"Feedback"
"FEEDBACK"
Readers, as well as those involved in the motorcycle industry, are invited to have their say about motorcycles they own or have owned. Anything is fair game: performance, handling, relia-
bility, service, parts availability, lovability, you name it. Suggestions: be objective, be fair, no wildly emotional but ill-founded invectives; include useful facts like mileage on odometer, time owned, model year, special equipment and accessories bought, etc.
SUZUKI TC90
In reference to a recent letter from a Suzuki 90 owner, I just purchased a ^^72 Suzuki 90, and I’ve about had it. When I got it out of the car the rear wheel was completely flat. There was a defect in the tube. We got another tube and I proceeded to put it in the tire... which is almost impossible; but after an hour or two, I did get it in and aired it up. The tire was out of air again in less than 15 minutes.
Finally, I got the tire fixed and again tried to put the tire on the bike, which only took about an hour and a half, with three people working on it. At last I got to ride it that day and it rode great.
The next day I went out to start it up and it simply wouldn’t start. So, I’ve had the bike over a week and have only gotten to ride it once. I don’t know what to do now but to keep trying.
Previously, I owned a Honda and ^Aless something changes my mind pretty quick, I’m still with Honda.
Scott Pate Houston, Texas
After I read the letter from the fellow who had problems with his Suzuki TC90, I had to reply, so as readers won’t get a wrong impression of the bike. I bought a Suzuki TC90 in ’71 and still own the bike. I put 7100 miles on the speedo until I took it off. Now I am riding a fully stripped 90.
I started racing it this year, and I’m not doing too bad. In my first race I took 3rd place out of 12 riders in the novice class. I moved up to expert so as to collect some money and raced again, collecting $30 for 2nd place.
I don’t really know what happened to Mark, but it surely doesn’t always happen that way.
Ron Lewis Pocatello, Idaho
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SUZUKI FAN
In the Aug ’73 issue is a letter from Richard H. Fabacher about a Honda 350. While Honda is a good motorcycle, a Suzuki or Yamaha is so much better. I feel there is no comparison. I owned one Honda, and now have my third Suzuki, a T500. I have not had a minute of trouble since I got it. There is nothing more dependable than the one I have. I suggest that Richard not give up motorcycling before he tries a Suzuki. I have my third one and the fourth and others will be Suzuki.
Lee Boshart Hutchinson, Kan.
YAMAHA TX750
My buddy and I recently took a vacation to Panama City, and after shopping around came back to Honduras with a 380 Suzuki and a Yamaha 750. We had a very good trip and out of the 1500 miles between Panama and Honduras there are only about five miles that aren’t paved now. Many parts are still rough and the danger of cows and people on the road is always present.
We had a very enjoyable time tearing up and down mountains and both bikes ran very well even on top of “El Cerro de la Muerte” in Costa Rica where we nearly froze to death during the two hours it took to arrive in San Jose. The air was rather thin. The only worry I had was running out of gas, since the stations are far apart. The trouble was finally located when I took the petcocks apart and found them so full of dirt that the reserve section of the tank never emptied.
I bought my 750 with about 3000 miles on it from the Yamaha mechanic who was willing to part with it for $1300, which I thought was very decent considering it was only three months old and that the electric starter needs a replacement part which the factory is sending from Japan. Although I love the feel of this beast, I can see how the mechanic got tired of riding it in Panama City. It weighs over 500 lb. and low gear is hard to use smoothly because the butterfly carburetor fluctuates wildly. Panama streets are the worst in the world and Latin drivers are all “self taught,” anyway.
About the gearing, I’m wondering if anyone has tried gearing it down to make first gear more helpful and high gear usable...shifting into fifth gear at 70 and speeds up to 100 mph wears out my back tire too fast, among other things !
Anyone thinking about getting cycles in Panama and riding through Central America should write to the dealers in Panama first, because they keep very little in stock. The Suzuki dealer and the Yamaha dealer are the most helpful. Honda and Kawasaki had nothing and most any large cycle you want must be ordered on ahead. Also, I was very glad that I could speak Spanish, as it took a whole day of running all over the crazy city getting permission to leave Panama, title transfer, tax on cycle transfer, Mayor’s permission to leave, etc., even to the extent that they changed one of the requirements between the time my buddy registered his in the morning until I did mine in the afternoon!
