I am an electronics engineer by profession but enjoy tinkering with and riding my older machines that actually have very little in the way of electronics. Bikes with carburettors have character. As much as possible, I try to maintain the originality of my bikes.
Well an old dinosaur like me wont live long enough to be too worried about a riderless bike, but maybe the grandchildren will. I just couldn't be bothered with all the rain modes and traction controls, that is what the round thing on the right side of the handlebars is for. I mean, how could the Harley riders make noise if electronics were controlling the throttle?
One of the great ways to build a classic machine can be to "upgrade" some or all of the drivetrain to modern standards. Like fuel injecting a carb machine, or adding computers to make a transmission shift different, launch rev control etc. There will be transition of technology with some overlaps between. Hot rod an old bike with a lost-to-time engine with an electric motor. Put an old engine in the electric machine you cannot afford to replace the motor (a V8 Tesla already exists, saw a "hybrid" tesla using a gas generator in the trunk LOL) Heres a thought, since hybrid cars seem to be proven now, why not hybrid bikes ? Simple as adding a motor on the chain drive, maybe in place of the chain roller if your bike has one ....Better downshift braking & acceleration plus some economy if wanted. Aside from the weight added, seems like hybrid is a good mix. Many "hypercars" have embraced hybrid for an upper hand at maximum performance.
Yep @Alumascoupe you could do all that, but then it wouldn't be a classic old machine anymore. Money better spent buying something new I recon.
Which is why I bought the Triumph. The other bikes remain classics Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro
I guess my definition of classic varies a bit from others, my father has a pacemaker keeping his heart at the correct RPM now but I still think of him as the original i mean technically unless every single nut & bolt is original or N.O.S. its not "classic" anymore. There are some that cringe at the very idea of modifying, updating, or upgrading a vintage machine, & in some cases for rare, unique, or "too perfect to change" machines I think I would agree it can almost feel like a crime to see changes. Yet if every machine stayed in the state it was fresh off the assembly line, boy what a dull world it would be ! It will sure be interesting seeing all the possibilities for customs that will come with newer technologies, while also making the older stuff that much more rare, unique & entertaining too How many of us will still be proud to run an I.C.E. when electric EVERYTHING can all pass us like we are standing still ? Or group shame us for "exhaust fumes"? (Serious questions, a tesla "plaid" or whatever it is, can beat some BIG power muscle cars on a dragstrip already, modern minivans can often outrun a 90s sports car & thinking of public acceptance of smokers in the last 25yrs & how what was once "normal" is now so frowned upon.) At this rate eventually when the public at large views our bikes as loud, smelly & unsafe for all, how do we keep up with those faster, quieter machines ? (Wont debate if they are actually CLEANER tho)
Okay, so other than riding a bike you're likely to own one because you're a collector or someone who invests in material things for security or future gain. I'm not against modern bikes. I've had a few and it's always great to know you can just turn the thing on and off you go. I'd even love to own an electric bike (sorry Blair) to see if they're as 'good' as many say. I would really like to convert a VT250F I have with a dud engine over to EV; keep the look and just replace the ICE with Battery power. I have a couple of bikes that are laid up and need some attention to get roadworthy again; every time I think I should sell one, I inevitably shake the feeling off because I just like the bike and don't want to get rid of it. How many members on this forum keep buying (old) bikes even though they have plenty of projects already? Why? Because you like the bike and you want to ride it one day or at least have one in your shed to talk about with your mates over a sherbet or two. Motorbikes might eventually morph into an ultra-safe and non-polluting transportation device, but as long as they're still fun to ride, then motorcycling will never die. I remember years ago reading what today would be called a meme; it had a picture of a dog in a moving car with it's head out of the window. The caption was "only a motorcyclist truly understands why a dog sticks its head out of a car window" Fair call I say.
