That's it! I'm buying a Japanese bike!!!!

I can't resist any longer.

Between Sulli's Hondas & Hatch's Yamaha, it's just becoming more and more obvious to me that my reluctance to buy a jap bike is just plain stupid. They're cheap, they're reliable as hell, and they perform well. So, I could have a fun little bike that I could beat the shit out of, and have next to nothing into it? What's not to like?

So I'm buying a Jap bike. Whether I go bobber or cafe depends on what I end up with.

And if you're looking to post a bunch of bullshit about how Harleys rule and Jap bikes suck, spare me. I have a 58 panhead that I'm planning to build a bike around, but that's going to take awhile (especially considering the fact that I'm ass-deep in the 59 buick right now). In the meantime, I have to endure endless bike trader ads on 70's Hondas, Yamahas, etc. in good running condition for a few hundred bucks. I just can't take it anymore!

Granted, I prefer old Harleys & Triumphs, but try finding a decent one of those for $500 that's in good running condition and cosmetically intact. Maybe you're finding them, but I'm not.

And I recently had a revelation: I'm not a biker, I'm a car guy. What does that mean to me? Basically it means that I'm free from all the bullshit that goes along with trying to be identified as such. I don't feel the need to spend thousands of dollars on leather chaps, flamed Oakleys, & "live to ride, ride to live" underoos. I don't even care what kind of motorcycles I'm "seen on". I just like motorcycles, and would like to have a couple of them to ride and fuck around with. That's it.

Anyway, I'm thinking about an early Honda cb400 or cb550, or a Yamaha RD350 or xs650. Something like that.

Some of you obviously came to your senses before me on this subject, and I was hoping that some of you with a little more experience in this arena might offer some advise on which 70's jap bikes are the best models to look for & which ones to avoid. School me!

 

Go for it. I have a Moto Guzzi 1100 Sport, I am restoring a '73 Honda CB350 Four, it's fantastic and will be done at the end of this month. I'm doing it retro/cafe style, and it's coming out great. I think they are cool bikes all the way around, so I think you should go for it. There is a guy on here who does cafe style honda's real nice, I'm sure he'll chime in any time w/pics of his cool stuff too.

There is no shame in riding any bike, I don't care what it is. The only shame in riding bikes is doing it improperly, ie, drunk, on one one wheel unless you're evel knievel, with shorts and sandals on, tank top.. you get the idear! If you ride, you are a like minded individual you won't get crap from me about what you ride.

If you want the "right" helmet/goggles go British Cycles this shit is the best to go w/a cafe/vintage style anything....

Good luck keep us updated as to what you find!

TinyE

 

i'll sell you this yamaha bobber in progress, or finished

 

My first street bike was a '77 Suzuki GS400. Loved it.
(probably mostly due to it being my first bike)

I have owned or ridden:

72 Honda CB750 (like it, but not a fan of 4 cylinders, and it's heavy)

73 Yam XS650 (like it, poor man's triumph, leaks less oil)

74 Honda CB360 (loved how it looked, hated how it vibrated)

I had another 77 GS400 and hated it. ran like crap, but I only paid 150 dollars for it...

My advice is to go for an XS650 if you can get one. There are custom parts floating around, and it's a two cylinder bike.

I ditched out on my old beater bikes and got a 2000 W650 in 2001. It is the perfect bike for me.. Reliable, classy looking, reliable... I love it and ride it all the time. It's probably too expensive to be just a toy, but a lot of people have made cafe inspired bikes out of them. Aside from the digital clock on the speedo, the whole bike is pretty much 1960's technology, including tubed tires.. It spanks the new Triumph Bonneville in that regards.

 

amen!!!

i sure prefer an indian or early hd or, bsa etc

but what the heck better put the money in the cars and have a cheap fun bike just to play with

 

Strange - I just got done having a conversation with a biker chick that I work with about sometimes she wants to disguise her Sporty so people don't know it's a Harley. Shes like everyone else - tired of the BS that goes along with bikes these days.

 

there are tons of parts for the yamaha xs650, thats whats in the pic above

 

Jeff, send a few my way, I need at least a 650. I want one with a long seat, before '74, not one of those goofy "factory" japanese customs with mag wheels and gold trim.

 

I just bought one.....eBay....$1500.

 

hey repo..in my opinion it depends what ya wanna do with it. i personally don't like the way honda choppers look..the 4 just looks akward sitting in the frame. but as a cafe they are badass. as far as a jap chopper you can never go wrong with an xs650..."jap triumph" sound cool..look cool..and are still pretty easy to find..if you are gonna go with a honda i would look for a cb550..they are light and can be stroked just the same as a cb750...pm me if ya need anymore help.. Sulli

 

I know there are some who are "purists" when it comes to bikes. I am to an extent. I ride a Harley but I never knock what anyone is riding (except in jest).

People forget it's about being in the wind...the rest is all BS.

As for a recommendation. I've seen some Kawasaki KZ1000's for a decent price....and I think the cb650's are classic if you can find a strong running one.

 

Kawasaki KZ900s and KZ1000s are a great bike for the money.

So are older Honda Shadows and V65 Magnas.

On the road, it really DOESN'T matter...at least years ago when I rode it didn't...every biker was a Friend...always "thumbs up" or a nod from other riders...even though most of them were on Harleys and I rode Hondas or Kaws...

 

Check out this old HAMB post on the XS650s, posted by Burndup, if you haven't already seen it...
XS650 Holy Grail of Jap Bikes Post

It about has me convinced. There are some nice looking cheaply executed bikes out there.

