Best and worst Major brands

The best and worst some of the biggest vintage bike brands

Oh lord, the crap I intend to catch on this. I’m going to look at some of the biggest Japanese vintage motorcycle Brands (and one American) and best I have found with each of them and my biggest issues with the brands as well. Well, lets have it. Remember these are my personal opinions. Don't take it too seriously.

• Yamaha! Let’s start with my bread and butter, my Favorite brand, my chosen bike to ride. Yamaha produced its first motorcycle in 1955 and I’ve loved most of them. Yamaha is well, like that kid in school that’s kind of slow. He has some ideas that look awesome on paper and then they crash and burn. At the same time once he learns something he’s like Rainman. For instance, Yamaha produced strictly two stroke motors from 1955 through 1967. That’s 12 years of just building two strokes and nothing else all while Honda and Kawasaki are mass producing the crap out of four strokes. So Yamaha does some research and releases the XS1 its first four stroke and it was awesome! So now Yamaha is going to throw most of its hats into four strokes and they create the TX models that were Bombs, not the bomb, bombs, grenades. The TX models only lasted two years 73 & 74. Yamaha was quick to scrap that idea and just kept pumping out those XS bikes. The brand has always been this way and lack R&R on many of the models they pump out to try to keep pace with the game.

  
  

  Yamaha pros: Longevity (most bikes), Innovation, fine tuning and loyalty.

  
  

  Yamaha cons: Poor research and development, Slow to reach outside the comfort zone, Cheap fixes.
• Honda! Let’s say this, I’ve owned a couple Hondas and you cannot beat their longevity period! Honda motors opened the motorcycle segment in 1955. They’ve been the largest motorcycle manufacturer in the world since 1959 and they’re very proud of that claim. Honda has and always will be an extremely dependable brand. Honda motors are built to closer tolerances than any other motor around. Honda is the people’s bike it’s a bike brand that any average person would feel comfortable going and buying. They’ve owned that niche with the slogan “you meet the nicest people on a Honda”. My issue with Honda Isn’t dependability or manufacturing specs, it’s a failure to evolve. Honda mass produces everything from lawnmowers and go-kart motors to mountain bikes and solar panels. I just feel like they have become so generalized and generic that the motorcycles lack any identity. Honda is like the Walmart of motorcycles, Jack of all trades; master of none.

  Honda Pros: Dependability, family friendly, targets the average person, and very high engine tolerances.

  Honda Cons: Generic, lack of innovation, focus on mass production rather than uniqueness.

  
  
• Kawasaki! The NAVMC club will have my head for this. Kawasaki began exporting bikes to the US in the mid-60s after being originally rejected for being low on power. In 1968 Kawasaki releases the H1 Mach 3 which finally put Kawasaki on the map. Kawasaki sold the life out of three cylinder two strokes while also developing the KZ models throughout the 70’s making a name for themselves on the street and on the track. Kawasaki to me has always been more of a race bike company. Focused primarily on the higher performance and fine tuning to get a bike to produce maximum performance numbers but with this attention to detail they seem to miss the markets and struggle by not producing the quantity of bikes to really compete with their competitors. Also, I’ve noticed in my own experience that Kawasaki at times uses questionable materials for certain parts for instance using lesser grade metals for engine components. I.E. spacers and bushings

  Kawasaki pros: High performance, some of the fastest bikes out of the crate, Innovation

  Kawasaki cons: Lack of production, Questionable part choices

  
  
• Suzuki! Suzuki is the real rainman of motorcycles. Producing nothing but two strokes from 1955 to 1976 (21 years) Suzuki caught a lucky break when east German grand prix racer Ernst Degner defected to the west in 61 and brought news of combining the boost port, the expansion chamber, and the rotary valve. A year later and Suzuki had won the 50cc class World road racing Championship. After applying what I like to call the two stroke triangle. Suzuki began mass producing crazy fast machines on the road and the dirt. Suzuki has quite possibly the fewest models within the motorcycle brand of anyone. That’s because when they could make something run and run right, there’s no need to fix if it isn’t broken. Personally, I like Suzuki, I like the fact that they don’t change things that don’t need to be changed. I like consistency and Suzuki is the epitome of consistency however, the lack NOS parts, and aftermarket parts is the biggest downfall for vintage Suzuki’s. While they are out there, they don’t seem to be as abundant as the other brands.