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Ed Keens Honduras, Central America
HONDA SL125
I have been an avid reader of CYCLE WORLD for years, and have always enjoyed the Feedback column. I have noticed, however, that many people who write in are unhappy with their bikes. In my motorcycling career I have had a Husky, two Yamahas and a Honda. The Honda, a 1971 SL125,was by far the best bike I have owned. Each
time I bought a new bike, I have considered selling the Honda to help pay for it, but have always sold the new bike.
I bought the little thing brand new in 1971. I broke it in right, and bashed it around the dirt for 8000 miles. Hard miles. The only accessories I have bought for it are knobby tires and a straight pipe. The pipe gave a boost in torque which I liked. At 5500 miles the tachometer cable went. The Honda gets around 80 miles to the gallon, burns no oil and does not leak or drip at all. At 7000 miles, I replaced the drive chain and have had no problems with it.
I have close to 10,000 miles on the bike, now, and am racing motocross with it. It won’t keep up with the two-stroke jets, but I doubt that any of them can boast of reliability like I can. I did the only major damage when I crashed last Sunday in a moto, and bent a shifting fork.
To sum up, the Honda has been a joy. It was relatively cheap to buy, costs very little to own, has a fair amount of power and is a blast to ride, not to mention service and parts availability. This bike is truly a credit to Honda, and to the mass production motorcycle industry in general.
Steven Bond Santa Fe, N.M.
MAKING IT LAST
I have been a bike mechanic for three years, and rider for five. What follows is based on personal experience, and coiJ¿ save bike owners a lot of money grief.
First, break-in affects the bike’s performance for its entire life. Do it right. That means: Observe maker’s rpm
limits; never use more than V2 throttle; never lug the engine; vary speed as much as possible; re-torque all visible nuts and bolts at 500 and 1500 miles; if it’s a four-stroke, renew oil and filter every 300 miles during break-in; and take lots of short rides, not one long one.
Frequent tune-ups afford noticeably better performance, but that takes money and just buying the bike took all you had, right? O.K., fine. There is still something you can do that is vitally important.
Fresh oil is honey colored. Once it has turned brown or darker it is shot. Get rid of it. On an average this will be every 1000 miles. Whenever you chan^É engine oil, renew the filter as well. Use the highest quality oil you can find, and only that grade recommended by the maker for your riding habits and climate. Sound troublesome? Check the price of an overhaul.
Cables: oil them. Gun oil works very well if you don’t have a commercT preparation. Limping home with a broken cable is worse than you think. And anything with a grease fitting needs proper greasing.
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When you do have the resources f.or a tune-up, gunk the bike about a day before it’s worked on. That way trouble spots like cracks, blown seals and gaskets, etc., are easily seen and corrected.
I might add a clean bike equals a happier mechanic equals better repairs.
As a BMW mechanic, I have seen bikes ragged out at 10,000 miles and others running strong at 100,000. The difference is in what you just read.
I have several observations on the /5 BMWs. Merely setting valve clearance is not enough; the rocker arms must be aligned (preferably using BMW tool No. 200), the head bolts torqued, the puslv rods centered in their tubes and spun check for warpage.
There are adjustable roller bearings in four places: two sets in each wheel, adjustable by use of appropriate spacers; two sets on the steering stem with tensioning nut; and two sets in the swinging arm, adjusted by pivot pins and locknuts.
These parts require lubrication and adjustment as specified in the owner and shop manuals. A malfunction in any of these locations will not be easily forgotten.
Lastly, does your /5 BMW have over 4000 miles and try to wobble at high speed? Does the wobble decrease if you slide back on the seat? Is your tire pressure and bearing adjustment O.K.? If so, you may very well have weak fork springs. They’re fairly common. First try inserting a spacer washer aboi^ 2/3-in. thick between the spring top anB fork cap nut. If that’s not enough, get new springs. An aftermarket substitute from a reliable U.S. manufacturer might be in order here.
Andrew F. Sibre Arlington, Va.
