IMPORTANT! TO ALL THE PEOPLE TELLING ME I'M NOT CLEANING MY BIKE OFTEN ENOUGH or any bollocks of this kind - a short explanation, as I don't have enough of free time to reply each one of you every single time! As I clearly see none of you saying that live in the UK I will tell you this: here on the island we have really humid winters with cold but rarely freezing temperatures. The humidity in ventilated but not heated garages hits 85% daily, so that plus salt on the roads is causing bikes/cars to rust and oxidize much faster. Cleaning the salt helps, but not riding it in the winter helps even more. And you know what? I almost never rode it in winter! Instead it was kept it in the garage cleaned when it got dirty. So - the only problem here is that protective clear coat on the engine is rather weak plus the alloy used on that engine contains some zinc which is prone to oxidation. End of story! My other bikes which I treated the same way - were doing better than the W, however each one of them had some faster rusting issues long term. ACF50 is the solution most people are using here, but I didn't know about that earlier. Anyways - if you are going to tell me that you or your friend had one "W" and it was all nice and shiny ever since bought... think twice if you are certain that you or your friend lived in the UK and was riding 6k miles a year on that bike. If so, check if you/he/she had expensive heated garage. If not, then shove your advice where it belongs... and before saying anything more check the ads with used W's in the UK and you'll learn that most of them are developing same issues after a few British winters!
Bang on. Unless you're one of those anal people that has the time to clean a bike after every ride then it will suffer because of a UK winter. You also need to have the facilities to spend that much time cleaning, most people are lucky to have a shed. Plus cleaning outside in the UK at any time of year can be pot luck given our weather. The way I see it a bike is there to be ridden, if you want something to polish then buy a pukka vintage bike.
Hi uncle Long Beard , another trick i like to do is when i get home after a ride and the bikes hot , i like to get my compressed air powered oiler can and give it a dusting of some spare oil to give it a drink , also enjoy mixing a spoon full of twostroke oil in with the petrol for some upper cylinder lubrication , plus it smells good when your beating it up past your mate :) cheers Digby , yeah hoping to buy a w800 eventually! Cheers
Agreed, British weather does not help. As for the bike, always thought cylinder black paint would have made it more 'retro', and why does it weigh 25% more than a genuine Meriden Triumph even though it has much more alloy & plastic - OK, starter motor & bigger battery are extra weight, but that would not account for the huge difference. Otherwise I like my 800.
@@percyprune7548 Indeed the bikes were lighter once and much more easy to ride thanks to that fact. It's not just the battery and starter. It's rotors, counter balance shafts, catalytic converters, thicker and less flimsy frames and bigger diameter suspension. Some of those things are quite nice to have... but only some ;)
I recently bought a new 2019 W800 and added a Cozy sidecar and i absolutely love the bike. Being 68 it is a absolute joy to be able to continue riding.
I had the sidecar attached to mine as well. Brilliant machine. But what I love the most is how this bike handles in the corners which I obviously lost with the chair. And as I have as a second bike - Harley which is terrible in the corners - I decided to attach the chair to that one :) Anyway, I'm certain you will enjoy your setup. It's a lovely and totally reliable machine with character.
@@Soul2burn 68 yrs-young ! I'm the same age, i have 3 bikes and ride them hard . I sold my fast-bike beginning of the year, found myself doing 180k's too often
I too, love them all from 50cc to what ever! I love the old BSA and Triumphs, the Royal Enfields and the new Triumphs. But I must agree, the Kawasaki W800 is the best looking. Ride safe and enjoy every journey.
Brilliant clip. Ive never done a vid myself so always appreciatte people like you who do an honest and very useful cracking job of a vid. Thanks again.
I’ve had mine for a few years and it’s been super reliable. I have about 50000 kms. My engine looks near perfect after riding from -5oC to 40oC. It must be salt.
It is not necessary neglect, every Japanese bike that I've owned has had that protective clear coat wear off, Honda, Suzuki's, Yamaha, Kawasaki is the worst. Suzuki's lasted the longest. None of my BMW'S EVER DID THAT! I FEEL that without the clear paint on the aluminum surface it will stay nice a lot longer. No need to sand the paint off to polish it. The corrosion is under the clear coat!
