As I was considering the various chores involved with the care and feeding of my NT thoughts went back to the most practical bike I ever owned. It was a little Yamaha 250 Exciter with a factory hardcase tailbag. No multiple cylinders or carbs, no fuel injection and a thousand error codes, seem to remember maintanance that was done by the factory tool kit (a tool kit=imagine that), and about 75mpg. The tailbag would hold a full face helmet and locked. The one plug faced outside and the valve covers came off without removing anything except lifting the tank off. The air cleaner was inside a box that opened to the outside. I think the only chore was the cartidge oil filter. Only farkle was a windscreen. Maybe they should make them again.
Most Practical Bike
- Thread starter Lorien
- Start date
Bear
2
Lorien, Sounds like quite a bike. I still have fond memories of my 1956 NSU Special Max. Absolutely bulletproof. Also had a tool kit and was cake to work on. They just don't make bikes like that anymore.
lcseds
Guest
I had a Kawasaki KZ440. Bungee cord a milk crate on the back of the seat and I was ready for anything. Great bike. Practical. Had enough power. Kind of before the CC envy that folks have nowadays.
bicyclist
Guest
No, they don't. Instead of doing maintenance every 1500 miles, now we get to ride 8000 miles doing nothing more than filling the tank and checking the oil and air pressure.
I do like the old stuff and I like it simple. I believe that usually simpler is better.
The reality of things and dreams of past bikes is they are dreams. In dreams we remember what we want to remember and forget the other stuff. I really do like the simple stuff but that means the suspension is poor, will buck you off if it gets a chance, tires are slippery in the rain, and engines don't last as long. That stuff is still fun but not for me as a daily driver.
Brad
The reality of things and dreams of past bikes is they are dreams. In dreams we remember what we want to remember and forget the other stuff. I really do like the simple stuff but that means the suspension is poor, will buck you off if it gets a chance, tires are slippery in the rain, and engines don't last as long. That stuff is still fun but not for me as a daily driver.
Brad
maxweljames
Guest
That's what I traded in to get the NT. Loved that Rebel. Fill the saddle bags, tie down anything you want to the sissy bar, and when it gets hot out roll up the jacket and bungee cord it to the handlebars. It's classic in it's styling no matter how you farkle it. I would occasionally change the oil and spray down the chain, a new set of rubber every now and then. Beyond that it's just ride, ride, ride.
hahaha :Silver2:
Yep, I remember the simple maintenance on my CB500-4. 
While I liked the performance of the bike at the time, it was not a low maintenance machine. And it was cheap. Bought it for $750 from the original owner (father-in-law bought the bike new in Japan). Rode it for 14 years and sold it for $650.
Simple? Yep. 4cyl, SOHC, screw valve adjustments, everything accessible by removing seat and/or tank. Points and plugs. Completely disassemble and reassemble with simple tools (which I did once).
Would I want another one? Nope. I still hate chains because of that bike
While I liked the performance of the bike at the time, it was not a low maintenance machine. And it was cheap. Bought it for $750 from the original owner (father-in-law bought the bike new in Japan). Rode it for 14 years and sold it for $650.
Simple? Yep. 4cyl, SOHC, screw valve adjustments, everything accessible by removing seat and/or tank. Points and plugs. Completely disassemble and reassemble with simple tools (which I did once).
Would I want another one? Nope. I still hate chains because of that bike
I watched a MSF BRC a couple of months ago and the whole time I was thinking that the little TU-250s they were riding looked like a lot of fun. I wouldn't buy a new one, but might spring for a used one someday. Anybody here got any experience with them?
Lorien,
I think Phil is right about the TU250x. It sounds like a modern version of the bike you mention. It does have fuel injection, but I consider that an advantage. Even less maintenance and don't worry about jetting at different altitudes. You will have to buy/fabricate your own storage options though.
I rode my old TU250X for almost a year, I could have afforded to buy the NT without trading it in, but I didn't think I needed two street bikes. Well five months later I really miss that little TU. I will admit that compared to most motorcycles it was a little slow on acceleration. What made it such a great city bike was how nimble it was. The NT is fine around town, but sometimes I miss taking fast corners. I am might be going the same speed on the NT but it was effortless and more fun on the TU.
So far I have been able to resist, but I really want to go to the dealership and buy my old bike back. It is still listed on their website.
I think Phil is right about the TU250x. It sounds like a modern version of the bike you mention. It does have fuel injection, but I consider that an advantage. Even less maintenance and don't worry about jetting at different altitudes. You will have to buy/fabricate your own storage options though.
I rode my old TU250X for almost a year, I could have afforded to buy the NT without trading it in, but I didn't think I needed two street bikes. Well five months later I really miss that little TU. I will admit that compared to most motorcycles it was a little slow on acceleration. What made it such a great city bike was how nimble it was. The NT is fine around town, but sometimes I miss taking fast corners. I am might be going the same speed on the NT but it was effortless and more fun on the TU.
So far I have been able to resist, but I really want to go to the dealership and buy my old bike back. It is still listed on their website.
Warren
2
I can do all the maintenance on my 1977 Yamaha XS650 with the tool kit. Everything is pretty much out in the open. It doesn't even have a spin on oil filter that you have to replace.
Warren
2
When I had my 600 mile service work done both the service manager and the mechanic talked to me when it was done. The Manager was in his 40's and the mechanic appeared to be late 20's early 30's. Both were very knowledgeable and we talked bikes for 15-20 minutes. They even knew the history of the NT back to the Revere and Hawk and had worked on those as well. Maybe next time I will get the pimple faced kid.
Yes there are some qualified Moto mechs out there but still they are hard to find. If you don't like to do your own work then by all means find a GOOD Moto Mech and hang on to them, but be willing to pay them what they are worth.