OWNER ROUNDUP
A Sears Allstate 175 was my first genuine motorcycle and did my mind go wild when I got it out of its big wooden crate. It was a cinch to set the machine up since the owner’s manual was a real manual—over 200 pages long with the most complete setup, riding and teardown instructions ever sent with a bike, and a tool kit to match! There was even a grease gun and tire pump.
After getting the bike set up and charging the battery I fired up the beast and took off. Very quickly I found out* that although it looked like a touring ^ce, a touring bike it absolutely was not. From 50 mph on up vibration became so bad that after 10 minutes of driving I had no feeling in my hands or feet. After 20 minutes I could neither stand up nor put my hands into my pockets on the first try.
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The machine handled superbly, was finished as well as a BMW, had excellent rider and passenger positioning, a comfortable saddle, and a big gas tank; none of which, thanks to the vibration, were of any use on a trip.
The longest round trip put on the bike was 160 miles. Almost all of the 10.000 miles accumulated were on trips to work, excursions down nearby gravel country roads and chugging around in the woods.
After trading the Allstate to my father in exchange for a 1963 StudeÄker Lark (don’t laugh—the Studey has
138.000 miles without an overhaul and doesn’t burn oil) I bought a new Honda CL450. It was one of the first machines with the new five-speed transmission.
Now I had a machine I could travel on! The bike vibrated a bit at idle and again at about 4000 to 4500 rpm, but otherwise was silky smooth. I drove the machine to the Black Hills three times (600 miles one way) plus several other 500 mile jaunts. The only maintance the bike needed was to oil the drive chain. No bolts ever seemed to work loose but two screws holding a heat shield on the upswept exhaust did. I never replaced the screws, just tightened the remaining ones with an impact driver and the heat shield stayed without rattling.
It was easy to change the rear sprocket for “boondocking”—the guióle procedure taking less than 20 ™nutes. In spite of its size and weight the bike made a good cow trailing and hillclimbing machine. It is one hell of a big job pulling it out of a mud bog, however, so real deep woods lovers had best get something much lighter.
The Honda 450 got 50 miles to a gallon of gas on the average and plugs lasted about 5000 miles, which was pretty decent considering how varied my driving was. The machine went exactly 110 mph on a straightaway cranking out 10,000 rpm on the tach. Usually at 90 mph it would develop a high speed wobble, which I finally traced to the rear swinging arm.
There were two features I didn’t like. The instruments hung it up at 9000 miles no matter how well kept up they were and the crankcase-transmission oil had to be changed every 1000 miles.
Íhe oil was completely broken down by íe time the change was due, even the so-called 40W racing oils. An oil cooler would have helped tremendoi^^ because on a trip that engine really got hot.
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When I had 18,000 miles on the bike it began to vibrate. It was a high speed, tingling, annoying vibration. The machine seemed to run O.K., so I ignored the buzzing; then at 21,000 miles the cam chain brike, tearing up the idler gears and battering the valves against the pistons. After I cooled down I went to a Honda dealer. He politely informed me I should have replaced the chain every 12,000 miles like the owner’s manual said. Inside I cried because I knew he was right.
I replaced the damaged parts and put the 450 together. The Chilton’s book on Honda repair proved to be fairly useless as an aid. The pictures showed what I could see but the problem was where^ couldn’t see; and there were no picturd^ The bike still vibrated and definitely needed new valves, pistons and bearings, but I didn’t have the time or the money to rebuild it so I sold it.
Last spring I invested in two wheels again. I wanted a Honda CB450; my wife wanted a living room set; I got a Yamaha 350 R5C. The dealers were unloading them to make room for the new reed valve machines.
I’ve been putting on 100 miles a day and love the gas and oil mileage but hate the Sears Allstate-type tingling vibration. It’s too bad superb handling, low priced machines buzz.
When I first got the 350 it ate plugs and oil fiercely, but after a modification to the air intake plenum chamber (the engine can now breathe) everything runs as it should. The Yamaha looks pretty but is not as sturdily built as compar^ bly sized Hondas or Suzukis. I don* think enough was gained in speed to justify the light construction of fenders and trim pieces.
