Bikes for 999 euros and the consequences, part 2

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Bikes for 999 euros and the consequences, part 2
fact, luck, Hertneck, mps photo studio

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Used purchase

Bikes for 999 euros and the consequences, part 2

Bikes for 999 euros and the consequences, part 2
Here we go

After buying the inventory: What do you get for 999 euros today? MOTORRAD editors take a critical look at their used bikes.

Jorg Lohse, Stefan Gluck, Holger Hertneck

04/12/2007

Do you know that feather-light feeling of happiness after a successful purchase? Something you’ve always wanted is now yours. But disillusionment quickly spreads. They discover quirks, track down deficiencies. Nothing dramatic, but enough to get down to earth. A few weeks ago four MOTORRAD testers went out and bought four bikes. The requirement: You shouldn’t break the 1000 euro wall. After the purchase balance in the last issue of MOTORRAD, the sober stocktaking follows in the cold workshop light. While at Yamaha FJ 1100 pile up massive problems and the Yamaha XT 600 requires some fine-tuning, humming Honda CX 500 C and Suzuki GS 500 already on the country road, the latter already with open power. Here are the extracts from the logbooks…

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Honda CX 500 C.

Now it is my godchild, the Honda with the unflattering nickname »slurry pump«. Her colleague Thorsten Dentges brought her? a real “blind date”. Purchased as an Ebay offer as clicked, without a viewing appointment or test drive (see MOTORRAD 8/2007). Thorsten is now doing B as in baby break and I drive CX 500 C as in Custom. And custom generally stands for a chopper. Since the word is derived from the English “to chop of” (pronounced “to chop off”), the first measure is probably clear.
When I contact me, a man-high windshield piles up in front of the rustic cockpit landscape. There is a solution here: the 17 mm ring spanner. The pane is dismantled within minutes. Lo and behold: the V-Twin already looks a whole lot more authentic.
In general, the CX does not have to hide in direct comparison with the other three 999s. Of course it has the patina of the past 26 years? but with dignity. The maintenance condition is acceptable, and on the first trips the 500 gives a technically very fit impression: starts with choke support reliably at the push of a button, pulls through without dropouts and swings easily over the typical Stuttgart-
ter mountain and valley railways. Only the blunt brakes and the slightly reverberating chassis testify to the age of the CX. And if I should meet Werner and Horst: They are not allowed to touch the cooling hoses of my CX! jol

Specifications for the Honda CX 500 C

Lucky. The first inventory after the purchase shows no real weaknesses. Still, there is a lot to be done.
Power: The CX, throttled to 27 hp, should again have 50 hp in the future. The conversion kit costs around 1300 euros. We check what cheaper solutions are good for.
Rust: The exhaust collector is very rusty. A new one costs around 250 euros. Restoration may also bring success. We try what can be saved.
Quirks: The CX has known weak points such as a breaking timing chain tensioner or leaks in the water pump and rear engine housing. We look to see if preventive measures need to be taken.
Appearance: flat handlebars, new fittings, chic spoked wheels. There are ideas to give the CX that certain something. We will be inspired by the fan forum www.cx500-online.de.

Suzuki GS 500 E.

