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do the young ones like older sport bikes

  • Thread starter Thread starter not a biker
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glad to see another 550 owner Hank.......what mods have you tried on your bike so far, any?
 
Mmm... got the right throttle cable, replaced the mild painted steel 4-1 when the collector blew out, and swapped the R/R with one from a '08 ZX-14. I'm unsure of the current jetting, but it runs well as is, even if it is choking. I'm planning on re-jetting it and getting some pods for it when I become employed again. Over the next week I'll be mounting up some replacement turn signals to get the ridiculous one footers off, and fixing some of the plastic.
I've got a mostly electrical background, so I'm sticking to mostly wiring and component fixes, but I'm crazy/brave enough to break it down into pieces and rebuild it if I need to. Mechanically, I can do what I need to, when I need to.

That's what I really love about it. I can do what I want with it, and I'm not afraid of forgetting something or scratching the plastic when I take it off.

Actually, mine looks just like yours in the signature right now, but with a chromed 4-1.
 
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4in1 is my next purchase......I'm getting ready to do the gsxr front end swap and katana rear wheel as well as a 99gsxr750 rear shock.....I have all the plastic waiting for the swap and then paint........

I was told today that we can't get the pods as our carbs are the oval style and they don't make the pods for our bikes! I'm wondering what mods we can do to make these things breathe a little more!

Good luck with your bike.......keep me posted on how it goes and I'll do the same.

Paul
 
My 20 year old nephew loves the FT500 Ascot I sold him. I offered him a clean '80 850G for less money. He doesn't want a sport bike, he wants a Triumph Thruxton. He likes my '83 1100E a lot.

I think we'll probably end up with Clubman bars and a humped seat on a UJM and call it a cafe racer. An early GS750 makes a perfect one. He's also interested in my Yamaha 650 Seca.
 
I think it all comes down to exposure. If you stick a ten year old in a different country, they'll eventually pick up the style, language, etc. Same with bikes. If they grow up with cruisers, they'll want a cruiser. If they grow up with UJM's, they'll want a UJM. My father had an '82 GS550M, so I stuck around the same era when it came time for me to get one. Of course, the posters of mid 80's 250 and 500 GP racers, sidecars, and the Seca 650 model breakdown and spec sheet I was constantly looking at whenever I was in the garage probably helped too.
 
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My first bike was a 1979 GS1000. I'm 23 about to turn 24 I've enjoyed all bikes since I was old enough to see them LOL. I know my motorcycle heritage :D

Infact when I first started working on the bike I registered here but can't remember what my old username or password was so I had to create a new one when I started coming on here again lol.
 
I have probably had a dozen different bikes over the years. Suzuki, Honda, Triumph, Norton I like the older bikes. My current bike, my 850 is just that It is mine. It is what I ride. I could never justify spending $10K for a bike. If I could I would buy a restored late 50's pre unit Triumph Trophybird/Thunderbird. Just like my first bike
 
I have been searching for my first bike since early last year. After doing a ton of searching I realized that I liked the look of the older bikes. I finally bought a black 1981 550T. This bike was born the same year I was born which I think is pretty cool!
 
I love UJM's, always have. Never had anyone in the family really into them, my uncle had a couple before going harley, but I only see him once every 5 years or so.

Not sure where I got it, but stndard UJM is my fave bar none!
 
SqDancerLynn1 said:
I have probably had a dozen different bikes over the years. Suzuki, Honda, Triumph, Norton I like the older bikes. My current bike, my 850 is just that It is mine. It is what I ride. I could never justify spending $10K for a bike. If I could I would buy a restored late 50's pre unit Triumph Trophybird/Thunderbird. Just like my first bike
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Speaking of Norton's. I saw this one while on vacation in Florida a couple weeks ago. I don't know to much about vintage bikes, other than mine, but this one is a beauty !!

ATT00001.jpg
 
I have to say I like triumphs too, but they are pretty UJM, the bonnies at least... :eek:
 
I'm a fan of the older style bikes myself..


I had a few bikes in the past but never got the time to get em running..

Last summer I picked up a 77 Yamaha XS-400 that had been in a garage for 24 years.. It was in nice shape but needed lots of work to get it road worthy again.. That one got me started riding bikes..

Since then we picked up a 1960 BSA C-15 project that was in a garage since 1968.. It needs loads of work..

I've been thinking I needed a bigger bike.. The 400 is fun but not exactly a powerhouse.. So we started looking and brought home another garage find..

That one is the 78 GS-750E that brought me to this forum.. It's been passed through about 6 people that never did anything with it and last licensed in 1983. It's got it's bugs, Carbs and Brakes need work, electrical is funky but it's getting there.. It should be running soon..

If I was forced to choose a new bike I'd have to say Triumph Thruxton or a Ducati Sport Classic 1000. An 06 Biposto when it still had a dry clutch would be sweet..

