Bought a tired 1987 R65 mono from an old guy in March this year with a vague idea of using it as a daily runaround to keep miles off my LS which I'd bought as a daily runaround to keep miles off my R90S...
It needed new downpipes, a tank and a seat so I ended up spending way more than I planned (what's new) but thanks to ebay most of what I needed came from nice guys in Germany, where the monos exist in greater numbers than here in the UK and used spares are plentiful.
Have to say I'm loving it. The suspension's way more compliant than the LS and the engine feels a bit less vibey, but that may just be the high miles have knocked off the roughness. It thrives on revs and can be made to go pretty quickly for a small capacity bike. It's probably not the sort of bike to take across Europe, but for commuting and runs out to the coast it's perfect.
"Never argue with a fool, onlookers might not be able to tell the difference." Samuel Clemens
DanielMc wrote:Thanks mate - I agree it would be the perfect introduction to airheads for someone who's experienced more modern Japanese machinery.
I think stone creations are living things, well almost. They could tell some tales.
My son doesn't have a motorcycle license yet, although he has had one very short ride on my RS.
Oh, and on my TT600 around the paddocks here.
DanielMc wrote:
It needed new downpipes, a tank and a seat so I ended up spending way more than I planned (what's new) but thanks to ebay most of what I needed came from nice guys in Germany, where the monos exist in greater numbers than here in the UK and used spares are plentiful.
Is that a new seat or did you just recover the original? If you purchased a new seat, where did you get it, how does it fit and do you like?
Jeff in W.C.
1988 R100 RT
2018 R1200 GS
"I've got my motorcycle jacket, but I'm walking all the time." Joe Strummer/Clash
DanielMc wrote:
It needed new downpipes, a tank and a seat so I ended up spending way more than I planned (what's new) but thanks to ebay most of what I needed came from nice guys in Germany, where the monos exist in greater numbers than here in the UK and used spares are plentiful.
Is that a new seat or did you just recover the original? If you purchased a new seat, where did you get it, how does it fit and do you like?
Jeff, that's a second-hand, recovered seat I bought from Germany. The bike had an aftermarket pattern seat on it when I bought it (fibreglass base) and while it looked the part, it really didn't fit at all. I was hoping to get a good used seat with the original cover on it but couldn't find one while I was looking. I must say I'm more than pleased with the one I got - it's got a solid base with no rust and I quite like the smooth finish.
"Never argue with a fool, onlookers might not be able to tell the difference." Samuel Clemens
Chuey wrote:Nice bike. What is an LS and why can't it handle the miles?
Chuey
Just me being dumb Chuey - the LS was a facelift model for the rather staid looking R65, and featured the slightly hotter engine too if I recall. Designed by Target Studio's Hans Muth who had previously worked on the R90S, R100RS and of course the Suzuki Katana range. My 1982 bike is an Italian import that's only done 17,000 miles and although I bought it as a daily ride I have the vague feeling that it deserves a slightly easier life while I wait for the world to realise what an undervalued masterpiece the little LS truly is.
Like I said; just me being dumb...
"Never argue with a fool, onlookers might not be able to tell the difference." Samuel Clemens
I understood. He got the LS to save miles on his "collectible" R90S, but the LS is the most "collectible" R65, so he got the mono to save miles on the LS.
In fact, I read it to my wife, and she laughed as hard as I did. It is quite a disease we all share.
