Trans_Maro wrote:
So...
OP wants an old-looking bike but doesn't want an old bike.
OP doesn't want to spend the money for a decent old-looking new bike like a Triumph, Guzzi or new RE so he's looking at E36 M3ty, new old-looking bikes like the Sym Wolf (ugh, Chonda engines).
The RE doesn't have any power but the O.P. is thinking of a TU250????
Good grief.
Just buy a vintage Honda so it looks like an old bike and actually IS an old bike.
A 30 year-old Honda is still more reliable than a brand new anything from India or China.
Old Hondas are reliable, cheap to fix and easy to fix. Most bike guys say they have no "soul" or no "character" Those are fancy ways of saying that they start every time and won't leave you stranded.
Since you're picking on me, I'll respond directly.
Clarification: I want an old looking bike that isn't old. I am willing to spend a certain amount of money on one...this does not mean I can't afford to buy a 'new' old bike, it just means I can't buy one off the showroom floor (which is frankly wasting money anyway). My V-Strom is a 2006; I hardly consider it 'old', just used. A similar vintage (insert anything but a Triumph here) can be had for about what my V-Strom is worth.
The Sym Wolf reviews and owner reports I've read do not rate it as E36 M3ty. It has it's limitations, but Taiwan builds a vastly better product than China. I probably wouldn't buy one, as it's just too small of an engine, but it was relevant to the discussion of these types of bikes.
"Just buy a vintage Honda"...yeah, I did that once. Had a very nicely preserved CL350 like this one I bought at an estate sale:
Two things it was: slow and unreliable. A 1970 350cc bike isn't going to be comparable to a 2000 250cc bike as far as power. Add to that the poor drum brakes and it leaving me beside the road not running and it soured me on dealing with the quaint antiquity that is something which lived in a shed most of it's life.
My limit for carbs on a bike is ONE. Between age, ethanol and the damage caused by disuse I have no desire to futz with the setup on, say, a 750 Nighthawk. A lone Amal on a R-E? That I can tolerate. Having read vast amounts of reports from actual owners of R-E's the picture of them as being unreliable, self-destructing piles of E36 M3 is vastly overblown. Yes, the turn signals fall off. Yes, the screws back out from the vibration. So did the ones on my KLR. Big deal. A valve adjustment takes 15 minutes. On my V-Strom, it takes longer than that to remove the fuel tank to even see the top of the engine. Too many people expect a bike like a R-E to be a Japanese bike that is styled to look like something from the 1950s. They aren't. This is what makes them appealing; they provide a visceral riding experience that vanilla bikes simply can't. Every single person, even those who dismissed the perceived lack of quality, that have ridden one have said they are immense fun...up to 55 mph. They just aren't right for the Interstate...but neither are scooters or 250cc dual sports.
What makes a bike 'fun' will be defined differently by everyone. I don't see the appeal of sport bikes at all. High revving, ultra-power rocket ships like those make me cringe; I'd never want to go half as fast as they are capable of, at least not on two wheels. It's just not my thing. Torquey, thumping bikes that like to meander back roads at 45-55 mph? Yeah, that's time well spent to me. Doing some occasional tinkering to the machine is fun. Having to deal with things like 40 year old wiring and corroded fasteners, not so much. But you can enjoy your vintage 1970s Honda-whatever...there's plenty of them out there to choose from.
Classic look, shaft drive, one carb. This model replaced the ACE 750 which was similar but chain drive and dual carb. Made since 2004 to present. Probably as reliable as an Accord. 
