old bike vs new

[dollarb]

I went from a cbr600 f3 to a 2005 gsx600f katana. I feel my f3 was a little faster but not enough to complain about since I'm not racing. It was lighter, but I like the weight on the Katana because it feels more sturdy to me. For years I was tought to hate the Katana because it was slow and heavy, but when searching for a new bike I was about to buy a 98 gsxr 600 with 40k miles due to my budget. I saw my bike for the same price with only 14k miles on it and I got curious. Come to find out I fell in love, here is a pic of my old bike, and one of my new love

[shpielers]

I actually had something really similar happen. Was looking at an older higher mileage GSXR 600 and my Kat. Definitely glad I chose the Kat. She's been good to me and I probably would have wrecked on the GSXR. (Was moving up from a 250 ninja).

[Kreylyn]

...For years I was tought to hate the Katana because it was slow and heavy, but when searching for a new bike I was about to buy a 98 gsxr 600 with 40k miles due to my budget. I saw my bike for the same price with only 14k miles on it and I got curious. Come to find out I fell in love, ...

I've never run across anyone who has ridden a Kat for any length of time, even if they did swap bikes later... that didn't appreciate it for being a good bike. I see frequently people post about starting on one, swapping it out... then coming back to another Kat.


Krey

[H-2 CHARLIE]

my 2002 kat 600 was a rock soild machine , cheap to own , and reliable . I do wish I just kept it but guess I will just have to ride the beemer .

[rschlegel]

I went from a cbr600 f3 to a 2005 gsx600f katana. I feel my f3 was a little faster but not enough to complain about since I'm not racing. It was lighter, but I like the weight on the Katana because it feels more sturdy to me. For years I was tought to hate the Katana because it was slow and heavy, but when searching for a new bike I was about to buy a 98 gsxr 600 with 40k miles due to my budget. I saw my bike for the same price with only 14k miles on it and I got curious. Come to find out I fell in love, here is a pic of my old bike, and one of my new love

It is funny how our views change. I just turned 46 and came to realize that if you compare the Katana to the real world, it is a fantastic bike. I try to cruise at about 5 mph over the posted speed limit and that creeps up a bit when linked tighter curves and then back down after that set of corners. Other than the torque to just throttle by slower cages, it doesn't miss a beat.

[zuma]

After seven bikes in the last decade, two Kats---a 600 and a 750---I wish I still had the 600. They are good bikes all around.

[Xrayron]

I've had many bikes and a few kats... The last super nice bike I had was 2007 Buell Firebolt xb9r (984cc) 3000 miles....

Well I rode that up to 7500 Miles... It ran perfectly needed nothing and was mint...

So I sold it and bought a 2001 Kat 600 very minty 8000 miles for $900. It was running on 2 cylinders and owner thought it needed engine swap due to the loud clunk clunk clunk when attemting to idle... I did also at the time.

Turns out the carbs were all messed up and physically damaged inside. I picked up a set of gelled over 2006 carbs cleaned and installed rebuild kit. Engine sounds literally brand new like a jetsons space car lol.


So I sold an awesome nearly brand new perfectly running bike... to buy a broken kat lmao!!

[DClark]

I have a '91 kat 1100 and a '11 C-14.
The C-14 is superior to the kat in every aspect- better handling, brakes, comfort, power, mpg, smoothness, etc. Geez, with the ecm mod, it can probably crack a 10.3 1/4 mile and still, on long trips, get 50 mpg (!).
The kat 1100 was among the best back in '90, the c-14 among the best now.
So, does that make the kat 1100 garbage? Not at all!
It is easy to work on, has that cool a/c valve clattery sound, the exhaust has that nice not catted smell, it just has a heck of a lot of character to it.
Think of this- the kat 1100 might be the fastest non water cooled bike ever made!
I just got a job that is 30 miles away. That kat 1100 that has been collecting dust in the garage might turn into my commute beater.

[shpielers]

Whoa, haven't seen a post by you in a while!! Read more than a few of your 1100 posts.

Still loving my 600, and just wrapping up the resto on my 1st twofiddy. Next up, the 1100 that's been sitting for 6 months collecting dust (and rust...that tank is gonna be fun...)

I've been on a road glide, Electra glide, sportster (HD...meh...), vmax, SV600, and BMW R 1200 RT. While the SV and Beemer were great at certain things, I'd rather have a Kat. (HD...no thanks. At all. Not my cup o' tea) Fits me, fits my riding style, and my wallet.

[rk97]

I've yet to ride a bike that I truly hated. Nothing bad to say about the Katana for what it is. Quite pleased with the power. It's hefty, but I think my old, tired suspension is more to blame for that feel than the actual mass of the bike. Replacing my blown fork seal and rebuilding the shock would probably make it feel 100 lbs. lighter...

