My 'what tyres for...' thread turned up some other owners of old motorbikes and started to deviate. Rather than questions being lost in that rather specific thread, let's have a general Q&A and showing off topic, a bit like the popular Watches N+1 thread.
Obviously, pictures required too, the one below is the current state of the bike I bought that 'only needs new tyres' 🙄
I'll start - while doing a little more of the mechanical improvements on my little Honda last night, I discovered that the rear sprocket has been downsized from 40t to 35t. That's a hell of a jump for a 125, I reckon 5th would have been a downhill gear only! I'm planning on moderate cosmetic improvements, but am rather more keen on starting to ride it, (once I'm satisfied it's safe) than spend months restoring it.
Ihave a 1960 BSA that I have owned since the mid 80s. Until 2 years ago it spent 20 years in a lockup but has now had a full engine and transmission rebuild by specialists at outrageous cost. NO cosmetic work. Its heavily modified with the engine in super rocket / racing spec, 70s honda forks, 70s bsa TLS front brake, modern electrics
Its been to Moscow ( in the 90s), Nordkapp, south of france several times, been used as a courier bike, been my daily rider but now is used just as an occasional bimble around Scotland bike. I've done around 60 000 miles on it
Nice that TJ. Looks like great condition considering it was used as a courier!
Nice. Have you fitted 17" wheels?
18 inch wheels. stock is 19 inch
Oh, this thread is beautifully timed - I'm hankering after a project bike, and will soon have the time to make it a reality.
I'm moderately practical and will be fairly happy stripping something down, and will look to this thread (as well as other places!) for inspiration as to what I should look for, both in terms of what makes a good project bike, and also what specifically to look out for/think about!
So how old is old? Heres my 1994 RVF at a bike show - with quite a few other bikes - the show was for 60/70/80 and 90s bikes. Got RD500s, RG500s, RGV250, Superdreams, MT50, a Kawa KH750 Widowmaker, Loads of RD 250/350s amongst others etc.
Lets face it, 1994 was 32 years ago!!
The overall winner was the 1980s Honda MBX50, as they dont get seen very often 😀
1994? thats only a couple of years old is it not? 🙄
If '94 is old enough then my Triumph Sprint qualifies:-)
How it started out
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How it looks now
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It's been a cheap project to get to where it is and now it really needs some work on cosmetics to finish it off but I'm not sure I can be bothered. Problem is it's not worth a great deal so would be nigh on impossible to sell. My Himalayan has pretty much taken over as the main bike now and I'm not really in a position to tax, insure and MOT both each year at the minute for the use it would get.
Nothing recent to add, but this is my old BSA A65 Thunderbolt. I rode it for a few years, then started a full strip down and rebuild. Frame powder coated, parts chromed and painted, engine rebore and rebuild, new wiring loom and electronic ignition, loads of new parts.
⅔ of the way through the rebuild we moved and I had no workshop space. We eventually got a garage/workshop built, but by that stage I'd lost the confidence and motivation to finish it 🥴 I sold it as an unfinished project during the pandemic/lockdown for twice what I paid for it. The pictures are before the strip down. I miss it.
You can't fool me, all you did was turn it round! 😁
Aye but it's a heavy barsteward, took me a while 😝
You can't post an empty post so god knows where my photos go.
Woo hoo. Anyway I used to love helping my brother build up the new motorbikes .
Did we get a ruling on how old is old? Regardless my present bikes are a 2005 883 sportster, a red 1996 Honda C90, a blue 1992 Honda C90 and a bsa which is a pile of old cack.
The harley is great fun and I've not gone for excessive live free or die harley bits, it's all fairly standard. The finish on the frame is crap though, HD have a my it of a rep for poor paint. Great engine but quite heavy for the poor roads here - several different cambers in the course of a few yards and wet grass in the middle of the road for extra fun.
The red 96 c90 is a bit less than concourse but runs well and is close to the ideal bike for the back roads of SW Ireland. I think I've had it 12 years, it cost four hundred quid then - no chance of getting one for that money now!!
The 92 c90 was bought from a company that bring in containers of second hand Japanese bikes - it's immaculate. Has the original tool kit and the little shoe sole protector on the brake pedals, unfortunately it is in London at present but I will try to get it over here soon.
The bsa we don't talk about.
Did we get a ruling on how old is old?