Me love bike long time-
~ Rob

 

Yeah, I'm pretty much leaning toward those bikes mentioned.

There was a guy here locally that was selling 2 early 70's Hondas, both running & looked decent, and he wanted like $400 for the pair! Somebody beat me to that one.

And Sulli, I agree with you on the twins as bobbers / inline 4's as cafes advice. And I'll definitely contact you when I need some help finding stuff.

By the way, did you ever get those additional pics of that other bike you said you were going to post?

 

The day we were gonna take some pics it ended up raining..hopefully we will get some done this weekend...speaking of xs650's heres a pic of my friend brent (the other guy involved in double deuce) testing out the brakes on one we picked up the other day...


repo i'll keep my eye out for any bikes down your way...

 

I currently have a ducati 900sscr... not japanese, but fun as hell. I've had plenty of japanese bikes over the years. One of my favorites was a '75 CB550 honda... awesome bike and ran like hell. Put some cafe/drop bars on it, give it a good rattle can job and you are set!

I equally enjoy bikes and cars... who says you have to be one or the other. It's all about the speed and the ride... I don't see how someone can be "car" or "bike" only... they're both cool and both keep the spirit alive.

If you like it, who cares what everyone else thinks. I'd take a japanese chopper now! In the '70s people were making plenty o' choppers out of CB750's, etc. Not to mention they're easier on the wallet, can be driven to destruction, and will still start with one click even if falling to pieces. Don't get me wrong... I'd enjoy a HD or Triumph bobber any day and would like to build one! But what's wrong with a little diversity in the bike world. They all have their places. With all the bobbers/chopper talk these days, I'd be more inclined to go with a cafe racer! Their not on Discovery channel yet, at least I don't think so.

 

HAHAAAAH! Welcome to the dark side!

Best thing about these classified ad cheapies, is if you fuck it up or kill it (which even I have yet to do to any of mine) you shrug and park it on the side of the house, hit the classifieds and bring home another one for nuthin and try again!

Word gets out and people start GIVING you bikes...

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I currently have a ducati 900sscr...

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goddamn, I want one of those so bad it hurts!

 

Good call...I was gonna mention the CB550 as one of the most under-rated bargains in the bike world! You can but them...in good running shape...for under $500 anywhere.

I had one myself, and rode many owned by customers back when I worked at the Honda dealer. The CB550s are ultra reliable, and super affordable. I'd buy another in a second.

(BTW I paid $275 for a perfectly good CB550 with a new battery maybe three years ago...you can't find a better deal on a more reliable scoot.)

 

Can't beat the price of a Japanese-based chopper! I was really against all things not America...eventually, with any amount of luck, a person outgrows that way of thinking. Too many possibilities out there, once you open your mind a little.

 

Oh, yeah, and Japanese beer is damn food, so's japanese food... and japanese chicks, mmmm!

 

I just got a 1975 cb500t for free, it smokes my 75 BMW R60/6 then I realised its only running on 1 cylinder. My buddy bought the honda 2 years ago for 500 bux and it is perfect, new paint shiny chrome its going cafe style.

 

The way I see it, cool is cool.

I like highly aesthetic, but simple machinery... I'm not too picky where it came from either.

 

anyone ever have a cb400f?

 

Damnit.
I thought for sure this was going to be about Chica Cycles....

 

Nothing wrong w/ Jap. bikes. Whatever rocks your boat.

I like Harleys. My first bike was a 96 GSXR 600. It was fast but it had no soul and no torque. I like soul. I like character. I like torque. I like shit that's ornery. I like Harleys.

 

I'm a harley man I have a 02 softtail and I'm building a 49 panhead. My buddy has a Honda CBR 954, when ever I get the itch to do 130 mph in about 4 second that always seems to to do the trick for me.

 

i like em cause you can get them cheap. i had a '76 cb750, '81 cb900f, '81 kz 550 (first bike), '71 H1, found a '78 cb550 behind the service station i was working at. i recommend finding a early 70's H1 or H2 kawasaki, H1 is a 500 and the H2 750 but there both tripple 2 strokes, what ride and sound. or a 75-79 yamaha rd400, i'm a sucker for the 2 stroke street bikes.

 

i spent a number of years riding - and the thing that got me was yeah the harley's could beat my crappy little 250 in a straight line (most of the time) but come to a series of corners and it was c-ya - now don't get me wrong i like harleys but i also like something that i can scrape footpegs to asphalt with( led to many rebuilds when it was a bit more than footpegs) so i guess it comes down to what you want the bike 4 - i'll ride again when theres some spare folding and i can find a RG500

 

A chopped bike HAS to have obnoxious sounds.....the yamaha 650 is the only jap bike I've ever heard that sounds good.....the new harleys sound like new yamahas...or is it the other way around???

 

well last honda 750 with four drag pipes i had sounded killer i do like yama 650 cuase of the being able to hardtail with brit parts easy but you can get a nice sound from allmost any bike you just got cut and weld its pipes yook a yamma virago 520 cuts off its pipes and welded a couple of the spair honda drags on it and with it being a vtwin ripoff it sounded like a sporty as for japper bikes being depenable i have owned bout 20 bikes in last ten years and have not had one depable japper from bunch every one has broken down at least once but its allways used older bikes anything can break just be ready to fix if you got the cash to go with a used guzzi or BMW over a japper at least they use auto parts so repairs are cheaper