"Feedback"
"FEEDBACK"
HAPPY HONDA OWNER
Having never owned a bike smaller than 350cc, I’m really surprised at my Honda CL 175. I bought the bike new in September of 1972, and I’ve put 4500 miles on it to date.
I bought the bike mainly for going back and forth to work and joyriding on the weekends, but it’s proven to be a lot more than an economical ride to work.
My weekend binges have proven to be much more than I ever expected. I’ve never had the bike up to the rated top speed of 80.8 mph, or the tach red-line of 10,500 rpm, but it cruises nicely anywhere from 60 to 70 mph. Even with two people it rides great from 60 to 65 mph. This is more than I expected the bike to do, and contrary to popular opinion, the bike doesn’t ride extremely rough at these speeds. It also rides and handles well in the dirt.
My only expenses to date have been tune-ups and $3 to repair a tube.
I only have two complaints and these are minor. The bike vibrates from 43 to 48 mph, but I don’t hold this speed long enough for it to bother me; and the mirrors are curved glass which makes things seem farther back than they really are.
Aside from the above mentioned hasties, the bike is great. Performance and handling are exceptional, and for someone who rides for the mere fun of the sport, the bike serves its purpose well.
R.D. Lade Goodyear, Ariz.
A FEW WORDS OF PRAISE
As a regular subscriber to CYCLE WORLD, I have followed your Feedback column with interest since its inception. It is a most effective vehicle for informing and protecting the consumer in our industry. Motorcyclists as a community should be proud of you for establishing it, and proud of themselves for sustaining such a high level of participation in this effort.
The main point of this letter is to add a few words of praise for some fine products and for a fine man in the industry. I recently drove my BMW R75/5 from New York City to Tucson, Ariz. and back—some 5000 odometer miles—over a ó^-day period. The bike had 9400 miles on it when it left NYC, and had not been tuned since its 3000mile checkup. On the trip, it was pushed to the limit: 13 hours per day, at speeds of 95-105 mph and never less than 85 mph, through blistering hot (115 degree) desert. The machine never faltered once. It used no engine oil at all over the entire 5000 mile trip. Gas mileage averaged 40-45 mpg, a figure due in part to the use of a fairing, but nonetheless beyond anyone’s rightful expectations at those speeds. Nor did it leave me with bruised body or tingling hands; the big BMW left me free to enjoy the view and an occasional road race through the mountains with a sports car. Speaking of mountains, New Mexico has some wild mountain canyons-and the bike ripped through them at cornering speeds and angles that practically had me kissing the pavement. Never let anyone tell you that a BMW won’t corner!
During the trip, I also had the opportunity to ride and swap bikes with two other riders for 50-75 mile stretches. The Honda Four rider couldn’t stay with the R75’s pace because he was afraid to push his engine and his chain that hard. The Guzzi 750 rider said he rated the two bikes about equal for comfort and reliability, but was amazed at the acceleration and power band of the BMW. For my own part, I won’t trade the R75 for any other bike...until Munich comes across with the R90!
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A few quick notes about some products that proved useful: Just before leaving NYC, I installed a Continental Kill rear tire on the bike. At the end of the trip, the tread was in generally good shape, but there was one very bad bald spot. I assume that this was caused by both the high speeds involved and by the fact that Flat-Pruf was injected into both tires before the trip. Whether or not it caused the baldy, however, the Flat-Pruf proved its worth when the rear tire went flat from a split tube seam at 90 mph. On balance, it would seem worth the price of a new tire to get the life insurance and peace of mind that Flat-Pruf gave me many miles from home. As to the worn tire itself, I replaced it with another Continental.