Just found this review. I passed my test in 1976, my first 'big' bike was a very tatty s/h Triumph T100P, my next an almost as tatty 1968 T120. I have had all sorts of bikes on an off ever since until recently buying a VStrom 650 (my first ever Japanese bike) which is when it struck me how HUGE many modern bikes are and how manageable my Triumph's were by comparison. Interesting to hear the W800 has 'classic' proportions, I have to say it's a bike I have never really looked at, but I love the way your bike sounds, just like one of my T120 / T140 engines....except without the top end rattle.
Indeed, modern bikes are massively overgrown. Same with cars but never mind that. In fact w800 is almost same size as classics. And it's totally reliable
All the old Japanese bikes had that Clearcoat. Your polish work turned out great. Semi- chrome polish will keep it that way. Think you should paint the cylinder barrels black.😊 dig the megaphone exaust!
Ha ! I love this review ! Ten minutes hating on the corrosion before casually mentioning that everything else is completely brilliant :D The W is a real throwback to 70's UJMs that were used for every reason, and the riders would bond with them. Great review mate.
Love what you said and totally agree with your article.I bought my w800 in 2011 and have done 70.000 enjoyable kilometres I love the bike. I'm 65 and have owned motorcycles since 17 years old. Awesome
Nice video with some useful information. I enjoyed your French motorcycle excursion, too. Very brave of you to go on a long tour with a bored teenager. My W800 Cafe has a black-painted engine. Hope the coating proves to be more durable than your clear-coated engine. Weather in the northeast US is not much better than Great Britain.
to be honest, it was just slowly getting worse but turned that bad after last year's trip to Scotland and later the Wales. And I guess that the continental weather in the US is not that humid as here. Average annual humidity here is around 80... ish. Thanks for the comment mate.
@@UncleLongbeard Oh, it gets humid here in the northeast. Maybe just more sunshine and a little less rain. A think the biggest factor in that kind of corrosion is salt air, and I'm not far from the ocean. The advice I was given to ward off corrosion is to keep the bike clean. But wiping the entire bike down after every ride is more than I'm willing to do.
@@UncleLongbeard thanks for your reply. I ended up getting the seat modified to make it flat and wider at the front. A bike has to be comfortable but modern designs seem to favour form over function in respect of seats
Wonderfuil review. I have a w650..and modified it a lot. i want a 2020 W800 so I can get ABS, rear disc and traction control but I do not know how to do the mods in the injection system, so I am sticking with my w650. I love it too. It is simple to modify to carbs when changing the exhaust. I live in Japan, and we have to do a two-yearly inspection to re-register the bike. They do not allow many mods, so I have re-install the old exhaust system for that. I wanted to do a monoshock too, but they said I will fail that inspection. Anyway, beautiful bike. Well done. Subscribed.
I think it's easier to do minor modifications to fuel injection than carbs. You just need power commander or EJK controller, o2 bypass and of you go. Also, easy to remove before the inspection ;) Cheers.
In the market for next year, love the Retro Bikes of today and want one! But I want one to do it all, mainly Touring in comfort! The Triumph T120 and the BMW R1250R are the favourites! What else can I consider?
As far as the oxidation goes you have to properly clean and maintain the engine as well as the rest of the bike. I don't get how people complain about these things but in reality if you ride daily in all weather conditions you need to keep up with cleaning. If not it'll look like the underside of a car or under the hood of a car that never gets washed. Bikes are no different and even more vulnerable since all the hardware is exposed
You clearly didn't get the meaning of what I said. There are different alloys and some of them tend to oxidize more than the others - that is the basics of chemistry. Same as the cars - some are rusting faster in the same conditions. That is what is all about here.
@@UncleLongbeard you are spot on about the chemistry here. zinc is easily oxidized and should *not* be used in motorcycle alloys. it adds nothing to strength or appearance or ease of maintenance. it's used because it is inexpensive compared to better alloys. one suggestion: have you looked into silicone wax sprays for after polishing treatment? these easily applied coatings provide high corrosion resistance to metal surfaces. might save you the next 2 days of labor. keep on wheelin' !
@@UncleLongbeard l would prefer a lot more torque. I am used to 105 Nm of torque from my 1137cc big twin, and so this seems whoafully under powered. I don't think l will have mine as long as yours. Yes it looks good...but, l err more on the side of practicality every time, and doing touring miles on mine as l found out yesterday, above 60mph is not its forte, indeed it is a bit dangerous and quite flighty in the front end. As many BMW owners have said with telilever suspension, we have all been spoiled or lulled into thinking every other brand and bike would handle just as well.