  Suzuki Pros: Consistency, Two stroke innovation, Performance

  Suzuki Cons: Lack of NOS and Repro parts.

  
  

• Harley… Dear lord. Lets look at the actual bike, They sound awesome, and look great too as they really step up their styling game every year. They’re (for the most part) not the best for longevity and the violent vibrations caused by mister potato head can eventually rattle bolts and parts loose making for a long day when you lose a shifter lever in North Carolina. Harley seems to be the “American dream” Don’t get me wrong, I like a nice Harley, I really do, their biggest downfall? Their loyal customers. Yep, the American people are the biggest fault with Harleys. Where do I start? The greater than thou is a good starting point, the fact that people can be such jerks because your bike isn’t the same as theirs amazes me.  The aftermarket selection, Harley may have quite possibly the largest aftermarket selection of any motorcycle brand. How is this bad you might ask? Because, people with no mechanical skills whatsoever often buy Harleys for the name. They want a new S&S carb and intake so here comes the Red Loctite and an impact. The bolts get cross threaded and it’s a nightmare. Harleys aren’t bad bikes, they’ve been in business for so long for a reason, but their customers really make the name for the bike.  Harley’s are cruiser bikes, theyre not sport bikes, they’ll never go as fast as a sport bike or handle as well as one, stop pretending. I can’t tell you how many Harleys I know of that sit in the garage, never being ridden, tires rotting, batteries draining, getting ridden once a year in the local toy ride, but they’ve got a Harley. Those, those are the Harley riders who ruin it for the others. I know plenty of great Harley guys who ride all the time and they don’t care what you ride as long as you’re not a jerk. It’s the better than everyone else guys who really ruin it.

Harley Pros: Sound, Comfort, styling

Harley Cons: Longevity, dependability, CUSTOMERS

In conclusion, every bike brand has its faults, nothing I say even matters. What does matter is the single rule that applys to all motorcycle riders throughout the world, Don’t be a jerk just ride. It doesn’t matter what you ride or what style you ride. I’ll ride with you any day of the week.

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Tools!

Ooo, two posts in a week, I'm on a roll here. Todays topic: Tools! lets have some shop talk over some important pieces really necessary to increase productivity in the shop when working on bikes.

Tools!

Tools, I mean what self-respecting man can honestly say he doesn’t like tools? It’s like a child in a candy store. Men love tools, don’t get me started on the so called men with “man-buns” or the flannel wearing bearded Coffee aficionados, neither of those are considered men.  I am the leader in all things cheap and good quality. I do my research, read reviews, and then make my decisions based solely on what my needs may be.

Men love tools and working on Motorcycles requires a selection of tools. Some of us have been blessed with tremendous garages and all the tools we need, some men have to make do with what they have so I’ve composed this list as a set of essential tools, and/or tools some may long to own. For the sake of this list I’m assuming every man has the essentials needed, Ratchets, Sockets, wrenches, Screwdrivers and a hammer. Just a note, none of the companies have persuaded or endorsed me in anyway, I just like tools and put a lot of time into researching and finding the best tool for the value so here are my picks when it comes to working on vintage motorcycles

1. Motorcycle Lift. Let’s start with this, I bought mine from Harbor freight three years ago now, and it has been the best piece in my garage ever since. I don’t know how on earth I managed without one. To be able to roll a bike up and then lift it up to eye level is so nice. I bought mine from Harbor freight for $225 I think with the 20% off coupon. You can’t go wrong with one of these. Do yourself and your back a favor and go get one now! Other options include wooden bike racks/platforms. I’ve a couple of these in my shop as well but they are nowhere near as nice to work with as the Lift table. Wait until its on sale and you cant go wrong. Bike lift

