Back on the EFI issues, not all modern EFI bikes have issues. My Suzuki 650 V-Strom & Kawasaki Versys were both flawless and I would say huge improvements over carbed bikes from the past. They also deal with the current crappy fuel MUCH better than carb bikes. My poor Versys has sat a bunch lately, yet fires up instantly and runs great even after several weeks. The last 3 carb bikes I have had would be gummed up if they sat that long. Now I have had bikes with EFI issues, they were BMW's & Buells.
I have no idea how many bikes I have owned over the years. Its got to be a huge number. this CX will go down the road just like the rest. I regret selling many of them. This was my last regret. Sold it to get my Terra which is more useful but man that was a fun bike and had lots of goodies on it.
Sweet ZRX. I had an '00 green 1100. Sold it during my divorce. hardest part about that whole business was losing the bike...
I'd trade my '12 TE310 for a nicely restored '79 - '82 390 OR/WR or 430 WR/XC. Wouldn't even have to think about it.
My other bike is a DL1000 V-strom. I would write wonderful things about it here except that just a week ago it left me stranded 600km from home with no fuel pressure. As far as I can ascertain the fuel filter had become almost completely clogged and there was no fuel pressure. A new filter is on the way from Japan for $400 (OUCH) - A proprietary sealed unit which is part of the in-tank fuel pump. While I wait for the new one, I blew air through the old filter backwards then reassembled and tested the flow. The bike runs as good as it ever did, although the fuel flow is only about 1/4 of the rate specified by Suzuki, and it was still running passably with a fuel flow rate much much lower than that. Its only the second time in 90000km that the bike has let me down. The first time was a failed wheel bearing at 50,000km. It's only had 2 dealer services in that time, and 2 valve clearance checks. The valves have never required adjusting. I guess the plugs have been changed at those services, i have never looked at them. I replace the oil every 6000km, and the filter every 2nd or third oil change (I tend to lose count). I've always run a semi-synth oil Even after 90000km, when i drain the oil, the oil comes out looking a bit darker than it went in, but still freely flowing. I have never seen a trace of any metal on the magnetic sump plug. When i pull the filter off the oil drains away completely and the oil gallery is left looking clean and sparkling, with no indication that there has ever been any oil in there at all. I compare that to previous bikes from 80s and early 90s, where after 3000km the oil was black, and after 6000km it would take about 20 minutes to drain the oil, which would be thick and brown and have the consistency of whipped cream. I'm not very mechanically minded, so I would not have fared well as a do-it-yourself owner of a pre-80s bike which required constant attention and roadside maintenance. I love modern machines.
thats freaking ridiculous and robbery. Being very technically minded and enabled I feel somewhat invincible with old tech. Points and carbs can almost always be made to work short of a major mechanical issue like valves or pistons.
This new/old bike replaces my old 400F. Funny I wanted the Ducati in the 70's but was exotic, cranky and expensive. Now I have the bike I wanted in the '70s but it's so uncomfortable it spends much of it's time in the garage.
This is what I sold to buy my TXC310. It would not run correctly stock (at 14.7AFR) I had to add a wide band O2 sensor and create new maps running at 14.0 AFR. All it needed was more fuel! Another great motorcycle brand down and out!
I rode one of those, was kinda cool. Was not wild over the vibrating motor, seemed out of place. I would love to try a rotax engined one.
bikehunter. I do agree totally.. air cooling systems and carb bikes are confidence, like XR650L or KLR o DR. News hanging on software are bikes to move in cities were mosstool are ready to conect. I do not see myself with terra in MOngolia desserts... but no problem with KLR650 there.. it is a pitty. my KLE500 65.000km no problem, carbs, XR650L same no problem in 100.000km that s reality..
If its been done it would most likely be over on supermoto junkie, great site with lots of interesting build projects
My answer would be lack of time. If I were retired, I would never own a new bike. I had so much fun on older machines. I probably have owned 15 bikes from the 70's at some point. From an RD 350 to several dual sports and even the aforementioned 400F. The last 2 carbed bikes I have owned fell victim to ethanol and I grew tired of losing what little riding time I had to downtime. Lately I have had a yearning for another RD or Kawi triple, so off to EBay I go to browse.
Beautiful Bike, In Aust we call them Moon Bikes, (think its cause of the sound they make) I remember reading a Honda engineers destruction report and it said We put the bike in neutral and revved it flat out, it revved to 16 or 17 grand before it valve bounced out, And it lasted for 28 minutes!..... That's what you call bullet proof!
Except the cam chain tensioner.... 16grand and it's a push rod motor..... Also the rear drive gets very sloppy. Still one of the all time great touring bikes. I just remembered it actually rode 2 up like there was no passenger. Probably because of the massive unloaded bike front weight bias.
Especially with electric supercharger instead of stupid crankcase pumping. No smoke, long oil changes and HUGE HP.
