Project motorcycles before an after

[poxon 5,782]

14 minutes ago, jok said:

What kind of project bike are you after as in make and engine size? What part of the country are you in? Jok.

Kawasaki kx250 1999-2002 shape or a 03-08  shape or a Yamaha yz 250 1999-2004 steel frame I’ve seen a few of these bikes pop up for sale but the prices asked and then the logistics side of things don’t seem worth entertaining knowing what’s involved in a restoration and cost there is no resale value left in them I’m a avid moocher on eBay (daily) seeing what’s about my misses looks on fb marketplace for me on her fb just seems people want strong money for a turd I’m sure something will pop up though eventually it always does it’ll probably be when I’m not looking I’m from near Oxfordshire 

[comanche 3,095]

What was several boxes  of bits is  starting to look a bit like a motorbike. 

Now it has wheels l can at last move it out of the sitting room.

Maybe into the kitchen

[WataWalloper 1,194]

Motorbikes ain’t my thing but that is a cracker Comanche

[downsouth 7,596]

On 25/01/2025 at 10:33, poxon said:

Kawasaki kx250 1999-2002 shape or a 03-08  shape or a Yamaha yz 250 1999-2004 steel frame I’ve seen a few of these bikes pop up for sale but the prices asked and then the logistics side of things don’t seem worth entertaining knowing what’s involved in a restoration and cost there is no resale value left in them I’m a avid moocher on eBay (daily) seeing what’s about my misses looks on fb marketplace for me on her fb just seems people want strong money for a turd I’m sure something will pop up though eventually it always does it’ll probably be when I’m not looking I’m from near Oxfordshire 

I think if you're taking on a project/restoration with thoughts of making money then you're onto a looser from the start.Ive got 4 vintage vespas here and every one of them has cost me more than what I'd get back if I sold them.Same as any hobby.If you go all in and do it properly it will cost you money.Unless you're very lucky and pick one up for nothing in the first place.

[vfr400boy 3,491]

Got barrel and pistons back in the commando engine last night and new exhaust valves 

[poxon 5,782]

10 hours ago, downsouth said:

I think if you're taking on a project/restoration with thoughts of making money then you're onto a looser from the start.Ive got 4 vintage vespas here and every one of them has cost me more than what I'd get back if I sold them.Same as any hobby.If you go all in and do it properly it will cost you money.Unless you're very lucky and pick one up for nothing in the first place.

Mate I think your right with the little yz125 I restored that I was thinking of selling there’s no profit left in the bike because I’ve done everything correctly to it I mean if I just got the bike running and didn’t bother restoring it I could of made a couple of quid out of it but I’ve decided to keep it now as it’s not worth me selling I’m gunna learn how to ride on the track with it hopefully get good enough to enter some club races with it I’ve currently got the cylinder off to be ported and having the barrel re plated because I want to run a decent forged piston in it if it’s going on a track to have its neck rung once I’ve finished learning to ride if I can get handy enough on track I’ll gift it to one of my nephews if they want to race it i still fancy building another kx if i stick to the 125 class it’d have to be a really high spec quick bike to try be a bit competitive to the modern bikes but we’re see

[poxon 5,782]

[downsouth 7,596]

1 hour ago, poxon said:

Mate I think your right with the little yz125 I restored that I was thinking of selling there’s no profit left in the bike because I’ve done everything correctly to it I mean if I just got the bike running and didn’t bother restoring it I could of made a couple of quid out of it but I’ve decided to keep it now as it’s not worth me selling I’m gunna learn how to ride on the track with it hopefully get good enough to enter some club races with it I’ve currently got the cylinder off to be ported and having the barrel re plated because I want to run a decent forged piston in it if it’s going on a track to have its neck rung once I’ve finished learning to ride if I can get handy enough on track I’ll gift it to one of my nephews if they want to race it i still fancy building another kx if i stick to the 125 class it’d have to be a really high spec quick bike to try be a bit competitive to the modern bikes but we’re see

