Diesel daily driver? (new member help)

[Captain Caveman]

I used my diesel 60 as a daily driver for 18 months in Eastern Oregon on a 55 mile per day round trip. While I agree that they can be very reliable, they are only reliable if you make them that way, or if the PO kept them that way.

I was left a few times broken down and waiting on parts a few times. I happened to have an understanding gear-head for a boss, so I was lucky. I am at the point now where all of my maintenance items (water pump, alternator, starter, and head gasket) have all been recently replaced and my rig is reliable.

If you are really bent on a diesel cruiser, get one, and make it reliable before you get rid of your trustworthy pick-up. Parts are seldom cheap and often more than week away, so either stock-up or be prepared to drive something else while you save/wait for your consumable/maintenance parts. If you get a non-toy diesel, parts may be more readily available cutting down on wait times.

 

[Wyoming]

If you are really bent on a diesel cruiser, get one, and make it reliable before you get rid of your trustworthy pick-up.

That might be the best advice given so far!!!Lol

 

[cult45]

the norton runs great and I don't mind working on it. But it requires a battery charge sometimes, carb tuning and leak chasing every few rides. I enjoy working on things, Im more curious if a well sorted cruiser will be a "needy" vehicle or just regular maintenance? The norton requires extra planning to ride compared to a new bike, would the cruiser be the same way?

Nope. It will run like a clock all day every day forever. Unsure about petrol-powered Cruisers though, never had one.

 

[T-bones 60]

Keep in mind that you are looking at a 25-30 year old vehicle. Personaly I would try to find a way to keep your newer truck (or another modern creature comfort vehicle) and get a 60. Once you get one, be ready for lots of thumbs ups, horn honks, waves, and attention. They drive and handle like tanks, but that is all part of the fun factor of driving them. If you can only have one project, sell the bike, their dangerous anyway

 

[47 FROM OZ]

Funny you guys Say all this stuff about diesels and only good things about petrols . In Australia no one wants a petrol one.

 

[roalco]

Huh... Last time I looked my BJ60 was a diesel, and I dont recall knocking it...

 

[roscoFJ73]

Im more curious if a well sorted cruiser will be a "needy" vehicle or just regular maintenance? The norton requires extra planning to ride compared to a new bike, would the cruiser be the same way?

The diesel landcruisers were built for remote areas ,so they are ultra reliable.However a diesel 60 is going to be 25? years old.
Well sorted ,no problems,but overcoming the POs wiring and modifications that didnt need doing and old age can be draining.
Just dont go into it with rose colored glasses

I have a well sorted 75 series diesel,it had a flat battery once when the alternator got tired(I had dual batteries) but apart from that it never broke down in 7 years.

 

[roscoFJ73]

Funny you guys Say all this stuff about diesels and only good things about petrols . In Australia no one wants a petrol one.

They only sold diesel landcruisers in small numbers in Canada and not at all in the US.So getting parts can be a headache.
On top of that petrol is only about 70c a litre AUD in the US,so owning a petrol landcruiser is not as as expensive as it is here.

 

[T-bones 60]

Funny you guys Say all this stuff about diesels and only good things about petrols . In Australia no one wants a petrol one.

I don't see anyone bashing the Diesels here. I for one would love one! But the Petrol 2F is still a pretty bullet proof engine. Mine has over 250K miles and still runs like new. Of course I do maintain it very well.

As stated above, parts are a b**ch to get here in the states for diesels. As you know, it only takes a $5 part to leave you stranded. While it may be a cheap easy fix, the rest of the thing does me no good w/o that $5 part!

 

[snowboardonsnow]

I don't agree about parts being hard to get. I can run down to napa for any of my mantainence stuff. There really isn't much you can't order, what a water pump goes out your ordering that anyways. Belts, filters cant think of anything I can't get at auto parts store maybe the alt but i would just have that rebuilt anyways. I cracked a manifold had to go up to Canada to pick one up cuz I didn't want to bother the guy with shipping. But I drove the cruiser up there I get it...

I don't thing there is much. Ore reliable vehical, if you don't take care of it well what do you expect? If you take care of it you should be able to say hey I am leaving for a year and not have to touch anything or have one thing break. Then get back to mantainence when you get back.

 

[47 FROM OZ]

No sorry I am not saying that I bagging out diesels I love them had a few of both in different cruisers over the years, now driving a hj61 12ht motor and loving it.
As just said the price of them per litre is about the same its just that the petrol drinks more..

 

[cult45]

No sorry I am not saying that I bagging out diesels I love them had a few of both in different cruisers over the years, now driving a hj61 12ht motor and loving it.
As just said the price of them per litre is about the same its just that the petrol drinks more..

Yeah I was gonna jump in but you beat me to it. Just a small inflection/culture/language difference

47 was making an observation is all.