I meant to add that l have just sold my 1981 xs650 Yamaha to buy this bike, and l would say the handling and frame geometry is on par with the Bonnie, having around the same wheelbase and weight, and fork rake and trail. The xs has an almost square bore and stroke though, and the Bonnie has a way over square dimension which could only be improved with a bigger capacity, l feel. For example you would never guess it had 9:1 compression. Its sweet spot in the rev range for producing power is up near 5000rpms (a little higher than l am used to, and there is no torque to get you there easily, you have to be patient instead), and you couldn't really describe its power delivery as linear, it could be described as hesitant or a reluctant response to twisting the throttle (rubber band like actaually). If l did a blind evaluation of its engine capacity by riding it, l would most likely have estimated it in the 750 range. Makes me wonder if the smaller 790 model with a more even bore and stroke dimensions is a better bike. That the extra bore in the 865 was a wasted exercise giving little or no noticeable advantage. But having said all that, a bike is a love affair, so l hope yours continues happily.
No, I replied hundred times here already and yet there's another smart ass telling me how to clean my bikes... And yet they don't connect the dots that my other bikes don't have that problem... The alloy used in the w800 engine contains zinc and that is prone to oxidation. Yes, it had protective coat which is peeling off after years in damp climate... And here you are. The only allergy I have is to replying to same sort of comments all over again
Thanks for the great review! I am debating between this and the Triumph T100. What is your height? Would the W800 be too small for someone 183cm tall? Thank you!
You may be interested to know, that in my country we have never needed to spread salt on the roads in Winter. This means that our cars and motorcycles last much longer. People in England looking for vintage cars that were exported to my country from there come over to buy the ones here because they are in great condition, where as all those in England of the same vintage are rusted away.
I had a Harley that started to look like the w800 shown and that was only one ride that's not to mention the seats stitching tearing, never buy a Harley they are crap compared to any other motorcycle, i was fooled by Harley Davidson for 20years, and everyone I know that rides a Harley has an attitude problem, they won't wave or nod, so when I see them broken down I just ride on by without even acknowledging they even exist, after all why bother helping losers
Good review. Modern retros aren't really my cup of tea, to be fair. Which means they're not something I would want to own myself. But in terms of looks I thought the Norton Commando and the RI Interceptor looked really good. Good job with that sanding and polishing!!!
Hello ! after seeing all the clips with the kawasaki w800 on your channel, I decided to buy this model but the 2023 version (blue). It is definitely the most retro model on the market, even more British style than the Triumph Bonneville: premium finishes and materials, lots of chrome, simple and reliable. I compared it with other motorcycles, and it really has no equal. By the way, do you still own the kawasaki w800? can you make videos with it if you still have it? bmw is neah
I own a 2019 W800 Street and am insanely happy with it 😁. It has the black finished engine and I've found Harley - Davidson black engine spray does a superb job of keeping it looking like brand new or even better than new.
Since that video I did another 12k trouble free miles on the W800, got a bit bored and replaced it with BSA A10 + BMW r9t combo ;) W650 is a fantastic bike but it's not a real classic nor it's as easy to service as W800. However you're right and I would choose W650 out of those two nowadays anyway ;)
I dont know what u are doing with your bike that looks so bad after 25k-km. My W650 99 model has now made 283oookm (in Norway and abroad trips), I seldom wash it, never polish, never touched the engine or any other problems with the bike, and it still looks way better than yours. U must be living on a windy seaside place. SALT ruins all bikes!
@@UncleLongbeard saw a video with a problem with the bevel gear making noise....i dont know if a lot of thoses bikes have that problem......28 300 miles without problem is amazing
@@sebg2086 they do lot more than that without issues. Quite a few bikes which did more than 200k without opening the engine. The bevel noise is usually just an adjustment thing. But bad adjustment can cause problems. But what's important, those engines are just air cooled so they are never quiet and they produce some noises
wet sandpaper 300, 600, 1200 then 3000 and after that felt buffing wheel with brown polishing compound. I used this one on my angle grinder amzn.to/2Rq8WDc but yours should work as well
Just 2 things - 1. I don't like black version, 2. it was maintained as every bike I have or had, and non was oxidizing like that. Also I don't think that there is anyone able to clean the engine under the protective coating... Cheers
When I lived in the UK if using a bike in winter I used to give the engine cases a weekly wipe down with WD40, it kept the worst corrosion away. Here now in rural France on unsalted roads i do not have that problem.
