I think it's important to realize that the factories CANNOT build a super simple bike anymore - Emissions regulations preclude that. They MUST have electronics to control fueling and thereby emissions, and ABS is now being mandated. THEN, they have all this electronics there, and it's CHEAP and EASY now for them to add something that will help SELL the bikes to MOST people - remember it's always a feature comparison when people buy a bike - that one has more whizbangery therefore it's the better buy.
That is NOT GOING TO CHANGE. So, there is a choice - an old bike that's simple, and a ground up rebuild to ensure it's good, OR buy a new bike you more or less like, accept it for what it is, and learn to love it. Modern bikes are so much nicer to ride, get better fuel mileage by far, and are more reliable OVERALL than old bikes, it's not really a hard choice for average non-mechanic person.
Thousands of people have ridden RTW with a new bike and had NO issues - we only hear about the bad ones. And even if you do have an issue, MOST of the time it can be dragged to a dealer. Sure, sometimes it's a big deal - so what's new about that? Remember Ted rebuilding his Triumph 500 for the ?? time? NOT easy.
Buy what you like the most, live with it, and accept that NO bike is perfect.
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Grant Johnson
Seek, and ye shall find.
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Inspiring, Informing and Connecting travellers since 1997!
www.HorizonsUnlimited.com
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