As for old versus new, old bikes have a certain charm that I enjoy. I almost picked up a 2-stroke Yamaha R5 last year. I'm leery of riding a bike with drum brakes on the street, but beyond that, old bikes are cool.

but "old" is relative... my '97 EX500 and '00 Katana both employ(ed) pretty old technology. My '00 XR100 is early 80's technology at best. None of them have been "modern." Hell, even my '03 600RR was only "modern" in the sense that it was fuel injected. It didn't even have inverted forks or radial-mounted calipers.

[DClark]

Whoa, haven't seen a post by you in a while!! Read more than a few of your 1100 posts.

Still loving my 600, and just wrapping up the resto on my 1st twofiddy. Next up, the 1100 that's been sitting for 6 months collecting dust (and rust...that tank is gonna be fun...)

.

Yeah, been busy. I love firing it up in a cold day in the teens. The engine rattles to life and I love the smell of stabil out of the exhaust. Once warmed up (and that takes a looong time) feels pretty good.

[TripleKing]

Old

I've yet to ride a bike that I truly hated. Nothing bad to say about the Katana for what it is. Quite pleased with the power. It's hefty, but I think my old, tired suspension is more to blame for that feel than the actual mass of the bike. Replacing my blown fork seal and rebuilding the shock would probably make it feel 100 lbs. lighter...

As for old versus new, old bikes have a certain charm that I enjoy. I almost picked up a 2-stroke Yamaha R5 last year. I'm leery of riding a bike with drum brakes on the street, but beyond that, old bikes are cool.

but "old" is relative... my '97 EX500 and '00 Katana both employ(ed) pretty old technology. My '00 XR100 is early 80's technology at best. None of them have been "modern." Hell, even my '03 600RR was only "modern" in the sense that it was fuel injected. It didn't even have inverted forks or radial-mounted calipers.

It is interesting to read what people think is old. My 89 Kat is my most modern bike at the present time. My other four bikes range from 1970 to 1979. Don't be leery of riding a drum brake bike on the street in "normal" situations. I.E. not riding super aggressively. The drums are more than capable of slowing a small bike like the R5. My 71 T250 and 79 CB400T are both front drum brake bikes and they do fine. My 79 CB400T will out brake my 75 Suzuki GT380 with a front disc (both bikes have properly functioning braking systems).


I have read many posts on this board which call the Katana "slow." While that might be true in the modern sports bike/sport touring world, but compared to the general bike (and vehicle) population, the Kat is a quick ride. My 89 750 Kat was reviewed in the day at running the 1/4 mile in under 12 seconds. Any vehicle capable of similar performance is plenty quick enough for the road.


I took my Kat into Bethlehem, PA to Musikfest over the weekend. There were many bikes parked in the area. Most were cruisers and a few dual sports. My Kat was one of, I think, three "sports" bikes there. The sports bikes were the only bikes in attendance quicker than mine, but I am sure the owners of the "other" bikes were perfectly happy with their rides.


My very long and belabored point is that performance (like beauty, something I think the Kat lacks) is in the eye of the beholder. The Kat is plenty quick for me. My GT380 and CB400T are plenty quick for me. Even they are quicker than most cars on the road.


There is nothing wrong with old bikes if they are in good condition. Yes, more modern bikes have better brakes, fuel systems, etc., but this does not mean that the older bikes are unsafe or are not enjoyable. If I wanted modern comfort and conveniences I would drive my car. I like the simplicity of old bikes. Even my 89 Kat seems too complex for me at time, not in the ability to understand it, but from the steps needed to perform simple maintenance. I like to remove a bike's tank and have almost unlimited access to everything, but I digress.

[branumhawk]

One thing about old bikes. "They are not as fast or as good as you remember them to be especially in terms of technology." quoted from Paul Miller.

Never the less I like old stuff and nothing trips my trigger more than riding and working on old inline 4's, Brit bikes and light weight two stroke street bikes like 67 suzuki X6 hustler and Kaw triples. Even old enduro bikes I rode as a kid like BSA 441 victor and 650 Triumph dirt trackers.

I marvel at the sophistication of todays sport bikes and nothing from the past comes close to overall level of performance and speed in modern motorcycles. I can't take the riding position on the 600 and 750 machines and the R1 and GSXR 1000's are ok for a stretch. They are designed for a purpose I am not interested in this moment in time. Amazing to take out for short trips.

Its the feeling you get when you see a car of bike from the past that makes you turn your head just to get a better look at that object of past obsession. To relive the feelings of that time for a second or two at best before its gone. Then your foot steps directly in the present which is all we have to work with now.

My first ride on a H1 was in the middle of winter and friend came by the house on one. Snowplows had left dry cold pavement and he was riding without a clutch(broken cable). I backed the bike onto the icy shoulder and it clicked into gear without effort and slow spun on the ice. Then it was all I could do to keep the front end down winding out each gear and backing off the throttle a second to shift. Not good practice for sure, but hard to forget.

[FireKit]

I started out on an 82 katana 550, at the time it was too much for me. I'm glad that I moved on, waited till I gained experience on a few Hondas before coming back