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Post by Phil on Jul 5, 2016 22:21:05 GMT
A thought came to me today while I was out on a nice ride out over the Mendips and down through Cheddar Gorge .
my speedo milometer clicked over twenty thousand and I was thinking how well it runs and how much longer it's likely to remain that way.
What do people on here think is the life expectancy of a well maintained Superdream engine? And what's the most Millage you have ever seen on one?
I would imagine that they must be well capable of over fourty thousand.
back in the 80's when the bikes were in their prime and used by many dispatch riders they must have had some serious abuse and clocked up a lot of hard miles.
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Post by Phil on Jul 5, 2016 22:32:47 GMT
Also while I think about it here's another interesting one.
whats the most Millage you have ever covered on your bike in a single day ?
like I mentioned in a different post the furthest I've been on mine in a single day was from Manchester to Bristol all down the motorways.
i kept it at 70mph or under the whole way and the bike seemed to cope just fine.
i was the one suffering not the bike, i never realised just how much old bikes vibrate through the bars.
my bloody hands were vibrating long after I got off the bike.
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Post by Deleted on Jul 5, 2016 22:37:11 GMT
This is a great question, Phil.
It's strange but the bestest most quietest Superdream I have ever ridden is my silver deluxe - and in reality it has covered around 22,000 (before a nicer condition lower mileage speedo went on at some point in the last ten years).
I have owned another model which was only around 200 on the frame number out from my deluxe and it had a genuine 7,000 on the clock - but compared to the silver one, it ran like a bag of nails - really noisy top end and just rode nowhere near as nice - stiffer clutch etc.
So I reckon it's all down to maintenance. These bikes were built so well, I reckon you could find a 50k mile looked after machine that rides as nice and quiet as a 5k mile one. I think fresh and correct grade oil changes over the bike's life is key to this. I kid you not, my silver one is 34 years old but rides like a new bike....it's astounding really.
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Post by Phil on Jul 5, 2016 23:29:25 GMT
This is a great question, Phil. It's strange but the bestest most quietest Superdream I have ever ridden is my silver deluxe - and in reality it has covered around 22,000 (before a nicer condition lower mileage speedo went on at some point in the last ten years). I have owned another model which was only around 200 on the frame number out from my deluxe and it had a genuine 7,000 on the clock - but compared to the silver one, it ran like a bag of nails - really noisy top end and just rode nowhere near as nice - stiffer clutch etc. So I reckon it's all down to maintenance. These bikes were built so well, I reckon you could find a 50k mile looked after machine that rides as nice and quiet as a 5k mile one. I think fresh and correct grade oil changes over the bike's life is key to this. I kid you not, my silver one is 34 years old but rides like a new bike....it's astounding really. Well I suppose when you think of it by the time some of us have been through these machines top to bottom they pretty much are a brand new bike, just one that is already run in! i think one of the nicest things someone ever said about my bike was when these two oldish guys were looking it over when I was parked up at a bike show and one of the guys turned to his friend and said " Blimey I thought they had stopped making these years ago, or perhaps they've started up making them again. the other bloke looked at him and laughed and took the Mick out him for being an old fool, explaining that I was in fact 36 years old, "Look at the reg plate ya silly old sod". they didn't know I was watching and listening. Tell you what though it gave me a laugh but made my day for sure. |
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danrush4th
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Post by danrush4th on Jul 6, 2016 4:27:37 GMT
I have 55k on my 400NB still runs well never misses a beat. The only thing I've done is fit a new timing chain, it was worn so much when I got the bike, the tensioner was at full reach and it was still rattling about.
That was 34k when the chain was changed.
The engine is pretty quite really, with only the slightest noise coming from the top end and clutch basket spring rattle. The cylinder head gasket does weep a little, maybe a skim might fix this because a new gasket didn't, but I'm not going to bother as it's far from a problem leak.
As far as riding goes it feels like a much newer bike than it is to ride, its remarkable how good the gearbox is by far the smoothest and easiest to use, compared to any bike I've owned.