The Wixom-style fork mounted fairing has proven itself to be the most valuable accessory I ever fitted to a bike. It makes a long haul really comfortable-much more so than just a windshield. The Triple-A rack I stuck on the back required quite a bit of rebending and still doesn’t fit quite right. For one thing the seat cannot be lifted far enough to fill the oil properly and the turn signals fit lopsided because of intersecting rack struts. The rack can’t take a very heavy pack without flexing, but neither can the bike, so why strengthen it?
I’m definitely a BMW man from now on. A 200-mile jaunt convinced me that I should own a R60/5 with a Vetted Windjammer fairing. ^
James Rasmusson Monticello, Minn.
SUZUKI GT380
The Suzuki GT380 by far outclasses any bike in its range. I previously owned ^£B350 Honda, and found the cruising l^ed and power in high gear leave something to be desired. The GT380 has the power to stay with littler bikes off the line and beat them the majority of the time, and stay with bigger bikes on the freeway.
The six-speed transmission makes it possible to cruise all day at 70 mph at 4900 rpm. To pass you simply shift down to 5th gear and let it fly. The 380 rides with no vibration whatsoever. The 4.2-gal. tank makes it possible to cruise for 165 miles at a crack when taking a trip. The disc brake makes it possible to stop on the dime. The only fault I can find in it is the low clearance height which makes it easy to bottom out.
The GT380 has to be one of the most unheralded cycles in the world today, and it deserves a little more recognition.
»
Tom D. Sawyer McFarland, Wise.
HODAKA SUPER RAT
In April of 1972, I bought myself a shiny new Hodaka Super Rat. According to everything I had ever heard or read, this was the bike to get if you were going to have a 100—light, strong, good-handling and reliable as an anvil. Well, I don’t know if it’s all that true any more, because if Hodaka ever built a pig, I bought it. Light, yes; strong, good-handling and reliable, not a chance.
Within an hour after I bought it, it wouldn’t run. Back on the ol’ bumper rack and back to the dealer. “Yeah, they eat plugs real bad when they’re new,” he says, as he twiddles in a new plug without checking anything else. “That’ll be a buck for the plug, and ■ancing at his watch) a dollar labor. There’s no warranty on these, ya know.” As I drive out, a bit dismayed, he hollers, “always carry a coupla plugs!” Truer words were never spoken.
That bike ate plugs like candy. Sometimes it would load up and die, other times it would simply stop running. I’m a pretty fair mechanic, if I do say so myself, so I started looking for causes and solutions. Jetting? Not likely, the bike ran just fine at all speeds right up to the time it died. Gas/oil mixture? Experimentation with a wide variety, including unleaded, on the theory that lead fouling might be it, yielded nothing except that Mobil Super and Bardahl VBS lasted about five minutes longer. Faulty electrics? Continuity through all circuits checked out, but I re-did the kill button just on a hunch. Nothing. I tried different heat ranges, brands, types and pngths of plugs. Nyet. Fifteen minutes of running like a striped ape and then puuuuhhhp. (Continued on page 36)
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Along the way, along with the perennial gremlin in the ignition, I got a broken frame in an easy lowside, both shocks seized in the wide-open position, clutch and brake levers snapped at the first attempt to straighten them (they bent just fine), two broken piston rings, a cracked piston, disintegrated cork plates in the clutch, a completely thrashed seat, bottom plate and mounting brackets and a bucketful of dead spark plugs.
I paid $550 for the thing new and sold it a year later for $250, considering myself lucky to get that. If the guy who bought it had known what he was getting, he might have touched it with a 10-lb. hammer, but nothing smaller.
In all fairness, the Rat had a couple of nice features: the transmission
worked perfectly, despite considerab^ clutchless shifting, the forks were go and the tires bit well and wore well. Aside from those points, the Hodaka Super Rat I got was a Super Oinker.
Although my enthusiasm for twostrokes in general and Hodakas in particular was damped, my enthusiasm for riding was stronger than ever and I wanted a machine I could ride everywhere. Dirt wasn’t enough. I had to ride on the street, too.
I fell in love with the Honda XL250 when it came out, I bought one, and I have loved it ever since. This is my perfect bike.
