Itchy Boots goes Vintage | GTAMotorcycle.com

Itchy Boots goes Vintage

Mad Mike

Mad Mike

Well-known member
I just watched her describe her new bike… she’s after my heart!

She’s going around the world on an 87Yamaha Tenere 600.

I did a few thousand km thtu northern Ontario this year on a vintage ADV, thinking about trying the Trans Lab next summer.
 
Yeah I thought she might go Teneré but not clue a classic version when they just released the 2025 600.
And around the world too!!!?.....girl never stops. (y)🍿
Waiting for her book to be translated to English.
 
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This the one she is taking on her next adventure.
 
@Mad Mike that looks quite lovely also! There's something about the vintage bikes that I love...but not enough to actually go out and buy one to ride. Maybe because I'm too worried about things going wrong on older bikes, but they should be easier to rectify.
 
mimico_polak said:
@Mad Mike that looks quite lovely also! There's something about the vintage bikes that I love...but not enough to actually go out and buy one to ride. Maybe because I'm too worried about things going wrong on older bikes, but they should be easier to rectify.
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There’s an argument to be made that when you’re broken down in the middle of nowhere, older can be easier to fix in some circumstances, and maintenance and minor repairs aren’t usually a problem either as long as base mechanical parts like bearings and wear items are still available.
 
mimico_polak said:
@Mad Mike that looks quite lovely also! There's something about the vintage bikes that I love...but not enough to actually go out and buy one to ride. Maybe because I'm too worried about things going wrong on older bikes, but they should be easier to rectify.
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There are lots of vintage bikes that are dependable and have easy parts access. Finding parts for vintage 2 stroke ADVs is a little tougher and can be expensive.
 
PrivatePilot said:
There’s an argument to be made that when you’re broken down in the middle of nowhere, older can be easier to fix in some circumstances, and maintenance and minor repairs aren’t usually a problem either as long as base mechanical parts like bearings and wear items are still available.
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Easier to fix, no complicated electronics, simple fuelling and cooling systems. And usually a lot lighter.
 
This is a much better bike. The Rally looked good, but it was just lipstick on a pig.
 
PrivatePilot said:
There’s an argument to be made that when you’re broken down in the middle of nowhere, older can be easier to fix in some circumstances, and maintenance and minor repairs aren’t usually a problem either as long as base mechanical parts like bearings and wear items are still available.
Click to expand...
To a guy with a first gen KLR and a '76 CB750 on the road you're preaching to the choir.
 
70's would be a bit too vintage for me, parts availability would start to become a concern, no?

Then again...Honda....so that's a big +1 so far as long term parts availability.

(Look at me worrying about parts availability...riding a bike that that Yamaha suddenly discontinued out of the blue in 2021 and already has parts shortages issues for some stuff lol)
 
PrivatePilot said:
70's would be a bit too vintage for me, parts availability would start to become a concern, no?

Then again...Honda....so that's a big +1 so far as long term parts availability.

(Look at me worrying about parts availability...riding a bike that that Yamaha suddenly discontinued out of the blue in 2021 and already has parts shortages issues for some stuff lol)
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Honda made a LOT of SOHC 750 fours. Parts are not a big problem.
 
timtune said:
Honda made a LOT of SOHC 750 fours. Parts are not a big problem.
Click to expand...

(Look at me riding a bike they only made for 4 years and discontinued being a giant hypocrite in my comments lol)
 
PrivatePilot said:
There’s an argument to be made that when you’re broken down in the middle of nowhere, older can be easier to fix in some circumstances, and maintenance and minor repairs aren’t usually a problem either as long as base mechanical parts like bearings and wear items are still available.
Click to expand...
While in NFLD this summer I encountered a guy sitting on the side of the road up the north coast toward L'Anse de Meadows, across the St. Lawrence from Labrador. He was about 3 hours north of Rocky Harbor well past Grose Morne park and about 1 hr. from the nearest gas station. Thankfully, there was OK cell service.

He was on a fairly new Harley and said it "just quit". There was a tool kit spread about, so I asked him for more detail than that, but he really didn't want to give me any, or he really didn't know any better. He'd apparently called a buddy, who had shown up with the tool kit. Without a tester, they decided it was likely the battery so buddy was off to Rocky Harbor to look for a solution.

He sat there for quite a while as his friend had just pulled away, and I bet in the end he didn't ride away as there was something else wrong.

I agree that a carbureted bike would be easier to diagnose and fix but a basic understanding of what you're operating is also necessary. The dude on the side of the road struck me as a guy who didn't have the first clue about the bike he was riding.
 
Watched the second episode of the new season where they break down this new bike in details. Pretty cool design by the guy who seems to know everything about Yamahas of that era.
Now I can imagine how his business will profit from this exposure, would be interesting to know how many of those custom Teneres he will get commissioned to build..

 
Sounds like he has most spare parts on hand if she ever needs them.


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Sochi said:
Watched the second episode of the new season where they break down this new bike in details. Pretty cool design by the guy who seems to know everything about Yamahas of that era.
Now I can imagine how his business will profit from this exposure, would be interesting to know how many of those custom Teneres he will get commissioned to build..

Click to expand...
I watched it too and enjoyed it. It was completely bike and shop focused so it help my attention all the way through, as opposed to the narrate while I ride videos that don't often appeal to me.

Plus her accent reminds me of my cousins in Holland.

I agree with his perspective that too many sensors and electronics are just potential inconvenient failures waiting to happen.
 
Never owned a bike with all the toys, traction control etc cept for ABS. More things to go wrong. Can only recall a couple times the ABS came on hard. Learned to brake for decades without it.

Of course my latest round of 300s hardly need a launch button ;)
Even the two CBF1000s were bare bones from a gadgets standpoint.
Am glad to have decent ABS given our rain and roundabouts.
Easier tire fixes for Noraly with no ABS.
 
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