Oh, that looks a bit like my old Royal Enfield Bullet 500 after it was stored under not ideal conditions for a couple of years. I am very surprised ! This from a japanese company with so much experience in building motorcycles. I was contemplating the W800 but then found a nice V7 Racer... I am glad I did. Btw. the Bullet also looked great straight out the shop....
I got both, so I can tell you the exact difference. Bullet's engine is not oxidizing even without protective paint. The W paint lasted a few years but later the oxidation started to begin and protective paint started to peel of. But on the other hand - W800 have no sign of rust except rear shocks. No rusty chrome or missing paint. And on the bullet every chrome part have rust spots ;)
@@UncleLongbeard I bought my bullet in the year 2000 in Dubai as I resided in the Middle East. Fresh out of the shops she looked really great and shiny in blue and chrome. As you might know at the time kick--start only :). Imagine, it was late December when she was delivered and I put her under the Christmas tree in the living room. ;) Tos for boys...
"I don't know where I'm going but that doesn't matter!" That's the stuff. Didn't realise the W800 made such a nice exhaust sound. I live in a country with no snow (and thus no salt on the road) Never seen a W800 look that oxidized, it's real bad for such a short timeframe.
the cause of that was a mix of dirt from Scottish trip (wet and damp) plus English winter with average humidity being over 85% on average. Truth is that there are bikes which are withstanding those conditions better but to be honest it's not ideal for any bike really. But now I had much drier garage and no problem no more.
Thanks for the review. I have a question: Would you recommend this bike to a new rider? I am also not very skilled in terms of maintenance, with less knowledge 😅
6:00 Nice result. Maybe with a bit of work between it could nearly always look like this? I have a Z900RS. Very good bike, but maybe I will change to a W800. Don‘t need the power of the RS, like simplicity and the W800 could remind me to times where I started driving motorbike in 1979. I bought a Honda CB550 F2 for my first bike. She was blue and had 50hp. That has been always enough for riding. The new W800 we can get here is also blue and has around 50hp. Maybe a „back to the roots“ for me.... 🤔
No, work in between wouldn't change the fact that there was oxidation happening under the protective coating. Well, maybe if I would clean the bike EVERY day it would be better. But trust me, I'm often cleaning the bike when it's getting dirty. Basically, damp British climate along with simple protective paint and a bit of salt just don't come together and after a few years caused that protective paint to peel. I seen that on many W's here but my other bikes withstand it much better. Same weather, same owner, same cleaning... just a different aluminium alloy
I replied to many comments about same accusations. Even if I would treat it badly, I had more bikes to treat and none of them had so bad oxidation issues
Own the W800 for 13 years now ridden 80.000km on it. The Kawa is very reliable. Been on tours in Europe several times fully packed. The bike is a good allrounder. I ride it as Kawaski has build it. Did not change anything with the engine. Mounted a windshield and saddlebags for more daily riding comfort and practicability. The finish looks good but you have to have a regular cleaning and care routine, otherwise it will look like your bike in the beginning of the video. Especially if you ride in salted wintertime or longer rain periods. I own an Enfield EFI 500 Chrome Classic an a CB1100. Love all of my bikes. The W800 is something in between powerwise and with its paralleltwin. I own the Kawa for the longest time and it is something special. But all my bikes are something special to me, I wouldn't have bought them if not. I like (modern) retros more than most bikes being on the market in the last decades. Does the W look better than the Enfield or CB for example? It depends on your eyesight. I don't think so, the W looks different but very good.
Hi, thanks for the video. Really interesting. I was looking at T100 /Sreet twin. however, after watching this I'm not sure now. I like W800 too. I currently ride a 79 Shovel (fun but reliability 🙄) and 84 R100 RS( love it). So I'm used to old slow vehicles and fancy something more reliable and modern. So what would your advice T100/W800.? Im more inclined to Kawasaki🙄🙄Cheers🙏🙏
For reliability take W800 all day long. I know people with 100 000 km on the clock with ZERO issues so far. But Triumph will be faster for certain. Thing is that W800 is not specifically exciting when it comes to power delivery (but it's not slow). So it's up to you what are you looking for. I still have other bikes but choose mostly W800 as it always works. And that was the idea when I bought it. That I will have other bikes I can work on, but there needs to be one which is always ready and working. And that works like a treat. I also said a bit more about that here: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-zPrjkqNNr4c.html
I had a couple of new Japanese bikes, a Honda and a Suzuki back in the 70s, the finish was exactly the same, a thin layer of lacquer over the alloy, which was great until the corrosion set in, then had to do the same, rub it all off and polish.