When I bought it, it was a hard mother to start. This was traced to foreign matter in the carburetor. Later on, a too-cold spark plug was also found to be a contributing factor (an NGK D7ES-L replaced the original D8ES-L and fixed that) and, considerably lat^jg the kickstarter shaft busted off as™ result of my kicking-it-over-like-a-Harley starting drill. The carb was cured by the dealer on warranty, the plug was my own idea, and the starter episode took place after the bike was out of warranty. The dealer told me later he would have fixed it free anyway if I’d brought it in.
Since that time, the bike starts first easy kick, even after sitting for days.
Instead of spending time and money fixing it, I’ve spent time and money riding it and fixing it up to my own taste.
It gets 77 miles per gallon, but the 1.5 plus 0.5-gal. reserve tank means filling up twice or even three times in a day’s mountain road riding, so a Vesco 3-gal. tank now rests there. I can go almost 180 miles before I start looking for more gas. A Tomaselli (¿-turn throtg tie improved response tremendously* and one more tooth on the countershaft sprocket lets me run at 5000 rpm at 60 instead of the old 6000 without any apparent loss down low. In fact, first is a more useful gear now because it’s taller.
^^The bike doesn’t go in the dirt much because of its weight and the fact that it’s downright scary going down a loose or rocky hill. Mountain roads are where this bike is at.
Handling is sure and solid, the bike can be leaned over at angles that scare onlookers, and power is adequate. The Nitto Trials Universal tires do have their limits on pavement, .though, and when they go, they go suddenly. Next investment is a set of Dunlop K-70s, although I may have to get rid of my 21-in. front wheel to do it.
The Hodaka was a loser, but I love my Honda and I’m planning on keeping it a long time. When the power isn’t enough for me, I’ll drop on a big-bore kit and then....
David Miller San Jose, Calif.
ULTACO PURSANG 250
After a long wait for delivery, a 1973 Bultaco Pursang 250 was mine. At first, everything on the bike seemed race ready, except for the fiberglass fenders. Now, after several months of ownership, I can say my first impression was wrong. Almost immediately, during break-in, the front fork seals started leaking. I cured that temporarily by putting a homemade felt washer between the oil seal and the rubber dust cover. Then after an encounter with a few large mud puddles, I discovered I still had plenty of go power, but that to stop took much longer. After a few races, I discovered that the best bet was to remove the rear wheel between motos, and clean off the brake drum and linings. Then no braking problems were experienced. This all happened after I had grooved
^Mte linings, and matched them to the mrake drums.
While racing, after a few laps, the stock rear Betor shocks didn’t seem to work so well. So I changed oil to 90cc of 20 weight, and about all this did was slow down the amount of time it took for the shocks to stop functioning. Arnaco shocks seemed to help, but then the front forks seemed too soft. Another oil change seemed in line, so I tried three different weights of oil—30, 40 and 50. SAE 50 worked the best, but the front fork springs still seem too light. This problem is still uncured.
The engine unit never has given me any problems. Clutch, ignition, gearbox and carburetor work well. I haven’t any complaints either as far as the powerband or amount of stock horsepower is concerned. No modifications were performed here.
B Servicing the machine is simple. No trick tools needed. The amount of (Continued on page 38) plastic tipped nuts on the stock Bultaco kept loose nuts and bolts at a minimum. Loc-Titing the alien head screws on the engine side cases was my only vibration precaution.
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My impression of handling was only partial, due to the suspension problems and my state of physical condition. I never quite got the hang of fast whoopde-doos, as with the suspension, as doctored by me, the speed and unpredictable bouncing gave me many anxious moments. Cornering was O.K. as long as enough weight was placed on the front. Jumps were something else. The possibility of a front wheel landing has never entered my mind while on the Bultaco. Upon leaving the ground, the front end snaps up, requiring a sort of kiss-the-front-wheel technique. Where the Pursang really shines is riding in the slime, where a bit of forethought and a soft right hand is needed. Slippery riding conditions were the most enjoyable times spent on it.
