Greetings all --
First off, thanks to everyone for your replies, its great to be a part of this group and talk about these bikes. I'm grateful to everyone reaching out with info about bikes for sale, and I've got a few lined up to look at.
I haven't had a chance to comb through the forums with regard to this topic, but I'd like some opinions on what exactly I should be looking for on these bikes, when looking at buying. Specifics are appreciated, as I don't want to have any real surprises when I buy something and know that a major repair is in order.
I'm checking out 4 bikes (so far) in the next 10 days or so, so please feel free to message me if you have a link or suggestion on what to look for.
Thanks in advance for any advice !!
I've asked various sources about how long these engines were designed to run and the answer that keeps coming back is that there isn't a mileage number you should be looking at as much as an indication that the required maintenance/care was performed over the bike's life. You can probably get a feel for that thru the seller and appearance of the bike. That said, early generation 1100s (of which I have) here noted to have relatively weak 1st and/or 2nd gears in their transmissions if subjected to serious abuse - which a lot of these bikes were subjected to back in the day. Apparently, in later models even this problem was dealt with. So, I guess my 2 cents worth is to look for the bike in the best condition and a best explanation of the bike's ownership over its life.