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Post by earthman on Sept 22, 2017 8:39:56 GMT 1
OK, back in the day I used mine as daily transport, they were reliable from what I remember. 30 years on, certain items have bound to have worn etc so let's assume that you have replaced/got a pretty well sorted LC now.
Are you confident that the bike is going to get you there & back whenever you fancy a ride?
What has caused your bike to breakdown, any specific items you may have carried with you to get the bike running again?
Does anyone actually use their LC much or does it just sit in the garage 99% of the time?
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Post by muttsnuts on Sept 22, 2017 8:52:40 GMT 1
I have customers that do thousands of miles a year on them, completely reliable, so long as like anything, you take care of them and service them as and when required. I'd say if anything they are likely to be more reliable as the 2T oil is much better these days and people tend to know not to feck about with them too much, or if you do, get them checked and set up properly rather than using the good old "arse" dyno to figure out if its running better or worse !
I'd say the 3 biggest breakdown issues I see with the old girls are (in order of likehood it being that)
1. Stators failing (had approx 25 of them this year)
2. Carb issues
3. Electrical issues - mainly fuses boxes falling apart and old wiring breaking
HTH
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Post by headcoats on Sept 22, 2017 8:56:52 GMT 1
Personally I don't think folks use them for daily Hacks anymore but some still put a fair few miles on their LC's
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Post by earthman on Sept 22, 2017 9:13:52 GMT 1
I have customers that do thousands of miles a year on them, completely reliable, so long as like anything, you take care of them and service them as and when required. I'd say if anything they are likely to be more reliable as the 2T oil is much better these days and people tend to know not to feck about with them too much, or if you do, get them checked and set up properly rather than using the good old "arse" dyno to figure out if its running better or worse ! I'd say the 3 biggest breakdown issues I see with the old girls are (in order of likehood it being that) 1. Stators failing (had approx 25 of them this year) 2. Carb issues 3. Electrical issues - mainly fuses boxes falling apart and old wiring breaking HTH Thanks, totally agree about the servicing/keeping on top of things in general, any mechanical item should have that. I've heard some people in the construction industry say that house wiring should be replaced every 30 or 40 years regardless, I would have thought that that's a bit early myself, assuming that it's not been damaged by rats for example. Wires on a vehicle seem to be more vulnerable in general I'd say. |
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coose
Drag-strip hero
Posts: 270 
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Post by coose on Sept 22, 2017 10:54:14 GMT 1
As mutts has inferred, the loom needs to be fixed before it breaks. Certainly on my F2 I needed to remake the two main ground (soldered) joints as both had broken. Soldering on a loom is never a good idea, so these have been chopped out and crimped. Stators either work or they don't - you can check the resistances but a coil could fail just afterwards so it's always a gamble, and carbs can never be clean enough!  |
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Post by earthman on Sept 22, 2017 11:55:09 GMT 1
As mutts has inferred, the loom needs to be fixed before it breaks. Certainly on my F2 I needed to remake the two main ground (soldered) joints as both had broken. Soldering on a loom is never a good idea, so these have been chopped out and crimped. Stators either work or they don't - you can check the resistances but a coil could fail just afterwards so it's always a gamble, and carbs can never be clean enough! I'm a bit surprised about the soldering/crimping aspect, back in the 90's I worked for a VW dealer, the boss banned crimping, the mechanics had to solder in towing wires etc. |
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coose
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Post by coose on Sept 22, 2017 12:19:38 GMT 1
That's not a good move. As I mentioned in the Banshee Coil thread soldering holds the joint so that it's solid and causes a "stress concentrator" right next to the joint. You'll see that this is where most soldered breakages occur. A good quality crimp (not the pre-insulated type) will both support the insulation and will allow the cores to move slightly, thus reducing the possibility of the wire breaking.
NEVER use scotchlocks - they're the work of the devil... 😉
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Post by earthman on Sept 22, 2017 12:32:07 GMT 1
Yes, movement/vibration certainly isn't good for solder joints.
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Post by copper99 on Sept 22, 2017 17:07:52 GMT 1
I think im right in saying Pete(Haggler) on here uses his (and his other strokers) every year for his Germany 2 stroke meet trips, IIRC Athers rode his to Portugal from Bedfordshire and back, a couple of months ago as well.
My bike was rebuilt in 2012 and I cover 700-900 miles a year on it, since then, to keep it on the road ive needed a fuel tap rebuild, an oil pump(could have had arrow refurb it but I was impatient) and a carb clean. If id have refurbed the oil pump, it would have been around £120 to keep it mechanically sweet over the past 5 years. If its built correctly, they can be just as reliable as back in the day,maybe more so..