One other product deserves mention, and this is where the praise for a good man comes in. The only item of special equipment installed before the trip was a Vetter “Windjammer” fairing. The price (approximately $200 retail) seemed too high when I bought it, but the fairing proved its worth. The installation instructions that come with it are clear and easy to follow; installation (by Mr. Thumbs himself) took only a little over an hour. On the road, the Windjammer did not adversely affect the bike’s handling at any speed. It sure affected my handling, though; several hours at 90-100 mph became effortless instead of a struggle to survive between driver and the wind. With the fairing, the BMW held a line like a bullet, even allowing me to sit and ride with arms folded (not recommended as a regular practice!). Unfortunately, the windshield split off in my face at high speed on the return trip, luckily glancing off my helmet.
Upon return to NYC, my dealer, Andy Pirone of Action Motorcycles, kindly inspected the windshield and offered to write a letter, to accompany my own, asking Vetter for a replacement. Almost a month after the letters were sent, when I had just begun to curse out Vetter and its evil minions, I got a late-night phone call from Vetter’s Jim Miller. He was warm and apologetic, and promised to send me a replacement windshield the next morning.
He explained that Vetter has had other similar complaints, and has accordingly increased the thickness of the plexiglass in their windshields. The treatment I was given has left a veryg nice feeling in this consumer’s mind™ and I hope other readers take note. Any company that not only replaces defective goods without any hassle, but also works late at night to give its customers personal explanations by long-distance telephone gets an “A plus” in my book.
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Dean B. Allison New York, N.Y.
FIRST TIME RIDER
About a year ago, when I was debating between purchasing a Honda CT90 or a Suzuki TC90 as my first bike, I found that there was practically no objective information available on either machine. It seemed as if the motorcycle magazines had all forgotten about beginning riders and assumed everyone started riding with a 500 Maico. I finally decided on a new Honda CT90, and, ii;^^ case anyone else is having the same^™ problem I had, I am writing to present my experience with the bike after accumulating 4600 miles on it.
I rode the completely stock bike both on and off-road, but the last 2000 miles were primarily hard dirt riding. To begin with, driving on the road is a fairly comfortable experience, considering the size of the bike. The engine seems satisfied at a cruising speed around 40 mph, although I have held it wide open for 10-mile stretches, maintaining top speed everywhere of 55 mph, except on steep hills, where my 160-lb. weight forced a downshift. The engine never complained. I feel that as a mild street bike the Honda would prove more than adequate. Vibration levels are not excessive, and the handling is very controllable. I’ve averaged over 125^ft miles a tankful (1.6 gal.), and starting never took more than two kicks. It’s not a fast bike, but at least you don’t have to worry about it breaking down.
Off the road is more of the same. Although the suspension isn't fantastic and the rear wheel hops around a bit, for slower trailriding it suffices. In the total 4600 miles I have only bottomed the forks in a few really hard bashes. The "posi-torque" transmission, which permits eight different gear ratios, four for street and four for dirt, has to be one of the bike's best features. Low gear is around 47:1, and believe me, it'll run up anything on which you can get traction. The engine pulls fairly well, and the bike will go anywhere, but only if you're willing to take your time. If you fall a lot, which I did at first, it's nice to know the bike can take it; th extent of the damage was a bent foot peg. The brakes work adequately, and the lever mounted rear brake comes in handy when you’re stuck in the middle of a hill!
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I’ve followed the recommended maintenance, using Quaker State 10 W-30 Super Blend oil, and the plug is the original item. The lights, cables, chain and sprocket are still in excellent shape, with surprisingly little indication of wear.
All right, enough praise; now for a few bad points. The rear tire and tube, made by Yokahama, disintegrated by the 3000-mile mark. It seems the factory people pinched the tube when they installed it, and by the time I examined it after my first flat, the constant rubbing of the rubber had abraded half the tube. The battery went dead while running the bike off the road, resulting in a 2-mile push home to a battery charger. I still don’t know why it died. At 3000 miles the head cylinder oil gasket began leaking, but this didn’t affect engine performance any. and the warranty covered it (which was nice, because it went again a thousand miles later; once again the dealer repaired it free, a warranty repair on a warranty repair).