No, I decided not to specify. I'm all about diversity and inclusivity, even to you moped riders. 😘
Did we get a ruling on how old is old?
No, I decided not to specify. I'm all about diversity and inclusivity, even to you moped riders. 😘
Oi! I'm a scooter rider I'll have you know. 😄
This has been in my garage for quite a few years now. Getting it back on the road was supposed to be a retirement job, but I've been retired for 5 years and it's still laid up. Maybe this year…
You could call it work in progress, currently waiting to see if chancing my luck with DVLA works out..
That Z1300 though 👆🏻😍
Always had a thing for old Japanese bikes. I used to have a 1974 Z900 but living on Brighton seafront at the time, it wasn't too kind to it.
So - where does one look for a project bike? I'm starting with marketplace, eBay and Gumtree, but are there any more esoteric sites to start looking at...?
Awesome thread!
Too many to list but here’s a snap of the latest project. Very far from standard, and very much for the better 🙂
Hmm if scooters are allowed 🙂
I think this wouldn’t work in the U.K. but they are still very popular in Spain.
2004-2008 seems to be the years they sold the later ones (fuel injection)don’t seem to have made it here.
Great fun, mines a 2008 with silly low miles and un molested.(I wanted a white one but the condition of this was so good and the price wasn’t silly.)
I’ve added the factory skid plates and nerf bars awaiting a few nos pieces.
Handily classed as a tractor so er peeps without an mc licence can ‘pilot’, although as it a sports quad it’s a dirt bike with 4 wheels so no auto box with 4 wheel drive and no rear diff.
it’s a bit brrrmmmmm with the standard exhaust but there’s a lot of places to get lost without being annoying to people and other oldies rip around on them 🙂
So - where does one look for a project bike? I'm starting with marketplace, eBay and Gumtree, but are there any more esoteric sites to start looking at...?
I was looking a couple of years back for a small Jap trail bike to do, there were a lot that had been brought over by the container load from the states on eBay. You could try the owners clubs if you're after something a bit older / more unusual.
So - where does one look for a project bike? I'm starting with marketplace, eBay and Gumtree, but are there any more esoteric sites to start looking at...?
Depends what you want as a base to start from, what era, what type of bike etc. There aren't that many real life 'Barn find' bargains out there anymore. Anything aircooled and 250cc upwards seems to fetch good money as does anything pre 90's.
Join a few user groups on FB as that's where the bargains are. You'll need to narrow it down to a few makes and models though.
So - where does one look for a project bike? I'm starting with marketplace, eBay and Gumtree, but are there any more esoteric sites to start looking at...?
Get Classic Bike , loads of ads in the back.
K series BMW's are cheap.
My old 1982 GSX400F
I loved that bike but try as I might, I could never get it to run quite right.
Ah the Z1300!! Mate of mine had one. Massive beast. In fact i got his Suzuki GS650GT - bought it off him - as the bike shop wouldnt take it as a trade in against the Z 😀
Speaking of bikes that wouldnt run right. Or at least not in the rain.... GPZ500
Used it as a commuter, it was like riding a soft bouncy cushion. But reliable enough. As long as it was dry!! As soon as it rained. One cylinder wouldnt fire and my twin became a single. Changed plugs, leads, coil, checked/tested wiring. Nope, dry miles only need apply....
Current commuting and trackday play bike. YZF600 Thundercat. Picked it up really cheaply from Gumtree. New rear shocker, front stanchions replaced, R6 brakes and hoses fitted, super sticky tyres. If i wrap it, i havent lost much 😀
Ive read that 50s and 60s motorbike prices are tanking as all the older generations who had them in their yoof, are dying off, and younger older peeps like us have no attachment to them. My attachment is to late 70s, 80s and 90s bikes. All about demographics innit.
So maybe some deals to be had depending on what your after......
Where I worked also had this product racer which was ridden by an Australian lunatic I think called Paul Lewis.
I've read that 50s and 60s motorbike prices are tanking as all the older generations who had them in their yoof, are dying off, and younger older peeps like us have no attachment to them.
You are not wrong there, brother just sold my dad's old bike for about 60% of what it was valued at by Bonhams a few years back, still my share is more than enough to indulge in my Morini habit...
Today, I've been sorting out getting some unobtainable frame plates for the swing arm made up and removing the over spray on the wheels so the discs and new bearing can be fitted, I've rebuilt the forks & just trying to find out how much oil I need to refurbish the shocks.