Ive done up an 1968  vespa primavera but went completely overboard and if I sold it now might just break even but only because 2750 of the money I spent on it was an insurance pay out on it or I'd be 2750 out of pocket Thats why the 1974 I've just bought at a steal Im just building a nutty engine which I'm already 2.5k into.200quid on a seat.Luckily it already had top speck shocks on it and I could probably get 500quid back on the lump that's in it.Apart from that I'm gunna leave it looking like it's been dragged out of a shed.If I started on the bodywork Id probably loose out on that too if I ever sold it

[comanche 3,095]

4 hours ago, poxon said:

Mate I think your right with the little yz125 I restored that I was thinking of selling there’s no profit left in the bike because I’ve done everything correctly to it I mean if I just got the bike running and didn’t bother restoring it I could of made a couple of quid out of it but I’ve decided to keep it now as it’s not worth me selling I’m gunna learn how to ride on the track with it hopefully get good enough to enter some club races with it I’ve currently got the cylinder off to be ported and having the barrel re plated because I want to run a decent forged piston in it if it’s going on a track to have its neck rung once I’ve finished learning to ride if I can get handy enough on track I’ll gift it to one of my nephews if they want to race it i still fancy building another kx if i stick to the 125 class it’d have to be a really high spec quick bike to try be a bit competitive to the modern bikes but we’re see

If you hobby is   home mechanics the  way to enjoy yourself and make few quid is to concentrate on getting  bikes roadworthy and running properly.  Forget cosmetics . Paint and chrome,  new wheel rims  and sourcing  the exact correct factory fitted do da whotsit   will suck you into a money- pit. i

Even if the bike is to it builder's eyes spot-on ,when it comes to selling some rivet- counting collector will still find fault. 

My crappy Norton could easily eat a couple of grand before getting anywhere near factory condition . Which is about the same as what it would be worth.

Hence , unless l win the lottery. when mine does hit the road it'll be running around in grey primer and BBQ paint  and  no doubt causing symptoms of distress among  classic bike purists .

Actually  running but unrestored bikes fetch good money in the classic  bike circles   . I guess the buyer gets  to do the cosmetics exactly to their own standards. 

Mind you as my late uncle who worked on classic cars noted.

"Restoration  is  the enemy of originality. "

[greg64 2,875]

44 minutes ago, comanche said:

If you hobby is   home mechanics the  way to enjoy yourself and make few quid is to concentrate on getting  bikes roadworthy and running properly.  Forget cosmetics . Paint and chrome,  new wheel rims  and sourcing  the exact correct factory fitted do da whotsit   will suck you into a money- pit. i

Even if the bike is to it builder's eyes spot-on ,when it comes to selling some rivet- counting collector will still find fault. 

My crappy Norton could easily eat a couple of grand before getting anywhere near factory condition . Which is about the same as what it would be worth.

Hence , unless l win the lottery. when mine does hit the road it'll be running around in grey primer and BBQ paint  and  no doubt causing symptoms of distress among  classic bike purists .

Actually  running but unrestored bikes fetch good money in the classic  bike circles   . I guess the buyer gets  to do the cosmetics exactly to their own standards. 

Mind you as my late uncle who worked on classic cars noted.

"Restoration  is  the enemy of originality. "

oily rag resto all the way i love them as they should be ridden with a well used patina

[downsouth 7,596]

7 hours ago, greg64 said:

oily rag resto all the way i love them as they should be ridden with a well used patina

That's the look I'm going for with my newest acquisition.Not rat,Well used patina.But with a little card up its sleeve.

[comanche 3,095]

19 hours ago, greg64 said:

oily rag resto all the way i love them as they should be ridden with a well used patina

This one looks shiny  in the picture  thanks to the wet weather and oily rag

When dry  the original faded 1956 vintage paint took- on a rather unmanly shade of dull pink.

It would've taken over £1000 just to replace the chrome parts like exhausts,  rims ,handlebars and seal holders . That's  before entering tank restoration territory!

Hence silver paint.

