Buying an older bike as a begginner

[dave_oh]

I'm looking for my first bike, and I've found a lot of old cafe racers from the 1970's and early 1980's that I really like. However, I've been cautioned about buying an older bike for maintenance issues from several places (including this forum). I'm willing (excited) to deal with the maintenance issues if I knew what to expect.

So, I have three major questions:

What are some things to look out for when buying an older bike?

what are common problems with aging motorcycles?

Most importantly, can any one recommend any older bikes that aren't too difficult to find parts for?

Thanks!

[fireguzzi]

I wasn't necessarily trying to turn you off of an older bike before, more just cautioning.
Older bikes can be great runners if taken care of through it's life.

Things to look for would include (with any bike really) worn out or cracked brake lines, ratty looking cables, dry rotted or cracked tires, rust in the gas tank, excessive smoke when it runs,over all condition....just to name a few things.
Just about any 70's 80's Japanese bikes are going to be fairly easy to find parts for. GS,XS,CB,'s are some of the more common ones. Some one else Im sure will jump in with some more ideas soon.

Like I said, not trying to turn you off of older bikes. Just saying they need some TLC every now and then.

[dave_oh]

Thanks fireguzzi! That's exactly what I was wondering.

[TorontoBoy]

Older bikes can offer excellent value for money and smiles per mile. That said, they are older and need maintenance.

When considering the older bike note that consumables will need to be replaced, and their cost needs to be discounted from the purchase price. These include: tires (older than 5 years), chain, sprocket, battery. Most older bikes also have "surprises" that need to be taken care of, so also factor in additional cost so you are not surprised. It is not uncommon that a cheap older bike will require parts worth more than its purchase price, so buyer beware. If you are unwilling or unable to learn to do your own maintenance then get a newer bike. Repair costs at a bike shop, if you can get a bike shop to touch your bike, are about $60/hr, parts not included. The fun of the older bike is that you do the maintenance.

Look for an older bike that runs and runs well. It should start easily from a cold engine, idle and run through the gears. It should have very little crash damage. The odd slow speed tip over is Ok, but a crash at speed can bend the frame, rendering the bike as junk. Rust is bad, meaning there may be other things wrong with the bike. Look for a bike that has a long production run, longer than say, 4 years. Check to see if eBay has lots of parts for the bike. Bikes that have been used fare much better than bikes that have sat idle for years.

Of course the more experienced/confident/stupid (these three are not mutually exclusive) you are, the worse bike you can buy and fix up. Get some advice from Dan. He was very helpful for me. Online there are many helpful forums specific to a bike line. Join them and ask questions.

Personally I recommend 1980-85 Honda CBs or VTs, but other Japanese manufacturers are great as well. At this time bikes were over engineered, reliable, robust and pretty easy to maintain. Still, how they were treated in life accounts for a lot.

Older bikes can add a lot of charm to your riding, but come at a cost.

[JC Viper]

older bikes will be equipped with carburetors too so make sure that the carbs aren't leaking and that the tank shouldn't be full of rust. If it has some rust or sediment it's not so bad if there's a fuel filter so it won't gum up the carbs.

I own 2 older bikes. Both 1984 models and both Kawasaki but are miles apart from each other in terms of tech and power. The 750 I had was full of sediment and rust in the tank, no fuel filter and leaking carbs which was a pain in the "O Ring" to fix and since it's an old bike parts could not be found or found at reasonable prices. That bike was scrapped. My 900 is my current ride and the carbs are fine as is the tank but it also has a fuel filter with a lot of crud trapped in it. It has its own problems however. The support beam on the front cowl rusted and broke off causing the front cowl and headlight to sag a bit and repairing it requires a good weld job or a new frame.

Ask the seller to start the bike up and see if the bike has a hard time starting or idling. then check the frame and other parts of the bike. If its clean there's no reason to pass it up.

[sunshine229]

If you are unwilling or unable to learn to do your own maintenance then get a newer bike. Repair costs at a bike shop, if you can get a bike shop to touch your bike, are about $60/hr, parts not included. The fun of the older bike is that you do the maintenance.

Absolutely agree!

Working on older bikes is much easier than newer bikes. Hey, if I can do it you can do it!

PS: My husband says working on your old bike is a great excuse for getting out of the house when your wife is complaining!