The Morini is certainly a whole lot easier than another project I was toying with the idea of taking on, £12k for this wee pile....
What is that lump of scrap?
50yr old but never used replica Brough Superior frame with J.A.P. vee twin engine & other Brough parts. Some rare proper Broughs can be worth a few quid.
https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-cornwall-36129038
Sold my BMWR1100S and Yamaha R6 in 2010, kids etc. Was happily obsessed with cycling until an attempt to buy a used Giant TCR frame fell through following paying off my final C2W instalment on the gravel bike. With the money earmarked for the TCR build sat about, last summer watching a documentary series about a well known pair of friends tootling about in Scandinavia on classic bikes created a lightbulb moment, and with Mrs Davy's endorsement a classic bike purchase was agreed. Summer motorcycle touring here we come (again).
Airheads are allegedly bullet proof, easy to work on and reliable - which may be true. Since purchase I've overhauled the carbs, front suspension and engine and drive train. Some I've done myself, some I've had to outsource. It has cost more than the purchase price (and some) to repair.... the old "and whilst you're in there, you may as well check x for play/wear etc... guess what, x is knackered, but it won't take long to fix and it would be daft to ignore it as I already have the engine/gearbox/final drive in bits......"
The brakes are still pants but it looks great and goes plenty fast enough.
Damn you Ewan and Charlie...
1978 BMW R100RS, with an S fairing.
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Normally don't use the c90 at night as the headlamp is really bad but last couple of weeks I haven't had the car available. After last week's having to ride at 10mph as I couldn't see the surface on our road well enough this week saw the deployment of my halfords mtb light.
It worked brilliantly; far, far better than the stock light, I could actually see the road ahead and didn't need the headlight on - would recommend.
Not affiliated at all to this but if there is a place like this in Dundee, there must be more of the same across the UK?
Barnstormers Used Classic Barnfind Motorcycles in Dundee Scotland
1996, my ZX7R needs its carbs replacing after a rebuild, one day it'll run again as I miss the noise.
Mmm will try again with a picture soon
Right, a question for you consideration. I've got a new O ring chain to fit to the Honda. I was watching a YouTube last night that suggested quite high friction losses for these chains, about 1hp.
Now given my 125 only had about 14hp from the factory, and likely a bit less now that's quite a large percentage. Is running a non-O ring chain a thing? Unlikely I'll be using it much in crappy weather.
I would imagine its really a % and I cannot believe you would notice the difference ie 1 bhp on a 100bhp bike, 0.1 bhp on a 10 bhp bike
Also once a non o ring chain is filthy and worn the losses would be high
Just a guess tho
But, given it's an old bike, would you be running at peak power and hp, i.e thrashing it, to notice a possible percentage loss?
I would imagine its really a %
My engineering mind would have it that you're still bending 50ish links around the sprockets, so no matter the input power, the losses will be the same. Engine speed should mean a bit of variation, less at lower revs.
Also once a non o ring chain is filthy and worn the losses would be high
That I can believe, especially from a Putoline disciple. 😁
But, given it's an old bike, would you be running at peak power and hp,
On a roads to maintain a decent speed and uphills I imagine so actually!
But no, I won't notice a difference because I'm still working through it's issues and haven't ridden it yet.
Thanks gents, I think on balance I'll just go with the chain I have for now.
My engineering mind would have it that you're still bending 50ish links around the sprockets, so no matter the input power, the losses will be the same. Engine speed should mean a bit of variation, less at lower revs.
My thought is the friction is related to the force thru the chain ie the pressure inside the links - so lower power =less force =less friction
This is the YouTube video I was watching. Presenter has a scientific background I believe. His point was definitely about rotational fiction between the compressed rubber O rings and chain plates.
I suspect this efficiency loss is why push bike chains haven't adopted this design, or maybe they really are just too small make this way.
I'm on battery roulette at the moment. Battery on the Harley went flat last week, I'd only used it a couple of times since early December and didn't have a battery tender on it. Wouldn't take a trickle charge so put it on a charger and it started. Put the tender back on it and it was fine until yesterday when the tender went from ok to showing the battery had no charge. Strangely it still started fine so I either have a dodgy tender or a fubared battery. Happy days.
Mine is on a 20 year old optimate which seems ok so far..
