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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....
