What late Classic bike to use for long distances?

[Jezguz]

Another vote for the Guzzi, but there again I'm a bit biased that way, did the lap of Australia on a Le Mans Mk4, no breakdowns apart from getting clag in the carbs due to running out of fuel heading towards Perth from Adelaide. T3's can be made to go better than standard if you're that way inclined, if you do get one hunt down a Cali or Auto' bottom frame rail and stand or a Honda (specific model eludes me at the mo') as the standard one is impossible to use while seated on the bike and is sprung like a rat trap.

 

[harveyp6]

I owned a 400/4 at one point beca super cheap one and they have a following, and it was horrible. To me it felt like the model you bought if you wanted a bike that looked big, but was timid and gutless.

Timid and gutless eh?
I knew someone that bought one.......
and............
bolted a sidecar on to it........

 

[More Amps]

Well I'll put in a vote for the Laverda, a good solid bike, well engineered and the drum brake is supposedly every bit as good as discs (provided it's set up properly!) Besides, you could always do a Millyard, add an extra cylinder and you almost have a Jota!

 

[Popcorn]

Moto Guzzi California would get my vote for high milage touring

 

[Rannsachair]

I know the Japanese make great bikes, just never felt a great desire for one since the CB450 Black Bomber, perhaps a GB500 TT would be a sensible Jap for me: possibly too new.

@chunkolini the W Kawaskis are great bikes, never really been drawn to them, though do tick a lot of boxes.

As @roofman suggests, my heart leans towards something Italian, Jap 4's have never held much attraction to me.

Have always fancied a Guzzi or Laverda, though and early lemans or a Jota - now being more sensible.

 

[masleeve]

I know the Japanese make great bikes, just never felt a great desire for one since the CB450 Black Bomber, perhaps a GB500 TT would be a sensible Jap for me: possibly too new.

@chunkolini the W Kawaskis are great bikes, never really been drawn to them, though do tick a lot of boxes.

As @roofman suggests, my heart leans towards something Italian, Jap 4's have never held much attraction to me.

Have always fancied a Guzzi or Laverda, though and early lemans or a Jota - now being more sensible.

If you are looking at a laverda you need to speak to Keith at http://www.laverdascozia.co.uk/

Edit:I hear he has been in hospital but hopes to back at work soon .

 

[Greeves246]

I personally dont think you can go wrong with a decent gs or gsx anything, but my firm favourite was the original GS750. It was the model that really launched suzuki in the wider world and they took a lot of time to get it right so it deserves that reputation for being bulletproof having owned one for a decade that stood up to whatever I threw at it. The only weak point apart from owner inflicted abuse really is the stator suffers embrittled insulation from years of being bathed in hot oil on the sidestand, but replacement stator and a generic honda superdream style regulator that most of them have now and its sorted. They dont feel nimble if your used to more modern handling and take a decent bit of input into the footrests to change line mid corner but the handling is genuinely great for the period and its a genuinely good all rounder. Same goes for the gs1000 though that feels a bit heavier to ride to me.
They were all designed as UJM sports tourers from the get go and they're still reasonable at it now for a classic.

CBX1000's are lovely but they always seem impossibly fragile like some delicate butterfly and expensive with higher mileages and I dont know anyone who takes long trips on one now, but have one in a martin frame washed and brought to my tent if I become royalty and I'll change that. For the less glamourous CB900F, theyre not bad, if you are good at unsticking that top camchain tensioner that always seizes in place. I used to know someone who drilled and tapped a bolt into the casing positioned to nudge it ready for when it inevitably happened on every one that he worked on. Funny the mention of a VT500, I used to know a guy with the vt500 who rode it through winter. We all used to hide because him appearing at the shop on foot meant that internal front brake disk had seized on yet again. Lets make a floating disc brake aka yamaha exup, or a brembo floater, good plan. But lets put it INSIDE the wheel hub where it cant be serviced, it doesnt get proper airflow yet still manages to get corroded by every passing water molecule, and if it seizes its hours of frustrating work to get the thing apart to free off, clean and grease the slideways where the disk is supposed to float inside on its mounts. Honda, what were they thinking... A lot of hondas make me think that though. Apart from Cubs, they were the most epic motorcycle ever made.
I owned a 400/4 at one point because I found a super cheap one and they have a following, and it was horrible. To me it felt like the model you bought if you wanted a bike that looked big, but was timid and gutless. I tarted it up and sold it on after riding it. I did that with a lot of cheap big japanese bikes of that era...

But at the end of the day we all have our own tastes to satisfy. Just borrow or buy one of everything that you fancy and try it, and if you dont get on, sell it and move on to the next.

Mine wasn’t so timid

 

[Popcorn]

All I remember about eighties Honda's especially the CB range, was chocolate cam chains........

 

[Robotstar5]

All I remember about eighties Honda's especially the CB range, was chocolate cam chains........

I had the camchain slip on my CB500T which bent a couple of valves, those were the days before "order online for delivery tomorrow" I borrowed a mates bike to ride 20 odd miles in a downpour to buy the parts I needed.

 

[RichardM]

All I remember about eighties Honda's especially the CB range, was chocolate cam chains........

Camchain adjusters also cause problems. Suzuki GS series the cams run direct in the head. KZ1000 / 900 prior to the A3 have alternator rotors which loosen.

Everything has their problems, personally I'd look for a good KZ1000a3 / A4. It'll get you there and back.

 

[Seadog]

Laverdas run the cams in the head metal, too

 

[Erie Fred]

A full dress Harley......

 

[Gareth J]

Another thought, if considering a 400/4, I once had a couple of honda CB1s. Not a great tourer but brilliant engineering, loved the gear driven cam engine sound. I used to do some long distances on them too. They were around 1990

 

[jmp49]

Mine wasn’t so timid
View attachment 538000

Nice, but as my daily commuter bike at the time was this with the ecu in race mode and the wastegate set to 15psi with a homemade "silencer" and other mods, yeah that stock one felt timid and gutless.
I suppose most things of the period would though.This one was sold on as it had reached the limit of what could be done with stock suspension and appearance, and I built one out of my spares stash but with modern suspension/wheels/brakes and a different turbo and other changes I wanted to do that I still have. But this was a great Q bike because it looked so close to standard, it just outperformed its chassis at the end.
I would recommend one as a fast tourer, except when the boost gauge climbs you can see the fuel gauge dropping in realtime to match and I was permanently hunting the next fuel station on long trips
I met my now wife on a 750 turbo that I rode from cheshire to Sussex mid january through -ve temps and ice rain with only fuel stops. Her first impression of me was at her door at 2.30 am with yellow plastic oilskins with the zip jammed halfway and free forecourt newspapers falling out of the space between it and my leathers to try to stay warm