   
2. Tool box. Yeah, yeah every guy has some junky plastic Home depot “toolbox” laying around, help yourself. Get an actual tool chest. I have three rolling tool chests, A craftsman to hold all my SAE wrenches, sockets, and Allen wrenches, a Stanley to hold all my Metric wrenches, sockets and Allen wrenches, and another Stanley to hold my pliers, extensions, screwdrivers, and etc. but my favorite new piece was this Husky Rolling tool cart. With two slide out drawers, a flip top and a bottom shelf you can’t beat it especially for the price! Buy yourself something to hold your tools or else you will lose them all and then, well, that’s no Bueno. Tool chest

   
3. JIS bits. Learning lesson and tip. Japanese bikes DO NOT USE PHILLIPS HEAD SCREWS EVER! Japanese bikes use JIS screws. JIS stands for Japanese Industrial Standard. Ever wonder why you seem to always strip them out with a Phillips number two bit? That’s why, JIS is similar to a Phillips only stubbier and less of an angle. The closest you can get to a JIS bit is a Phillips number 3 out of a hand impact driver kit. Save yourself from drilling out bolts and buy a set of JIS bits! JIS screwdrivers

   

   
4. Impacts. Dear lord, how many times a day do I use my impact. If you want to be fancy like myself get two. Get a hand impact and a cordless impact. I love my Ryobi 18v One+ kit (another day) I have a Ryobi One+ impact with lithium battery and it is a lifesaver. Seriously, how did people work on bikes without these tools? What do you do when you have a bolt that wants to round off with a ratchet and your cordless impact wont budge it? Break out your hand impact and a dead blow hammer. I’ve yet to find a bolt I couldn’t get out with my hand impact. Cordless impact; Hand impact.

   
5. Allen set. Allen head sockets and a regular allen set are both necessities, it seems simple but you need them. Buy a nice set of allen head sockets and combine with your cordless impact for a killer combo. For those stubborn hard to break loose bolts, a set of regular allen wrenches really put some torque behind it. Hex Keys; Hex sockets

   
6. 3/8” T handle. This seems more like a want than a necessity but this can really speed up your production time like you wouldn’t believe. I bought this one from Sears last year from sears and its really a great tool. One of the short handle ends also has a male bit driver.so you can really torque down by using the long end for leverage. T-Handle

   
7. Tap and dye set. If you’re working on vintage bikes you’re going to have some really trashed threads at some point. The only fix for this is a tap set. A tap set is similar to a bolt except it has cutting threads to cleanout and restore the old threads or can create new threads in a freshly drilled hole. You will use these far more often than you think. Tap and Dye

   
8. EZ-out. We’ve all done it we’ve all gotten irritated, grabbed a hold of that wrench to torque it down like Hulk Hogan and then snap. Head is broken off and you’re left fifth a broken off stud in the frame or even worse, the cases. I use my EZ out set all the time, drill a small hole in the end of the broken bolt about an 1/8^th or ¼” deep. Slowly screw in the EZ out turning it clockwise and it slowly backs the broken bolt out of the hole. Its such a lifesaver and can save a day of wrenching from coming to a screeching halt. EZ-out

   
9. Torque wrench. This is a pretty obvious choice but how can you possibly expect to work on a motorcycle without a torque wrench? I still use my grandfathers old torque wrenches from the 60’s and 70’s these are a lifelong tool that will always be there when you need it. Torque wrench

   

   
   
10. Seal drivers! Last but not least are seal drivers, you aren’t gonna need these unless you step your game from casual tinkering to full out rebuilds in your shop but they’re super cheap and easy to come by if you do it the right way. I personally have started using PVC couplings as seal drivers with a plug on one end to give my mallet a good striking face., it’s a crude use but it works incredibly. Go to the Hardware store and buy a variety of Couplings and plugs They’re cheap, they’re durable and dadgummit, they work!

These are just my picks and my personal favorite tools that I use on a regular basis and I feel like could be of help to all other home mechanics.



Why Vintage motorcycles?



Alright, as this is my first blog post and you're probably asking yourself "why on earth should anything this guy says matter?" truth is, it doesn't. Nothing I say honestly matters but sometimes I'm funny, sometimes  (rarely) I make sense, but mostly, I just like to talk with other people about Motorcycles. I'm 25, I have more motorcycles than any one person needs but I always want more. I've worked on motorcycles for years , ever since my Grandfather taught me how to work on my 98 KX 80. So now, my first blog post.

