[rtcapo]

I sold my HD after 19 years of ownership. She was my 2nd bike. I purchased a '64 Ford F100 a few years ago to fix up and tinker with.

I'm not a mechanic, but I'm willing to learn. I figured I couldn't get into too much trouble with this bare bones truck.

In the last month I started to miss riding...began the most interesting part of finding an old bike.

I love the the BSA A7 type style...but reading about how finicky English Iron can be...and owning a '73 MGB, I fell for the Japanese version of the A7..1968 W1. Sure...an orphan...but I figured if I'm n I better love it.

My likes are basically vintage into the 70's....gotta have a flat seat!

Still researching. ..the most fun part of this.

Any hints and links on what to look out for are greatly appreciated.

rtc

 

[hogcowboy]

WELCOME ABOARD, and...

Normally just a few more posts(count of 3) and the rest of the site
will open to you. This is the sites spambot control. Unfortunately it
is needed today. But you have to make 15 posts before you can post
pictures. Right or wrong it's considered a privilege to be able to post
pictures. Unless you use Tapatalk which somehow gets around
that restriction.

We are friendly site here. Well, most of us:grin:

 

[dcstrng]

I sold my HD after 19 years of ownership...

In the last month I started to miss riding...began the most interesting part of finding an old bike...

No words of wisdom, but I'm quite familiar with the disease... the virus can lay dormant for some years, but it never seems to go away and will show up the minute you get off yer meds... I sold my last Evo about 3-4 years ago, figured I was done -- now there is a 90-ish Connie in the shop...

Good luck with yours...

 

[Offcenter]

MGB??
I had a 70 MGB back in the day. Mine was about two years old when I bought it. People say that those british cars are a problem.
Not mine. Mine was trouble free and I drove the hell out it! Loved that car.
Now.....
What is a "W1"?
Never heard of that one before.
and...
Welcome to the forum!

 

[Critter]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kawasaki_W_series

 

[Retired Guy]

Welcome from Arkansas. Not familiar with the whole MG series, but a distant relative in Kansas had a MGBGT that was a really cool, good looking car.

Best I can remember, it was a convertible and when the top was down, there was a leather cover that went over the folded down top and the passenger seat. Seems like there was a rubber mallet in the trunk to knock the spinners loose on the wheels, to change a tire.

That stuff may be common on all MG's, but like I said, I'm a bit ignorant about the whole company.

This was back in the late '60's, early '70's.

 

[Retired Guy]

Those old Ford, Chevy and Dodge pickups were easy to work on. If they had fuel, air and fire, they should run.

 

[Offcenter]

Welcome from Arkansas. Not familiar with the whole MG series, but a distant relative in Kansas had a MGBGT that was a really cool, good looking car.

Best I can remember, it was a convertible and when the top was down, there was a leather cover that went over the folded down top and the passenger seat. Seems like there was a rubber mallet in the trunk to knock the spinners loose on the wheels, to change a tire.

That would be a rare one!
The MGB was a convertible.
The MGB-GT was a hardtop hatchback.
Then there was the MGC, which was rather rare.
The MGC was an MGB with a six cyclinder Austin Healey engine, easily identifiable
by hump in the hood to make room for the larger engine.

 

[Retired Guy]

I wish I would have got a chance to drive it! But he was probably smart enough not to let any of us boys drive it.

 

[CTX]

Welcome. They made a lot of Honda early 70s CB 350/360s. They're great bikes and with this new found popularity for vintage UJMs, people are pulling them out of their barns to sell them. Parts for them are still fairly easy to find.
As for the finicky old MGBs, I had an eight year old one back in the day, and "finicky" would be a nice way to put it. However, I loved that car and it lit the fire for my love of roadsters that never went out. And I have owned every generation Miata since they started selling them.

 

[rtcapo]

Been widening searches...xs650...or rd400....still in the fun-nest stage...the hunt

 

[johnnyvee]

An F100? I hope it's a full length bed. Otherwise you'll have a hard time getting the longer bikes in there!

You probably already know that Kawasaki recreated the W1 as the W650: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kawasaki_W650 These are remarkably faithful to the Brit twins of the 60s. Gotta love that vertical cam drive shaft! I read a review that stated that the W650 is closer to an original Bonneville than the new Triumph Bonneville, and I agree.

I think that the W1 is fairly rare. If you have a good one, you might want to keep it stock and mainly in the garage.

The XS650 was, I believe, Yamaha's first four stoke and was a very good bike. I personally think the styling got a bit too chopper influenced in the later years. I see a lot of these XS650s being turned into Cafe racers, Brat bikes, and even bobbers, likely cause there are a lot of them out there and they can be had inexpensively. I saw there was a whole forum dedicated to the XS650.

Another Jap twin that is quite faithful to the Brit. bike heritage is the Honda CB450. 40+ hp dual overhead cam in a classic styled medium weight bike, that when it came out in '65, was able to run with the Brit. 650s.

I share your affection for classic motorcycles of the "one horizontal line" styling era. The problem with a nice classic bike is that although most of the models listed here can be found inexpensively, they do keep increasing in value. This is a good thing for a collector, but can make one a bit fussy about when and where and HOW one rides them. Also although the bikes can still be found reasonably, original and NOS PARTS can get crazy expensive. This is why although I may have and continue to aquire certain older bikes, I actually ride a Royal Enfield. My Royal Enfield C5 is a classic appearing, classic feeling bike, but one for which I can buy replacement parts for very inexpensively. It can also be purchased brand new, with a 3 year warranty, for around the same price you'd pay for a vintage bike in excellent condition. https://www.royalenfield.com/in/en/motorcycles/classic-models/classic-500/

 

[Retired Guy]

It's funny how bikes that when brand new, some I just didn't like. But now, many years later, those same bikes I didn't like, now I do.

The first 750 GSXR I sat on give me leg cramps. Just didn't care for the Honda V 45 or V 65 Magnas. The 750 and 1100 Kawasaki Spectre's were just so...ho hum.

Now when I see a nice older bike, it's like wow I got to go look at that! Even Honda's comstar wheels from the early 80's don't look as bad as they did.