The Classic Motorcycle Market has Collapsed
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- Опубліковано 23 вер 2024
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My other UA-cam channel: @FreddieDobbs
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Time Stamps:
0:00: Intro
1:15: London to Bosnia and Back (Royal Enfield Interceptor)
2:10: Buell Motorcycles Return (Buell Super Touring)
5:56: Carbs vs Injection (KawasakiZR-7 and Kawasaki ZZR 600)
The Classic Motorcycle Market has Collapsed (Kawasaki KZ1000)
12:49: How motorcycle prices differ from country to country (BMW R1150r and Kawasaki Z1000)
14:12: BMW R90S
16:39: BMW 1150GS
20:30: Suzuki DR650SE
22:22: Bike of the Week: Suzuki GS850g
Freddie, thank you for the mention amigo 🙏🏼 if your doing Bosnia, carry on down to Montenegro - but don’t make the mistake I made, and get insurance for the Balkans BEFORE you leave 😉
Love Jacob, Iv been watching his UA-cam for past few weeks, highly entertaining.
@@CiniEnFi if I could love this I would but it only gives me the option to thumbs up!
Hey Freddie and Jacob! Jacob, great to see you featured on Freddie's channel! Superb!
With regards to the GS850 for sale with the flat spot at the end of the video: get rid of the pod filters & refit an OEM airbox. Manufacturers spent many hours & a lot of money developing airboxes so that the carbs get a nice smooth airflow, fitting pods effectively turns what was a pleasant summer breeze into a blustery winter blow, CV carbs are particularly sensitive. Dynos, Colourtunes, new jets & small fortunes don't seem to resolve the problems. If unsure about this see the many posts on various forums discussing the problem.
It's quite easy to get a GS 850 to run correctly on pod filters, the main issue is the quality of the filters.
Cheaper ones mask the inlets on the periphery of the carb, decent pods and a rejet including restricting the air feed to the emulsion tube and they run fine.
To be fair given the choice I'd stick with the air box but to say it's impossible to do isn't true.
I despise pod filters. Too many times spent at the side of the road in the rain because of them! I once had to leave my XS650 chop in an Asda car park and go back for it the next day, when the rain had stopped.
@@haxan6663 wow, that sucks. I've ridden in the rain with pods quite a few times and never had an issue, but the pods are fairly shrouded on my CB750 due to the layout of the bike.
In 2021 I purchased a 1997 Honda VFR750 as a project. It had not had an mot for 8 years. The fuel tank was rusty, which I cleaned using molasses. I took the carbs off, expecting the worse I removed the first float bowl to discover a pristinely clean carb so left the others untouched. After reassembling, guess what.....one float bowl leaked! I had to remove them and fit a new seal. After freeing up the fuel pump it fired up! I balanced the carbs, but no cleaning was needed. Not had an issue with the carbs since and the bike gets sorned for the summer each year. 😊
Freddie, I'm delighted that you mentioned my BMW R90S. Just to praise it a bit more, it has a 24 litre petrol tank which is surprisingly slender, and despite this huge fuel capacity the bike only weighs 215kg fully fuelled. I have swapped the standard lead-acid battery for a lithium-ion, so a kerb weight of 210kg! Remember, this is a 900cc machine with shaft drive. Tank range is 250 - 280 miles. I've had no issues with the two Dell-Orto carburettors fitted to this model. Maintenance is very simple and many parts are interchangeable with other BMW models of the 1970s and '80s.
Say what you like about Freddie but the man puts in some serious miles, can't argue with that.
As a 71 yo motorcycle rider, I have owned many bikes with carbs. This includes a Kawasaki Z1B, Harley Softail, Munch Mammoth , BMW 1000 brick and a Ducati Darmah that I have owned for 43 years. Carbs were great and I never had a problem with them. Yes occasionally you had to adjust or clean them, but its no big deal. People are making it more complicated than it is. In fairness, the new fuels do have an impact on carbs but you can overcome that with additives. My 1978 Ducari 900 Darmah is now worth about $30 -$35k Australia
What's a Munich Mammouth worth though!? Double that?
