I'm looking at picking up a used bike and found two options in my budget - a 2015 carbureted Yamaha and a 2020 fuel injected Honda. The fuel injected one costs about $800 more. I've heard fuel injection is more reliable and easier to maintain, but I'm not sure if it really makes that much difference for casual weekend riding. What's your experience been?
The $800 difference basically pays for itself if you're not mechanizing the bike constantly. Carbs are finicky about sitting idle - leave a carbureted bike for a month and you're potentially dealing with varnish buildup in the jets, which means cleaning or rebuilding before it runs right again. With the Honda you just throw a cover on it and pick it back up whenever. For weekend riding where the bike's gonna sit between trips, fuel injection removes a whole class of headaches.
Fuel injection wins pretty handily for casual riding. Carbs need rejetting if you change altitude or season, they can gum up if the bike sits for a few weeks, and cold starts are often a pain. Fuel injection just starts every time regardless of weather or how long it's been parked, and there's basically no maintenance beyond what you'd do anyway. The $800 difference pays for itself in convenience and fewer headaches, especially if you're not the type to tinker constantly. I'd lean toward the Honda.
I'd push back a bit on the idea that fuel injection is some massive game-changer for casual weekend riding. If you're actually *using* the bike regularly - even just once a week - a carbureted bike from 2015 will run fine. The gumming-up stuff people mention mostly happens when bikes sit for months untouched. What matters more is whether *you* plan to ride it consistently or let it gather dust between outings.
That said, there's real convenience there that goes beyond just reliability. Cold starts on carbed bikes can be annoying, especially if you're dealing with seasonal temp swaps or just want to hop on without fussing with chokes. The Honda is also five years newer, so you're probably getting fresher components overall, not just the injection system. The $800 gap is worth considering though - could you put that toward gear, maintenance fund, or just keep it in your pocket? How often are you actually planning to ride, and would the bike sit for stretches at a time between trips?
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