Reply To: Does Hyosung have more engine/carburettor/electrical problems than others?
Mostly I agree with the above that the history of a bike is more important than the tank badge, in most cases. I suspect those living outside fare the worse.
One of the few advantages of being 67 and a lifelong biker is an experience of many bikes of varying makes and age.
So far I’ve owned 37 motorcycles, only 3 of them from new. The quality of the ST7 I bought when it was 4yrs old with 3800mls on the clock stands up pretty well. I did some reading before purchase so was prepared for the rectifier/stator issue, both replaced after 500 miles and no issues since.
The only electrical issue since was the sidestand switch failing, I partly blame myself for that as I’d allowed it to get engulfed in crud.
It will not surprise anyone that the make with most electrical issues was Cossack, before they switched importers to Neval. My Planeta 350 single (new) was horrible, turn the handlebars and a couple of connectors would break or separate somewhere. They’d wired the oil light in reverse so “on” meant oil was being pumped, took me some anxious miles to figure that out.
Otherwise only the Enfield India 350 (new) and a ropey ex-police Tiger 650 Triumph repeatedly failed electrically. Even the Ural 750 which had the “hand grenade” alternator worked fine. My James 197 did catch fire once though.
I also admit to not liking EFI rather than carbs, but then I’m a bit old 🙂 Replacing the in-tank fuel pump in a Guzzi made me thankful for my boy sized hands.
The finish on the Hyosung seems pretty decent as well, no quick rusting bits yet though the exhaust headpipe bolts have some very slight tarnish. I’ve had a few japanese m/c where the finish on the engine cases turned into a form of metal cheese after a couple of uk winters so they are not immune from faults.
Just my 5p worth.