Can we travel with old motorcycles (80-90s) ?
 

So i want to start to travel in two years but im still searching for a motorcycles the new motorcycles are sure cool but old bikes is a other thing, i would like to travel with a old motorcycle (80-90s), i will do the revision every year, i will cherish my motorcycle and i will only buy Japanese brands for a motorcycle
Recently i have seen a KAWASAKI Z650 F2 so classy so beautiful .
So what do you thinking about it ? hope i don't get criticize too much.

Problems with old vehicles;

There are some countries that may not allow them in ... they don't want vehicles dumped in their country.

Getting parts can be a problem. You want the parts quickly, not to have to search for them, and you want the parts cheap. The longer you wait for parts the more you pay for food and accommodation. The more the parts cost the more you may pay for import duty.

The good stuff with older vehicles - they can be cool, cheaper and less likely to be stolen.

What country for example ?

So i have found that the Kawasaki Z1 900 have the most parts, if something go down and the parts are not like damn expensive, it's all depends but i can go to 7 dollar to 300 dollar.
I just wanna know why some country don't accept motorcycles like that ?

Because some people have brought an old vehicle into the country ... the vehicle brakes down and they leave it behind ...some times in a location that presents an eye sore and/or is expensive to get rid off. Some times the cost of the vehicle were so low that it is cheaper to abandon the vehicle rather than ship it back, ride it back .. so it gets dumped at the airport.

Because of the costs of these thoughtless peoples actions the Government ban older vehicles from coming in.

That so freaking dumb, because the prices are not cheap at all, i saw once one for 5000 euro for that price you don't want to dumb it, but if is the only problem, im gonna try to find a solution.

An 80s Kawasaki is "an old motorcycle"?

Showing my age I guess... :rofl:

I travel on a 1983 BMW R80G/S which is still up to the task despite it's 175,000 miles, I have never been denied entry to any country with it but there are now areas of Europe where it is banned for environmental reasons. If properly maintained there is no reason an older bike should not be reliable and a perfectly good travel bike, just know where you can source spares if needed.
The Z650 was a reliable bike when new and should still be one, it would certainly be a conversation starter and if you enjoy riding it then use it.

Thats the best way you can travel. Its way more intelligent to use an old, trustfull bike insted to waste lifetime in an office to pay the rates for a new one and then you get a green banana were nobody knows how good it is. You know a bike is good after 20 years if many of them have reached more then 250.000 kms and still running fine.

Old Japanese bikes are way more reliable then any "cool" new BMW http://www.motorradonline.de/dauerte...schaden/559102 and you can repair them if needet without special computer tools. I also went with a Honda from 1992 and would do it again any time: Motorcycling around the world - 50.000km across Africa

Thats exactly the problem with new computers on wheels such as BMW 1200 GS but for an old bike you get parts cheap on ebay or gumtree and can also use parts from other local bikes in case of an accedent. No registering at the computer controler necessary...

True and you can sell them at the same price after your trip. Try this with a brand ne BMW. Its loosing a few thousend bugs just if you leave the store :D


The information that you cant enter countrys with a old vehicle is wrong. I visited more then 90 countrys. They just write them in your passport or use your carnet so you cant leave the country without. True is you cant legaly import and sell old vehicles in some countrys http://reisemotorrad.eu

Welcome!
A few questions to help us help you!
What country are you from?
Have you ever ridden a motorbike before?
Have you ever fallen off a motorbike and hit the road?

Are you more interested in finding a cool Japanese vintage bike ...?
or traveling?

Where do you want to travel ? How far? How long will you travel for? (weeks? Months? Years?)

Answers to above questions will help figure out a few good bikes for you to try out. :D

https://photos.smugmug.com/Misc-Moto...LF00D_C-XL.jpg

https://photos.smugmug.com/Misc-Moto...650%20Side.jpg

Above are TWO different Z650's. One is an old one ... called KZ650. The other is a few bike from Kawasaki ... and a fantastic beginners bike.

Can we travel with old motorcycles (80-90s) ?
 

Echoing what others have said. Parts may be an issue. Other logistical problems as well. One thing that I underestimated on my trip was comfort. A modern bike will have a (generally) better performing suspension, better brakes and so on. My recommendation would be to take your "old" bike on a test trip and see how it holds up to various conditions.

I wouldn't say that it "can't" be done, but you don't want to get out on your trip and be where I was, asking myself "why" I didn't just buy a more modern, practical, economical and comfortable bike.

They build touring bikes for a reason.