I told my wife I'd just like to get one of each brand :).. So I still need a Honda CB-750, Kawi Z1, Norton Commando, Ducati 750 SS, BMW R90S.. I don't know my Moto guzzis well enough to pick a model yet but we'll get there in time.
 
cromwell1234 said:
Wow can't believe what I'm hearing, I get a million qustions on my GS1100ez, most from young and old alike, they comment on the condition, they ask if its fast all the usual; but the younger crowd always stops and does a kind of double take--maybe its because the bike is almost perfect--or maybe I just get a little throttle happy as i pull away--but young and old seem to know about this bike and love it!!:-k
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Sounds like I could have written this! My wife ALWAYS gets comments on the bike when she rides it, me about half the time. Perhaps because I look like a "biker" I tend to intimidate some people. :rolleyes: People can't believe it's an '82. One guy talking to my wife commented that if it were his bike, he wouldn't ride in the rain. She said, "He doesn't." He then managed to find two dead flies on the headlight and a bit of dirt behind the cylinder.:rolleyes: OH NO!! Better get the cleaners out!!!:eek:
 
Love reading through this thread, its nice to feel like me at 30 is the "younger crowd" still.

I would say I tend to get along with and hang out mostly with people older than me so they all love my 83 gs650 GL, even if its not the cleanest machine. I got it running nice but have always leaned more to the function over form side of things, but do like the styling of the bike.

Oh and hardly anyone gets the graphics on my bike, but that is also meant to please only myself and if they get it cool if not thats ok. I set aside the Suzuki labels and painted on some vintage Powell Peralta skateboard deck graphics on the tank. Figured the decks came out the same year as my bike so it would be a nice choice.

Anyways also got my wife an 85 Honda rebel, tried to push a smaller GS on her but its her bike so her choice.

Oh yea the point of this post, I took the GS out for a ride to the hardware store (needed some bolts for my "custom" made sissy bar rack on my wifes bike) and stopped at a hot dog cart for a quick lunch. I think in the time it took me to eat the 2 dogs I had a few guys asking about the bike and how I liked it. Both where older, one 80ish and the other maybe 60s but both used to ride and loved seeing a younger guy on an older bike.
 
well, being one of those young kids (23), I can tell you that for me personally, I love my ole' suzuki, it reminds me of classic times, when rockers fought mods, and the old cafe races were still something to be talked about. I have a bunch of friends who have gixxers and r6's and whats-its and what nots, and they seem to appreciate a good bike when they see one. Which is always nice. I also love my ole' suzuki because i feel really cool riding it, and i know that the odds of someone rolling up next to me in one anything like mine is super rare *bonus*

What i do find happens is that, since its kind of an in-between stage in motorcycle development, not quite a cruiser, not quite a sportbike, whenever i do the two finger wave, only about 50% of the sportbikers wave back and about 75% of the cruiser riders wave back, where-as my dad gets 100% from cruiser riders and like 10% from sportbikers, on his harley.

i dunno thats my 2 cents.
 
vash_vts said:
well, being one of those young kids (23), I can tell you that for me personally, I love my ole' suzuki, it reminds me of classic times, when rockers fought mods, and the old cafe races were still something to be talked about.
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That's older than your Suzuki. You need a mid sixties Triumph for that. :lol:
 
I'm 41 and have had a lot of motorcycles, some old (1954 HD 45 Flathead), some new (2007 HD Nightrain), and everything in between. As a kid I wanted a new (mid 1980's) Honda Nighthawk. My brother gave me the flathead as my first HD. My garage currently has a 2007 Ninja 250 (wife's), 2003 V-Rod, and a 1980 GS550L. The GS is a chopper project I have just started. Think 12 over springer, rigid, king-queen seat with 42" sissy bar. I have never cared for the "TV choppers" but always loved the old 750 style chops. Finally going to own one plus building it all myself. Of course you all have been here helping too! New or old I just like motorcycles.
 
vash_vts said:
well, being one of those young kids (23), I can tell you that for me personally, I love my ole' suzuki, it reminds me of classic times, when rockers fought mods, and the old cafe races were still something to be talked about. I have a bunch of friends who have gixxers and r6's and whats-its and what nots, and they seem to appreciate a good bike when they see one. Which is always nice. I also love my ole' suzuki because i feel really cool riding it, and i know that the odds of someone rolling up next to me in one anything like mine is super rare *bonus*

What i do find happens is that, since its kind of an in-between stage in motorcycle development, not quite a cruiser, not quite a sportbike, whenever i do the two finger wave, only about 50% of the sportbikers wave back and about 75% of the cruiser riders wave back, where-as my dad gets 100% from cruiser riders and like 10% from sportbikers, on his harley.

i dunno thats my 2 cents.
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Is he sure they are waving when hes on the harley? or are they giving a sign language tip on thier opinion of the best way to push it?

On another note i have had a fair few comments on mine when she was old and tired looking...

will know in a couple of weeks when she is back on the road after a ground up rebuild if the older folk still appreciate it lol...
 
i just love bike , ive had every thing from cb900ff to ninjas to buells to gpzs to sportys and big twins . since the mid 90s ive mostly owned ( built ) harleys but if it has two wheels and no hugh goofy fenders i love it
 
i may not quite be 20 but i love my GS850L even though it's not quite a sport bike. i have a fascination with the jap bikes from the 80s. it seems those were the golden years for the motorcycle world, when bikes were bikes and you had so many to choose from. a bike for ANYONE. now, it's hard to find a decent powered bike with shaft drive, low seat heigth, 6spd, etc.
 
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