[Nitrowing]

After doing 0 miles in over a year, it's time to sell.
I'm looking at a 1997 Suzuki Goose 350cc and a 2016 KTM RC390 - the Goose is prettier than the RC but much older and less powerful (33 vs 42bhp) and, as the ElectraX would never attain the reliability/handling/power of either of those bikes... I can't let the beauty of the RE sway me.
Looks like I'll be dusting her off and get running this weekend.

[NVDucati]

After doing 0 miles in over a year, it's time to sell.
I'm looking at a 1997 Suzuki Goose 350cc and a 2016 KTM RC390 - the Goose is prettier than the RC but much older and less powerful (33 vs 42bhp) and, as the ElectraX would never attain the reliability/handling/power of either of those bikes... I can't let the beauty of the RE sway me.
Looks like I'll be dusting her off and get running this weekend.

I dodn't know what I was doing in 1997 but I'm sure that I never saw one of those.
Looks like a good one would be a great bike to have.

A couple of friends have the KTM 390. All say they vibrate at rate that leaves them in the garage.

[Richard230]

I have a 2020 KTM Duke. The engine is not happy below 4K rpm, but above that engine speed the engine smooths out with just a bit of vibration. Much less than my 2011 Bullet.

[Nitrowing]

I dodn't know what I was doing in 1997 but I'm sure that I never saw one of those.
Looks like a good one would be a great bike to have.

A couple of friends have the KTM 390. All say they vibrate at rate that leaves them in the garage.

They weren't officially imported inyo the UK, only grey imports. When Fast Bikes magazine tested one, the writer stated it was the first standard road bike he'd ever got his elbow down on 
There's a few things about it... the forks are off the later RG125F, which means RGV250 USD forks will slot straight in - giving it adjustable preload and damping along with twin discs 
The swingarm, however, is steel  a one-off alloy one would be big bucks... so £1000 on sorting the front and rear before getting a 440cc big bore kit... so a £2000 bike goes over £3000 

I've never read any mention of vibration issues while researching the RC390 but it's not going to bother me as much as my old FXRS! 
The RC390 doesn't have a 'bolt-on' front end for me to mess with and the swinger is already alloy - just an Ergo seat to buy £130
As it's over 40bhp as standard, an aftermarket ECU puts it up to 50bhp for £275

I'll be offering the RE on here a good week before advertising it (and wiping off the cat fluff)

[Karl Childers]

I like the looks of that Goose! Very unique and a lot of potential, I can see why that is a consideration.

[gizzo]

It's one that never made it to Oz, either. I believe they're big in SE Asia though? Time was when there were a load of cool sporting singles from Japan (srx, br250, xbr etc). By the time I could ride, they were uncool beaters, then they mostly vanished.

Good luck with the Goose. I'd ride that. 

[Richard230]

This weekend my son-in-law plans to buy a slightly-used 1982 Yamaha XT550 from a friend who owns 24 motorcycles. Attached is a copy of the specification page of the 1982 Cycle World road test of the XT.

[Nitrowing]

This weekend my son-in-law plans to buy a slightly-used 1982 Yamaha XT550 from a friend who owns 24 motorcycles. Attached is a copy of the specification page of the 1982 Cycle World road test of the XT.

Which shows exactly what my issues are with my RE - 40 years after that XT was released, the 500 can't touch it in performance... or reliability... or handling 

[cyrusb]

Which shows exactly what my issues are with my RE - 40 years after that XT was released, the 500 can't touch it in performance... or reliability... or handling 

But its really good junk

[AzCal Retred]

The XT was a clean sheet design, as was the SRX600 or GB500. The Electra/AVL was the evolutionary Swan Song of the Pre-Unit era. As a PU, the machine is inherently heavier than any succeeding UCE designs. It's also a long stroke design from an era when MPG was paramount, octane was stupid-low, roads speeds were slow, and heavy, high kinetic energy storage flywheels allowed the kak hardened-pencil-eraser-rubber of the time to hook up with the tarmac and terrain. It was a design appropriate for the conditions of the time.

As octane ratings rose, disposable income rose, rubber tires got better, road surfaces improved, horsepower & multi-cylinder engines became the norm. Racing-derived suspension & geometry found its way to the showroom floor. Clean-sheet designs around an entirely different set of parameters have different outcomes. Try finding user-replaceable tappet guides or cylinder liners for a CBX or ZX14, or replacing the piston rings in the average 4-cylinder without pulling the engine out of the frame. Different time, different tech.

Sorry you are going, glad you found something that holds your interest! - ACR -

[Nitrowing]

But its really good junk

I'm quite happy staring at it 

Riding it, the newest bike in my collection? No.

The Electra/AVL was the evolutionary Swan Song of the Pre-Unit era. Try finding user-replaceable tappet guides or cylinder liners for a CBX or ZX14, or replacing the piston rings in the average 4-cylinder without pulling the engine out of the frame. Different time, different tech.

Sorry you are going, glad you found something that holds your interest! - ACR -

I understand what you're explaining but a brand new RE is completely unable to match a 40 year old XT in any aspect and that, to me, is pitiful. RE could have copied anything in the last 4 decades: DR, KLR, GB or even just matched the cycle parts. Nope.
The RC390 is winning me over at the moment as it's more powerful and easier to get spares for.
What I want is my Bullet with;
alloy rims/hubs
stainless spokes
alloy swingarm
KLR/SLR/DR650 motor
USD forks with twin discs
petrol tank that doesn't rust
electrics that don't eat themselves
a frame that doesn't have blobs of weld painted over.
Quite a shopping list for me to get started on! 

[gizzo]

The RC390 is winning me over at the moment as it's more powerful and easier to get spares for.

If you're able, take the RC390 for a good long test ride before you buy it. See if you can live with the vibration. It's very rev happy compared with the RE, too. There's no low RPM slogging available. It needs a good flogging. Also the ride position. I like it but it's pretty sporty....
A good friend has owned one from new and she clocked up 60,000km in her first 2 years on it. Reliable apart from a couple of blown rear shocks and a fried alternator.

[Karl Childers]

I'm fortunate enough to have two fairly modern bikes that do everything I want them to do and just need tires and simple maintenance now and then. Reliable,  fast as I care to go, great brakes and no drama, then there's my  IB Bullet, the anti Christ of motorcycles. Having owned many old Brit bikes over the years I knew what I was in for when I bought it. If I could only own one bike it would not be the Enfield as I want something I can jump on and go and knock off a three hundred mile day without any worries. While frustrating at times the Bullet has been a fun project and has given me hours of pleasure in the workshop. For me it's fun to own at least one bike that's a time machine back to the past, warts and all. Maybe part of the requirements of owning an old (either by date or design) Enfield is to have a masochistic streak in ones personality.

[Nitrowing]

If you're able, take the RC390 for a good long test ride before you buy it. See if you can live with the vibration. It's very rev happy compared with the RE, too. There's no low RPM slogging available. It needs a good flogging. Also the ride position. I like it but it's pretty sporty....
A good friend has owned one from new and she clocked up 60,000km in her first 2 years on it. Reliable apart from a couple of blown rear shocks and a fried alternator.

60k in 2 years  I might do that in 4 years! I'm not remotely surprised 2 shocks died 
I've been reading some posts on KTM forums and an ECU & injector upgrade gets positive mentions for low rpm improvement.
Seller has gone quiet now though 

[Nitrowing]

Goose fell through as it needed a lot of work.
RC390 got sold before I had a chance to see it.

Then this XBR500 popped up... with most of the things done that I want. The guy's interested in taking the Bullet as p/x too...

Yellow stickers will have to go!