Now you've got the engine cases sorted, go take a look at Stuart Fillingham's channel as he's got some really good advice on how to protect that vulnerable alloy from further corrosion. He knows what he's talking about as he used to be a professional in the trade. Good video as always.
I've seen the video you're talking about, nothing new for me but I polished quite a few things in my life :D What is the most annoying part of it is that you basically need to do some quick 30 minutes polishing once a month to keep it tidy. All the chemicals will just limit the shine or will not last long. It also depends a lot on the alloy compounds factory used. And for what I see, the alloy used by Kawasaki is much more prone to oxidization than let's say the old school bikes aluminium alloy or the Enfield's one. Cheers
@@dhhjsjzjzjjhsjsjh Almost certainly & not just Kawasaki. Triumph Bonnevilles with Alloy cases and other bits are very prone to it. That's just chemistry though. Either get black, powder coated ones or enjoy polishing & applying chemical protection. Carnauba Wax is one option which helps, but not eliminates corrosion, especially in Northern European salt-laden winter conditions. In dry areas like say Colorado or California, Spain, etc there may be fewer issues of this sort.
@@dhhjsjzjzjjhsjsjh You would love any of them , ride them all , buy the one that feels/rides the best . Guzzi came 3rd in all the reviews /comparisons of those 3 bikes, but if it makes you smile the most..........
Its really good review for me. I add ur channel. Could u advise the sub on this review? If u can pls leave ur sub like a cmmt. i want to know more deeplly.
Interesting video with some useful information. Too bad about the crappy music at the beginning, the harangue about the engine appearance and the 4-minute wait for any worthwhile content.
A cracking review. I've had a w800 for a year now, and have come to deeply appreciate it like you. My only mod is a gel pad on the saddle so my arse doesn't catch fire after an hour on the standard saddle. Enjoyed this, thanks mate ,!
After several rides a Stone from my kidney came down and made me having big pains, the saddle-comfort is absolutely poor, I´m thinking of getting me some gel-pants:-) to avoid suffering, but nevertheless I love my bike.
Thank you very much, I asked because I am thinking of buying a second-hand 2014 model with drum brakes. It is a good idea? Will it work well in 2024? My main question was the drum brakes...thanks.
@@UncleLongbeard true ,i have my triumphs to be silly on ,the w800 has dependabilty reliabley and doesnt mark its spot but mate all bikes are fun even grubby ones (my fav)
Great video and the bike is a stunner! One question: is the power output "enough" for doing motorway overtakes? I'm not a massively fast rider but I would want something that's happy to sit happily at 75mph and manage a few uphill overtakes on the A1M. Is the W800 ok for that or does it start to run out of puff?
You know you don't have to leave the aluminium unpainted. back in the day in countries were salt is put on the roads in Winter, it was normal to have to do something about this regularly, such as clean it off with a neutralizing wash. Do you put conditioner on your hair after washing it? Why? because the shampoo makes your more Basic or higher in the pH spectrum (and it should be neutral), just like salt does. So try putting something on it to counteract the higher pH of road salt. Chemistry is fun.
I am bold and I never used conditioner, so here you go ;) Nevertheless the problem was not in aluminium itself but in oxidation between aluminium and that protective paint on the engine. When the process started it wasn't really stoppable. When the aluminium is clean - I hade no more problems of that kind. Just keeping it more or less clean sorts it out
4 месяца назад
As a professional polisher a 360 grit will take out dullness with fat. Then a sisal mop to cut out lines and dullness with alloy polish in bars from industrial polishing supplier. A stitch mop on a spindle with polish will give it a deep shine and a spray laquer will protect it from salt etc but wont last on parts that get hot. Reminds me of the old BSA twins a bit. ❤❤❤
4 месяца назад
Shortened reverse cone megaphones from wassell are cheap and universal silencers. Will work with carb easier.
I do not understand why a motorcycle model which has languished unsold in showrooms for some twenty years is suddenly so desirable. The Royal Enfield Interceptor is the reason for the resurgence in retro bikes. Why buy a Kawasaki at almost twice the price?
