| Model year | 1979 |
| Year of manufacture | 1979 |
| First year of ownership | 2007 |
| Most recent year of ownership | 2007 |
| Acceleration marks | 7 / 10 |
| Roll-on Performance marks | 7 / 10 |
| Handling marks | 7 / 10 |
| Braking marks | 6 / 10 |
| Reliability marks | 10 / 10 |
| Comfort marks | 10 / 10 |
| Running Costs (higher is cheaper) | 10 / 10 |
| Overall marks (average of all marks) |
8.1 / 10
|
| Distance when acquired | 54000 miles |
| Most recent distance | 57000 miles |
| Previous motorcycle | Honda CB750 |
Summary:
Inexpensive, classic, reliable and fun
Faults:
Nothing in six months of ownership.
I tidied/re-soldered the electrics, as some of the joints looked dry.
General Comments:
By modern standards this is a heavy bike.
It is a great long distance tourer, and has a bullet-proof feel to it.
Shaft drive is great to have.
Would you buy another motorcycle from this manufacturer? Yes
Review Date: 1st September, 2007
| Model year | 1979 |
| Year of manufacture | 1979 |
| First year of ownership | 2006 |
| Most recent year of ownership | 2006 |
| Acceleration marks | 4 / 10 |
| Roll-on Performance marks | 6 / 10 |
| Handling marks | 6 / 10 |
| Braking marks | 5 / 10 |
| Reliability marks | 9 / 10 |
| Comfort marks | 9 / 10 |
| Running Costs (higher is cheaper) | 8 / 10 |
| Overall marks (average of all marks) |
6.7 / 10
|
| Distance when acquired | 23000 miles |
| Most recent distance | 29000 miles |
| Previous motorcycle | Yamaha XT550J |
Summary:
Perfect, inexpensive, reliable bike to learn touring on
Faults:
Battery died within 2 years.
28 year old seat finally split about 3 inches on a seam.
Nothing serious or expensive.
General Comments:
For someone new to touring, this is the bike to ride. You can get accustomed to the touring weight and handling before going to a land yacht.
Reliable, trouble-free, and smooth, this bike just plain feels good. It's quite comfortable and stable, plus it has the classic 70s 80s transition look going on. All it really needs to reinforce this statement is a mullet!
Riding for 40 years, I've been through most manufacturers and types. The 850 is Marty's chair on the TV show Frazier: for personal comfort, it just can't be replaced without spending a lot of money and, even then, it just wouldn't be the same. It has the power to get you out of trouble, but not enough to get you into it; it's reliable so you don't have to shell out bucks to keep riding.
Would you buy another motorcycle from this manufacturer? Yes
Review Date: 13th October, 2006
| Model year | 1979 |
| Year of manufacture | 1979 |
| First year of ownership | 1995 |
| Most recent year of ownership | 2005 |
| Acceleration marks | 6 / 10 |
| Roll-on Performance marks | 7 / 10 |
| Handling marks | 7 / 10 |
| Braking marks | 4 / 10 |
| Reliability marks | 7 / 10 |
| Comfort marks | 7 / 10 |
| Running Costs (higher is cheaper) | 8 / 10 |
| Overall marks (average of all marks) |
6.6 / 10
|
| Distance when acquired | 29000 miles |
| Most recent distance | 70000 miles |
Summary:
Great value in a bike from this era
Faults:
- Fuel petcock diaphragm stuck open, fuel overflowed & spilled everywhere.
- Head gasket blew in 1999, potentially weakened by the petcock problem.
- Original seat wore out; seat pan rusted to bits, both needed to be replaced.
- Flaky, inaccurate and unreliable fuel gauge.
- Self-cancelling turn signals do not always work.
General Comments:
For the most part, this has been a very dependable motorcycle that is a joy to ride, stressing neither the bike nor the rider on long trips. It is an excellent highway bike as it performs the same under heavy loads and with a passenger.
Acceleration, while not earth-shattering, is smooth, as is roll on. This bike is pretty easy to ride. My only complaint is that the brakes seem to be a bit undersized for its weight, especially considering the 25 years of wear and flex in the brake lines and calipers (both which are due for a re & re on my particular machine).
Would you buy another motorcycle from this manufacturer? Yes
Review Date: 29th October, 2005