Let's talk motorcycles.

Darin · #1 08-31-2007, 11:18 PM

I've ridin since 84 off and on. I recently picked up an 81 Honda CB650.
What I didn't know at the time is theres a reason you never see these bikes on the road anymore. They aren't worn out. You can find these things with 10 to 15k miles on them for sale all day. The problem is. EVERY stinking one of them, along with pretty much most all Honda's from the day have a design flaw in the charging system.
I've read tons of forums since I bought the bike about it. I've found many ways to trace the problem down, the possible reasons it wont charge etc.
What I haven't found on one forum yet is this... "I had a problem with my CB650 charging system and this is how I fixed it and haven't had a problem yet". Just ideas that might fix it. I found a great web site with a big ole long fault finding diagram that walks you through tracing the system through every wire, harness, rectifier, stator, regulator, fuse etc.
It would take literally days for me to do that. And that even if I knew how to use my Volt meter for anything other than testing 9volt batteries. So I bought the bike for $1k.
It was a fair price for a garage kept low mileage CB650. Then I took it for inspection. Leaky fork seals, leaky pipe, cracked plug wires, oil change. So almost $400 later, it's still a fair price for a good bike. Until now.
So I stop at the Honda shop and ask if they have a guy that knows wiring and electrical problems on these things. And I ask, "have you ever had anyone bring in an old Honda that wouldn't charge, and you fixed it and it worked after that?" They said yes.
For one hour $65 shop time, they would trace the problem down and tell my how much to fix it. And that could be anything. New Honda Stator? $600. Rectifier? $200. Now once I get the diagnosis done. I have to decide how much to spend on it or just throw the bike away and cut my losses.
If I have to spend $700 to fix it, and it does get fixed right. I could resale it for maybe $1500. Then I would get something for it. As it is, I'm out $1400 for a useless pile of old Honda parts.
But then. you can't buy a bike like this anymore. I've heard it called a "sport classic" style. I like the rider position WAY better than anything available today. You have to go back alot of years to get a bike that has a upright natural rider position. I don't like the Honda Shadow cruiser style bikes or the Ninja bikes.
So I'm probably going to keep it once I get it up and charging. When the battery is charged, you'd swear you were on a new CB650. Smooth, quiet and pretty quick. It has 4 cylinders and revs to 10K RPMs. I really do like the bike. Not quite as much as the V65 Magna I had for a while though.

What's your bike story?

**jaxadam** · #2 08-31-2007, 11:56 PM

My bike story is a ton of dirt bikes (YZs, CR's, XR's, DT's, you name it) and me wrecking them all of the time.

I loved my Yamaha YZ125, and Honda CR250, but that was a long time ago. No street bikes for me, I'd kill myself. I've wanted one for a long time, but my girl knows how I ride, and it wouldn't be a good idea (because she's ridden with me!)

Darin · #3 09-01-2007, 12:02 AM

I've had RMX250 CR250, even a CR500! KDX200 and KDX220, KX250. Now I rip around the property on as CRF80. Trust my, it's fun enough and you don't fall too hard. I raced a little. Just enough to have fun. Visited the emergency room as few times.

Rich · #4 09-01-2007, 12:04 AM

I haven't had a bike since my V65 went down going into an offramp at 130. I take much longer to heal these days and I sure haven't grown up, much. I do get to take a few rides every now and then and the last ZX11 I got to play on I had up to 150 and it was still pulling hard, but there was this heavy truck wash it didn't like much so I got out of it

**jaxadam** · #5 09-01-2007, 12:12 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Darin

I've had RMX250 CR250, even a CR500! KDX200 and KDX220, KX250. Now I rip around the property on as CRF80. Trust my, it's fun enough and you don't fall too hard. I raced a little. Just enough to have fun. Visited the emergency room as few times.