Much mamouth ? Wow ❤❤❤
Having been biking since 1973 and getting my first fuel injection bike in 2010 I am stunned by the level of ignorance and fear of carburettors. The main reason for unreliability of carburettors is modern fuel, the ethanol in the fuel attacks the seals, absorbs water and if left gums up the jets. A few simple precautions and all these troubles go away. First don’t run your bike on E10 fuel, Second if you intend to not ride the bike for a while drain the carbs by ether turning off the fuel and running the bike until it stops or use the fuel drain the most carbs have. Use E5 fuel ( according to MCN it is cheaper per mile ) some E5 fuels are Ethanol free , Esso supreme is usually ethanol free but at worst has a low ethanol content. My current bike fleet has two bikes with Carbs and two with Fuel Injection, all of them start on the button, carbs are not a black art, I just suspect the mechanical knowledge of the average biker is lower than when I started riding and this has reinforced the myth that carbs are difficult to deal with.
I bought A 1985 honda magna about 4 years ago and have been running it on the more expencive fuel as thought it would be better but not sure now as keeps cutting out and am thinking its the carbs which it may well be as I dont ride it often - but never thought that I should put the cheeper petrol in will take your advice - many thanks
The proper classic market has tanked even more. Look at 40's ,50's, 60's & 70's bikes and the drop has been horrendous. Even the ultra classic such as Vincent and Goldstar's have fell out of bed.
The throttle response on a well set up set of carbs is lovely though.
Agreed zero snatch
Yup , fuel injection was a disapointment in that regard.
Always that lean flat spot mapped in for the emissions test
Hi Freddie, the carb/fuel issue is an easy one to solve and is also much talked about with regard to classic cars as well. Unless you are turning over a minimum of one tank of fuel every month, all year round then you simply need to switch to E5 Super Unleaded fuel. Standard E10 unleaded starts 'going off' after about a month, whereas E5 Super Unleaded stays 'fresh' for up to a year, meaning that you can leave a tankful of it in your bike over the winter and it will still be fine in the spring. If you want to be extra safe, add a small shot of Redex fuel treatment to it at every fill up, although E5 Super Unleaded fuels do also contain additional engine cleaning additives over and above standard E10 unleaded anyway. I use nothing but E5 Super Unleaded in all my vehicles and my 20 year old MG TF160 sports car and 20 year old MG ZS180 V6 sports saloon have both, never failed an emissions test.
Lucas fuel stabiliser works( the blue stuff)
My 1999 carbureted Sportster only needed one carb cleaning in 25 years and that's because it sat for 3 years. Even with a carburetor full of crap they still try to run. My mechanic was very impressed.
You are simply attuned to what you know, i prefer carbs because i know how they work and can strip and rebuild one with simple tools.
If my carburettor w650 has an issue i can fix it with the tools on the bike, i don't need to replace an injector i haven't got when I'm broken down at the side of the road.
I have owned around 35 bikes. 33 of those had carbs. Never had much of a problem, even when I was commuting 70 miles per day in the winter.
I owned a Suzuki GS850 trike. Barely legal, incredible fun to ride and was the best vehicle that I have owned for riding through snow! Loved it.
Anything you don't understand is complicated. Carbs are simple and easy to fix. But, despite what some say, carbs are super reliable. EFI still requires balancing. I've had zero carb issues on over 40 different motorcycles over 40+ years.
Your RF600 didn't start because it wasn't maintained properly. Which appears to be your modus operandi going by your triumph. 👍
Buell doesn't seem to have learnt from Harley, that's a huge price for the cruiser for anyone these days. I don't think the argumant will ever stop about carbs, its a marmite argument, no one will win. I'm just glad some people like them and keep those old bikes going. Quit while you're ahead Freddie 😂
carbs are fine as long as your vacuum petcock works, (if it weeps there is no off) if you have to ride it every week to run something is wrong. my bandit 1200 the carbs have been open a total of 4 times over 25 years and 63 thousand American miles for some tuning around exhaust and intake mods, including a few examples of years of sitting in storage when i just pulled it out hooked up a jump pack set it to prime for a minute and started up like the day i rooled it in.
also after all the tuning and mods it dinoed at 124 hp and got 48 hiway and 44 city usmpg witch is right up there with fi.
Thanks Freddie .
Back in the day I owned the bigger GS1000G, I actually preferred it to my previous chain driven GS1000. It had covered 126,000 miles when I sold it. The GS you showed for sale had pod filters on the carbs, they don't run well with those, never buy one without the original airbox.
