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Bitten by the motorbike bug! Do I own a classic?


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Hi guys and girls,

I've ridden DT125s in the past and have pondered passing my motorbike licence since age 17.

I passed my car licence instead and now at 23 I went for it!

CBT in the bag, scarily easy to pass and I'm studying towards my standard licence. (94% on mock theory... won't settle until 100%!)

So my first on-road bike... It's a Yamaha (derrrr) YB100 97cc 1989 18N Model in Red (happy little 2 stroke).

It's CBT friendly, looks like a classic, pulls like a 125cc and produces a smell which would take any F1 driver back to his karting childhood!

Bought for £500, it had a full MOT, full TAX, only serviced a month ago and only 8500 genuine miles on the clock.

Added to this was the original owners manual, original service history booklet, original 1989 V5, wad of receipts and even the Haynes manual! All inside the original dealers' paperwork folder!

Sure it needs a little TLC in the visual department where I plan to restore as close to factory as I can and a problem with keeping the brand new 6v battery charged with no apparent fault but mechanically it seems in good shape.

Pictures will follow if there is interest.

But the big question I have.... Is it a true classic?

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Hi guys and girls,

I've ridden DT125s in the past and have pondered passing my motorbike licence since age 17.

I passed my car licence instead and now at 23 I went for it!

CBT in the bag, scarily easy to pass and I'm studying towards my standard licence. (94% on mock theory... won't settle until 100%!)

So my first on-road bike... It's a Yamaha (derrrr) YB100 97cc 1989 18N Model in Red (happy little 2 stroke).

It's CBT friendly, looks like a classic, pulls like a 125cc and produces a smell which would take any F1 driver back to his karting childhood!

Bought for £500, it had a full MOT, full TAX, only serviced a month ago and only 8500 genuine miles on the clock.

Added to this was the original owners manual, original service history booklet, original 1989 V5, wad of receipts and even the Haynes manual! All inside the original dealers' paperwork folder!

Sure it needs a little TLC in the visual department where I plan to restore as close to factory as I can and a problem with keeping the brand new 6v battery charged with no apparent fault but mechanically it seems in good shape.

Pictures will follow if there is interest.

But the big question I have.... Is it a true classic?

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in a word NO,the yb was only ever regarded as a commuter for the more aged or fiscally challenged rider,i was around in their day as a teenager,nobody would go near one due to the total loss of any street cred you may have already,nothing wrong with the bike,probably some anorak on ebay that will give you more than its worth,after all it seems the whole world has gone mad on older bikes no matter how mundane they were in their day.

good luck

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Haha,

I take it your not a fan.

To be honest this was one of the cheapest options for a geared bike without travelling 200 miles with a trailer to pick one up and personally I'm a fan of the styling.

A lot of things have changed since the 80s - Street cred is not something people worry about unless they are in school or a gang...

Besides, if you were talking fashion... You'd look more of a pratt to Joe Bloggs on a 1980s purple and white thing these days.

I'd love a 1930s classic, but learning on a small, cheaper bike before passing my test seems logical.

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Haha,

I take it your not a fan.

To be honest this was one of the cheapest options for a geared bike without travelling 200 miles with a trailer to pick one up and personally I'm a fan of the styling.

A lot of things have changed since the 80s - Street cred is not something people worry about unless they are in school or a gang...

Besides, if you were talking fashion... You'd look more of a pratt to Joe Bloggs on a 1980s purple and white thing these days.

I'd love a 1930s classic, but learning on a small, cheaper bike before passing my test seems logical.

not slagging the bike off,im sure it will do exactly what you want very well,as for being a classic as in the fsie,rd,lc or dt,dont believe it has the same cult type following.anyway,just enjoy it,get your test passed,if you can make a bit when you sell it,job well done.

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not slagging the bike off,im sure it will do exactly what you want very well,as for being a classic as in the fsie,rd,lc or dt,dont believe it has the same cult type following.anyway,just enjoy it,get your test passed,if you can make a bit when you sell it,job well done.

Think your mixing classic and iconic, lets be honest there are some pretty awful classics out there. And some ropey old enthusiasts :lol: .

Smythy i wouldn't bother with the factory resto myself. I feel that a genuine bike in good to mint condition will be ruined by a restoration. The patina of age and proper care cannot be replicated.

Once you have a few new bits on the rest looks tatty and you will end up spending a proper fortune on new old stock. Ultimately defeating the point as you will have thrown most of the bike away.

Just keep it tidy and enjoy it.

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