You may have noticed at local bike nights all across the country, a rise in vintage motorcycles. I had a friend ask me just the other day, "why on earth would someone dump money into an old piece of junk instead of buying a new bike?" and when you narrow it down, there's one answer. They're Flipping awesome!. I'll save the "Do the Ton for another blog post but lets run down some of the reasons why vintage bikes are better than new bikes, Shall we?

1. They're cheap. Vintage bikes are stupid cheap right now. Get on Craigslist, set your preferences to include a photo, minimum of $50 and maximum of $600 and any given day you will find a slew of old, rusty, crusty, forgotten about and neglected bikes waiting for someone to breathe life into them once again.
2. They're simple. No EFI, no ABS, no traction control, no flux capacitors, etc. Vintage bikes are simple, clean the carbs, new battery, check the wiring and fluids and that thing should fire up. You don't need a tech degree from MMI to work on a vintage bike (it sure wouldn't hurt) but these are bikes that even your averagest of Joes can work on.
3. Customization. The parts for these bikes are endless, With shops like Dime City Cyles, and Mikes XS offering parts to turn a vintage bike into any style you want. Let me tell you from experience, there is no greater feeling than cruising into a bike show on a bike that is 100% one off with hand made pieces and is 45 years old. To know, that you have the only bike like that is pretty freaking awesome.
4. Keep it Stock. You want to keep your bike completely stock? That's super awesome too and completely doable! Like the aforementioned shops plus Ebay you can turn almost any neglected bike into a completely stock representation and return that bike back to its glory days. To see a completely restored Kawasaki h1 run down the street like it rolled off the showroom floor is as equally awesome as seeing a custom bike.
5. Smiles for days. I cant tell you how many people have come up to me at gas stations, car shows, bike nights, Walmart, etc. asking questions and reminiscing about their glory days of riding that exact same bike when they were younger
6. Value. They don't make Vintage bikes anymore. 1971 Yamaha Rt1s aren't rolling off the assembly line. As some bikes get sent to junkyards or rot and rust into the ground the ones that are running and riding go up (for the most part).
7. Quality. In a time of Mass production, things aren't quality built anymore, bikes are meant to be ridden for 60k then stripped and sold for parts it seems, they don't last like they used to. These old bikes, while they're not immune to issues, were built by people who cared about the products they created.
8. Its yours! You worked on it, You fixed it, You customized it, You restored it, You ride it, Its yours, no one can take that from you and that's awesome.

The Dark side

Nothing is without its downfalls and unfortunately Vintage motorcycles are the same, so lets look at the few downfalls that routinely occur.

1. Parts availability. Do your research before buying, for instance, finding parts for an xs650 is 10 times easier than finding parts for a tx500. Unfortunately, the rarer models have an issue with parts availability and unless you have the money to put up, you're gonna be left with a bike that wont run and you cant get parts for.
2. Customization. while its a positive it can also be a negative. We've all seen the bikes, the ones where Jim bob picked up a cb750 and decided to build a bobber, he got half way into and ran out of money, you look at it and dude has chopped the frame in half, half-hazzardly welded gas piped to "hardtail it", slapped a solo seat and some mini apes on it and its a bobber. This destroys the value of your bike, most agree, only build a custom bike if its already too abused to restore.
3. They're a little sketchy. Honestly, a drum front brake isn't going to stop even half as fast as a disc front brake when you're running 55mph. At higher speeds, they can be wobbly and unstable but, there's no other feeling like riding one.
4. They're slow(er). Face the facts they're slower bikes than newer bikes. I'm not saying they cant be fast or fast enough, but compared to a new cbr600, a kz900 doesn't stand a chance.

So, simply put, Vintage bikes are awesome, they may not be the fastest, the most comfortable, or the safest, but, the most fun? definitely. Once you've been bitten by the bug, you're in too deep already.  

If you liked my first Blog, and want to read more of my random adventures into the vintage motorcycle life, feel free to subscribe.

Keep it on two wheels!

oh! and pray for Scott Hall!