Among other bikes, I still have my 1980 GS850G, bought new. It’s a bit of a barn baron now, but too many memories to sell it, so I’m giving it away to a fellow to restore. The only condition is that he promises to offer it to me first should he ever sell it.
how about giving it a go, learning to do carbs, as a series, I'd watch it! Maybe some locals would be willing to help ? Or just buy some really cheap bike, so you have nothing to lose, like the one in the ad you showed us? Anyway.. just an idea :)
Greetings from Canada, Freddie! The Suzuki DR 650 is also available for sale here in Canuckistan. A 2023 model retails for 7200 Cdn.
Wonderful travelogues... how's the off roading these days 😅😅 William Nova Scotia
Hello Freddy, I enjoy your channel very much.
This is not about your current topic but a response to your introductory note that you welcome and build commentary about subscribers' topics: so here's one.
Do many, like me, go back after a long time to something like an old favourite?
Me, 1976 to 1985, Kawasaki Z 400 parallel twin, all weather workhorse, 45,000 miles, sometimes saw 100 mph on the speedo(!), might have oiled the chain a couple of times, 2-up to Marsailles from Bradford, Bradford to London most weekends year round, handled better than I ever asked.
40 years later just bought and put 3,000 miles on a 17 year old Kawasaki 650 Versys, pretty much the same engine with slightly bigger holes, and it suits me very well indeed. Heh heh.
All of the vintage British motorcycles I purchased for $500 or less are now worth seven times or more what I paid for them. The people that laughed at me for buying them are not doing any more laughing. Like my dogs nobody wanted them so I gave them a forever home.
I ran a bandit with carbs happily for 2 years....I didn't notice it was a problem. I used the bike regularly though
Carbs are fine... but they don't mix with low use and modern ethanol fuels.
and as I heard E5 shall be taken out of the market, only E10 shall remain
"a-pain-in-the-arse"😅 spot on about carbs; i have also suffered! Ive just re-subscrideed on your channel Freddie. I left for a few months as i got a bit bored, but have to say that there's nothing else quite like your channel mate! Nice to be back.
I had 3 bikes when I was 18. A BSA Bantam, a Kawa KH 350 and a Honda H 100, which was my daily machine. I was also completely broke.I did however, have a garage at my disposal. Now I’m a 59 year old IT Manager with no garage close to where I live and no time to service classic bikes. What I’m trying to say is that you need time and the facilities to keep a classic machine.
Perhaps vintage bikes aren't selling because private sellers' (who would likely want cash,) are having difficulty finding a buyer with actual money in their pocket. Mind you, we bought a Fiat 500 1.2 from a guy yesterday, and he almost didn't sell BECAUSE we came with actual money!
I thought the used market had collapsed in the UK in general, not just classic bikes. There are shedloads of bikes for sale on Autotrader, eBay and MCN for pretty much every reasonably popular bike. Many of them have been discounted over and over again, even ones at main dealers.
The DR is a great bike in it's reliability and simplicity. It is very capable at low speeds on the trails and can cruise at 80 mph all day. It's a bike you never have to worry about it just works.
Had 3 x DR650SE ,a XF650 Freewind and 2 x CCM 644,which I have presently...just make sure the neutral sender bolts are locktite'd in...bulletproof, otherwise!
The good news for me is I have the bikes I want not for investment.
We have bikes with carbs that are no problem we also have those that are a pain. But both wonderful. I can rebuild and balance the carbs on my V4 Honda in a couple of hours. But I have owned it since 1988.
Regarding the DR650 in the US - they're popular but I wouldn't say they're flying off the showroom floor. But they have a devout following. Those that do own it will rant nonstop about it if given the chance. The Kawi KLR 650 has a similar reputation. Those that have them, swear by them.
Suzuki GS 850G, Had 2 of them back in the day,was a great bike early one had slide carbs and later ones were fitted with CV Carbs. The voltage regulators of all the gs range were not that good. the fix was to fit one from the Honda CX 500.
