoping to get going, but this would probably cost less.

[Suzukian]

I don't know how much you weigh, that's a big factor. Personally, I could never ride something that small, even just to put around woth. It's too under powered, and if you are buying it new, you could buy a 250cc price bike for less money.

[LAB3]

That's a pretty affordable price for a new machine, unless they turn out to be total turds my guess is resale value will stay high on that.

[RichDesmond]

You'll like it!! I rode the dirt-only version quite a bit back when they first came out, had a blast.
For the type of riding you mentioned it's perfect.

[dpep]

Looks like a fun little bike.

[Peppermint Patti]

Hi Allie! I started out on a CB160 (1965 dirt & street) It had plenty of power for off roading. This new one looks pretty cool!

[Allie]

Unanimously, power is not this thing's forte. It makes pretty much the same power as the SL125 (12hp) which would barely propel me to 60 mph, and I'll just say I was a -lot- lighter in those days. I would rather have a 250cc class bike to be sure, but I never see decent used bikes of any kind in this price range when I look. I'm sure they're out there, just not when I'm looking.... At any rate this bike is on my radar for a couple reasons:

- price
- reliability
- easy availability of parts
- potential effect on used bike prices. Will it drive down the the high prices on small old bikes?

By the time I'm ready to buy (next year probably) I'll see what the sitch is like. If I still see nothing good used I feel pretty safe plunking down 3 grand to try the 150 out, especially if resale stays high.

[Suzukian]

It is a nice looking bike, for a Honda, but at 250 cc's, it would not be any heavier, and would be a lot more useful. It wouldn't cost Honda much more money to make it that size either. It's a corporate decision too suck you in, most people will then go for the bigger bike displacement, like a 250 to 275 cc, being unsatisfied with this. I've had a lot experience rebuilding Honda bike's, and I personally am not very fond of them, I find they cut corners where ever they can, and charge way too much for replacement parts.

I would never own a Honda product again. I've had 2 Civics and 2 Accords, both blew the engines in the exact same way, and their exhaust manifolds broke in the exact same way on all 4 cars. My Brother in law was the service manager, so I was able to get them repaired, but only because he was the Service Manager, and represented Honda in the North East part of the country for 8 years, so he had clout. When my Honda blew it's transmission, being a Honda certified car, I was *@%^$*@%^$*@%^$*@%^$ed. It happened 1 month after the warranty blew. Honda installed a new(rebuilt) one but charged me $500 bucks. a year later, the camshaft belt, which had 40k miles on it blew, and all the valves bent. I had to junk the car. The body was in perfect condition. Honda has the MCU tagged on the engine and transmission so that they only work for the year of that car, so you can't just swap out an engine from another car, it would cost you many 1000's of dollars to remap the computer to get something else to work.

They are not the company they used to be IMHO.

[Allie]

It is a nice looking bike, for a Honda, but at 250 cc's, it would not be any heavier, and would be a lot more useful. It wouldn't cost Honda much more money to make it that size either. It's a corporate decision too suck you in, most people will then go for the bigger bike displacement, like a 250 to 275 cc, being unsatisfied with this. I've had a lot experience rebuilding Honda bike's, and I personally am not very fond of them, I find they cut corners where ever they can, and charge way too much for replacement parts.

I would never own a Honda product again. I've had 2 Civics and 2 Accords, both blew the engines in the exact same way, and their exhaust manifolds broke in the exact same way on all 4 cars. My Brother in law was the service manager, so I was able to get them repaired, but only because he was the Service Manager, and represented Honda in the North East part of the country for 8 years, so he had clout. When my Honda blew it's transmission, being a Honda certified car, I was *@%^$*@%^$*@%^$*@%^$ed. It happened 1 month after the warranty blew. Honda installed a new(rebuilt) one but charged me $500 bucks. a year later, the camshaft belt, which had 40k miles on it blew, and all the valves bent. I had to junk the car. The body was in perfect condition. Honda has the MCU tagged on the engine and transmission so that they only work for the year of that car, so you can't just swap out an engine from another car, it would cost you many 1000's of dollars to remap the computer to get something else to work.

They are not the company they used to be IMHO.

Noted... especially the first part. Also waiting to see if they DO make a 200 or 250 next. This bike has been out for a while in other markets (and apparently useful enough to be popular) but we do like bigger bikes here. Also curious to see if maybe Suzuki/Yamaha/Kawasaki follow up with similar offerings. I guess that depends on how this thing does here, and I kind of think it will do well if nothing but for the nostalgia factor.

I think this bike is made by Honda Mexico for better or worse.

[Suzukian]

I just came back from Danbury Powersports, Danbury Ct.. They are a Honda, Kawasaki, and Suzuki dealership. They had quite a selection. I'd advise taking a ride and seeing what your local dealership has for bikes. It's better to buy from the guys who sell all the models, as they just want to sell you a bike, they aren't going to put down any specific model or brand, though what they have in stock will be an incentive for what they try and sell, but that's capitalism, and if they have leftovers, there may be deals to be had.

This dealership also had a few bikes there left on consignment. They were exceptionally clean for their age. They wouldn't cost as much as a new bike, but because of their condition, they would bring top dollar price.

[GS1150Pilot]

Honda motorcycles have an even better reputation than the cars. I would not shy away from a Honda at all (I still own an '82 CB900f and still look at XR650Ls somewhat often). Honda is tied with Suzuki in 2nd place for least mechanical failures in motorcycles.

[Suzukian]

A '92 Honda 900F is not representative of what they are making nowadays. When you have to drop the engine to adjust the valves, that, to me, is a problem. Your '82 CB900F is a very excellent motorcycle. A solid bullet proof engine.

[Allie]

I just came back from Danbury Powersports, Danbury Ct.. They are a Honda, Kawasaki, and Suzuki dealership. They had quite a selection. I'd advise taking a ride and seeing what your local dealership has for bikes. It's better to buy from the guys who sell all the models, as they just want to sell you a bike, they aren't going to put down any specific model or brand, though what they have in stock will be an incentive for what they try and sell, but that's capitalism, and if they have leftovers, there may be deals to be had.

This dealership also had a few bikes there left on consignment. They were exceptionally clean for their age. They wouldn't cost as much as a new bike, but because of their condition, they would bring top dollar price.

That seems like a good idea, finding a multiple dealer around here. Then again Danbury isn't prohibitively far for me. In fact, I'll be there next Fri-Sun :P.

I just noticed the 400F in your signature - another bike from my past. I never rode one but I used to sit on it wistfully dreaming of going faster than 60 miles per hour.

[Brendan W]

I like that bike. It's somewhere close to the transition between bicycles with motors and motors with wheels bolted on.
I do not accept the Downs in the article. Modest performance is where you see the rider and not the fuel map and who wants the complexity of fuel injection?
When I hear 12hp I imagine myself surrounded by twelve horses. That should be enough and 50mph is my go to speed these days for lots of reasons.
I sense that in these times more are coming to see two wheels as a better choice for personal transport.
That could in part explain why the prices of used small capacity machines is very high.