Pondering a budget-priced EMTB with full suspension.Thoughts?

[PDoz]

. In my experience, 2012 and earlier MTB are idea kit bikes.

Just a caution on this - older mtb parts can be expensive and surprisingly difficult to repair / replace.

As an example - my ? 2009? Trance rear shock died - it has a pre metric fox shock , so the lower eyelet is too large to use any modern replacements. I had to machine up bushes for the frame and custom spacers so we could use a " normal" lower shock bolt. We were a fraction if a mm out on the machine work so I'm left with a subtle but still annoying level of slop in the linkages now.

We have a similar vintage specialized , the brakes are weird rebadged sram - it was a nightmare trying to figure out what model they were so I could replace the pads, and they are evil things to adjust. Realistically I could just replace the whole unit fir a few $100 , but where do you stop sinking $ into older bikes?

Even getting replacement tyres can be challenging - you can't just wander into the lbs to grab a 26x2.25 ....and you definitely can't be fussy about what tread pattern / compound you prefer!

 

[PDoz]

I was lost with the term "motorbike" - it sounded familiar, but I couldn't remember when I heard that before. I was thinking of those small motorized bicycles initially. I did a search on the term, and apparently, it's used in some countries instead of the word, "motorcycle".

Motorcycle sounds way too sophisticated for a dirtbike! Or even one of those strange 2 wheel vintage tractor things ridden by smelly blokes covered in body ink. Imagine walking up to a group of hardly riders and explaining how much you like their motorcycle

 

[PDoz]

Language is an interesting thing. Apparently in the US , this is not a yacht? Apparently a big stink boat IS a yacht?

https://flic.kr/p/241NhKN

 

[GenXrider]

Language is an interesting thing. Apparently in the US , this is not a yacht? Apparently a big stink boat IS a yacht?

Yeah, that doesn't look like a yacht. Just a small sailboat.

 

[PDoz]

Yeah, that doesn't look like a yacht. Just a small sailboat.

Shall we continue? In the rest of the world, " presidential" implies "as is expected of a president, for example by being serious, calm, and deserving of respect:"

Apologies - It's early morning here and my coffee hasn't kicked in yet

 

[Dallant]

Here in Trek country, Wisconsin and states bordering are crawling with deals on used trek bikes.
They have a budget line as well.

Where exactly are these deals crawling at?

 

[GenXrider]

Shall we continue? In the rest of the world, " presidential" implies "as is expected of a president, for example by being serious, calm, and deserving of respect:"

Apologies - It's early morning here and my coffee hasn't kicked in yet

Ha. Yeah, I agree with that definition.

 

[GenXrider]

Where exactly are these deals crawling at?

Good question. I'm in one of those bordering states.

 

[tomjasz]

Good question. I'm in one of those bordering states.

Google? Craigslist? Easy peasy.

 

[GenXrider]

Good question. I'm in one of those bordering states.

Been there. Done that. Also FB Marketplace.

 

[tomjasz]

Just a caution on this - older mtb parts can be expensive and surprisingly difficult to repair / replace.

Only on those dual suspensions models. LOTS of older MTB are perfect kit conversions.

 

[tomjasz]

The only stinkpot ride I've ever owned were Motobecane 2 stroke and a Vespa GTS. I don't even miss the smoke.

 

[PDoz]

Only on those dual suspensions models. LOTS of older MTB are perfect kit conversions.

Even forks are getting difficult to source / replace for older bikes- most good quality forks now have moved to the stiffer through axle design and tapered head stem, plus there was a transition period where hub dimensions varied. My 2017 norco , for example, uses a 100x15 mm rockshox axle - good luck finding a cost effective replacement for that! The specialized I mentioned earlier has rebadged rockshox forks with qr axles but the headstem is non tapered , so I can't just slip in the better quality tapered stem fork from my wifes obsolete merida.I can't get enthusiastic about servicing the forks in that specialized because they're flexible spindly pogo sticks.....did I mention I might be a bit fussy about my bikes?

Speaking of fussy.....having ridden with 203 mm xt shimano brakes , 34 mm ebike fox forks, and stiff ebike spec wheels .....I'd find it really hard to trust that old specialized if it was e assisted - those flimsy rims, tiny disks and scary geometry.bouncing around on suboptimal worn out shocks....emtb has come a LONG way in the last couple of years!

