Warning - rant

[Freddy]

While the Zone is pretty quite these days, one thing that really pisses me off is people (usually new members) asking a question, people take the time and effort to answer it as best they can ..... and the person who asked the original question doesn't even bother to check back in to read the answers, let alone make the effort to acknowledge the responses.

It certainly dampens your enthusiasm to answer questions.

End of rant!

[hugojose]

I hear you Freddy. I have been a member of this forum for some 15 years, and I personally appreciate you being one of the very few currently trying to inject some life and keeping it alive.

For what is worth, even when no one seems to listen or say thanks to your suggestions and knowledge, I enjoy reading your posts and information you provide.

Unfortunally, the Zephyrs were never very popular and sold poorly. They are getting very old and there are increasingly fewer of us (at least active) and no doubt, many old owners have, and are moving on to newer models, thus the future does not look bright,..... I supposed a few new members buy these old bikes, expecting a easy, cheap ride, and they get disappointed and discouraged very quickly and move on,.....nonetheless, I intent on keeping the old lady and participating here as long as it lasts, and hopefully, you too.

[David Richard]

hi hugojose i echo your thoughts and fredys ,when you read back through old posts and the users some have just dropped of the radar ah well,, i remember seeing my very first zephyr in a shop in 91 i just dont get bored with them they dont look old its us that are getting old ,david

[Freddy]

. I supposed a few new members buy these old bikes, expecting a easy, cheap ride, and they get disappointed and discouraged very quickly and move on,.....nonetheless, I intent on keeping the old lady and participating here as long as it lasts, and hopefully, you too.

Hi Hugojose,
I'll be around, no plans to change the Zephyr.

If people get overwhelmed getting a Zephyr running well, then no second-hand bike of any mileage is going to be for them. The old school simplicity and proven technology of the Zephyr is it greatest strength. There is no part I've ever needed that could be sourced either new or second-hand.

On my recent 6 day ride, the lady leading the ride on her GXSS-1000F with around 60k kilometers on it would routinely suffer a major loss of power. Quite dangerous when trying to overtake etc. She's been chasing this problem for about 2 years now, taking it dealers etc. It's a major deal to remove stuff just to even see the engine. Still doesn't know whether its a fuel or electrical problem, let alone what component. She's at the point of having to trade it in on something new. If it was a zephyr with a similar problem, how simple would it be to eliminate the possibilities and actually fix.

The ridiculous complexity of some of the modern machines, virtually making the owner a slave of the dealer, is why I stick with the Zephyr.

Regards,

[hugojose]

Thanks David for your comments.

Freddie, I meant to say people buy old bikes at very low prices, expecting to ride like they were new,..most have been sitting for long time,.... and it takes some refreshening and renewal of certain parts..and get disapointed when finding it usually needs some work.

.....and what a coincidense....I also own a GSX-S1000, and even though I have not had any problems with it, I can see how difficult getting at anything is. I can change the spark plugs in the Zeph in 15 minutes without removing the tank. Just getting the plastic off on the GSX-S takes about 30 minutes....and still a long way to get to the plugs. The software to tinker with is about $400 (I got it, to avoid dealers), and seemingly it has about 100 electronic sensors all over the place.\\

......precisely, aware of the absurd complexity of today, compells me to keep the Zeph, which not only is super simple by comparision, but more docile and easy to ride....The Suzzie is very demanding and it keeps me on my toes.

....glad to hear you are staying.

[Freddy]

Freddie, I meant to say people buy old bikes at very low prices, expecting to ride like they were new,..most have been sitting for long time,.... and it takes some refreshening and renewal of certain parts..and get disapointed when finding it usually needs some work.

I understand not everyone thinks the same, but when you buy a 20+ year old anything (well I suppose I can think of one thing) you got to expect it'll need some work. Hold on, take back what I said about the one thing, a 20 year old one of them is a mountain of work, too much for me to take on.

People just need to see an old Zephyr as an opportunity for enjoyment, broaden their skills, satisfaction of bringing something back to full life (perhaps even better than when it was new) ..... not work. It's a very doable project as long as people approach it the right way. And IMO that isn't stripping em down to the last nut and bolt. A few may get it back together, but the majority never will.

Daughter just recently brought home a 40? year old pottery kiln she bough for $350. She had no idea what was involved to bring it back to life. Even thought she could just change the 'old fashioned plug' (a 20 amp plug) and stick in the 10 amp house socket. Everywhere we went looking for materials etc. same story, just chuck it away, you've wasted your money, buy a new equivalent one for $12,000. No way I think, the external case alone was worth more than $350. Just about finished a full restoration. For about $2,000 (most of that for a state of the art new computer controller) it will be a higher spec than a new $12,000 one. It's been a enjoyable leaning curve, knew NOTHING about kiln maintenance before starting the project.

