[ZouLou]

Hey, I'm a n00b here and was asking for a little help in choosing a motorcycle. I am interest in 1970's Hondas. I love the look of a classic cafe racer over a new "superbike" any day. I plan to slowly turn the bike into a cafe racer (on a college kids budget haha). I want something that would be fun to buzz around a college town and to make the occasional 100 mile trek from college to home. I want something fun and pretty reliable but has a little bit of power to get up and go. This will be my first motorcycle but I am pretty mechanically inclined and am sure i will be surrounded by gear heads in college too. Thank you in advance for any suggestions or help that you can provide. Also tieing into the charity subject, all given advice can be considered a tax write off. haha.

-Kyle

 

[joe c]

cb550

gs750


jc

 

[ZouLou]

Thanks Joe. Any specific reasons for those two over anything else? Any specifics you are taking into account? Things you feel that i would want?

 

[texmawby]

honda cb500 to 550 inline fours are pretty dead-nuts reliable, you can cafe them easy, and there always is one or two for sale locally for $1500 running with a title. also they can do 100 mile trips easy and you won't be overly fatigued. welcome to the forum.

tex

 

[joe c]

id stay away from the 500. only made a few years. just as good a bike. will go and go. but parts arent as easy to get. they handle alot better than the 550, but dont have the power. look for a pre 77 550. most of all of the pre77 parts are interchangable. 77-78 they changed a few things and alot of the body parts and electrical were different. for only those 2 years. i still cant find a nice nos or original seat for my 77 k model. it was only a one year design. the 78 was different from that too. but they are all still nice reliable bikes. and dont let tex scare you....you can get a real nice 550/4 k/f bike for 1500. definite nice runners for under 1k.

ive always been partial to the suzuki gs' as they, at least to me, were the beginings of the modern superbikes. (gsxr) like kz's and cbf's. but the gs750 is another real reliable generic bike that loans itself to a sporty ride, but has enough power for 2 up riding. and it will run down the expressway all day long. look for a late 70's model. 77, 78. i have a buddy who has a gorgeous blue and white one.

the down side to the 550 is they dont have the power you need to haul say, your 150+lb girlfriend and you around with decent oomph. now if shes under say 135....ya got it made.but ive found that hauling bigger passengers isnt fun on the 550. the gs will do it.

jc

 

[ZouLou]

Thanks again Joe and Tex. I love the lines of the CB550, but the extra power of the GS750 does sound nice. I mean with the CB the phrase "No fat chicks" might actually come into play haha, but more important than that it may eliminate most of my buddies from being passangers. But this in mind, i may be installing a single seat so it wouldnt really matter. I do have another question though, if i bought a metal single seat pan would the rear bump be strong enough for a person for a short ride? Also I was just hunting around and saw a CB650 near me for under 1K. What do you know about the CB650?


Edited by - ZouLou on Aug 07 2007 11:30:31 PM

 

[texmawby]

in my opinion the cb650's blow. i'll let geeto handle this rant, i got other fish to fry.....

no giving buddies rides! fuck them if they don't have a bike. tell them to hoof it or find some other homo to schlep them and their shit to and fro!

i'm partial to the cb500/4 cause it was the first bike i owned that i actually could ride cause it always started (never by a italian basket case as your first bike....). joe's probably right with the advise he gave over 550 to 500's, but i think he is a homo, so fuck him too!

only nice thing about joe's bike are the tommaselli clubmans and the totally awesome 4 into 4 exhaust i gave him that he had on for a new york minute and then callously threw away....ungrateful fucker!

man, i'm in some mood today. something is sure in that chicory coffee!

texy

 

[Geeto67]

cb500s and pre 77 cb550Ks are pretty much the same bike. Don't knwo what problems you had getting parts for yours joe but the chassis are identical.

The only think a cb650 is good for is plucking the motor and sticking it in a cb500-550 frame. (no offense JB) but the cb650 is like that fat chick you would't fuck with Tex's dick and Joe pushing.

Do a search on this board, there have been plenty of times I have recommended bikes to people.

If you are really jonesing for a honda, you can't beat a SOHC cb750. As reliable as and predictable as chris farley's heart attack, practically made of stone it is so tough. You can get everything you need for it parts wise (including cafe parts) and the later bikes 1/8th of the earlier bikes and most of the parts swap over (except those orphan 77-78Ks)

I like the 77-79 GS750, I own one. It is hella durable too, some stator issues but every old bike is going to have some stupid issue or another.

kz650s and kz900s/1000s are also good bikes (a little pricey for the early ones).

you are a college kid, do yourself a favor...buy a finished bike and just ride it. YOu will spend too much time doing beer bongs and chasing tail for it to be worth it working on anything. Plus you are probably transient right now. Got no money, wait till after college and buy a decent bike with the earnings of your first job. If you really want it to happen it will happen.

fuck your friends, ride solo. just tell them to meet you places.

 

[sprinter666]

i totally agree with the "buy it done" motto.. or as close to done as you can get.. spend the extra time and money getting something that someone has already made good.. they always sell at a loss.. and you will spend more time riding and less time fucking with dumb shit on the side of a dorm

http://www.driftalliance.com

 

[ZouLou]

Thanks all the help guys. I think tex woke up on the wrong side of the bed today haha. I do the the fuck the friends idea haha its my bike and I'll ride it by myself. BUt one thing u suggested was the cb750 over the 550. I just wanted to know about your comparison of the two. I have read that they are both dead nuts reliable and all but i read that the 550 was a tighter, better handling bike. What's your 2 cents on that? Also on the thing of buying it done. That does sound like a good idea but I think it might drive me nuts haha. I am going into mechanical engineering and just absolutly love tinkering on stuff.

