Back in the wind.

[Anti Federalist]

This is a good/great starter bike that will hold its value or appreciate, is easier to work on than the BMW I showed you earlier, is small enough to maneuver yet powerful enough to get you out of trouble.....The company is still in business and parts are available from the manufacturer as well as aftermarket....And it's classy

Was my first bike.

 

[afwjam]

This is a good/great starter bike that will hold its value or appreciate, is easier to work on than the BMW I showed you earlier, is small enough to maneuver yet powerful enough to get you out of trouble.....The company is still in business and parts are available from the manufacturer as well as aftermarket....And it's classy

im a triumph guy, I loved my trident and the new triples are the best, but about that drum brake and the oil weep on the lower case

 

[afwjam]

Or with 13-1

Thas a lot a pressure

 

[anaconda]

This is a good/great starter bike that will hold its value or appreciate, is easier to work on than the BMW I showed you earlier, is small enough to maneuver yet powerful enough to get you out of trouble.....The company is still in business and parts are available from the manufacturer as well as aftermarket....And it's classy

Is buying a 45 year old bike a good idea for a novice with no wrenching experience?

 

[afwjam]

Is buying a 45 year old bike a good idea for a novice with no wrenching experience?

Not that bike lol, I have two of them in pieces in a storage unit, prolly stay that way and I'm a decent wrench. �� lol

Unless I find a featherbed for the one good motor.

 

[tod evans]

im a triumph guy, I loved my trident and the new triples are the best, but about that drum brake and the oil weep on the lower case

Can you think of a better bike to learn on?

Simple to wrench, no 'puters carbs drums and a chain, spokes to knock out of true fork seals that contain oil instead of air or gas.....

 

[tod evans]

Is buying a 45 year old bike a good idea for a novice with no wrenching experience?

It'd be a learning experience that not many youngsters get today....

My kid will learn the old stuff 1st then if he wants the headaches he can go new(er)....

I'm steering him toward a 74 knuckle on a hardtail but you don't like those.....

 

[Anti Federalist]

im a triumph guy, I loved my trident and the new triples are the best, but about that drum brake and the oil weep on the lower case

Or that Joe Lucas - Prince of Darkness electrical system.

 

[afwjam]

Can you think of a better bike to learn on?

Simple to wrench, no 'puters carbs drums and a chain, spokes to knock out of true fork seals that contain oil instead of air or gas.....

Any 80's or 90's Japanese standard or enduro. I recommend the Kawasaki KLR 650 as the best bike ever made, dead simple/reliable/easy to work on. Does everything good, excels at nothing.

 

[afwjam]

Or that Joe Lucas - Prince of Darkness electrical system.

They were well ahead of the curve and invented intermittent wipers and auto dimming headlights before anyone ever thought of the idea.

 

[afwjam]

 

[tod evans]

Here's one for AF;




And what I hope to get built for son before he graduates (6yrs)

 

[anaconda]

I recommend the Kawasaki KLR 650 as the best bike ever made

I like the idea of being able to flatfoot, perhaps even with a modest bend at the knee. Wouldn't one need to be about 6' 7" to accomplish that with a KLR 650?

 

[anaconda]

He left us hanging as to why a pickup truck in Hawaii must be a Nissan or Toyota. Jeez that BMW motorcycle sure sounded smooth!

 

[tod evans]

He left us hanging as to why a pickup truck in Hawaii must be a Nissan or Toyota. Jeez that BMW motorcycle sure sounded smooth!

You won't go wrong with a Beemer....

 

[afwjam]

I like the idea of being able to flatfoot, perhaps even with a modest bend at the knee. Wouldn't one need to be about 6' 7" to accomplish that with a KLR 650?

Im 6'3" and flat foot, my after market suspension rides high and is sprung for my 240 and the wife. They make lowering links for the ladies, with 11" of travel gives plenty to work with. Stock the bike is sprung for like a 140 pound Japanese man, I recommend respringing and setting sag for your weight. Get the doohickey changed too, if it has not been done. Is dead cheap, fun and reliable otherwise you can fix it in a Home Depot parking lot.

 

[anaconda]

Im 6'3" and flat foot, my after market suspension rides high and is sprung for my 240 and the wife. They make lowering links for the ladies, with 11" of travel gives plenty to work with. Stock the bike is sprung for like a 140 pound Japanese man, I recommend respringing and setting sag for your weight. Get the doohickey changed too, if it has not been done. Is dead cheap, fun and reliable otherwise you can fix it in a Home Depot parking lot.

Thanks for the insights. What's the doohickey, if I may ask?

 

[afwjam]

Balancer chain tensioner lever, prone to breaking and hosing the engine, easy fix from eagle Mike.

 

[afwjam]

They made a USMC diesel KLR which would be tits in a mad max situation.

 

[anaconda]

It's obvious you're pretty set on spending your money in that venue so I'll try and hold my tongue.....

I'm pretty enamored with the idea of a very low seat height for the stability of flex-kneed flat footing, so something relatively affordable like this is not completely out of the question (currently on Craigslist - quite a good deal on this I believe):

https://sfbay.craigslist.org/sby/mcy/6122871555.html

These too I sorta like (another good deal here I believe...):

https://sfbay.craigslist.org/pen/mcy/6117709421.html