For a second bike - AM I INSANE?

[JustPassinThru_imp]

There's a Kawasaki Eliminator 125 for sale nearby for about $900.

Two thousand miles on it.

Yeah, I know..."trainer." I'm looking for something small and fuel efficient, to get me around town. And I want to stay away from the Scooter thingy.

The CB1100 is okay for that; but traffic here during the daytime is literally jammed. Air cooled big engines are not what you want, when the summer temperature sizzles.

A cheap lightweight won't overheat as fast and if it DOES...no great loss if the engine's trashed.

Thoughts?

Thoughts? Well, what in the world has you being insane got to do with buying another bike? Quite the contrary, an entirely rational decision I would have thought. Just ask Hondahoarder.

Cheers

The insanity is in buying a 125.

And it obviously is insanity; because I can't see the insanity of it.

I blame my state. Here, MC plates are "permanent" - no annual or biannual renewal. AND...no insurance is required on motorcycles. SO...I can buy too many and just keep them around, minimal annual cost. Unless, of course, I ride one - and have to move insurance coverage over to it.

[JustPassinThru_imp]

Well.

Got the Eliminator 125 home. There were issues; but easily remedied.

I wanna say it had OEM gas in it, but actually it had about 2300 miles. So it had maybe ten tankfuls....but that gas in there was GRODY.

It wouldn't idle. The owner had it warmed up - I don't wanna know how, maybe damaged the starter in doing it. It wouldn't go above 32; and then shot up to 45 - which was as fast as I wanted to go on that road.

We closed. I loaded; and took it 75 miles home.

It wouldn't start at the other end. I was using a local Harley shop's lift to get it out of the truck...they were helpful. I think they were amused. We had to crank that thing for ten minutes, with a jump, to get it started.

The Harley mechanic suggested the carb was trashed from gummy gas.

Well...before I ripped the carb off, it was time to try the easy cure. Fortunately, this thing is old-school - no in-tank fuel pump; no soldiered-on lines. I popped the fuel line and drained the tank. Then got some fuel-system cleaner - Red Line SI1. And some good, non-ethanol gas; and - travesty! - a can of ether starter spray.

Back after it sat four hours. A shot of ether in the air box had it starting like a new machine. Of course it started choking on the rotgut gas in the carb; but I did run it dry.

Add the fresh gas, and the Red Line...and fire it up. And...wonder of wonders...IMMEDIATE improvement! And running it for half an hour, around the neighborhood...it just kept running better.

Total cost of this "repair": $17. I'd have ridden it more; but after three months of an early spring....we had a blizzard move in this afternoon. It didn't last; but it DID accumulate, a slushy mess that lasted three hours. And of course the melting agents - they don't use salt; but what they do use is less corrosive but still damaging.

Maybe tomorrow I'll get some miles on it. I'd have pics up, except that the camera battery was dead.

[TonUp_imp]

It sounds like you got a good little commuter bike there. Can we see some pictures?

[JustPassinThru_imp]

It sounds like you got a good little commuter bike there. Can we see some pictures?

Got some in the camera.

Camera I left at work...hectic days.

Today's a work day...second shift. I'm lucky, with my seniority, to have shift-work AT ALL, instead of the on-call extraboard. But I'll get them up...fact, I'm gonna have my own little private motorcycle show. The JPT Fleet...one's a keeper; one's on probation, and one, the maxi-scooter, has served its purpose and is ready to move on.

Photos for Craigslist; photos for youse guys...photos to post up...gimme time.

[JustPassinThru_imp]

Here are a few.

[furious_blue_imp]

Thanks for the pics.
That's not what I expected at all !

I thought it would be something like the old Eliminators:
ZL1000, ZL600, ZL250

with the 'long low drag bike' styling.

Anyhow, first time I've seen the 125. Looks like it's in great shape !

[JustPassinThru_imp]

An update:

The adoption...failed. The Kaw was just not meeting expectations. So it went back to the motorcycle adoption agency....

Thing just wouldn't keep up with traffic; very buzzy...and worst sin of all, didn't want to start when cold. The gummed-up carb. Ten minutes with ether starter spray EVERY cold-start.

Having the carb repaired would have been a $300 job. That's hard to justify on a bike this price...

What tripped it, was I accidentially discovered a dual-sport model, highly-recommended as an urban machine. The Yamaha TW200...and a very-local dealer had two 2013 TWs, that were used in the MSF courses...up for sale. $3000; with 250 miles on them.

He gave me $600 for the Kaw - which was warmed up and starting easily. He thought he could sell it easy to some young customer's lady-companion...of course she'll never check the oil and will trade it in after 200 miles...but some people and some bikes are born under a bad sign.

First he'll have to rebuild the carburetor - something a bike with 2400 miles should never need.

Anyway...the TW200 is three times the bike. Does legal speeds with ease, and not that slowly. Seems to top out at 65. I sit in a more-comfortable position. And, best of all...this opens me up to something that's new to me - all these extensive ORV trails in Forest Service land around here, in my new (one year) home.

Didn't even lose that much money on it.

[Scoobynut_imp]

I think you'll have a blast on the TW200. Can't beat riding around the country trails on something like that.

[rboe]

I have been so tempted by that TW200. Was told at one time that the TW was not a good fit for the dirt riding encountered in Arizona, still, I'm tempted.

Those fat tires are just so cool looking and 200cc is not a bad size. sigh.

[Blockhead_imp]

I too am very tempted by the TW...there's one at the dealer near me and it looks like it would be a blast to ride on the trails. Some refer to it as a two-wheeled quad with those fat tires.