 

[FlatSix911]

Even forks are getting difficult to source / replace for older bikes- most good quality forks now have moved to the stiffer through axle design and tapered head stem, plus there was a transition period where hub dimensions varied. My 2017 norco , for example, uses a 100x15 mm rockshox axle - good luck finding a cost effective replacement for that! The specialized I mentioned earlier has rebadged rockshox forks with qr axles but the headstem is non tapered , so I can't just slip in the better quality tapered stem fork from my wifes obsolete merida. I can't get enthusiastic about servicing the forks in that specialized because they're flexible spindly pogo sticks.....did I mention I might be a bit fussy about my bikes?

Speaking of fussy.....having ridden with 203 mm xt shimano brakes , 34 mm ebike fox forks, and stiff ebike spec wheels .....I'd find it really hard to trust that old specialized if it was e assisted - those flimsy rims, tiny disks and scary geometry. bouncing around on suboptimal worn out shocks....emtb has come a LONG way in the last couple of years!

The truth... EMTBs have almost caught up with the full Moto of the last century.

 

[PDoz]

The truth... EMTBs have almost caught up with the full Moto of the last century.

It won't be long. These are the blokes I used to spend tuesdays riding ktm's with - around the turn of the century when the 520 exc was king. Most of them were expert level enduro riders in their prime. Half of them don't even own motorbikes now!

 

[Stefan Mikes]

Language is an interesting thing. Apparently in the US , this is not a yacht? Apparently a big stink boat IS a yacht?

Language is indeed a very interesting thing. The Polish name for a sail-boat is "jacht", too. Many similarities between Australia and Poland despite so big differences otherwise.

 

[Browneye]

Language is an interesting thing. Apparently in the US , this is not a yacht? Apparently a big stink boat IS a yacht?

https://flic.kr/p/241NhKN

In America a 'yacht' is a large pleasure craft or vessel, sail or power. Some of the designation has to do with tonnage and ammenities, others with it's physical size. So you would call a 12 meter vessel a yacht if it was well fit-out for comfort, for cruising, sail or power. But generally the moniker is reserved for larger boats, 15 meters and larger, or as we say, fifty to sixty fee and larger.

On the other hand, a smaller vessel that is fit out like a large cruising yacht, might still be called a yacht, or a 'mini-yacht', in the case of something in the 8 or 10 meter size.

A local company here builds world cruising yachts in the far east, and ships them here or to the buyers locale. Their smallest 'yacht' is 40 feet, and they're really something to behold. Starting price is closer to a million USD, used ones perhaps for mid-3's to four hundred thousand. They have a single diesel engine and several thousand gallons of fuel capacity so are able to cross the oceans non-stop. They have either physical or electronic roll control actuators, water makers, an auxiliary motor alongside the main power plant for emergencies, onboard 'light plant' (generator), and a host of electronics and luxury ammenities. I would love to be able to afford one and move aboard for my retirement years. From 40' on up to over a 100'.

Nordhavn 40 in Huntington Harbor, locally:

Web image of a Nordhavn 120:

My 'puddle-jumper'. LOL Decidedly not a 'yacht'.
I think the 'dinghy' or 'shore-boat' on the N120 is bigger than this. LOL

Now back to our regular programming...

 

[FlatSix911]

Just putting this out there... the rabbit hole is very deep with Super Yachts.

Superyacht - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

 

[PDoz]

Just putting this out there... the rabbit hole is very deep with Super Yachts.

Must resist comments about environmental destruction by useless feral pests.....

We were chatting over drinks Friday night and one of my colleagues mentioned it was now a 3 year wait for his custom archery set to be built by his preferred canadian craftsman. Comparing those obscene floating blocks of opulence with a superb sailing vessel crafted with skill and grace......there's no place like home.....

Now I might just head out with my kids plastic compound bow and shoot some stew

This is the archers boat

 

[FlatSix911]

Must resist comments about environmental destruction by useless feral pests.....

We were chatting over drinks Friday night and one of my colleagues mentioned it was now a 3 year wait for his custom archery set to be built by his preferred canadian craftsman.
Comparing those obscene floating blocks of opulence with a superb yacht crafted with skill and grace......there's no place like home.....

Agreed... did you notice that the largest Mega Yacht is now being built by a billionaire to support environmental ocean research.

REV Ocean - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

REV Ocean is the flagship of Norwegian billionaire businessman Kjell Inge Røkke's REV Ocean initiative. In an interview with the Norwegian newspaper Aftenposten (published 1 May 2017) Røkke said he planned to give away most of his fortune. As a further step in this plan he joined the Giving Pledge in 2017, and founded the REV Ocean initiative.

Led by former WWF Norway CEO Nina Jensen, REV Ocean is working to improve understanding of the ocean and foster concrete solutions through three initiatives: the world's largest research and expedition vessel (REV), the World Ocean Headquarters and an open, global data platform.[9] She is purpose built for scientific charter and environmental research missions.[10]