Hi Fred experienced diyer here. i agree totally with you about carbs. Also Fi is easy to fix generally. What no one says about the carbs and being a service item is true but…….. getting those carbs off is not always simple. Yeah bank of 4 carbs or v twin 2 carbs, disconnecting everything and trying not to damage pipes which are being rotted by fuel and the snorkels that attach to the cylinders crack and deteriorate with pushing and pulling. Look at small engines on u tube many just chucking on pattern chinese carbs eg mower carb £10. I have swapped some and are working no problem. I believe that electric power tools are rocketing from petrol strimmer, chainsaws mowers etc
in 1982 When I left the M.O.D AWRE Aldermaston I cashed in my superannuation and bought a brand new GS 750G shaft drive from Fowlers Bristol.. It was alright.
in short... Carbs are no problem for a well running vehicle that the owners uses all the time...Fuel injection is for people that could leave their vehicle untouched for days or weeks at a time. I had a carbed bike I used everyday, never an issue with either starting or running.
Except carbs suffer from damp/ cold air or thin air at altitudes etc
Ok Freddie a bit of insight here and carburetors. If the you have a carbed bike a petrol cock (on off res tap) all you need to do is turn the petrol off as you come to the end of your ride. A bit of trial and error here so role up to your home as runs out. Then next time you want to go, just turn the petrol on and away you go
The problem is new tech, we all wanted fuel gauges, bike manufacturers gave us gauges, But took away petrol taps and no way to empty the carburetor(s)
In 1996 I put away a Honda CB 250rs, but I made sure the carb was empty. In 2014, yes 18 years later I decided to put back on the road as my commuter bike, I changed the oil put new tyres on it, but nothing else was done (of course after such a long layup I did empty the tank at some stage) put 5 litres of cheap super market petrol in it, turn petrol tap on, a few minutes later and it started 2nd kick. If only we could drain the carburetors empty we wouldn't have all these problems.
Hi Freddie! Further to my comment about carbs not being voodoo, ahem… I confess that, back in the day, I have only ever owned single carb bikes, I wouldn't fancy trying my limited D.I.Y skills on an in-line 4 (!!!) but those lovely old Beemers with only two, easily accessible, carbs are a decent prospect.
My old 1992 600 diversion starts great, if it stands for a while put a fuel stabiliser in the tank give it a shake , fire it up so the carbs fill up , never had a problem you got to keep the old uns going
Never had a fuel injection issue on any of my vehicles ever. I definitely do not miss carbs.
Hi Freddie, I have to say, I always found Buell to be an odd one, and nothing seems to have changed in that respect.
It’s the demographics which are killing the classic/second hand bike and car market. Those who prized them have either got them or unfortunately passed on. There’s a glut because the market is full of excellent second hand modern bikes with few perspective customers. Where bike meets and shows used to be attended by youngsters, these days they’re more likely be a much older demographic.
Carbs are a drag. To those who say they're a service item, that's fine. But you better like servicing them yourself, because fewer mechanics every day have ever seen a carb. Let alone four, that might need to be removed, disassembled, cleaned, rebuilt, reassembled, reinstalled and then synchronized. At shop rates. And you better have done all that perfectly, otherwise they will leak, floats will stick and needles will clog. And then you have to take it all apart again. A lot of us old guys don't get that younger people didn't grow up doing this kind of stuff as a matter of course. Sure they could learn to do it themselves. They could also become fariers and go around shoeing horses. Which ironically is a more profitable endeavor these days.
Ace summary not forgetting if you need any parts? 2 snorkels for my 2005 bt1100 yamaha 350 each and no longer available
@@volt8684 Absolutely. Bikes with carbs are now 20 plus years old. it's just the way it goes.
Until 2 months ago, never had a bike which was built after 2000. Last bike i bought in 2016 for £1300,(2000 model) suzuki 600 bandit. In the last 25 years ive never had any fault with any bike.(mainly Suzuki) Come December i filled the tank with premium, took out the battery and replaced it in march. Always started.
Ive just bought a 2023 vstrom 650, great bike which will take me into the 2030s or 40s if im still kickin.
Carbs are no problem for blokes who grew up with carbs. I can work on my bike because I grew up with direct injection, I simply cannot be bothered to spend hours learning about carbs and battling them in an already busy life! Retired blokes have at it...
The bottom line is that carbs are simple to tune but a pain in the rear to remove, clean and reinstall. If you put fuel additives in they will run fine after sitting, and for longer periods just run them dry.
I mainly enjoy carbs because I like minimal wiring in a bike. I like to chop bikes, and so the less wires to deal with the better. They also look quite handsome in an open frame. But for anyone who wants function over form, you know, like people who actually ride their bikes, EFI is a great deal. For better or for worse, I wrench a lot more than I ride and I find the act of building a bike nearly more rewarding than the ride.
