Kawaski EX 500 - What to do?

[dannyjo]

One of the nicest looking bikes ever made, next to the NT. A great size for a smaller rider or great riding to work when it will be left outside in sun and rain, daily, since it already has some blemishes. I have a friend who has several bikes in his garage, (Harley, ST1100, ST1300, sidecar and Sportster) but rode a little Honda Ascot 500 to work , rain or shine. He had over 150,000 miles on it last I knew. I think close to 100,000 before ever having the heads off.

 

[JeffSSmith]

Ok, Ok, You may have talked me into keeping it. At least for a while. What's the harm in keeping it the rest of the season. Put some fresh tires on it and ride for a while. If I still wanted to sell/trade it I would probably get a better deal in the spring anyway.

I really like the looks of the older standard bikes. 60's 70's and 80's The pictures that have been posted are fun to look at. I still like the looks of the Honda nighthawks. I've sat on a few but never ridden one.

The more I look at the EX500 the more I like it. Once I get the tires on it I'll ride it some more.

Thanks again for your thought and postings of old bikes.

 

[kenstone]

Do they all run and are they reg. and plated? Wish I had the room, but I have a thing about the bikes having to be road worthy. It would drive my OCD crazy to have a garage full of vintage bikes in various stages of running condition. Wish I could do it. I envy you.

Well, actually except for that '93 Honda Hawk, they all belong to a friend and I'm helping clear them out:redface:
Most are high mileage, and once you put on new tires/chain/battery, clean the fuel system, etc. there;s no money to be made and would take forever to part out to sell that way.
That and they are 2600 miles from me, I'm old and he's older, so I'm working with other friends in that area to help him out.
The water buffalo, Suzuki rotory, and Yamaha DT, are worth the most but I won't allow cherry picking, so if you buy one of those you have to buy something else too:wink:
Trouble is he's still buying/riding, his latest is a Kawasaki Drifter (he has 2 now)
Ken

 

[JeffSSmith]

It usually was a loose headset bearing. Try tightening it up maybe a 1/4 of a turn

Phil, tightened the headset and the front wheel wobble went away. Thanks for the info. Replace the rear tire on Friday, smoothed out more. Waiting on new front tire, should be here monday.

 

[Phil Tarman]

Phil, tightened the headset and the front wheel wobble went away.

Glad to hear that, Jeff! Enjoy the little bike.

 

[Phil Tarman]

I got back to Greeley from the IBA International Meeting this afternoon and went by my ex-wife's house. She'd had an emergency appendectomy on Friday afternoon. They sent her home yesterday morning. Laparoscopic surgery is amazing compared to be whacked open!

We were sitting there talking when the doorbell rang. Carolyn said, "Come in!" and a voice said, "You don't even know me." I said, "Well, come in anyway." And he did.

It was Jeff Smith. He'd seen my bike parked in front of Carolyn and Connie's place and he said it stuck out like a sore thumb. Oddly enough, he had known the guy who was the first owner of their house and in the course of the conversation, I learned that the people who had first lived in the house behind theirs were my Pastoral Assistant in Fort Morgan and her husband. Small world!

Jeff wanted me to go outside with him. He was on the EX-500. It had obviously been down once -- hard! -- on the right side, but the damage from that wasn't really too major. It's a beautiful little bike. He's replaced the rear tire and I'd be nervous until the front one got replaced; it had the worst sidewall cracks I've seen on a tire since my ex-wife's old MG-B when we bought it.

Jeff and I have been trying to connect for a long time. We'd made a lunch appointment once and I forgot it. I've seen him on roads just east of I-25 two or three times (including the day when I met Eldon at the Cracker Barrel in Loveland as he was driving his Corvette home to Oregon.

We're going to take another shot at getting together for lunch.

BTW, Jeff is thinking he'll probably keep the EX-500 at least through the winter.