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Post by bare on Sept 22, 2017 17:16:56 GMT 1
Yes, movement/vibration certainly isn't good for solder joints. Don't worry about it :-) REAL issue with Yama loom design is the rascals fitted Too Few Ground circuits (traditionally) so these typically overload /melt and short out. Sooner or later. Engines aren't too bad reliability wise IF competently assembled. But IMO there are only 2 Engine conditions to consider when Buying; a) In dire need of a rebuild B) just had one Note that Any purchase will need a rebuild , soon if not immediately.... unless there are proof receipts from a proven reputable shop... done weeks ago. G'luck |
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Post by earthman on Sept 22, 2017 17:56:41 GMT 1
Yes, movement/vibration certainly isn't good for solder joints. Don't worry about it :-) REAL issue with Yama loom design is the rascals fitted Too Few Ground circuits (traditionally) so these typically overload /melt and short out. Sooner or later. Engines aren't too bad reliability wise IF competently assembled. But IMO there are only 2 Engine conditions to consider when Buying; a) In dire need of a rebuild B) just had one Note that Any purchase will need a rebuild , soon if not immediately.... unless there are proof receipts from a proven reputable shop... done weeks ago. G'luck How many riding miles are between a) and b) would you say? Lol |
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Post by rich on Sept 22, 2017 18:54:29 GMT 1
Wouldn't have any hesitation in jumping on mine and riding anywhere, even after weeks of sitting around. Done this lots of times - Ace Cafe is 150 odd mile round trip done it loads of times no issues at all. Sitting on the motorway, rode it to the Bikers Loft in Belgium too. Never had an issue.
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Post by earthman on Sept 22, 2017 20:49:27 GMT 1
Wouldn't have any hesitation in jumping on mine and riding anywhere, even after weeks of sitting around. Done this lots of times - Ace Cafe is 150 odd mile round trip done it loads of times no issues at all. Sitting on the motorway, rode it to the Bikers Loft in Belgium too. Never had an issue. Excellent, that's great to hear. |
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Post by 4L0luvvr on Sept 22, 2017 22:26:22 GMT 1
Did best part of 400 miles 2 weekends ago, and 330 miles in a day Ace cafe from Somerset. Can be reliable but always something to do to keep it that way.
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Post by reedpete on Sept 22, 2017 23:52:36 GMT 1
The attraction to these old bikes for me is exactly how reliable/predictable they are .
Biggest problem is if as a rider you are just not sensitive to problems beginning to develop. There's no ECU to give you an engine warning light!
Consequently small problems nipped in the bud are generally 'simple' to sort. Let them develop and then you pay the price.
Stock bike on factory settings ridden at cruise will run and run. Abuse it or neglect it and there will be payback. Just about the same as most things in life really!
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Post by earthman on Sept 23, 2017 7:38:05 GMT 1
The attraction to these old bikes for me is exactly how reliable/predictable they are . Biggest problem is if as a rider you are just not sensitive to problems beginning to develop. There's no ECU to give you an engine warning light! Consequently small problems nipped in the bud are generally 'simple' to sort. Let them develop and then you pay the price. Stock bike on factory settings ridden at cruise will run and run. Abuse it or neglect it and there will be payback. Just about the same as most things in life really! Totally get all that and partly hate modern vehicles because of their check lights/over complicated electronic systems. I'm very mechanically minded, never abuse/push a machine, prefer original factory stuff,...so that's why I didn't have any problems with mine back in the eighties, when my mates were often off the road. Lol |
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reggit
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Post by reggit on Sept 23, 2017 7:54:25 GMT 1
Mine was totally reliable, until the original motor expired at 50k ish miles. After that I couldn’t help fiddling - was in my 20’s then. It’s been a hybrid, but never had a lot of luck with it, then back to a proper LC, but with a big bore motor fitted - that just expired. Now I’m approaching 50, ive finally decided to build up a standard engine again!
In my case standard appears to be the way forward for reliability.
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Post by earthman on Sept 23, 2017 8:05:50 GMT 1
Yep, apart from say having to have a rebore basically, I wouldn't fancy having a go at modifications engine wise, on any vehicle really. To me, the likes of Yamaha have far more equipment and smarter people than me to work out what's best when it comes to power and longevity. That will do for me.
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Post by bare on Sept 23, 2017 20:53:02 GMT 1
Note that Any purchase will need a rebuild , soon if not immediately.... unless there are proof receipts from a proven reputable shop... done weeks ago. G'luck How many riding miles are between a) and b) would you say? Lol Dependant on quality AND extent of rebuild (some are Much better executed than others.. penny wise is an affliction). I have 12,000 kms on my last rebuild and I'm looking into a buying a brand New oem Yama Crank. Have pistons and rings (oem) on hand. Doesn't need it yet but it will. Others who have done a similarly extensive rebuild are getting up to 20k kms. A 150 km run with no worries . Gee that far? Just got back yesterday from a 1500km round trip on my 600rr. To the Rockies and back. An end of summer perfect weather run. Absolutely Empty roads and in many places visibility for multiple miles.. managed redline/250 kms a few times as result. All sillyness aside.. just Buy one.. OR not ?? Ride it/enjoy it/ /fix it.. Then you too will know. Theres' No Knowing all that one needs to know without actually owning an LC/350. |
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Post by KevtheRev on Sept 25, 2017 15:43:19 GMT 1
I'd say a grand would rebuild an engine , which if you do , you'll know is right . What would you get for that on Geebag ?? I've spent roughly that for a crank, pistons , carb kits and a few other goodies from the main Man . I've only hand tools but the satisfaction alone is worth it . Oh , and the comedians on here know a lot about bikes , lol .
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