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Sibbo wrote:Suzuki SV 650

Here's another vote for the Suzi –
A neighbor and good friend owns one –
the reasons for choosing it were very similar to Dougie's agenda.
IMO, A bullet-proof mc that works extremely well for commuting and is quite capable of traveling.

Claimed Dry Weight: 165 kg (364 lbs)

Well I was watching the ad for this CB77 hoping the price would drop.
The ad is gone now, maybe waiting for spring, or perhaps it sold.
Looked to be in great condition from the picture but I thought $3500 was a little over the top.
What do you think?

As we know, things are worth what ever the next guy will pay for it.

Old Jap bikes are getting to have a bit of a following, but some of them a real expensive to restore. Lot's of cheap chrome to re-do and lots of hard to find parts that aren't available new.

dougie wrote:An RZ350 would be a lot of fun, can be found (in Canada), and not expensive.

But I don't think the ergonomics would be friendly to my body anymore.
Also I know what I am like with a 2-stroke that "comes on the pipe". I would either get in trouble, or hurt myself, or both.

Back in the day, a mate bought one of those, and had a blast. He loved it until the day the rear wheel overtook the front one...underneath it! !

SteveD wrote:

dougie wrote:An RZ350 would be a lot of fun, can be found (in Canada), and not expensive.

But I don't think the ergonomics would be friendly to my body anymore.
Also I know what I am like with a 2-stroke that "comes on the pipe". I would either get in trouble, or hurt myself, or both.

Back in the day, a mate bought one of those, and had a blast. He loved it until the day the rear wheel overtook the front one...underneath it! !

I understand completely.
There is something about a snappy 2-stroke that makes me want to ride WFO.
They are still tempting, but my bones are too old for that nonsense now.

For myself, when and if, I reach that condition, I will want an easier bike to handle. I'll be looking at a new machine with the latest technology. I've never wanted ABS brakes, but if my reaction time slows to the point where I'm making decisions a bit later, I'll want the latest version of ABS. Fact is, that for 80% of my riding I'm on my XT600 dual sport @ 350pds anyway. The dual sport type of machine make a lot of sense in traffic, as you have a much better view for scanning ahead. Long travel suspension is easier on the body as well. Wide bars and nimble handling offer great riding pleasure. The new Yamaha XT250 would be a very easy bike to live with, (if a bit low performance) and as with all Yamahas, you have significantly less scheduled maintenance than other brands. I would look at a dual sport bike. If height is an issue, many are easily lowered. I've made this recommendation to a number of older riders who have been very thankful to have their riding lifespan extended without the indignity of having to ride a scooter.

Zombie Master wrote:For myself, when and if, I reach that condition, I will want an easier bike to handle. I'll be looking at a new machine with the latest technology. I've never wanted ABS brakes, but if my reaction time slows to the point where I'm making decisions a bit later, I'll want the latest version of ABS. Fact is, that for 80% of my riding I'm on my XT600 dual sport @ 350pds anyway. The dual sport type of machine make a lot of sense in traffic, as you have a much better view for scanning ahead. Long travel suspension is easier on the body as well. Wide bars and nimble handling offer great riding pleasure. The new Yamaha XT250 would be a very easy bike to live with, (if a bit low performance) and as with all Yamahas, you have significantly less scheduled maintenance than other brands. I would look at a dual sport bike. If height is an issue, many are easily lowered. I've made this recommendation to a number of older riders who have been very thankful to have their riding lifespan extended without the indignity of having to ride a scooter.

Agree with all of that.
I have some fond memories of my F650 even though it was a tad heavy.
Riding my R100 feels like piloting a Messerschmidt and I certainly enjoy it, but I know the mass of the bike would win any wrestling match.
My RS125 GP race bike weighed the same as me so if we got out of shape it was a fair fight.
Something in between is starting to look attractive.

One of the best Yamaha dual sports was an XT 550 .The first of the multivalve heads with a balancer . Quick ,light and VERY hard to find a good one .

Zombie Master wrote:For myself, when and if, I reach that condition, I will want an easier bike to handle. I'll be looking at a new machine with the latest technology. I've never wanted ABS brakes, but if my reaction time slows to the point where I'm making decisions a bit later, I'll want the latest version of ABS. Fact is, that for 80% of my riding I'm on my XT600 dual sport @ 350pds anyway. The dual sport type of machine make a lot of sense in traffic, as you have a much better view for scanning ahead. Long travel suspension is easier on the body as well. Wide bars and nimble handling offer great riding pleasure. The new Yamaha XT250 would be a very easy bike to live with, (if a bit low performance) and as with all Yamahas, you have significantly less scheduled maintenance than other brands. I would look at a dual sport bike. If height is an issue, many are easily lowered. I've made this recommendation to a number of older riders who have been very thankful to have their riding lifespan extended without the indignity of having to ride a scooter.

Sibbo wrote:One of the best Yamaha dual sports was an XT 550 .The first of the multivalve heads with a balancer . Quick ,light and VERY hard to find a good one .

Here's my XT600 with all of the above, front and rear disk brakes, and electric start. Though in 15 years I've had no starting problems, I still wish it had kick start as well. This bike has been a joy own. Maintenance is simple as it gets.

Real motorcycles have kick start.

The XT 550 was almost exactly the same mechanically , the 600 motor will fit but it was a bit lighter in body work, not so bulky . I have a friend who set one up on road tires and pushed it hard ... it was fast!