Wages have fallen by £10k over 15 years and no one can afford a house to keep things in. Who can afford trinkets like a classic bike when affording to live is hard as it is
The problems all started when they brought in E10 fuel, it simply corrodes and ruins carbs if left standing for any length of time. Before E10 I had bikes that, even if left for over a year, would start up without issues, I'd then fill up with premium fuel and take a long ride, by the end of it everything worked as it should. I actually have an RF900 in my shed which, because it doesn't get ridden much, has needed multiple carb cleans and refurbs over the years. Carbs are straightforward enough to clean but it does take time, knowledge, the right tools and mind set to do. Sadly, those skills are dying, I've heard that lots professional bike mechanics don't even touch carbs nowdays, it's dreadful. It does make me wonder if I would make a killing if I set up a carb cleaning business now because so many people seem to be at the mercy of the mechanicals of their bikes and carbs seem to be the weak spot. It's quite sad really. All that said though, I love fuel injection, it's easy peasy and generally works fine until you need a bump start when you have a dead battery.
One more thing, I was in Australia in 2022 and I bought a BMW G310GS for $4500 AUD (Approx. £2250 GBP), I can't remember the mileage (kilometreage?). I've just had a look on ebay and the cheapest one in undamaged condition here in the UK and 2 years down the line, is going for almost £2600 GBP and it's an older model with more mileage than the one I had. Britain is not known for it's low cost bikes, that's for sure.
There's a handful of KZ1K here in the Western U.S. however, its more supply vs demand and the way the economy is, people struggling to get by month to month for basic living necessities the market is a bit high for these type of bikes and most riders aren't going to spend thay much when they can go with something newer and more reliable, just the way it is. Takes a special rider to appreciate a classic and put the time and effort into keeping it maintained.
Freddie, stop press,
The market will collapse further in the next couple of years...
Reason.....
Chinese build quality and prices...
They are brilliant... Check out what a Voge 900 has on it and the price...
They are even undercutting the CF Moto bikes...
No problem with build quality... It's the same engine they make for BMW...
Fully loaded for less than 9000 pounds.
Hi Freddie, As far as the bottom dropping out of the classic market I would have to disagree. I did a quick search and found several z1000, some of which were 10k plus. Imports never command the same money. UK models were always 'Z' IE Z1B etc. My CBX1000z will never drop but is reported to be the next 100k plus bike. We have an early vfr750 as well as 1979 CB650. All good investments. All with carbs and all without issue. I am picking up my first fuel injected bike this week...Aprilia Caponord 1200 with 10k miles. This again is reasonably rare so worth hanging onto.
Freddy love carbs on motorcycles. The main benefit is coming out of a bend. The power is more controlled. So you can open throttle with confidence. On injected bike's they snatches as you open them up.
With modern fuel and tec injection is now the only real day to day ride.
Have Gsxr750 2010 with no tec and 148 bhp on injection is no joke. Iam faster with carbs. They are sadly out dated.
2 smokes where even better than 4 lines. But times change.
Bit like twins taking over 4 lines now. Not better cheaper to produce! 😮
You could go on a carb restoration course and set up a new channel called needle and slide with Freddie 😇😇😇😇😇💥🏍💡
Hi just a quick one watch Jim on superbike surgery he fixes bikes with carbs on older bikes lots of swearing but good to watch brilliant
Hi Freddie, first off I am going to continue the carbs Vs injection debate, you have far more chance of sorting out carbs as a home mechanic, than sorting injection issues which could well involve ECU problems.
The classic market is quite volatile things come in & out of fashion, but generally to get top money a bike needs to be UK spec & completely stock, unfortunately as nice as the Kawasaki kz1000 you referred to is, it's American spec & not standard, so 6.5k is on the high side, a nice standard uk spec model would be worth far more.
Seems to me motorcycles are just not as popular as they once were and money is simply not around. People just want an armchair, cocooned with a coffee, maybe driven autonomously or better yet never leave the house n work from home
Cool, maybe one day I'll be able to afford that RG500 I've always wanted.
