Vintage motorcycle gold mine?

[Asphaultnaut]

it's a lot easier to find parts for old Yamahas than Nortons Even weird stuff like turbo plumbing for the 82 XJ650

I've rebuilt Nortons for street and racetrack. Frame up. It is, quite simply, insanely expensive, time consuming, very hard to find parts, and NOT an investment. I always enjoyed the bikes and they were fun. I can't count how many thousands of bucks I lost when I sold the entire bunch.

You discover such simple shit as swingarm bushing needs replacement. ( Guess how long that takes) Frame is bent. wheels need bearings and rechroming. Motor needs rings, valves, valve springs, transmission gears, pistons, rods, crankshaft, etc etc.

Go for it. But anyone who wants to rebuiild a vintage bike should know beforehand that you are NOT going to get a neat looking bike for $450 in parts and work. Try $4500

Then you will have a thirty year old bike that is incredibly underpowered next to an SV650, has brakes that resemble modern brakes with WD40 sprayed on the rotors, a frame that flexes in amazing ways and directions, 18" tires, lots of rusty chrome, and poor handling.

 

[Oh My Sack!]

Just curious as to how many of you guys have actually restored a vintage bike and have an idea of just how much work and money is involved.

WORD

I'm at least $2000 into a '73 Yamaha AT3 I restored. Fortunately, I'm 98% completed.

Anyone want to buy it for $1800?

Incidentally, found my grandpa's old shop manuals for old (60's vintage) buicks and chevy's, plus all the diagnostic machines from his auto shops. Real antique looking instruments that probably still work. They were all in great condition. That is next on my list of things to find a good home for.

You mean a Vacuum Gauge, Dwell Meters/Tach and a Timing Light?

 

[n10sive]

You mean a Vacuum Gauge, Dwell Meters/Tach and a Timing Light?

yeah..something like that. But these are cool. They are in big roll around stations, like you probably have seen in gas station garages years ago. You know...the kind that looked EXPENSIVE and was used to convince all those house wives bringing their car in that you were smart, worth the big bill you were going to hand them, and had good equipment...so they would be impressed at how manly and smart you were (even though you were a garage mechanic) and go into the bathroom with you for some fun

 

[pecha]

disappointed in the short movies
I was expecting more double rainbow style commentary

 

[Oh My Sack!]

 

[n10sive]

disappointed in the short movies
I was expecting more double rainbow style commentary

Hey...never said I was Francis Ford Coppola or wrote for Harlequin

But hey...nobody was more disappointed than me to open the door and see HONDA's!!!

 

[ohio]

Just curious as to how many of you guys have actually restored a vintage bike and have an idea of just how much work and money is involved.

Nope, never, but I figure a Honda in wide distribution is probably the least painful way to learn, especially since I'm not aiming for "restoration" as much as "build and run."

The timing is pretty terrible, since I'm in the process of leaving one job for another that won't pay until the end of the year at best, working 80 hour weeks, and to work on anything in my garage right now, I have to haul the tools down and back up five flights of stairs....

 

[jetboy]

Nope, never, but I figure a Honda in wide distribution is probably the least painful way to learn, especially since I'm not aiming for "restoration" as much as "build and run."

yeah, everyone always says it takes thousands fo dollars to restore a bike, and that is not necessarily true. if all you want is to clean it up and ride, you can do it for 500-1k.

ive done a BSA, a honda 4, a morini, an old yamaha. the big expenditures are battery, tires, solvents, gaskets, paint and seat cover just to make it look prettier. if you are gonna ride it anyway, no need to restore it to perfection.

that cb550f looks like a good bet. its even got the side panels with emblems, and that is one of the hardest things to find for that bike! the rest is easy!

 

[sliverstorm]

The timing is pretty terrible, since I'm in the process of leaving one job for another that won't pay until the end of the year at best, working 80 hour weeks, and to work on anything in my garage right now, I have to haul the tools down and back up five flights of stairs....

You're working 80 hour weeks and they won't pay you until next year? WTF?

 

[ohio]

You're working 80 hour weeks and they won't pay you until next year? WTF?

Starting my own company and living off savings until I can pull in funding. Sucks to work for yourself - my boss is a stingy asshole that makes me work ridiculous hours.

 

[jetboy]

But hey...nobody was more disappointed than me to open the door and see HONDA's!!!

yeah, i was following this thread hoping you scored a pile of laverda or guzzi and id be begging at your door. still, people need those old honda parts, if only they were nearby i bet you could make a bundle off the local following--SF is chock full of CB riders.

 

[ddewey]

Well I have a 20 ft enclosed trailer, im sure we could squeeze 8 to 12 in there. Dont know if im interested in any of them, but id b willing to help go get em. pm me if your interested

 

[ohio]

the rest is easy!

Right.

How hard could it be to turn it into this?

No really, my plan would simply be to get it to fire and run for now. Then when I actually have some free time again, come back to it and make it something special.

 

[jetboy]

its called a bucket of wd-40, then simple green, then hose it off! it will make any of those barn bikes look like a runner- then all you got to do is make it run.

 

[Bluenote]

I couldn't get to it very well, but all it said on both side plates was "Hawk". Could not get to any frame plates.



Really? Thanks for the info. I was only guessing RD based on trying to find pics on the net for it. It was pretty buried behind some 20 ton steel presses (the warehouse doubled as some kind of machine shop at some point). Looking at the engine though it looks like the heads are more square than the YM1 or YDS3.

If it's an NT 650 it will be a v-twin in an alloy spar frame ( think VFR like) , as for the Yamaha the RD didn't arrive until '73 , with reed valves a front disc , if it's actually a '72 it will be an R5 ( couldn't see the vid) if it has scrambler pipes it won't be an R5.....

Other Hawks , the 400 Hawk was '78 as I remember , vertical twin , eventually ended up as a 450. Post pics and it will be easily identified. What years were the 550 Hondas?

 

[Bluenote]

This is the Hawk (almost exactly)

That's the original 400cc hawk from '77 or 78 , with Comstar wheels , they came out during the RD era and actually a few gave the RDs a run for their money towards the end of that era in the AFM. It was also out out with wire wheels and there was a 'Hondamatic' version of it.

 

[Bluenote]

They made two versions that year (if I remember) one manual and one automatic. FYI.

Actually three , disc front with the Comstar wheels , drum front with wire wheels and the Hondamatic version.

 

[sliverstorm]

Starting my own company and living off savings until I can pull in funding. Sucks to work for yourself - my boss is a stingy asshole that makes me work ridiculous hours.

Ooo very cool, I didn't realize we had any folks like that on here! I should have guessed though, you seem to have the right sort of attitude and opinions.

What are you doing as a start-up? If you don't mind divulging. You can PM me if you like.

 

[nakedape]

I had the Hondamatic version. It was a 78. When I went to GGC to pick up the factory manual, the counter guy wouldn't let go. He begged me to call him if I sold it. They work really well in SF. Great bike overall too. They are worth fixing up.

 

[mosquito]

I like the look of the RD350. Too bad I don't have a few grand lying around. ;o)