Enfield is a cheap not really well made bike which has nothing to do with retro resurrection. It's w650 and air cooled Hinckley bonnie responsible for that. Anyways with the W you pay for the bullet proof reliability
I had a similar problem with my W800 and polished it. You certainly provided a lot of details about the corrosion. However, you spent a minute on cleaning it. I didnt use sandpaper but I did use an angle grinder or drill to polish the metal. I really didnt clean the screws well enough because they are seated into the engine. I think that I would have to remove each one individually to clean them properly. Also some parts of the engine are hard to get the angle grinder to. I would have liked to see how you did it.
I used both angle grinder and sand paper ;) I didn't clean the bolts and surrounding areas but those are barely visible. Unfortunately I haven't recorded the polishing process itself but possibly I will the next time I will have to clean this or something else maybe. Thanks for the comment
@@UncleLongbeard well it's good that you highlighted the main problem with the W800. At least the versions with the polished aluminium engine casings. I also had the problem with the rusty rear suspension. Other than that, the bike is good. Thanks for reply
@@UncleLongbeard What did you use to polish it? I just used a product called Purple metal polish. It works well but I'm always looking for ideas. Any ideas about how to stop it from oxidizing again?
@@markfs Just brown and later blue polishing compound amzn.to/2O29iOT I don't think there's a good way of protecting it from oxidizing after polishing. But at least the lacquer won't peel anymore so it will be much faster to clean or repolish it again
@@UncleLongbeard Thanks for the reply and for the link. You've been very helpful. Yes, you're right. It takes only a few minutes to get it shining again.
I have a 2019 W800. The bike has a Cozy Rocket sidecar attached. It is a joy to own except for the battery location. I had to have a brand new bike towed for 45 kms as my battery slowly loosened and the connection would not allow the current to flow. That has made me nervous owning a bike with no Kickstarter
I never had a problem with the battery. And as long as I would enjoy having kickstarter just for fun, I don't feel I need it for any safety reasons. When your battery is weak you can still push start the bike but better off replace it.
Indeed. Tubeless would be nice to have. Personally I'd welcome 900cc and 70hp. That would satisfy my needs
4 года назад
w650 original seat from the 1999 model (original) that you added is really hard... I have one on my w650. :)... did you wet the sandpaper before applying elbow grease??
@@dougfielding8215 I bet the air hawk is brilliant but it is another thing to carry and it looks bad on the bike. I'm going to use another foam on the stock seat which is much softer. It should sort it out.
@@UncleLongbeard I know what you mean, I bought a large Sharpee black marker to shade in the red stripe on the AirHawk so as not to draw attention to it.
How's about your oil consumption ? I have "street model" from 2019. and it consumes some oil, more then a half of liter betwen oil changes. I change it every 6 - 7k km (despite manuals saying every 12k km,...)
yes, there is some oil consumption. It's perfectly normal. 100ml per 1000km is absolutely fine for every vehicle. And the W doesn't have big oil tank so it gets hot and very thin - therefore easy to consume. Especially when you ride in hot climate and mostly higher revs. In my experience it consumes more oil when I ride it faster. I'm replacing my oil each 10kkm and I use 15w50 for the summer which is better oil IMO for the W and lowers the consumption as well.
That corrosion/oxidation is REALLY bad! My first bike that I bought in 2014 was a 2007 honda, which had it's share of rain/dirt/etc over the years looked pretty much brand new compared to this. It's .... weird.. Fantastic job on the polish though! Amazing! Do you think that will speed up corrosion long term?
I think that it's not the corrosion which made it look that bad, but actually just a bit of corrosion on the aluminium causing the protective paint to peel off. Also, it wasn't that bad really until I went to Scotland ;) And there... wet, cold, wet, probably salty... Anyway, so far it doesn't look bad at all. Just a tiny bit of oxidization which you can remove with soft cloth really.
Too much washing, not enough riding. I did 210,000 km on my last bike in 16 years... it had 80,000 on the clock when I bought it. The only washing it ever got was rain. Would have kept it, but moved to another country.... My current ride has 50,000 km in two and a half years. Been properly maintained, but never washed.
@@danielvlnka2690 It was a 1997 Honda Dream 100, which was an ex rental that I bought for about $500 with 80,000 km on the clock. I did a further 210,000 km on it before I sold it for about $180, with a total of 290,000 on the clock. I had the engine overhauled @ 180,000 km, which took a couple of days and cost about $150 in Thailand.
a bit too small I would say, but if you make the seat taller and move the footpegs by an inch it would be perfect. Go to the dealership and check a new one