Hi Freddie, I have a carburetor Triumph Thruxton, I’ve spent a small fortune getting the carbs rebuilt, tuned and then had the bike on a rolling road. As soon as the temp drops below about 10 degrees it runs like a pig.. takes an age to warm up and is horrible under about 15mph. I also have a new T120, guess which one gets ridden the most 😁.. still love the Thruxton, but it’s becoming a bit of an ornament …
With cabs “ just turn fuel tap off and run carb dry no issues even with left sitting for months “ But do agree fuel injection is definitely superior “ in many ways .I got my sisters 2000
Model Ducati Monster Carbs rebuilt and balanced “ 500.00 dollars “ by the only fella in town that knows how to do it ( and he is retiring as well ) The Suzuki DR 650 have just stopped them coming into Australia last year “ they were extremely popular in Australia and had the nickname “ bush pig 🐖 😂” they are carb as well , they couldn’t be sold in Australia anymore due to no ABS , in Europe and UK was years ago due to emissions.
In less emission controlled markets you may find old models still new. Better don´t even think about getting them importet to here (EU). In 25 we are going for EURO 5 Plus 😒. So you may can make a deal on a Euro 5 model now, but don´t forget to register in 24 !!! In general FI engines are more reliable than carbs. Don´t even think to dismantle a 1 to 4 carb system if you are not a 5 out of 5 Star mechanic. And be aware IF parts are still available to have some good extra cash in the background ; ) Yes prices are dropping for several reasons now, b.r. Tom from Germany
I had and still have various Suzuki GS’s, all restored and all worthless pretty much. But to me I do like them which explains why I have them.
The 850 you showed at the end looks like a U.S. import, and that will be considerably less than a U.K. bike.
Also I have a BMW GSR1150A 2005 with the aluminium boxes from BMW. Bought this new from CW Motorcycles in Dorchester. It was fitted with absolutely everything you could buy at the time from the BMW list. The bike has done 20k miles and looks like new still.
For me the best bike I owned until the 1250 I bought last year. Only reason is I’m getting older and the 1150 isn’t as well balanced at the 1250.
As a PS Freddie, the Suzuki 850 bike of the week, its another American import, with no air box & pod filters fitted hence carb issues, anything like this give it a wide birth....
Good luck getting parts for all those uncommon old bikes, that’s why so many end up for sale as unfinished “easy” projects. BMW is the only way to go for classics that you can actually ride around on, fantastic parts availability and lots of common parts between different models. Totally agree with you on carbs, life is too short to deal with gummed up carbs or to drain them constantly. I remember having to spray Lynx deodorant in my mates mk1 fiesta air intake then pushing it down a hill to start - funny at the time but too old for that now. My 1995 R1100 has early fuel injection, I replaced the injectors for later improved versions and the bike probably runs smoother now than when it left the factory 30 yrs ago.
You can get pretty much anything you need for older Meridian Triumphs and 70s vintage Nortons. Most of the parts available are better than OEM.
Its not just bikes its also cars reason being the old bikes are for old folk who want to remember their old days of going to the clubs or their first girl friend etc etc etc Those that want these bikes already have them the ones for sale are sadly in some cases from those that have passed ..The next generation will be on to the next era and on and on it goes. The only point of difference is the special machines those in the 30K plus bracket like a bike Barry sheen owned or Eddy Lawson etc etc When a bike gets to over 50 years then ok it might start to take on a special price but for now its all down hill trust me !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Unfortunately removing abs can give insurance companies the jitters ( any excuse to back away from a claim) and if the bike was supplied new with abs it should be present and working for mot.
I have had a carburator motorcycle my whole life and have had any problems, I don't know what kind of fuel your county has, but here in America, I just run premium fuel. There have been times I let my bike set for two years, and it started great and runs great, I also have converted my fuel injection 2006 twin cam to carburator because it runs much better
With regards to modern fuel and carps just close the fuel tap 200 meters before your home will ensure empty carps during the stay in your garage. If you then start you go with fresh fuel and no problems. Easy to do and cost free. Clever 😂😅 or not. Cheers
Carbs are fine. 1) DON'T mess if its not broken don't fix it 2) run your bike up once a month if it's parked up over the winter. Never had a problem in 22 years & 80k miles of ownership. Balanced once, took literally minutes. Kawasaki 👍
Carbs- just like women used to be, you'd have to fettle and fiddle with them and be patient to get the best out of them.
Carburetors can be easily repaired, cleaned. The alternative means injection, which is significantly more difficult and expensive. Old injection systems are not something to repair.