Ditching  the mouse-chewed Prince of Darkness spaghetti that passed for a 6 volt wiring loom in favour of a simple  12 volt system  was a practical  deviation.     The engine didn't  need much work  other than adding extra oil feeds to the rockers which was a popular period mod anyway . New tyres ,wheel and head bearings had it passing the MOT.  Being a historic vehicle  it didn't  actually need an MOT but l was quite chuffed when it sailed through after over 30 years lying in a shed. 

The MOTtester  commented  that it "would  be a nice bike when it's  finished."

As far as l was concerned  it was finished   . And my decision to leave it there was vindicated when a few days later l parked the bike on a friend's drive.

" Did you come on your bike?" asked my mate's wife.

"No Bev . l brought my crash helmet coz you live in such a dodgy neighbourhood." 

Actually on looking out ,the bike wasn't standing where  l had left it!

At that moment  the woman from next door appeared at the door in tears . She'd clipped the bike with her car and knocked it over .

One look indicated that no noticeable damage had been inflicted so l stood the thing up and spent the next five minutes trying to persuade the poor woman that there was no problem  

But image if l'd just spent 2 grand on paint and chrome!

 

Edited 1 hour ago by comanche

[downsouth 7,596]

30 minutes ago, comanche said:

This one looks shiny  in the picture  thanks to the wet weather and oily rag

When dry  the original faded 1956 vintage paint took- on a rather unmanly shade of dull pink.

It would've taken over £1000 just to replace the chrome parts like exhausts,  rims ,handlebars and seal holders . That's  before entering tank restoration territory!

Hence silver paint.

Ditching  the mouse-chewed Prince of Darkness spaghetti that passed for a 6 volt wiring loom in favour of a simple  12 volt system  was a practical  deviation.     The engine didn't  need much work  other than adding extra oil feeds to the rockers which was a popular period mod anyway . New tyres ,wheel and head bearings had it passing it's  first  Being a historic vehicle  it didn't  need an MOT but l was quite chuffed when it sailed through after over 30 years lying in a shed. 

The MOTtester  commented  that it "would  be a nice bike when it's  finished."

As far as l was concerned  it was finished   . And my decision to leave it there was vindicated when a few days later l parked the bike on a friend's drive.

" Did you come on your bike?" asked my mate's wife.

"No Bev . l brought my crash helmet coz you live in such a dodgy neighbourhood." 

Actually on looking out ,the bike wasn't standing where  l had left it!

At that moment  the woman from next door appeared at the door in tears . She'd clipped the bike with her car and knocked it over .

One look indicated that no noticeable damage had been inflicted so l stood the thing up and spent the next five minutes trying to persuade the poor woman that there was no problem  

But image if l'd just spent 2 grand on paint and chrome!

 

All mine I covert to 12v electronic ignitions and stick 12v looms in them as the origionals normally fall apart as soon as you touch them.Decent shocks and a front disc conversion is pretty essential too when you're building 30bhp engines for them which don't sound a lot but they came out the factory in Italy at about 4bhp.85mph on wheelbarrow wheels can make your arse twitch.

[vfr400boy 3,491]

Am doing an oily rag on the Norton it was never a mint bike my old man gave £95 for it in 1982 , but hopefully with the new valves n piston rings new fork legs , and a new electric ignition it will do me for a few years,  I need to find some one to fix a small hole in the tank , 

[comanche 3,095]

9 hours ago, downsouth said:

All mine I covert to 12v electronic ignitions and stick 12v looms in them as the origionals normally fall apart as soon as you touch them.Decent shocks and a front disc conversion is pretty essential too when you're building 30bhp engines for them which don't sound a lot but they came out the factory in Italy at about 4bhp.85mph on wheelbarrow wheels can make your arse twitch.

That's  going to make the pizza delivery brigade really jealous!

Does sound hairy though!

One of my friends from my distant teenage years had a Lambaretta 200 (or possibly 250?) that he thrashed about in the most suicidal manner. I recall that  it did over 70MPH on a good day . Unfortunately  there were quite a few bad days and he spend a fair bit of time pushing it home .

I was told that the main reason that old bikes only had 6v electrics was because it wasn't  until the late sixties that small 12volt batteries became readily available.