"They don't make them like they used to make them" referencing how new motorcycles are very different than classic motorcycles from the past.
Sometimes new is not better than old, since the noise vibration, smell, vibe, feel or an older carburetor fueled bike are very different than the modern fuel injected emission controlled TFT dash versions with TC, ABS, DCT automatic, smart keys & more high technology.
Simple analog gauges, simple wiring, simple cold off when key turned off electronics, sure the tires have improved now vs back then, but sometimes the warm light from halogen lights superior than the cold stark blue, white LED trending on new motorcycles.
Yes, the LED projectors are brighter with crisper illumination, but the warm glow of the tungsten filament incandescent and improved halogen bulbs a warm pleasing light like the sound of a record player playing vinyl instead of the tinny MP3 or streaming data reduction optimization of today.
In many warm parts of the world, in Asia or India for example, people regularly rebuild motorcycles, with complete restorations of the frame, wheels, tires, engine, forks, ignition, wiring, head and tail and signal lights, fairings.
Using tools to tear down disassemble the entire bike to parts, then clean with a mix of paint stripper, solvents, pressure washing, ultra sonic bath cleaning, sand blasting, electro-cleaning like plating in reverse, then paint with a paint gun loaded with automotive paint to repaint, seal and corrosion protect the mostly iron and steel frame parts.
The engine of restored motorcycle normally rebuilt to ensure good sealing compression of the cylinders, correct timing of the valves, cleaning of the valve faces and seats, gapping the valve attenuation to get correct open and close settings, new piston rings, fix cylinder wall, new pistons if needed, new crank bearings, new seals and seats to seal up the engine to keep the oil inside, new gaskets, and torque wrench precise tightening of all the bolds in the head, that connect the head to the cylinder block, that connect the cylinder block to the crank block, then all the other intake and exhaust and ignition systems, battery, wiring, switches, relays.
In many parts of America, you can buy a nice brand-new fuel injected emissions controlled clean burning Honda, Yamaha, Suzuki upright sport or adventure or city motorcycle for less than $10,000 out the door with tax and license all said. Our 2020 Yamaha MT03 "Starter Bike" was $4599 new, or about $6,000 all said total for example.
If you were to pay a professional mechanic to rebuild an older motorcycle like a CB400 from 1994 as an example, it would take about 300 hours of labor with entire shop of special equipment to completely rebuild to like new state or fully restore an older rusty motorcycle + many replacement parts.
If we take a shop fee of $125 per hour, that kind of rebuild would cost $8000+ with tax all said including all the replacement plastics, gaskets, seals and wear parts, including welding and grinding cracked metal parts of the engine case or transmission part of the engine case, swing arm or front suspension clamps mounting or the bikes frame, including polishing, buffing to a mirror finish, in some cases nicer than brand new restoration. For $8000 you could go buy a Honda CB500F or NX5000 for example, exceptional in many regards as a daily motorcycle that can be used for many years with basic maintenance.
Looking beyond the raw feasibility cost of restoring or repairing an old motorcycle, there is something special or classic about older motorcycles that the newer ones are missing with all their fantastic tech. Something simple, analog, classic, even the first Honda CB in 1959 was making 14 HP out of a 124 cc twin with overhead cams, something that many modern bikes are not even doing like the Honda Grom with a similar displacement that makes way less power.
Many people buy older classic motorcycles to restore because they are beautiful, have a special place in their memory from precious times of fun and enjoyment in the past. They might echo back to a time when the buyer was younger and happier and felt free on their first motorcycle. Rember that vehicle purchases are usually emotional or emotionally motivated, not logical.
It's not financially logical for most people to buy a brand-new motorcycle, especially ones that cost as much as some news cars. Many very clean, well maintained used motorcycles can be purchased for several thousand dollars in perfect working order by comparison to 3X or 5X or 10X more for a new motorcycle. This is also why motorcycle sales slump when the economy on a decline. For most people a motorcycle is a pleasure craft used for enjoyment or fun vs boring driving a commuter car by comparison.
I have taken our $6K new in 2020 Yamaha MT-03 on an 800 mi road trip but had to stop every 150 miles to fuel up at gas stations and stretch. After 350 miles of riding at 70+ miles per hour, including stops, my inner thighs, knees, butt, crotch area that contacts the seat, were very sore or dull pain that took about 2 nights of sleep to restore to normal non sore condition.
I have no idea about the seating position or riding triangle, seat, ergonomics, or other riding aspects of the MT-03 but I can say that the short wheelbase at highway speeds on mediocre roads like I405 gave rise to a bobbling experience, and the OEM seat not comfortable for longer rides, though I never got sore wrists, elbows or shoulders because of the more upright riding position vs my previous 2004 GSX-R600 Suzuki sport bike with its bent over race seating position.
I am 41 years old and have recovered from T2D or Type 2 diabetes and Hypertension using interval fasting, removing nearly all candy from my diet, radically reducing carb intake, upregulating consumption of healthy omega 3 fats and healthy protein, reducing omega 6 fats and getting more fiber with a combination of carnivore and whole foods diet, with almost no UPF or processed foods, or moreover sparingly consuming anything UPF, radically reducing beer and alcohol intake and discontinuing the use of cannabis about 5 years ago, since getting high with marijuana was causing me to eat sugary snacks like salted caramels in excess back then, which eventually gave me adult onset type 2 diabetes with bubbly sugary smelling urine and joint inflammation and pain, and irritability. Water fasting for 4 days initially to get my blood sugar to come down from 369 to about 90 was the start. I watched a lot of YouTube videos about how to fix diabetes with diet and exercise. To that end I also work out more now with different kinds of exercises.
Our 2020 MT-03 primarily used to commute 16 miles one way to work, locally on fair weather days without rain, perhaps a few hundred such trips per year like that, since I come and go too and from work twice daily, or about 64 miles of riding per day on such days since I have a split shift as a School Bus Driver and often come home after my morning shift so I can make lunch, sleep, go shopping or do things around the house before the PM shift starts.
For short trips like this I never have any kind of soreness from riding the MT-03 and consider it exceptional as a commuter bike. I like that it is smaller, lighter, and efficient. I am able to get over 70 miles per gallon on the MT-03 by upshifting earlier and using the dash fuel economy monitor to lightly hypermile. If I drive normal it gets about 54 MPG and if I flog it like I stole it, it returns about 42 MPG, racing crazy level case about 37 MPG. Using extreme hypermiling and every trick under the sun I can get the MT-03 to give 84 MPG.
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