Just to add to my previous post he is thinking of doing a trip or two. How is it for comfort, any experience of pillion on board?
Has the bar mods made much of a difference?
PROs: smooth torquey engine, especially with a GSJohn chip fitted.
Comfy (with the flat bar conversion)
Inexpensive to buy in the UK, but a slow seller when you come to part with it.
Fairly low seat.
Very good centre stand.
They are a heavy bike, although most of the weight is low-down.
CONs: the later ones (2021-on) with the facelift fairing come with servo brakes, if buying, check the ABS warning lights function correctly at start-up and ride-off. Many will have had the servo-ABS removed due to faults; this can affect the speedo and (if fitted) cruise control.
Some early bikes (1996-1997) came with teething problems that were resolved by 1999, for example collapsing plastic fuel tanks due to inadequate venting. I would avoid the early bikes. The pre-2001 bikes had ABS2 - this can fail but is much better understood and usually fixable - I fixed mine, although I didn't initially realise it was not working as the warning lights had been disconnected.
Some accessories are scare to come by. I wanted a GIVI top box mounting kit, no longer available new although I found a used one from a breaker.
Crankshaft rear seals (main rear seal & O ring: These do leak, especially on seldom-used bikes it seems. Removal of gearbox & FD to fix this leak is a very long job and not for the novice. Check for any oil leaking from the transmission - engine joint. For anyone unable to do this repair themselves, the cost of labour for someone else to do it is likely not viable, given the relatively low values of these bikes.
There have been some cases with the centre-stand mounting comes loose where it mounts onto the gearbox, that is another difficult fix.
That's all I can think of for now.