Put new discs and pads in yesterday.. rained today so no test ride yet to see if I've improved the terrible front brakes.. garage queen 🙄 😎
Mine is on a 20 year old optimate which seems ok so far..
Mine was either made by child labour or a prisoner in a Chinese re-education facility so it may be of less than high quality. I'm probably just going to get a new battery.
Did my CBT today. Not ashamed to admit I found it hard to transition from 2 bike brakes on the bars to the front brake/rear foot brake combo along with all the other controls in unfamiliar positions to a car driver.
In fact I even managed to fall on while doing some additional slow speed u-turn in the road practice while on the road ride part. Still gave me the certificate.
Double post.
Did my CBT today. Not ashamed to admit I found it hard to transition from 2 bike brakes on the bars to the front brake/rear foot brake combo along with all the other controls in unfamiliar positions to a car driver.
Try riding a motocross bike with big plastic boots on. Hardest thing I've ever done.
Now to get yourself a 125 and practice, practice, practice...also worth getting bigger bike** training to get a feel for it, It's worth it in the end, from someone just getting into it over last few years 🙂
** suggest going for lighter weight lower end big to start with;)
Yeah, I'm currently "enjoying" that particular learning curve...Did my CBT today. Not ashamed to admit I found it hard to transition from 2 bike brakes on the bars to the front brake/rear foot brake combo along with all the other controls in unfamiliar positions to a car driver.
Try riding a motocross bike with big plastic boots on. Hardest thing I've ever done.
Now to get yourself a 125 and practice, practice, practice.
That was the origin story of this thread cvilla. See the first photo!
I got it running on Saturday, but it cuts out on idle so still a little bit to do, starting with cleaning the Carburettor jets I think because it had been run around with no fuel filtration for a white.
Right, I've hit a bit of an issue. As part of the starting reliably improvement I decided to check the ignition timing. The picture below shows where I had to advance it to, (right hand arrow) compared to the alignment mark. (Left arrow). Should be a couple of degrees of adjustment top, this is way off!
The advance mechanism and points are mounted to the cam shaft, but I've not messed around with that so the only thing I can think is the advance mechanism is misaligned, either on the location pin or the cam is rotated on its shaft somehow. Anyone got any other suggestions? The engine rotates smoothly without any suggestion the valves are hitting the cylinder so I don't suspect cam timing.
Is the left arrow the timing mark or is it the tang sticking down between your two arrows?
The line in the casting just to the left of the tang.
My point is, are you sure that line is the timing mark, it seems odd having that tang, which looks like a timing mark.(Ianamechanic!)
The Haynes manual shows the line as the timing mark, and where there are tang type indicators on the engine they have a V notch for accuracy.
You could try to back everything off and start from scratch. Is it a timing chain, or belt? My timing chain was heavily worn which meant I ran out of adjustment and no amount of tinkering would get the timing spot on. Got that replaced (amongst other things) and the bike is now running like a tappetty swiss watch...
I'd set the ignition timing on that CB125 using the TDC mark on the crank and a light bulb to show the points opening rather than relying on any marks on the points carrier.
Talking of old motorbikes, really nice restoration video this.
I'd set the ignition timing on that CB125 using the TDC mark on the crank and a light bulb to show the points opening rather than relying on any marks on the points carrier.
That's the approach I've taken, and having done as Davy suggested and started again, including checking the advance mechanism was installed correctly, it's ended up in the same position.
Is it a timing chain, or belt? My timing chain was heavily worn which meant I ran out of adjustment and no amount of tinkering would get the timing spot on.
It is a chain. I really don't want to have to strip the engine, but a good suggestion if it continues to be flakey.
Think I'm just going to try and run it again later.
This conversation has genuinely helped. I'm going to check the cam timing just to make sure it's not jumped and then reset the chain tension. Looks like it's only 2 extra bolts to get the cam sprocket cover off.
Right, I've made my peace with the timing, it ran OK last weekend although by the time I'd understood the fundamental error in setting the idle speed/mixture, I ran out of time to actually ride it.
So I thought I'd just make some checks last night for this weekend and found that the front brake light switch doesn't work. 🤬 And also the throttle is sticking open again despite managing to lubricate the twist grip and route the cable nicely previously. 🤬🤬 New switch ordered, though I'm not entirely sure what to do about the throttle because it just relies on the carburettor to pull it all closed.