The last problem I had, and this is really nitpicking, was after I removed the right front fork drain plug to change the oil. When I screwed it back in, the threads wouldn’t catch completely and oil seeped out. New threads still didn’t completely solve the problem, although now the leakage is minimal.
Wesley H. Jacobs Schnecksville, Penn.
HIS DEEP REGRETS
In reference to a recent letter from a ’71 Trident owner, I would like to express my deepest regrets about not being able to share such wonderful and heartfelt experiences of pleasure in repairing my motorcycle.
I have but a lowly 1971 Suzuki 500 which I rode 20,000 miles last year, and I wish I could have repaired it... unfortunately it didn’t break. I was unlucky enough to get 12,000 miles (so far) to a Diamond chain, 8000 miles to a tune-up (points and plugs), 9000 miles to my original rear tire, the replacement got so frustrated at 14,000 miles that I put rings in it (since the compression difference between the cylinders was 4 lb. and the oil mileage had dropped to 500).
True motorcycling experts should stay away from my bike, because it causes only pain, frustration, and anger due to its lack of unreliability at half the price of some 750s. I guess those three riders on the Triumph 500 and the two 650s that I road raced in California and Texas must have been very fulfilled breathing my blue smoke.
James E. Lake Ann Arbor, Mich.
"SICK OF IT"
For some time now I have been sitting around listening to people put down Suzukis and I’m sick of it. Anyone who says Suzukis are worse than any bike made is crazy. It’s probably because they have never ridden a Suzuki or they are very critical and are always looking for negatives. Over the past two years I have owned two Suzukis and both were great bikes and very reliable. The most expensive part I ever bought for the bikes was one rear hub, for the first one, an MT 50. I now own a 185 Sierra and it has proven as reliable as the first two.
Al Luckey Ocean Springs, Mo.
SUZUKI PROBLEMS
I currently own a 1972 Suzuki TC90. I have had trouble with this bike since I first bought it. The first problems were in the carburetor. At about %-throttle^^ the engine sputtered badly and lost^P almost all power. I took it to the shop and told them to fix it. It was back in a few days. Then the same thing happened again, only worse and the Suzuki fouled an average of two spark plugs a week. I took it to the shop again to be repaired. They said there was too much oil in the air cleaner. It ran O.K. for a while after that.
I installed a Suzuki-manufactured downswept expansion chamber. The chamber worked fine until the bolt on the mounting bracket sheared off. I wired the chamber back on. This worked better than the bolts, in my opinion. Then, about a week ago, I had it in the shop again because the thing was burning so much oil that there were great billowing clouds of blue smoke and almost no power and acceleration.^^
When I got it back it ran fine foi^P awhile. Then I proceeded to fly off a jump. In mid-air, the bolt on the chamber (which had since been replaced by the shop) sheared off again and I landed with it dragging on the ground. This time I bolted it back on myself so I could ride. Then it ate a plug. I let it dry off and started again. This time I got to the top of the hill before it crapped out again. I ended up walking home. My brother has just purchased a Yamaha 125 MX. I am considering a bike of this sort if I can sell the 90.
Mark Paulsen Parker, Colo.
THE PERFECT MOTORCYCLE?
For many years I searched for the perfect motorcycle. Of course, the longer one searches the more he realizes there is no such thing. Every bike is a compromise. You simply cannot press a button and change your street bike into a road bike and vice versa...and the man who does invent such a bike won’t sell a million of them because there will be a million buyers who don’t like its looks.
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What I thought I wanted was a motorcycle that had the maintenance and durability of an automobile, vibrationless all-day-in-the-saddle comfort and the beautiful valanced fenders of the Harley and the old Honda Dream Touring...plus a front tire the same size as the rear tire to avoid the “motorbike” skinny look. Well, they made the Moto Guzzi with me in mind as it has all of the above attributes plus a gas tank so attractive I could stare at it all day.
Naturally I begged and borrowed until I could buy one, and now 13,000 miles later I know I got my money’s worth. Happy? Well, no not exactly. Having owned lightweights and middleweights, I miss their around-town litheness or effortlessness.