There it is now in front of the garage: my Suzuki GS 500 E. Pretty compact, without a lot of frills. It is only a little bit badly low. Sure, the previous owner lowered the chassis at the front and rear. This cannot stay that way for a number of reasons. First, because the entry for the renovation is missing. Second, because the seat height, which is around three centimeters lower, seems rather inappropriate in view of my 1.95 meters. And thirdly, because only heavy athletes succeed in balancing the lowered Suzuki on the main stand ?? which is why the previous owner removed the part without further ado, but kindly included it with the purchase.
So before any maintenance and repair work is done, the first thing to do is to put the practical utensil back on. Left screw, fits. Right screw … does not work. Exhaust in the way. Well, remove the rear exhaust bracket, push the whole system down a little, then the right screw slips into place. Now just hang in the two main stand springs. Because of only. That’s exactly where I’ve torn my knuckles open often enough. That’s why I bend a hook out of a wire. With a screwdriver as a tie rod, the extremely tight springs can be hooked in surprisingly well.
After the Suzuki is finally on the main stand, I take the fork. Less than ten minutes later, the fork plugs are flush with the upper fork bridge, and thanks to the increased preload ?? the predecessor had taken it out practically completely ?? the front springs out again smoothly. Next, instead of the accessories, mount the standard deflection levers on the strut so that the rear can also come higher again, then everything is in balance, at least on the chassis side. As Mon-
I get a couple of wooden blocks out of the shed and clamp them under the rear wheel. This relieves the lever, making it easier to (de) assemble the two retaining screws. Tighten the whole thing. Finished. Great, everything works fine.
Less than ten minutes later, I have a completely different opinion. When I try to remove the tank, I get a lot of fuel on my hands. I do not understand the world anymore. The GS 500 has a vacuum carburetor, how can it be that gasoline escapes after removing the gasoline hoses? In disbelief, I start further attempts, pulling off the other of the two supply hoses, sometimes above, sometimes below, always with the same result. Every time I frantically try to put the hose back on as quickly as possible. Nice crap!
In desperation I call Gerry, our workshop manager, explain the problem to him and he gives me the solution: “The Suzuki has a second fuel tap on the left under the tank, the so-called assembly fuel tap.” It’s good to have a Gerry, I think to myself while I close the assembly tap with a long screwdriver. Lo and behold: the mess is over.
I can finally start dethrottling. All you have to do with the GS is swap the two carburetor covers for specimens without a throttle slide stop. In addition, the 135 main jets of the 34 hp version against 120 jets. Lids and nozzles were given to me when I bought them, otherwise I would have had to get them from an authorized Suzuki workshop. The lids of the 46 hp version can be fitted in five minutes. I have to fumble a little more when swapping the main jets. Since I don’t feel like removing the carburettors, things are a bit tight. But it works.
Now reassemble the whole thing, put the tank on, attach the fuel hoses and don’t forget to open the assembly tap ?? and? The GS should actually run now. But it doesn’t. Despite minutes of organs, the two-cylinder does not start. Clogged air filter? No, everything is free. Is the membrane in the carburetor cover not installed correctly? Can’t be there? I meticulously paid attention to it. No ignition spark? Everything okay. The candles that have been removed and held to the housing spark hard. So what? Maybe no gasoline? Hit: The float chambers are dust-dry despite the “Pri” position (flow) of the fuel tap.
Emergency number two to Gerry. This time, however, he is also faced with a mystery, as I have already checked all of his possible solutions. “Maybe it has something to do with the assembly tap.” So remove the tank again and check it. Indeed, the bastard has two locking positions and only one that has fuel flowing. When assembling, I obviously turned it a little too far, so that the tap was on “Off”. After prolonged pressure on the electric starter, the Suzuki finally runs again as if nothing had ever happened.
The man at the TuV sees it similarly. Zack, he gives the 15-year-old Suzuki the stamp for the due general inspection and emissions test. No flaws whatsoever. At the time of purchase, the TuV had been overdue since June 2006. Why I had deregistered the machine and drove to the HU with a red number. Then the TuV will not be backdated, but will not be due again until March 2009. Satisfied, I get a Stuttgart license plate with the fresh inspection papers from the registration office.
A bit euphoric, I then head for the motorway. At 190 km / h, lying long and slightly downhill, I let it be. Maybe there will be more in it at some point. At the moment we have to get used to each other a little better. hh

Running costs for the Suzuki GS 500 E

Buying a motorcycle is far from over when it comes to spending money. Unsubscribe, TuV, re-register ?? there is a lot going on. Here is an overview of the previous editions for the Suzuki GS 500 E..

Unsubscribe 10.70 euros
TuV (HU) 35.00 euros
AUK 19.10 euros
Assessment of dethrottling 25.60 euros
Registration with registration 74.95 euros

Yamaha XT 600

The work on the 80s enduro is currently on hold, the MOTORBIKE buyer with pneumonia in bed. Colleague Michael Schroder just managed to pull the XT ashore for the editorial team (see MOTORRAD issue 8/2007), after which it was first a shift. Get well soon. So our readers will have to wait until the next part of the stories about our used vehicle fleet to find out what is possibly wrong with the XT, what work has to be carried out and whether things are going as smoothly with the TuV and the AUK as with the Suzuki GS 500 E. We are also excited. A first look, however, indicates that there is a lot of work to be done.

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