I rode a CRF450 last year that wasn't too bad, a lot of fun, but I'm more into four-wheelers now. Well, I'm not really into them, but if we go on a ride, I hop on a 4. My step-dad upgraded to the new Honda Rincon 680 fuel-injected, and that bad boy does it for me. From an '05 650, it is night and day.

If I had the land down here, I'd definitely get a nice little dirt bike, and a fun ass four wheeler, like a 680 Rincon!. But no crotch rockets for me around here. Just the traffic skills of Jacksonville residents alone turn me off to that. Maybe an SV650, but I'm still trying to hold out so that the girl can sleep peacefully at night.

**jaxadam** · #6 09-01-2007, 12:21 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rich

I haven't had a bike since my V65 went down going into an offramp at 130. I take much longer to heal these days and I sure haven't grown up, much. I do get to take a few rides every now and then and the last ZX11 I got to play on I had up to 150 and it was still pulling hard, but there was this heavy truck wash it didn't like much so I got out of it

Damn bud, that's not too good.

Rich · #7 09-01-2007, 12:24 AM

Who rides a bike just to eat bugs all day?!

**jaxadam** · #8 09-01-2007, 12:38 AM

That's all part of the diet! Although when I ride 4's it's mainly grass, mud, and rocks.

ibanezking · #9 09-01-2007, 05:31 AM

Hey bikers

I passed my test when i was 17 in '91 and always had a bike

In 1997 when i was riding home on my CBR600, 2 stolen cars were racing in the opposite direction 2 me.
As I approached a bend in the road, so did they, and one of them hit me head on at 70-80mph - i don't remember a thing about it apart from waking up in hospital 5 days later.........

My right foot was totally snapped and was touching my knee
and my left wrist was F***ed and my arm snapped so my hand touched my elbow
Broke my right wrist too.....

And the F***in scumbags in the cars just ran off and were never caught!!!
Probably only would have got a fine if they were caught tho.......

This is my current ride......

Don't ride much anymore tho........ and its made me pretty paranoid!

Max

Darin · #10 09-01-2007, 07:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rich

I haven't had a bike since my V65 went down going into an offramp at 130. I take much longer to heal these days and I sure haven't grown up, much. I do get to take a few rides every now and then and the last ZX11 I got to play on I had up to 150 and it was still pulling hard, but there was this heavy truck wash it didn't like much so I got out of it

Rich, you and I were 2 of the few that had V65's. Near impossible to find one anymore. If I had known how rare they were, I'd a kept it. I think mine was an 83 or 85. They don't get much faster than that. Those were the days of the high revving muscle bikes. Anymore, the big bore bikes are all 3K RPM cruisers.

Which is part of the reason I like my 81 CB650. It's not super fast, but it winds out and makes you feel like it is. It's get to 60 in short order. I'm guessing it's about 4 seconds. And you don't have to lay on the tank like the "race" bikes.

**elcid** · #11 09-01-2007, 07:45 PM

Im too nervous about the *******s out there to get on a bike, but I would club a bag full of kittens for my brothers Harley.

andy7jem · #12 09-01-2007, 07:47 PM

It's not the *******s out there you have to worry about!! It's the fact that bikers think they are invincible and ride accordingly!!!

**elcid** · #13 09-01-2007, 07:49 PM

I dont know about all that. There definately are some of those out there, but I've known more bikers that were rear ended at a stop light than bikers that go weaving in and out of traffic.

andy7jem · #14 09-01-2007, 08:06 PM

I see dozens and dozens every day that weave in and out of traffic!!!! At speeds that they couldn't react to anything happening!!!

But anyway....about this bag full of puss....i mean kittens!!!!!!

**elcid** · #15 09-01-2007, 08:11 PM

Right right, an ******* is an *******, but if I myself were riding I wouldnt be worried about them as much as I'd be worried about the broad putting on make up while driving and not paying attention when I stop to turn.
I've seen the guys pulling wheelies and weaving, and I always hope they spill, unfortunately I never see it.
Bag of puss? That's gross man.