The Guzzi or the BMW are the only bikes I would want to go from L.A. to New York on, but how much time do we really spend on the highway? I’ll bet most “road riders” spend more time around town. A heavy bike can keep up with the lightweights around town and even on mountain curves, but there is a clumsy feeling present at slow speed. Most riders don’t pay any attention to this as they knew that they were compromising when they bought a machine that would like the “long haul.”
The obvious answer is to own two bikes...if you can afford it.
Jim Waterman San Antonio, Texas
250 ALPINA
A few words, good and bad, about my Bultaco. It’s a 250 Alpina, early ’73. In concept I think it’s the ideal weekend playbike; light, torquey, responsive and so understressed engine life should be measured in light years. In actual practice something has been lost in the Spanish-English translation.
There are several design gliches: tank removal requires you drain the gas or use three hands, the beautifully shaped aluminum fenders are not only fragile but heavy, fuel lines and other rubber parts self-destruct upon exposure to sunlight, waterproofing is non-existent as delivered, the chain stretches like a rubber band, changing plugs on a hot engine is an adventure but the wounds are self-cauterizing.
In truth the Bul has treated me well with two exceptions. The front hub shattered at the first hard brake application. It was repaired overnight under warranty (thanks to Cemoto East parts service). Dirt inside the magneto side case worked its way into the points with predictable results (several times, until the dirt behind the mag was cleaned out).
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If you want a convenient, no maintenance, dual-purpose bike buy a Yamaha. The Alpina is a trail bike, an enduro bike, a trails bike; it is not a street bike. It is borderline exotica and demands to be treated as such with regular and fairly stringent maintenance routine.
Finally some hints to fellow Alpiners (Bultacoists?), a Filtron element made for the Ossa Pioneer with slight trimming fits perfectly and some silicone sealer applied to the seat base will seal the air box, the bike feels better with trials bars (mine are aluminum and save at least 3 lb.), check spokes often until the Akronts seat in, rubber mount the wiring harness or it will vibrate the wires apart, I use Mobil high test, Full Bore 50W (24:1) and a Champion gold palladium plug, the bike is a first or second kick starter hot or cold (tickle the Amal until gas flows out, then tickle some more).
It’s quite a bit of trouble but all in all I think it’s well worthwhile.
Alan Singer Bedminster, N.J.
EQUAL TIME
Not being able to afford full-color foldouts in your magazine, I must strive in this column for equal time.
Two months ago I purchased a new Honda CB350G (disc-braked Twin). The bike has been out of the shop and running only seven days since then, and usually it was pick it up on Friday evening, return it Monday morning. The bike will not run at a steady speed.
The dealer has tried everything, checked everything, and replaced everything, all to no avail. So, as an adult commuter who believed that dailytransportation-could-be-fun, I am out of luck.
The dealer has tried everything, but American Honda, after many longdistance calls, begrudgingly sent a service “rep” who could do nothing to improve the situation. Honda to date has never returned one phone call as promised, until a letter to the president got the “rep” here.
Now, another call to Gardena has produced more promises about next week. By now, however, American Honda has cried “wolf” too often. I have returned the machine. After 15 years of motorcycling, on everything from Mo-Peds to a Commando, through rain and snow, from Texas to New England, I have finally become so disgusted and so badly burned financially that I will probably give up bikes.
So, the reader is advised to beware the loaded phrases of “reliability” and “dependable” and “backed by service” and “parts network.” I got parts by airmail faster from England than Honda gets them from Atlanta (185 miles).
It is a shame that such an honest and sincere dealer is hogtied by the lack of distributor or factory backing. He has even offered full purchase price in trade on a larger Honda. But if Honda won’t back this one, why should they back another.
I have left the machine at the dealer’s. I offered it to the president of American Honda for $1, but he didn’t feel it was worth it. Now he can have it for free. I only hope owning a Honda makes him as miserable as it has me.
Richard H. Fabacher Huntsville, Ala.