Hi Freddie, it seems you should have titled this podcast "People who know nothing about mechanics and buy bikes as fashion/lifestyle accessories therefore can't risk any problems.
A lot of people choose to ride bikes with foot clutches, hand change, manual advance/retard and lever throttles plus total loss oiling to whom the idea of a modern bike is utterly repellant even though they spend a lot of time fettling them! One such chap said he once rode a vfr and said it was bland and wooden. Horses for courses? 😊
Freddie, I'm still watching this weeks episode as I type. As always, informative and a definite weekly viewing, but please, your painting behind you isn't level ‼️ messing with my OCD.😂
That KZ1000 is interesting. I would've wanted something like that, but I got a Emerald green / gold Kawasaki Z650RS.
Old school style, modern (ahem ish!) twin, EFI, warranty. About the same price as the KZ. Yes the KZ is cooler, but _that_ much cooler? I didn't think so.
The Z650RS in the same colour, while not a 4, hit more plus-points.
Modern retro is eating the classic market.
You are correct about the classic market collapse, and I doubt it will recover. As for the various negative comments about carburetors they are typical of modern technically useless owners who allow these issues to develope! I have 8 carb classic bikes, both Japanese and European, which are put away for every winter and start first or at most second kick/turn of the starter when they are dewinterised in the spring. Now ask a few dealers about efi bikes that have been left over winter with fuel in the tank (many modern bikes are very difficult to drain the tank..some cope but others don't. Additionally carbs well set up have nicer throttle response compared to any efi bike I have owned or ridden.
I had a Buell Cyclone. Fantastic hooligan of a bike with a brilliant HD V-twin engine. Only let down by the abysmal design of the underslung rear shock which made the handling a joke.
its not an electrical issue bmw abs from the 1100 and 1150 is the unit out of a car and it reduces the brake pressure so mutch even when doing nothing the brakes are down right scary. a major modification at the time and to today is to just bypass it and run a direct line for better breaking performance. these were the first bikes with abs so riders were used to riding withought it.
1100 are a well balanced 5 speed 80hp that handle amazing, 1150 they ruined it trying to make it more of a hiway cruiser by changing to an overdrive 6 speed while also at the same time increasing the final drive, the gears are impracticly tall the top speed isn't in top gear. a common modification of the time was to swap in the final drive gears from the 1100 or even the 850 to counteract what BMW did. 1150 they also added 50 pounds over the 1100, and the 1150 swingarm is longer compromising handling.
i swear if they went around the world 2 years earlier on 1100s they would have far less struggle and the gs would have gone in a completely different developmental direction towards lighter bikes.
THE ILL HEALTH IS BY HAVING TO TAKE OUT LOANS TO KEEP THE BLOODY THING ON THE ROAD HONESTLY TUST MY WORDS !!!
People lie their asses off about whats wrong with the bike just to get it sold and its always "An easy fix". If its not running, you should assume the motor is blown as well as the transmission in need of being rebuilt.
Wonder who’ll be the first to put out a “retro-classic” E-motorcycle? Don’t laugh, BSA may be listening!
They also did a gs1000g also shaft drive
It's because old affluent buggers are the normal buyers of classic vehicles, the vehicles of their youth. These people first aged out of the workforce, now they're simply dying of old age so they're not buying classics anymore. Our current hard times are making people more careful with their money, as you'd expect.
Cost of living crisis has hit and collectables get hit 1st and hit hardest.
High interest rates and an ageing range of bike enthusiasts.
A retired bike guy can easily spend £11K on a classic bike but anything over £20K is a struggle
I ride a 1000cc bike with a single carb, it causes no problems. It has no fuel pump , no pressure regulator, no temp sensor , no crank sensor , no throttle position sensor, no maf sensor no oxygen sensors or electronic control module. I've got a reserve tap so no dodgy fuel gauge or warning lights The carb is simple and cheap to repair if required but doesn't really cause any issue. How much is there to go wrong with all the crap in FI and and how much would it all cost. I purposely looked for a bike without Fuel injection. As these fuel injection systems age and these components fail they will be unrepairable as the parts either unavailable (all ready a problem on some older bikes) or if parts are available it will be economically unviable to repair them.
The metririal system: 8:02 🤣
Never had a carb bike that wouldn't start as easy as EFi but I've only been riding since 1985.