I enjoy working on my bikes, as you can tell. Also if I had to pay 90 to 100 bucks an hour for maint. I could not afford to have 4 bikes. Not to mention the farkling cost the dealer would charge me. If I had taken my NT to the shop you would not have been able to attend a great Maint Clinic. The shop won't let you watch and will not teach you either, and also won't let you take all those pictures. The hardest maint procedure on the NT is the Valve check/adjust. If you need it done and don't know how to do it just ride out to one of us that do. I know for sure, I would help teach you. But have your service manul with you. Speaking of that, when and where is the next maint clinic?
I am going to ride to Oklahoma City next month to assist in the installation of a cruise control on a ST1300. There are plenty of folks that can and will help, but you might have to ride to thier place for it.
Happy wrench turning.
I enjoy working on my bikes, as you can tell. Also if I had to pay 90 to 100 bucks an hour for maint. I could not afford to have 4 bikes. Not to mention the farkling cost the dealer would charge me. If I had taken my NT to the shop you would not have been able to attend a great Maint Clinic. The shop won't let you watch and will not teach you either, and also won't let you take all those pictures. The hardest maint procedure on the NT is the Valve check/adjust. If you need it done and don't know how to do it just ride out to one of us that do. I know for sure, I would help teach you. But have your service manul with you. Speaking of that, when and where is the next maint clinic?
I am going to ride to Oklahoma City next month to assist in the installation of a cruise control on a ST1300. There are plenty of folks that can and will help, but you might have to ride to thier place for it.
Happy wrench turning.
We always fondly remember cars and bike from "back in the day". We don't usually recall just how ill handling and temperamental they really were. My 1968 Volkswagen came with spare fan belts. I never needed them but figured there must be a reason. i was also loud and had a tendency to try to fly at speeds over 60 MPH. my wife's grandfather, aged 92 at the time (1982) used to say (about cars) "They don't make them like they used to...and it's a darned good thing!"
Chuck
Chuck
hondaaddict
Guest
Simple maintainance of a simple bike is enjoyable and satisfying for the soul. I wouldn't mind doing them more often. It's like my mountain bike. I clean it, lube it, and adjust it, every time I get back from the trail. It makes me feel like I'm taking good care of my baby.
I like bicycle mainenance because everything's out in the open and you can see what adjustments do while you're doing them.
I like motorcycle maintenance because it gives me a feeling of accomplishment and comptetence that are far beyond reality. I will do maintenance on the NT, but haven't been able to take the time to connect with good ol' Chuck to get him to walk me through it. But that day will come.
I have been pretty impressed with the service department at Sun Honda in Denver. When I bought my first Concours in '99, that was not the case. I bought the bike two weeks after it had been put together. I thought on my way home that the handling wasn't what I expected. Turned out that there were 20psi in both tires even if the pre-delivery checklist showed 36 and 42. When I took it back for the 600-miles service, I asked the service manager if the same mechanic who set the bike up was going to do that service. The manager said, "Yes, sir. He's our Concours specialist." I asked to talk to him, wanting to vent to the mechanic just a tad about the tire pressures and try to get him to do better work on my bike. Service manager wouldn't let me talk to him, argued that the bike had been delivered after a thorough and complete inspection.
When I got home after the 600 mile service, 3 days after I bought the bike. I found oil leaks that hadn't been there before the service, about six or seven fairing bolts missing and several other squawks. I rode it back to Denver and told the service manager that he'd never see me again. I also told the salesman who had sold me the bike and he just shook his head.
The service manager has been replaced and 11 years later the salesman who sold me the Connie is the assistant service manager. The two techs who've worked on my bike are both in their mid-to-late 30s and have been very good. They talk to me after each service and have come out to get me to show me things while they working on the bike. I think there has been an organizational change at Sun in the last 11 years that has raised the bar in the service department.
I feel confident in what they do to my bike and I like that feeling. We had an excellent mechanic in Fort Morgan, but he had some health issues and decided he needed a job where someone helped him with the cost of health insurance.
I like motorcycle maintenance because it gives me a feeling of accomplishment and comptetence that are far beyond reality. I will do maintenance on the NT, but haven't been able to take the time to connect with good ol' Chuck to get him to walk me through it. But that day will come.
I have been pretty impressed with the service department at Sun Honda in Denver. When I bought my first Concours in '99, that was not the case. I bought the bike two weeks after it had been put together. I thought on my way home that the handling wasn't what I expected. Turned out that there were 20psi in both tires even if the pre-delivery checklist showed 36 and 42. When I took it back for the 600-miles service, I asked the service manager if the same mechanic who set the bike up was going to do that service. The manager said, "Yes, sir. He's our Concours specialist." I asked to talk to him, wanting to vent to the mechanic just a tad about the tire pressures and try to get him to do better work on my bike. Service manager wouldn't let me talk to him, argued that the bike had been delivered after a thorough and complete inspection.
When I got home after the 600 mile service, 3 days after I bought the bike. I found oil leaks that hadn't been there before the service, about six or seven fairing bolts missing and several other squawks. I rode it back to Denver and told the service manager that he'd never see me again. I also told the salesman who had sold me the bike and he just shook his head.
The service manager has been replaced and 11 years later the salesman who sold me the Connie is the assistant service manager. The two techs who've worked on my bike are both in their mid-to-late 30s and have been very good. They talk to me after each service and have come out to get me to show me things while they working on the bike. I think there has been an organizational change at Sun in the last 11 years that has raised the bar in the service department.
I feel confident in what they do to my bike and I like that feeling. We had an excellent mechanic in Fort Morgan, but he had some health issues and decided he needed a job where someone helped him with the cost of health insurance.