Watching a guy on TV recently who has defined various age groups and given then meaningful names. Thought he was pretty spot on. My age group was titled 'rejuvenate or degenerate'. Though that's about right. You got to never stop learning.

[hugojose]

Agree, obviousy, we are here because we find it both, simpler, and more entertaining they way it used to be. I particularly miss what is called the 'golden age of motorcycle air cooled engines', the '80s, and the Zeph is like having one, except not that old.

......but am curios, how did you get into Zephyrs, how many years you had it, and how many kilometers??

[Freddy]

......but am curios, how did you get into Zephyrs, how many years you had it, and how many kilometers??

Just looking online one day about 10? years , and saw a picture of what is my now 750 D1 advertised and thought that looks cool. My first bike was a Honda CB750, and like many couldn't afford the more desirable Kawasaki Z1/Z900 of the time.

Bike was part of a small collection a guy had in a remote state (that relatively small island Tasmania that hangs below the mainland). Hadn't been ridden for years. Flew down and bought it, had it shipped home. Easy to arrange as there is a regular bike shipping thing going on as Tasmania is a popular ride destination and some people don't want to sped days getting there including sitting on a ship overnight.

It had about 36,000 kilometers on the clock when I bought it. Now has 180,000. Never really let me down, other than a totally failed battery once which meant I had to go pick it up with a trailer. Wouldn't really run if clutch started, and I was a long way from home. Same once for a flat tire (tubes with the wire wheels) but that problem has been eliminated by converting the rims to tubeless.

Great bike! No shortage of people who come up when your parked somewhere and want to talk about the bike, the old days etc .....

[hugojose]

….mine came in about 16 years ago, by accident, was actually looking into buying a Honda Hawk NT650 after selling a Kawasaki ZX900R which was way unconfortable. Had before Yamahas XJ650 and XJ1100 in the '80s. Couldn't resist the Zephyr's look, it had 15,000 km, now it's got 80,000 km.

Only thing when I bought it had a slipping starting clutch, ...I knew it, but did not know how involved was to change it. Which eventually did. I believe in the old forum, I had some pictures about this. Other than that, dead reliable...and it keeps ticking...I have removed the head to change valve seals, but it is 30 year old so that is an age thing.

.....

[Shedman]

I know I'm replying to a few months old post but someone somewhere might read it.
I completely get where you are coming from with your "Rant" Freddy. I'm not sure if I've ever mentioned it on here but I own five Honda C650 SOHC's and I'm one of, if not the last full time members of the Honda CB650 site. You get people turn up with a problem, you advise them as much as you can with possible solutions and you never hear from them again, you don't know if they've fixed their problem or even if your advice was helpful. The thing that irritates me the most is that if they have found a fix for their problem, either with or without my advice then sharing that information can only benefit the rest of the visitors to that site so I suppose its not just here where it happens.
Over there you will get a lot of total bike novices that buy one of the old SOHC Honda's as their very first bike because they are dirt cheap, they'll then assume that all they have to do is put new plugs and fuel in then they'll be riding off into the sunset.......it doesn't work that way with any nearly 40 year old bike, there's usually a very good reason that its been sat in a barn for 20 years and that reason is that it packed up 20 years ago.
Then you'll get the guy's with a bit of knowledge about bikes, a bit of knowledge can be a dangerous thing!
They will buy a barn find bike for peanuts, saw half of the frame off, stick some clip ons on it along with a humped seat, throw the (usually rusty) standard exhaust system away and shove on a 4 into 1 exhaust, dump the standard airbox and fit pods.........and then try to get it running Get the damn thing running first before you even spend a penny on it! then fiddle with the bloody thing!
Then you'll get the guy's that want to know why there bike struggles to get over 90mph? guess what guy's, its a 40 year old SOHC C650, how fast exactly are you expecting it to go and what the hell are you doing riding a 40 year old bike at that speed anyway, buy a modern superbike not something you've dug out of a shed and will be very lucky to find spare parts for.
I do get frustrated at times and say to myself that I'm gonna quit the site but there is always someone new coming along with a problem that I do know the solution to, I'm not a mechanic, I think anything electrical involves witchcraft and voodoo but I get a real buzz out of helping someone to fire up a previously dead motorcycle.