Don't buy a California spec import and expect it to run like a UK fuel mapped EFi.
My '99 Harley FXDL isn't for sale.
It's got a carb but I understand how they work.
Didn’t Buell used to use the frame as the petrol tank?
Sadly, the older generation that lusted after bikes from the sixties and seventies are getting on in years now.
80s and nineties bikes are the most popular classics now.
I have a 1983 with carburetor and 2016 with injection, carburetors are charming and nostalgic but injection is better.
Hi Freddie. I owned an 1150 gs. Abs issues. I decided go further into this and found believe or not that if the rear brake light bulb is blown the abs goes into overdrive. Replaced the bulb and he presto no more abs lights on wtf
Re 1150 GS, it’s not ULEZ compliant, which is a problem within M25. Anything generally pre 2007 will cost a day tax to take out unless it’s a relic. Real shame
It’s not the age of the bike that matters. The reason why age is mentioned is that from July 2007 on all new motorcycles sold in the UK had to conform to Euro 3 emissions standards. Bikes built before this appear as not compliant but can be tested and marked ULEZ exempt if NOx emissions are 0.15g/km or lower, so many pre-2007 bikes can be exempted.
Well we had no choice when I had bikes in the 1980s I had Yam Lc,s .. GPZ etc we just got on them and had fun. Today I ride suzuki GS 650G still having fun. How things have moved on. But my bike gets more looks then a 20K bike.
Hi Freddie, Have you ever ridden the Triumph Speed Twin 1200 ?
I would not give you a £100 for any B.M.W. bike because although the owners tell you how reliable etc they are they never ever tell you how much they have spent keeping these metal monsters on the road !!!!!!!!!!! I stupidly have had several and not one yes not one gave me trouble free motoring like my Honda vfr 750 or my Honda 50 or my Kawasaki rr600 or my latest Benelli T.R.K. 502 MADE IN CHINA !!! which cost me peanuts to buy and peanuts to run so as far as I am concerned the B.M.W. machines are a fools tool !!!!!!!!!!!!!
Just thinking about carburetor bikes. Briggs and Stratton do a fuel additive called Fuel Fit, designed for lawn mowers and other garden machinery regularly left over the winter. Just wondering if there was anything similar for bikes? I always had issues with my Stihl 4 stroke bruschcutter. Had to service the carb every year. Never had an issue since using Fuel Fit, which prevents varnish build up and gumming in the fuel system.
STA-BIL fuel stabiliser. Mix this in your petrol and you can store your bike without any issues of fuel gumming up and clogging your carbs.
Dear Freddie, why don’t you follow your own advice and get an overpriced iffy GS850 that doesn’t run properly and enjoy the bleak and chilly winter enjoying yourself sorting it out? Bike (Shed) of the week indeed. Thanks for the laugh. 3K more and you can have a brand new BSA gold star all running and with a warranty. Take the GS to most mechanics and they’ll tell you the GS is uneconomic to fix and therefore scrap.
Having seen the condition of your Bonneville when it packed up I'm not surprised you formerly struggled with carbs and they may not have even been the problem re poor starting on your Suzuki. Many of your older viewers (like me) will have ridden bikes with carburettors for decades with few if any problems. So I don't think you should keep criticising the technology. I've had a Suzuki DRZ 400 as a dirt bike for many years. Like the 650, they're still available in the US too. I believe Suzuki is allowed to keep selling them as long as they don't update them otherwise they would have to face latest emission controls and so on. My bike is still miles better than the latest Himalayan 450 off-road. (Tall, light, bouncy, 40 bhp, long service intervals - perfect!)
My 1979 Ducati kickstart only, open carbs, always starts 3rd kick after winter storage. My modern bike with injection is more a drama queen
Careful mate after a couple of years those dells get green fur in jets and needles reducing size you don’t want to fry a cylinder, might be worth at least whip the bowls off just to check, as a lav triple owner they get a strip down every third year.
There is nothing wrong with carbs. I had them in the 70's, 80's and 1997 with my 1200 Bandit. They are so simple to service, balance. When done correctly they dont need looking at until the next service, just balance them like fuel injection throttle bodies. My1981 GS750EN purred like a pussy cat.
R90/S. great bike of the time but compared to the majority of modern bikes of the last 15 years, the BMW is a tractor, feels heavy, lumpy and poor brakes.