Motorcycle and Scooter appreciation

Unlike my YBR which has completely left the planet since getting accidentally neglected in the cold a tad too long over lockdown 3.0. Fuse is fine but won't light up or start from a battery, jump or bump. It needs an mot and a bit of a list of things to sort, I'm losing the will with it and just want another bike. I really have my heart set on a Suzuki Marauder atm (or a Kawasaki Eliminator but harder to come by)... I know its another 125cc but I'm in no rush to get my licence and can live with another 2 years on CBT with mpg for dayz, near no tax and ridiculous low insurance.

Sadly all the opinions of YBR seem to point that way (poor reliability somewhere or other).

I was pleasantly surprised. It did take a half dozen or more short presses of the magic button, but judging by the low flickering of the neutral light the battery was almost dead.

Once it started, it was going fine.

MOT is due 25th March, need to book a date for it asap.

Dreading riding it after 6 months on the DR350. Must remember it’s fun and slow, and low.

Put new adjustable Chinesium levers, fitting a different headlamp (long story), and otherwise jus a check over. Needs the cam chain swap but if I sell it cheap then that can be a job for the new owner.

By the by, the DR gets me something around 65-67mpg. Feels so uneconomical after the GN’s cool >100mpg.

I used to get 60ish with a heavy wrist on the Kawasaki Z750
The Suzuki GSR600 would easily do 65+

Are we talking the same gallons?

Yeah, the connections and electrics seem a bit shoddy... and the plastic dash, but I put 30k odd miles into it over the past 23 months and it's nearly at 60k total now. The engine was sounding fine and gears changed well. It'll be a crapped out connection to ground probably.

Do like the look of the DR, it was on my possible list once I do my full test if I don't swing for a virago. I'm torn between wanting to go greenlaning and the realisation I'll never actually do that (just like I've never gone bike packing) and just commute and go to gigs on it.
125cc economy is magic, balances the wallet against the stupid Touran family car!

Cannot argue with 125’s for town traffic and economy. I’m loathe to rid myself of the GN, you know, just in case.

Not sure if you’ve seen but prices are going ever higher for anything that hasn’t been crashed or destined for scrap. I’m shocked at current asking prices for serviceable DR’s.

If you can get to green lanes near you, it’s a revelation. Such fun.

Yeah, some shocking prices for some right old piles of poop. At least Marauders aren't in fashion and being a bit heavier and slower than the other 125's they're a bit less desirable. Fingers crossed for a winner cropping up!

Even 50cc scooters are being costed in dreamer figures. Last week I got snotty replies from someone who appraised a DR350 in rough condition at £2700!!!

I was a little upset back in Sept/Oct only getting offers of £500 from chancers for the GN, considering there wasn’t a single MOT’d 125 for under a grand. Fresh chain and sprockets, etc etc. Doesn’t mean a thing.

High mileage aside, maybe this April (CBT’s restart 29th March) will be more fruitful to sell it on, if I choose to.

All the same, I’m not a fan of the Marauder, someone locally has one and it looks a bit, baby-cruiser.

Baby cruiser lol. I'm a little guy, sounds perfect :D

Well I never measured tbh. That's just based on making it to my Parent's house ~200 miles away on £15-£20 of fuel. Higher octane only

Cc @jambon

Shame you already bought the srad.

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/143977950705

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Funny enough I almost bought a 1992 Husky 350te a few weeks back but it didn't work out.

Gentlemen....steer clear of that era Husky. They are a bit shite.
The most recent ones worth buying (aside from the new ones) are the made in Italy era. They are great bikes and have good parts availability through SWM.

I thought 610te was rock solid?

Got a couple of boxes of Classic Bike magazines here, plus a few Bike mags and a few other classic titles and about a dozen of the Moto Guzzi UK club magazine, all from the mid 90’s onwards. Free to a good home, collection from CR7, Thornton Heath. PM me if interested.

Not in my admittedly limited experience. My mate had one back in the day, it broke down all the time until it got stolen. It was amusing enough when it was working, though not particularly fast and it vibrated badly.

They could be a bit shoddy, the build quality wasn’t great, much like my CCM 604. The joke was that it came with a bag, so you could carry all the bits that fell off while you were riding.

Took the survivor out for a couple errands today. First proper run this year. MOT due on 25th, booked in for Friday 19th. Will find our whether it really is roadworthy or not!

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Ah okay. Good thing I didn't get one!

https://www.vice.com/en/article/y3g88m/viral-japanese-biker-transformation-woman-faceapp

Riding a lovely TZR!!

Needs the seat refreshed for a sale I would say. Would complete the purposeful looks. They all look like they've had a front end shunt in photos!

Cam chain on a 125 single is a nothing job as well. Probably no harder than changing the chain right?

Yea I was always planning to redo the seat cover and never found the need or desire. Old DIY cover kept on keeping on, looks scrappy as hell though. Same for the cam chain. Re-tensioned the semi-auto tensioner and it had some extension left, which has quietened it down a lot.

Spent the last two days doing short 10 mile rides in the locality to make sure nothing falls off. Stress test, etc.

Forgot how easy it is to throw a small lightweight bike around.

Had fun feeling like I was racing, hitting the red line and looking at the speedo...barely going 40!!

Whenever I've done cam chains it's always a bit disappointing that there's still plenty of noise afterwards. Same with the R80, sounds like an industrial sewing machine when the oil's hot but even with the very expensive upgrade there's still plenty of noise from the rest of the engine!

R80 is pushrods but the tappets are there just tapping away.