Concerning old bikes, ther´s no difference in parts.
It´s not easy to get an alternator for a jap. brand or an old beemer...just same complicated...buuut almost every shag can repair them. Suspension is no difference between old bikes and new bikes.
I ride a R100GS from 89, very modified and very easy to repair.
Even a torn valve which caused a total brakdown was repaired in south of spain within a week.
So I would look for an old bike which is easy to repair, avoid fuel pumps as they tend to break with fine dust you find almost everywhere and you can´t avoid it.
they key to succes is that you know your bike and you know how to repair and maintain it. It´s not the question of brand, it´s a question of your knowledge an what suits you. I would never change my ride, it took me everywhere I wanted to go (last time to Japan).
BTW. one maintainance per year: :eek3:

Well things like the z650 were a pile then and even worse now, Japanese build quality back then wasn't good and kwacker were also furthest from the grease pot out of the big four when it came to initial assembly. The brakes, forks, suspension etc are terrible when compared to even a modern budget bike..... Rose tinted glasses comes to mind and as u say they are not cheap. Who in their right mind would pay six k for a fizzy? Well my mate for a start, also paid big money for a Z900 and an Xjr 600, that's why I know they are piles.
I'm sure there will be tons of people who did a million miles on a cx500 and won't like what I'm saying........ They are not the ones who will have to ride what ever u buy everyday for how ever long u take. Stick to a modern low tech bike that has a good spares back up and is common to where u r going......... Prob a Honda.

Are you honestly saying that suspension technology has not changed in the past 30-40 years?

Do keep in mind Herr Kurvenmeister is riding a nearly 30 year old BMW GS Air head ... which, in my experience, was not the most RELIABLE bike ever produced.

... my best friend owned a '92 for 20 years and I rode with MANY R100GS's in the 90's all over USA, Mexico. So many problems ... mostly electrical. I towed a few and also owned an R80GS and a very troublesome R100RS myself.
Both disasters.

Such a poor charging system design. BMW (back then) could not even design a proper throttle mechanism. Even Harley got that right. doh

But there are many die-hard BMW Air Head fans out there and the smart ones have done the MANY mods required to keep those old nails running ... and for those who travel ... they carry required spares on board. When all is set up correctly ... they are capable motorcycles! (for a 1980's design! :smarts:)
Look at Grant, owner of HU. He is an expert Air Head BMW guy having spent years going RTW on his Air Head. These days,
knowledge and experience is what it takes to keep the old bikes running smooth.

But some suffer from dreaded "Teutonic Myopia" where it turns out they have very little experience on other brands of bikes ... and especially avoid Japanese machines.
We have several Air Head GS riders in my riding club ... even a nice original R80GS ... which BMW and others claim is the "First Adventure Bike"! (I guess they weren't around in the 60's and 70's when me and my buddies toured around Baja on our Honda 175's, 250 Scramblers and XL250's.)

But to travel on an older bike may be a challenge in another way. In USA at least many shops will NOT work on older bikes. This true for some BMW shops and multi line dealers as well. They just don't want to be responsible for all that could go wrong on an unknown machine 25 to 30 years old.

But here in San Francisco Bay Area we have specialist shops who service older bikes ... both
BMW and Japanese bikes.

In much of the 3rd world the mechanics can figure out just about anything .... and they probably are THE BEST for working on older machines. They will fix it ... one way or another! bier

Apples to oranges. So newer bikes are harder to work on and older bikes are easier to work on? That's almost completely contingent upon the bike itself. I've worked on modern bikes and older bikes. I built my motorcycle from the ground up that I rode on my trip. It was a 2007. Not very difficult at all. I do know that my clutch went in Guatemala. Went to the shop on Monday, I was in Xela and a new clutch came from Guate City, and by Wednesday my bike was up and running. So you're telling me that if I had a 90s bike the repair would have been easier or faster?

Hogwash.

Now, for me, I would buy a travel bike that has EFI and ABS (not as critical to me) and that's it. No traction control no electronic throttle, no electronic cruise control or suspension. The new bikes that have come out in the past 7-8 years seem to be inundated with electronic "goodies" which, to me, only present weak points that could be unrepairable in the field.

Still, I'm not buying that an 80s-90s bike is a better option for round the world travel. It's doable, people ride the world on scooters, posties, GSXR1000 sportbikes, and everything in-between. I just don't see the point in swimming against the tide.

Cholo, not only has my friend owned these bikes I am of an age to have owned and ridden them when they were in their prime.... The list would include all the various Lc yamahas, H1 and H2 kwackers, a z1000j like u, Gpz1100b1,, GS 1000, 750 and 550 et s, laverda jota etc etc etc plus dome of the smaller strokes when I was on L plates. They are not the tech masterpieces you make them out to be, good in their day but now suffering from years of abuse, poor repairs and poor materials. I even despatched some of these around the UK in between jobs. If u honestly think that an 80s Japanese bike is comparable to something available now then I think u need to take off your glasses fella. Failing that I can sell u an 80s Z900 for 11000 pounds!!!
Ur be telling me next the Z650C was the pinicle of Japan engineering and reliability

Btw thank you for the compliment , biggest load of rubbish is not bad going considering what gets posted on this site :welcome:if u like we can argue about the fantastic engineering in capri s, granadas and Cameros , I've owned lots of them too :innocent:

No offense taken......... Though the phrase with all due respect is usually a pre cursor to something else.
That said my ding a ling is bugger then yours

Back to the point, ride what you like, because even if you do have a problem it won't seem like one just a challenge or hiccup on your trip. And when you get back and you look back, it won't be the 10000km you did and only needed to stop for fuel you will remember, but the week you spent waiting for parts/repairs when you had a fabulous time with the locals!
Joe

I honestly said "heavily modified".
That includes the suspension.
Rear shock is an air shock from Fournales, no spring, just oil an airpressure, the front fork is modified with Marzocchi Cartouches.
So yes I can honestly say, that suspensions have changed a lot in the past years. The fournales was just suited for Jets, now they´re adapted for all kinds of vehicles...

I regularly ride an 81R80GS, 1986R65 and a 95 R1100GS in very remote parts of Alaska, Yukon and Northwest Territories every year ... with no major issues ... just routine cyclical/custoidial maintenance. However the 71 Triump Daytona that i bought new in 1972 was/is a maintenance nightmare with major breakdowns from the very beginning on every longer trip i took. I still ride it locally in the Oregon Great Basin Desert when winter really sets in Alaska ... just not very far from help. I'll probably turn it into a garden ornament at some point.

Now the real problem is being an old motorcyclist :mchappy: I have many more breakdowns now than i used to remember ... when i can remember. But i still ride anyway. Ride what ya got ... old or new ... now ... sleep next winter (8->}

Hi Mark,

Where in Europe is the R80G/S banned?

Thanks,

Ian.

I rode a 1979 Royal Enfield from India to Spain. Practical? Not at all. Reliable? Never. Slow? Yep. Regrets? Not one.

Only do it for the novelty and adventure of it. And never if you are on a time crunch. A newer bike will almost always outperform. But the truth is the old bikes have their advantages, and some in the most least expected ways. For example...yes my old Enfield was always suffering from some mechanic woe, in the beginning this irked me and made me nervous. But I learned to embrace and love the fact that she was always giving me problems...once I learned that there was always a solution and best of all it put me in touch with tons of local people who were always willing to help out who I otherwise never would have met.

You can fly through some country on your nice new Africa Twin at 110kph with no issues or headaches...or you can putt putt your way through at 70kph, wave at a lot more excited kids on the side of the road, find yourself being led through old parts markets in random towns in Tajikistan or whereever-stan by some friendly good samaritan who invites you to have dinner with his family afterwards.

This is a bit like asking "what's the best bike to do a long trip?" If there are 22,000 members on the board you'll get at least 20,000 different answers. My 2p's worth, "old" bikes fall into the "collectable" category (for those into collecting, anyway) rather than working bikes, which is where I see RTW machines. Of course you can do your dream ride on anything but some bikes will be better than others.

I can see the point that brand-new bikes, with their plethora of electronic rider aids, could present problems if they break in the middle of nowheristan, but to take one example, bikes with electronic ignition have been around for decades and are pretty much a given, how many people avoid those because you can't fix a broken CDI box with pliers and matchsticks? So it is with fly by wire, ABS, etc. They may be problematic to fix if they break but the idea is they are designed and manufactured not to break. Even fuel injection, despite certain reliable Teutonic machines regularly breaking it, doesn't faze people these days.

But that's not the same as going out asking for trouble. If you're expecting to do heavy mileage in less developed parts of the world then at the very least you should have some confidence that you know what's inside your engine, the bearings are recent enough not to break, and maybe a sports orientated bike with plain bearing crank presents more challenges to durability than a rugged twin or single. I guess many people will have read Graham Field's book, which to me (aside from being a great yarn) illustrates the perils of starting out on an old bike that hasn't had a full refresh, and thus gradually died en route. To me, the trip is enough of an adventure without having to cope with a bike that's falling apart and finally leaves you stranded. Which brings me back to my original point, old bikes IMO deserve a bit of rest and retirement. Go on something newer. If the worst does happen at least you'll stand a better chance of finding a shop that's ever seen one and parts are more likely to be available than something from the 70s or 80s.

Iirc certain German cities which require a coloured pollution sticker with London, Paris and a few others likely to follow. So far, places you are likely to go to on the train or just plain avoid.

There is an element of what you know here. The prospect of having to balance a pair of leaky vacuum carbs does not thrill me, the last time was on a Ural and was a tail chasing exercise as one head gasket was blowing when that side worked hard. Blink coding FI is easy. The Enfield identified its failed TPS in less time than it takes to tell you about it. Its what you know.

I fancy an older project bike now the MOT rip-off gets cancelled at 40 years old. It'll be a small single and it'll be getting rebuilt to my ideas of how a bike should be built.

Andy

It looks like Oxford will be the first but others are close behind.

https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/...emissions-zone