Maintenance is the key I'm sure my bike wasn't very well looked after by the previous owners, Probably oil changes skipped and so on so maybe a cam chain could last longer than around 30 odd thousand.
I keep on top of oil changes in the hope it will go on running well and give me pleasure for many years to come, my mates my age probably think I'm sad riding a bike older than I am, but Its a bike that always puts a smile on my face when I ride it. Love it to bits.
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carlthebandit
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Post by carlthebandit on Jul 6, 2016 6:35:24 GMT
Back in 1981 I rode with my girlfriend (now my wife) to Looe in Cornwall on my 1979 250 sd registration AVT 80T. The sd was loaded up with a tent sleeping bags and plenty of clothes for a two week holiday. Bike had Rickman fairing side paniers and rear rack. I had a large strap fitted around Helen and my wastes as she used to fall asleep on the back. Those were the days 17 years old £60 in your wallet, yo were King off the road and a millionaire  |
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carlthebandit
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Post by carlthebandit on Jul 6, 2016 6:36:00 GMT
Ps I live in Cannock so that was about 250 miles  |
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terryc
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Post by terryc on Jul 6, 2016 7:52:07 GMT
Furthest I've ridden in one go was on a CD 175 from Rotherham to Weymouth this was on L plates so no motorways and it was almost 300 miles,furthest on my current SD is around 220 on the Whitby run did about the same on the Wales run
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Post by Fordy on Jul 6, 2016 8:30:16 GMT
I remember riding to Bkackpool with my then girlfriend as pillion, that's a fair track from South Wales on a SD
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Post by Phil on Jul 6, 2016 15:00:45 GMT
I remember riding to Bkackpool with my then girlfriend as pillion, that's a fair track from South Wales on a SD That is a hell of a trek. was that on motorways or A roads? |
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Post by BritPete on Jul 6, 2016 15:35:37 GMT
Also while I think about it here's another interesting one. whats the most Millage you have ever covered on your bike in a single day ? like I mentioned in a different post the furthest I've been on mine in a single day was from Manchester to Bristol all down the motorways. i kept it at 70mph or under the whole way and the bike seemed to cope just fine. i was the one suffering not the bike, i never realised just how much old bikes vibrate through the bars. my bloody hands were vibrating long after I got off the bike.
If you think the SD vibrates that is nothing compared to by BSA C15 (250cc Single Cylinder registered in 1959) 100 miles on that and you really know it
Saying that its a great bike to ride
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Post by Somersetdreamer on Jul 6, 2016 20:08:30 GMT
Both my superdreams have just under 50,000 & both engines seem fine |
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Post by Deleted on Jul 6, 2016 20:51:21 GMT
I'm with Fungo on this , the mileage does not seem to be an indicator of how the bike feels to ride , BBC although far from pampered and not restored rides very well with no "old bike" issues at all . Somehow it feels better to ride than the NA I recently sold & some of my previous Sds, smoother, more "together" somehow - very small individual differences but quite a marked difference overall , if that makes sense ?! Not done more than 100 miles in a day on a SD in recent years but did manage over 500 miles in one day on my 125 coming back from Spain when my favoured campsite was shut !  |
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Post by Phil on Jul 6, 2016 22:14:56 GMT
I'm with Fungo on this , the mileage does not seem to be an indicator of how the bike feels to ride , BBC although far from pampered and not restored rides very well with no "old bike" issues at all . Somehow it feels better to ride than the NA I recently sold & some of my previous Sds, smoother, more "together" somehow - very small individual differences but quite a marked difference overall , if that makes sense ?! Not done more than 100 miles in a day on a SD in recent years but did manage over 500 miles in one day on my 125 coming back from Spain when my favoured campsite was shut ! 500 miles on a 125, that reall is some going. what bike was it? |
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Post by Phil on Jul 6, 2016 22:18:30 GMT
of course as you tend to get a bit older as I now am the other problem you have is that your ass will give out long before the bike does.
its not so bad on the big bikes with the big seats like the GSX1400, there's plenty of padding on that one but the Superdream is a fair bit harder on the posterior!
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