Are bikes getting too complicated?

[Yorick]

Can you fine tune the potato potato exhaust sound?

You need a chip for that,sir.

Not like you to be funny

[Le_Fromage_Grande]

If modern bikes are too complicated why don't people buy old bikes that are less complicated - I can answer this one for you, because they're not as good, same goes for cars.

[Yorick]

Let's just ride bicycles. No bloody engine to go wrong.

[mangocrazy]

If modern bikes are too complicated why don't people buy old bikes that are less complicated - I can answer this one for you, because they're not as good, same goes for cars.

This is an Old Git talking, so take with a pinch of salt. I'd be pretty happy with most bikes made from 1990 onwards, as by then wheel and tyre sizes are pretty much what we have today and you can use modern rubber. Brakes, suspension and engine power outputs are in the 'broadly acceptable' range and enough for most folk, if they're being brutally honest. You'd still be able to play with GSXRs, Fireblades, ZXRs, CBRs, VFRs, 916s, YZFs etc. etc.. The big problem would be spares availability of course.

[Yorick]

Let's stick with black and white tellies and chuck away the expensive mobiles. Nowt wrong with a proper telephone These trim phones were all the rage

[mangocrazy]

Let's stick with black and white tellies and chuck away the expensive mobiles. Nowt wrong with a proper telephone These trim phones were all the rage

I really don't think you're taking this seriously, old boy...

[Le_Fromage_Grande]

If modern bikes are too complicated why don't people buy old bikes that are less complicated - I can answer this one for you, because they're not as good, same goes for cars.

This is an Old Git talking, so take with a pinch of salt. I'd be pretty happy with most bikes made from 1990 onwards, as by then wheel and tyre sizes are pretty much what we have today and you can use modern rubber. Brakes, suspension and engine power outputs are in the 'broadly acceptable' range and enough for most folk, if they're being brutally honest. You'd still be able to play with GSXRs, Fireblades, ZXRs, CBRs, VFRs, 916s, YZFs etc. etc.. The big problem would be spares availability of course.

90s bikes are just as complicated as modern bikes, if you want easy to work on you're looking at pre 1985 bikes

[mangocrazy]

If modern bikes are too complicated why don't people buy old bikes that are less complicated - I can answer this one for you, because they're not as good, same goes for cars.

This is an Old Git talking, so take with a pinch of salt. I'd be pretty happy with most bikes made from 1990 onwards, as by then wheel and tyre sizes are pretty much what we have today and you can use modern rubber. Brakes, suspension and engine power outputs are in the 'broadly acceptable' range and enough for most folk, if they're being brutally honest. You'd still be able to play with GSXRs, Fireblades, ZXRs, CBRs, VFRs, 916s, YZFs etc. etc.. The big problem would be spares availability of course.

90s bikes are just as complicated as modern bikes, if you want easy to work on you're looking at pre 1985 bikes

Mechanically, perhaps (although I think that could be argued), but electrically/electronically you're way off.

[MrLongbeard]

Sounds like a Harley to me

Bloody love my high tech Harley, I can go in via my Vance & Hines Fuelpak FP3 tuner and bugger about with absolutely every setting there is, add and remove features, piss about with the fuelling tables, enable bolt on accessories, diagnose and clear faults etc. all from the handy dandy app on my phone.

It can be a smidge daunting, but once you put your big boy pants on and do a modicum of research it's bloody good.

Can you fine tune the potato potato exhaust sound?

Yes, add, remove, tune decel pop, the works

[Taipan]

So people want an old bike which rides like an old bike, but which is brand new.

Sounds like a Harley to me Look what they're having to do with new models as their customers die off.

Funny thing that. HD have always been trying to sneak new tech in, but the faithful have always rejected it. As the faithful die off, now HD find themselves branded as old tech bikes! My Sportster had ABS, self-cancelling indicators and best of all fully adjustable EFi, all wrapped up in an easily serviceable, oil cooled engine. Great package for the home mechanic.

As an aside over 20 years ago I bought myself a nearly new 200 Tdi discovery. I had it quite a while and the LR trained mechanic who serviced it always praised the 200tdi, more so as the new models came through. He used to say battery at one end and fuel at the other and you'll always be going, whereas the new ones were plagued with electrical faults causing limp mode etc.

[Jody]

Let's just ride bicycles. No bloody engine to go wrong.

With wireless technology in bike gear changes and dropper posts now, there's still tech to go wrong !

[Count Steer]

Let's just ride bicycles. No bloody engine to go wrong.

Have you looked in the cycling threads? Just look at them funny and they disintegrate. Frame components snapping, suspension units failing, spokes go ping!, hubs self-destruct, drive trains go spang! About the only thing that seems to keep working are the electronics...and you could buy a bike with an engine for what some of them cost. Half of them seem like the old joke about 'I love this spade/fork/broom' - there's hardly anything original left.

[DefTrap]

My bike has basic electrics, a single gauge, I even reverted to a mech fuel pump rather than the leccy one it came with. I reckon you could rewire it with about 4 wires going fore and aft. There's something nice about simplicity.

I don't hate electronics, the house is bursting with them, and I always enjoy the gadgets in new vehicles I borrow.

As a lover of older, cheaper vehicles as keepers though - nah - pain in the arse.

[Couchy]

What are the electronic problems these new bikes are having as I just haven’t experienced them on my own ? The only bikes that give me any trouble are the simpler older ones.

What simpler bike do you want ? No electronic ignition, no abs, no fuel injection ? All these things are supremely reliable and have been for years.

[Mr. Dazzle]

Let's just ride bicycles. No bloody engine to go wrong.

The engine in my bicycle is shit. Proper wheezy with no power.

[wull]

Won’t matter anyway, will all be electric soon enough

[Bigjawa]

I think it's a blessing and a curse, when something electrical goes on a car, a lot of the time you can get the sensor or whatever for a relatively low cost. It cost me a fortune to get the ABS pump rebuilt on my K12R. I could get one for my car brand new for less money. BMW wanted something like £1600!

Fuel injection for something like a 125 is pointless, it's pretty much going to be flat out all the time and the fuel quantity involved is tiny.

Like KFB I have an injected Enfield, I don't see any point in converting it to carb if a kit became available, it's flawless. Although the ABS will have the fuse pulled if I take it off road seriously.

What would make all the electrickery better would be if they all had ONE diagnostic language, you shouldn't need a separate diagnostic tool for each manufacturer.

[Dodgy69]

All this electronic trickery is good for new sales, with 2 year warranty, it's the secondhand market that might suffer because of reliability risk.

I've had warranty claims on new bikes in the last few years, I wouldn't won't to be picking up the bill outside 2 years.

Longevity of modern tech is up for debate.

[Skub]

Bike mechanicals are super reliable now,barring a few exceptions,most trouble on any motorcycle will be electrics related,more so now because there is more of it.

Now we'll be going 100% electric soon.

What could possibly go wrong?

[Dickyboy]

If I could buy a modernish bike with decent brakes, suspension, reliable engine etc but carbed instead of efi and decent lights, no need for a starter either on something like a 750 vee twin I'd be all over it like a rash.

The GS is okay for now but it's only got 5k on the clock but electrical gremlin could kill it & I could easily see myself swapping out the efi on the guzzi for some decent carbs in the future as the electronics are shite