-Kyle

 

[joe c]

the 550 is smaller. down on power compared. but if your a little guy its probably the right fit. i dont know how much the 550 weighs versus the 750, but the 750looks huge by comparison. if youre a larger guy, go for something bigger. seems like the gs can be had for cheaper $$ now then the cb's. the 750 is a much larger bike. my 550 is a 77. almost everything is different from all the others made. the 78 had the most in common, but still had a different seat. the 550-500 dont share as much as you would think. i know for a fact, the clutch is totally different. (recent experience) there is enough to be different that you can swap a few parts, but not enough if you really want it to look like a 500. if you catch my drift. i know the bodywork doesnt fit from 550 to 500. the wheels swap though. the 500 was only made for a couple of years and personally i think they are a better handling bike, but the power is really lacking out of the box. i think the 500 was a better looking bike with better colors available. but thats just an opinion. the 550s really seemed to last. and there are alot of them around. more than the 500. thats why i bought mine.

jc

 

[ZouLou]

Yea thanks Joe. BUt when you brought up the topic of smaller rider haha that really went out to me. I mean I am not tiny but i am not big by any means 5'8'' 170lbs. THats why I am kinda leaning towards the 550 but I am still waiting for Getto's agruement for the 750's handling and all.

-Kyle

 

[joe c]

youre about the same size as me. my 550 according to the speedo, has done 110 with me on it. id say go try the bikes someplace. if you can find a 750, and a 550. the 750 is a pretty good handling bike. but youre probably going to want something a little smaller to start. especially when you have to pick it up. no noks against the 750..im just a 550 fan.

jc

 

[Geeto67]

dude if you are under 6' the 550 is a better fit. The 750 is a great handeling bike but it is a heavy pig at near 500 lbs. This might be too much for you at low speeds.

Don't rule out other manufacturers for bikes either. suzuki's t500 and gt550 are awsome 70's two strokes, the yamaha xs1 (xs650) is also a great bike as is the rd400, kawasaki has the kz650 (stay away from kawi 750s and twins), just go out there and look around and then ask us about something available to you locally. A lot easier than us just throwing bikes at you.

 

[rat]

I have to say, I am very upset by the constant bashing of fat chicks.

I like fat chicks. When I buy a bike the first question that comes to mind is "Can I give rides to fat chicks"? Nothing beats ripping down backroads with a chunky girl riding pillion, tits the size of my head resting on my back. Mmm-mmm.

Man, you guys don't know what you're missing.

oh yeah... if all you're doin' is rippin' around town and hauling yer own ass home 100 miles every other weekend? Get a CB350.


...and leave the fat chicks to me.

One man's story
is another man's shame,
Ain't bound for glory
I'm bound for flames

 

[joe c]

oh, and keep in mind, gheeto was the crash truck at mid ohio. i personaly saw him carrying 2 norton manxs' and eating a box of donuts. simultaniously. hes probably had shits bigger than the cb550. hes a freakin giant!




jc

 

[Geeto67]

and I was probably one of the few people there who could make a GT750 buffalo look smallish. (6'5" 280lbs - I think know you know why I don't roadrace joe).

Actually there were two different 450lbs+ dueds I spted riding ubsurd things like z50 monkey bikes and cb125s. I swear to god I thought that if one of these guys sneezed their bike would be sucked up their colon and lodge against the back of their teeth.

Mizzou huh? I had a roommate once who was a KA at Mizzou. The only guy I know who personally told John Ashcroft to fuck off. I don't know how long your riding season is there but from what I remember not that long. I also remember goign there for his wedding and looking through the classifieds in the local paper and being able to find a decent amount of cheap bikes.



Edited by - geeto67 on Aug 08 2007 4:41:25 PM

 

[ZouLou]

Yea bikes are pretty easy to find around here. I think I am currently leaning towards a CB550. I just love the lines of a classic Honda and I will deffinatly benefit from a smaller, lighter bike at my size. Thanks for all the help guys I'll let you know when i find one.

-Kyle

 

[ZouLou]

Hey I think I have found another option and just wanted to get everyones opinion. The Yamaha XS650. I know geeto mentioned them but I wanted a little bit more information on it. The basics pretty much. Availablity? Cost? Size? Power? Handling? Cafeablity? Hell I'll even take personal opinions. Any information helps. Thanks.

-Kyle

 

[LiLBull]

stop the mental masturbation already .obviously you have searched these bikes on the web.Good Man.Now your questions seem to be looking for a garauntee of somesort.STOP IT! you know the answers already...get a bike you can aford,get one, sit on it first, see if you can hold the thing up at a stop light comfortable,get speed that wont have your bike sideways under a bus if you sneeze and twist the throttle suddenly.
There are no gaurantees,buy one and learn yourself.youve down enough catagory comparison.
Now get a bike ride it and start collecting a solo seat and some smaller lighter lights.at least clubmans till you get used to riding .and dont drink and drive on a bike no matter what .NOW GET TO SCHOOL!!!

Im so far behind ,that I think Im in first.