UPDATE! Just a little rant about older machines

[mnmarlin]

I bought my kids an 83 Suzuki LT-125 4 wheeler, $500, much less than the Taiwan and Chinese [PoorWordUsage] out there, and parts are available! Boy are parts available. Good shape for something 25 years old. Started and ran great at the guys house.

Went to pick it up a week later and had a hard time starting it, finally started and ran perfect. Get it home, kids put 10 miles on it in the yard. Ran fine. Next couple times they ride it starts and runs fine. About the 5th time it starts to blubber and load up at idle and any time your off the throttle. Turns out fuel pump diaphragm has a hole. No biggie, bought a generic Mikuni pump, ($50 cheaper than an oem still was $25)off the internet. Fixed it right up. Now the primer diaphragm is falling apart, which plugs up the needle and then the fuel runs out the overflow. Again, not a big deal, but its another $35 for that diaphragm. Geez, you'd think this thing was a 1971 snowmobile- ride it for an hour, mess with it for 2!! Ethanol sucks! I'm not too upset, just frustrating for the kids, everytime they want to ride it seems like dad has to spend 20 minutes cleaning the carb! Still happy I didn't buy a chinese quad!

Part of my frustration was that the previous owner just had paid $75 to have the carb "gone through". Sure, I believe that he paid for the service, just don't believe the mechanic did anything. Anyway, after the fuel pump, primer, a new float, and a carb kit, it runs great. Still less than $600, and its teaching the kids some responsibility (if you can start it.. you can ride it, you pay for the gas and some of the parts, when and how to use the primer and choke - not much use any more!)

Thanks for letting me vent.

[aanderud]

I bought my kids an 83 Suzuki LT-125 4 wheeler, $500, much less than the Taiwan and Chinese [PoorWordUsage] out there, and parts are available! Boy are parts available. Good shape for something 25 years old. Started and ran great at the guys house.

Went to pick it up a week later and had a hard time starting it, finally started and ran perfect. Get it home, kids put 10 miles on it in the yard. Ran fine. Next couple times they ride it starts and runs fine. About the 5th time it starts to blubber and load up at idle and any time your off the throttle. Turns out fuel pump diaphragm has a hole. No biggie, bought a generic Mikuni pump, ($50 cheaper than an oem still was $25)off the internet. Fixed it right up. Now the primer diaphragm is falling apart, which plugs up the needle and then the fuel runs out the overflow. Again, not a big deal, but its another $35 for that diaphragm. Geez, you'd think this thing was a 1971 snowmobile- ride it for an hour, mess with it for 2!! Ethanol sucks! I'm not too upset, just frustrating for the kids, everytime they want to ride it seems like dad has to spend 20 minutes cleaning the carb! Still happy I didn't buy a chinese quad!

Sorry to hear about your luck, but isn't this the type of thing you expect when you buy a 25 year old machine? Perhaps that's why they can be purchased for less than the sales tax on a new one.

[croixflats]

That sounds like something that would happen to me. It would have been nice if you were told of these things if the guy new of these problems.

I sold an yamaha srv snowmobile in great shape in late fall a while back. The guy calls me and says there is an oil leak. I had no idea it had. I did take necessary steps to correct it for him at no expense to him. I felt so bad but some times I guess things go wrong with no explanation.

[LMITOUT]

My first ATV was a '84 LT 125 and it's in my garage right now. It needs a lot of work but it went through he.. and back and would always keep going as long as it had gas and oil. 8500+ miles on the odometer and the odometer quit a long time before I quit riding it. I would fire it up shortly after getting home from school almost every day and would ride it everywhere. A great machine in it's day!

[Roofer]

After a few times working on something, I get fed up and buy new again. With the time and money it takes from me to fix it, I am time and money ahead just getting new. I tell my buddies this all the time, but they still ride once and fix the next day.....repeat.

[Ryan_V]

I have a chinese one for my daughter. had it all summer and it gets used daily. never had a problem with it, fires off right from the start and runs like a champ. I have about the same into it as you do with everything you've stated, and I don't spend an hour each time my kid rides it like you do. I'm glad you're happy with your purchase, just don't knock something you know nothing about. mine works perfectly, and it will be taken care of, so it will continue to work perfectly!!