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Vintage motorcycle gold mine?

i was hoping for ct70 in that barn,oh well.Dale,if you can verify either of the CB125 as complete,i like to make an offer.LMK,thanks.....:)
 
The Hawk name was also used for one of the 400 twin models. If it's the one I'm thinking of, with the longer more angular tank, I might be interested in it. As well as that 360cc Kawk.
 

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The Honda 175 and 350 twins are being raced in vintage events, so good cores and frames are desirable. Also any Honda 4 cylinder has value and the Yamaha twins are popular. It sounds like you could use someone that has a bit of knowledge on older Japanese bikes and parts. There are some parts that have high value, just don't write it all off as junk.
 
boy. All this good info! I think for the price of a few bikes, I could get them all up here and then some! We could do like a funeral procession where everyone has 3 dead bikes in their vans. :laughing
 
This is the Hawk (almost exactly)

IMG_0143-763507.JPG
 
ohio said:
If the CB 550 is even remotely serviceable I will gladly make the trip down, pick it up (and any other 2 bikes you want brought back), and compensate you equally to a salvage yard. I've wanted to do a cafe CB four for awhile.
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The 550 is in this clip (it's short but it might be helpful). Sounds like if you wanted it, you could bring up a bike or two for someone else in your area too. I'll certainly entertain the offer. When could you go down to pick it up?

[youtube]KWA_7FjtgBU[/youtube]
 
n10sive said:
The 550 is in this clip (it's short but it might be helpful). Sounds like if you wanted it, you could bring up a bike or two for someone else in your area too. I'll certainly entertain the offer. When could you go down to pick it up?
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At best weekend of Aug 28. Much easier would be Mid September... how long do you have?

I could lend the trailer sooner, but couldn't make the trip myself.
 
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.
 
afm199 said:
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.
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Aww, let them have their dreams. They gotta learn one way or another.

Just so they don't come back complaining, let's make it super clear.

Guys, restoring a vintage bike is hella expensive. Thousands of dollars. Tons of hours. You can skate by for a little less if you cheat, but then it's hardly restored.

Don't come back saying we didn't tell you so.


I'm guessing afm199 has hands on experience. I haven't restored a vintage bike, but I've had a lot of old bikes (and one truly vintage) on my hands, and they cost a hell of a lot more than they should to just REPAIR, forget making them nice, or even anything beyond barely functional :laughing

Old bikes do have a sweet spot in my heart though- if you can get it to 'barely functional' for cheap with some baling wire and duct tape, I figure you just found yourself a cheap ride to hold you over while you save for your next bike. A bike's a bike in the end after all :teeth
 
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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.
 
afm199 said:
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.
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Depends if you're doing it for love or money. I've restored three bikes, two brits and a german, I still have them all, so you know it wasn't for money. (I could probably turn a profit on the BMW though)

The OP would, of course be best served by selling off the collection as-is, or perhaps after a bit of cleaning up, carb tuning etc. on the more complete bikes in the collection.
Possibly after removing the bike that he likes the best for his own use.
 
Carlo said:
Depends if you're doing it for love or money. I've restored three bikes, two brits and a german, I still have them all, so you know it wasn't for money. (I could probably turn a profit on the BMW though)

The OP would, of course be best served by selling off the collection as-is, or perhaps after a bit of cleaning up, carb tuning etc. on the more complete bikes in the collection.
Possibly after removing the bike that he likes the best for his own use.
Click to expand...

^THIS. You wouldn't touch any of these bikes unless it was for the love of it.
 
afm199 said:
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.
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:twofinger

stickinthemud.jpg
 
QuaiChangKane said:
Didn't read the whole thread, but thought I could help you and the OP out here, before reading that far (unless someone beat me to the punch and suggested this already, and I now look like a lazy schmuck...). :facepalm

http://www.its-titles.com/

-Q!
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I know about those services. Several of them advertise in Walneck's Classic Cycle Trader.
With a valid Oregon title, it's a little more complicated, because the Oregon DMV will undoubtedly search their database for the VIN # and find that it's already titled here in Oregon. This bike wasn't abandoned long enough ago that it would have dropped out of the system.
There are several options that I'll be exploring.
 
n10sive said:
^THIS. You wouldn't touch any of these bikes unless it was for the love of it.
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Yeh, I looked at your videos. This collection is a good start on owning your own m/c wrecking yard. Looks like mostly early 70's stuff.
It would be worth hauling that off if you could find a buyer for the lot of it. Be a shame to see it all go to the crusher just because the executor is hot to get the property on the market.
(incidentally, the machine shop stuff you mentioned might be worth more than the bikes, good american made machine tools are infinitely rebuildable, so no matter how badly worn out they are, they're still valuable)
 
Carlo said:
(incidentally, the machine shop stuff you mentioned might be worth more than the bikes, good american made machine tools are infinitely rebuildable, so no matter how badly worn out they are, they're still valuable)
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There is at least 60 tons of steel in that building in old presses and machinery. That in of itself is probably the real gold :)

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.
 
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