I've just read this through again - the hunt for a bike continues - but one thing stood out, Ron - WLA's are selling over here for more like the equivalent of $20,000AU....
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I've just read this through again - the hunt for a bike continues - but one thing stood out, Ron - WLA's are selling over here for more like the equivalent of $20,000AU....
I've got a basket case WLA, I picked up 8 months ago for about $4500, long slow process to rebuild, but it was bought with that in mind. A shed project for when I can. Took me 6 years to find one that was 'mostly' there and affordable.
WLAs yes are cheaper in Aust.
May be because there are more of them around.
I would not get too excited about owning a WLA........they are more about image than anything else and a bit of skill to ride one.
Other than being reliable.........they do nothing well.
Nothing is worse than having a WLA cranked over and finding a pot hole in the road which you cannot avoid.............taking the rest of the corner is not a option and going bush is.
For gawds sake Martin you are in the UK there would be any number of great British bikes you could have ! And at prices we'd be super green with envy at.
Get yaself an Ariel Red Hunter or even better a square four.
I see what you're saying - but my KLR is costing a nadge over $1100AU, a Norton 16H would be like $10,000AU.....everyones got to start somewhere!Quote:
Originally Posted by VladTepes
Do what I did - 1982 Honda CX500 ! :D
The KLR has landed - time for a little fettling over winter....
Will add a photo later (Im on my phone at the moment and its just turned midnight) Night all...
You have never had anything to do with Squariels, have you. Red Hunter, yes, Square Four, no. Squariels are fine to polish and look at but not a good ride. Notorious for overheating in Oz summers and with the usual British electrical unreliability, 1920's-30's design that was never updated to modernity. Most old British bikes are crap and that is coming from someone who made a substantial part of his living selling special tools for them. Think about why the British motor cycle industry virtually disappeared between 1950 and 1970.Quote:
Originally Posted by VladTepes
Brian those 2 rear cylinders certainly do have massive overheating problems due to the unique cylinder arrangement and yes high ambient temperature is NOT a square four's friend ! I was certainly not proposing one as a daily ride!
I have a soft spot for old Ariels and BSA's.
Triumphs - well, it seems as if everyone has one of those....
As far as the Brit motrorcycle industryis concerned - it's irony that the Japs killed it by creating reliable, cheaper bieks that just worked - exactly the approach that Triumph (the new company) copied to find its renassance !
The British motor cycle industry (well most of them) made what they wanted to or what they could make. Almost all the designs they were making in the 1950's dated to the 1930's and some even from the 1920's. They, Like Land Rover, expected their distributors to sell these and the customers to buy them. Along came the Japanese with light attractive bikes that didn't leak oil, had reliable if primitive electrics and a starter motor. The Jap bikes might have been cheaply and nastily built under a pretty face but they worked and the customers opened their wallets in droves.Quote:
Originally Posted by VladTepes
Now I don't like Jap bikes and would never own one but millions of customers did like and did buy. Bye, bye, Brits.