This is a picture of my first road bike. It was a slug in a drag race. It was not practical, comfortable, reliable, smooth, nor fast in a straight line. It did not have efi, traction control, abs, quickshifter, neutral light, sidestand switch (no sidestand), clutch switch, cruise control, or modes. In fact you were very lucky if the electrics worked at all. Oh let's be honest here, they didn't and neither did the gauges. Thank God it had a reliable electronic ignition that was isolated from everything else, including the battery, otherwise it would have been not much more than a decoration. Most humans had no chance at all of being able to start one, and watching YouTube videos of "noobs" trying to is hilarious. It is RH shift, 1 up, 4 down, kickstart on LH side, weighs 130kg and is impossible to scrape if you fit a different muffler. It did two things exceptionally well, it turned and it stopped, which meant that on a twisty mountain road it was a goddamn giant slayer. That raw, visceral experience will never be replicated by an appliance. So all of the technological features that you guys are expousing as being good things, mean nothing to me, but I know what they are. If I wanted them, I would drive my car, which I never do. To answer my first post, I plan to get a big lump as my last bike before the walls close in. Something like an early XJR1300, just for its simplicity and torque, or a W800 Kawasaki. No mountains here to scratch around and too old anyway. I know what you're thinking, "Hey, wait a minute. What is the difference between an XJR1300 and an electric bike?" Well for me, the Yamaha won't induce vomiting. If that makes me a Luddite then I will wear that as a badge of honour. Carry on guys
I modified the bikes when they were new and see no reason not to apply period modifications to my bikes now. The manufacturers make decisions about what goes into a bike and they often get it wrong or fit cheaper components to reduce the price. For example, the 1981 RD250/350LCs came with 32mm forks. Mine got 35mm forks in 1983 from the RZ250 like it should have come with. The 1984 IT200 came with a Mikuni VM34 when the TM36 with powerjet was available and fits and suits the bike so much better. 1977 to 1980 Yamaha IT175 to IT425 came with suspension more suited to trail riding with 36mm forks. When used in serious competition it was common to fit YZ 38mm forks and shock. My 1979 IT175F has fully sorted 1977/1979 YZ250 suspension and other modifications as documented in the 1979 book 'modifying your YZ or IT for competition'. I have created a document for it that shows exactly where it varies from stock and how it conforms to the FIM Classic 79 Enduro class. The bike is awesome and shows how good the 1979 technology could be when applied correctly. VAPE makes some great 12V ignition/lighting kits for old bikes for less than what it would cost to buy the original parts. But my 1991-1993 Gilera CX125 will get an electric motor. That is why I bought it. As much as possible it will retain the original appearance of the bike. For example, I will retain the dash to keep it's looks but work out how to fit an OLED touch screen into it. Original and/or Italian parts will be used where possible such as Brembo or Grimeca brakes and Domino grips. The suspension will be upgraded, which requires me to replace the Gilera 'ELF' swingarm with a 1994 Honda MC28 'ELF' swingarm. I plan to use it as my regular sports road bike but also show it at classic bike shows.
It's funny how this forum is only meant for 250cc and yet there is such a depth of talent and knowledge on it.
Bigger bikes have their appeal, but the tiddlers are easier to manage for us old farts and they can be just as enjoyable.
Mazda Rotary Hybrid! Completely off topic but coz my wife's car is a Mazda SUV, this caught my eye. A Mazda hybrid SUV with a rotary engine that drives a generator. Has a total 400 mile range and 50 mile on elecric only. Mazda MX30 R-EV. The small battery capacity means it has a very short charge time. Unfortunately, it will probably be made in Japan and will be too expensive here unless the government drops tariffs, not likely. No, I haven't lost my marbles. It would be great for my wife and save cash on fuel.
Re Mazda Rotary Hybrid. An interesting idea. More flexibility than a mechanical drive hybrid but might loose out a bit on efficiency. Would be interesting to see comparisons. Since we have gone off topic a little, I thought this might be of interest.
It would be run at a constant speed and so can be tuned to be efficient at that engine speed. I don't know if it would be more or less efficient than the Lotus Omnivore 2 stroke. I would expect both to be much better than a 4 stroke solution.
UK plans to ban the sale of new ICE motorcycles by 2035. Motorcycles make up 0.4 of one percent, or 0.004 of UK's emmisions https://www.motorcyclenews.com/news/petrol-ban-motorbikes/ As of 2020, UK represented 0.93 of one percent of global CO2 emmissions. https://ourworldindata.org/co2/country/united-kingdom Thus, UK motorcycles represent 0.4% of 0.93% and therefore 0.00372% of global CO2 emmisions. Yes, destroy the British motorcycle industry, that will definitely save the planet. But hey, who cares about facts when you have genius reasoning like, "Get used to it, it is the future". I think that Triumph should move their manufacturing plants to India.