No seating problems were encountered as far as the handlebar/footpeg/ seat relationship was concerned. Of course, the typical Bultaco seat bump was there, making me wish I was endowed with a more ample backside. Cables and fenders should be replaced very soon after you get the machine, as they deteriorate too quickly to trust under racing conditions. Everything considered, my 250 Pursang hauled my 5 ft., 10-in., 170-lb. frame around as quick as I needed or expected. I guess you could say that in the summer of ’73, in central Germany, the Bultaco Pursang 250 was the right bike for me!
Woody Eckes New York, N.Y.
HONDA XL250
My Honda XL250 is great. Its performance and handling help to make up for my lack of off-road experience. The local dealer has been a pleasure to deal with (Dutchess Recreational Vehicles in Poughkeepsie, N.Y.).
The chief thing I appreciate about the XL250 is its handling. Previous mounts for me include only a Honda CL350. That bike was a pleasure too, but really I just couldn’t drag it through the trails around here. It either got lost in the bottomless mud on power lines or gave me torture tests as I dragged it or it dragged me over rocky trails. It was great for dual purposes if one of them was not real rugged terrain riding on my nemisis, Mt. Beacon. One test ride on
the XL250 made me a buyer. I took it through all the places I used to get stuck in the mud or over most of the hills I couldn’t negotiate on the 350. As JK nerve has increased I’ve tried hills UBK were out of the question on the larger machine. I make some of them.
I began riding with more serious off-road riders, all of whom have more experience and skill than I. Yet I was able to keep up with them everywhere. I attribute this sudden increase of skill on my part to the easy-to-control 250. In the roughest terrain it seems to know just where to pick a line. It’s tough too. I fall a lot on Mt. Beacon without breaking the bike and so far without breaking me.
I’m relatively light at 155 lb. (6 ft. tall) and find the suspension just right. The forks will bottom but only on really tremendous jolts. The bike lands well coming out of jumps. The 350 by way of contrast tended to crack parts under such treatment. Heavier friends have commented that they felt that tjfl rear suspension on my 250 is a little soff for them.
I like the low-end tractor torque of the four-stroke engine. They told me the bike was a tractor in mud. It is. I even was able to tow a buddy out of the boonies (not another Honda). I installed (Continued on page 40) a 54-tooth rear sprocket (standard is 48) to enable me to run at slower speeds, which seems to help in trials-type riding. The bike is quiet. This has drawn appreciative remarks from my neighbors, wife and even strangers. I can hear my buddies on their older two-strokes. They can’t hear me.
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I have made two other minor modifications. The front end was hard for me to lift over logs and stuff like that (and fallen friends). Moving the fork clamps to their highest setting and shortening the wheelbase to its shortest position (by removing chain links) helped a lot. Instructions for these changes are in the owner’s book.
The other change was installation of a full coverage skid plate from Fun ’N Fast. The stock plate offers no protection for the side casings, which stick out more than on other dirt bikes. These cases are magnesium and are not so easy to repair. I know. Big rocks abound on Mt. Beacon and one boulder ate my right crankcase side and topped off its snack by drinking the oil that ran out of the engine at the same time. It was a long roll back home. My Honda dealer surprised me by having a part in stock. I was surprised because he hadn’t had the XL250s for long. His parts stock, I found, was tremendous. The dealer was not able to quote me a price for the new part, and nine months later he still hasn’t done so. I’m not complaining about this pity, empathy, or what have you on his part. The case I broke was on a 1-week old machine.
So I replaced the broken casing and tried the mountain again more carefully—very carefully this time. You just can’t ride that mountain carefully enough with the stock skid plate. I cracked the new casing this time, but was able to patch it with epoxy. Honda’s side casings and rocks seem to share a mutual attraction. The stock plate gets bent up against the lower casing as you hit rocks until one of them cracks the casing. The Fun’N Fast plate offers adequate coverage but is a little thin. I’m still a little nervous about those rocks and have inserted, would you believe it, a piece of tread from an old bike tire between the skid plate and the lower crank cases.
Miscellaneous: 2000 miles so far, no mechanical failures. Flat tire in the boonies was easy to change after we got a patch kit. Tool kit adequate. Gas mileage about 100 miles range off the road on one tank of gas. Other than its vulnerability to rocks I like the XL’s traits just fine. See you guys in the hills. Dan Friedman ED Poughkeepsie, N.Y.
