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DrakeriderCa posted:Yeah, I'm fully geared up. So do you want to actually ride or have a bike to sit in your garage for the next 5 years while you blow all your money trying to fix it? A bike like that is something you get as a second bike, not your first.
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Apr 2, 2014 21:03
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slidebite posted:oh god We'll be taking a really close look at it to see if its worth the trouble. I'm well aware of the danger of projects. I usually have two or three guns on the go at once.
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Apr 2, 2014 21:44
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Gun project != motorized vehicle project. Fixing a gun may take a few hours of work and a couple hundred bucks, but fixing a basketcase old 80's bike with spotty parts availability can take YEARS and THOUSANDS.
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Apr 2, 2014 22:06
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TWSS posted:This guy has three bikes listed and they all look pretty neat to me Nope, nope nope. Noooooope Nope. My advice to you is: learn what a halfway decent modern bike in good condition feels like and how it is supposed to behave before you go buying crap-piles from The Worst Era For Bikes. You could pretty easily find a bike made after 1995 that works really well for two large. Ninja 250, DRZ400, SV650, something like that. Buy that, ride it, then figure out what it is you really want.
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Apr 2, 2014 22:13
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HotCanadianChick posted:Gun project != motorized vehicle project. Fixing a gun may take a few hours of work and a couple hundred bucks, but fixing a basketcase old 80's bike with spotty parts availability can take YEARS and THOUSANDS. I'm not going to compare dick size on projects but suffice to say that firearms are also complicated, expensive and can have lovely parts availability. I realize how complex and expensive motorbike projects can get, which is why I'll be going over it very carefully and I won't commit to it unless its serviceable. I'm not saying ill definitely buy this bike. I'm just saying I'll be looking at it and possibly picking it up. I'm still entertaining the idea of just getting a dirt bike for the first year and saving on insurance anyways.
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Apr 2, 2014 22:16
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Safety Dance posted:Nope, nope nope. Thanks for being candid!
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Apr 2, 2014 23:01
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DrakeriderCa posted:I'm not going to compare dick size on projects but suffice to say that firearms are also complicated, expensive and can have lovely parts availability. You should totally post a thread about the first bike you buy and getting it running / keeping it running.
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Apr 2, 2014 23:15
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Safety Dance posted:Two screws and a little bit of tugging where it clips to the bar end. The screws weren't especially rusty or anything. I am pretty jealous then. Mine are stuck as stuck gets, and the screws are made of butter.
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Apr 2, 2014 23:24
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n8r posted:You should totally post a thread about the first bike you buy and getting it running / keeping it running. I totally will, bro - I just called the PO and he says it just needs the carbs cleaned!!!!!!!!!! This also isn't my first bike project - I had a basket case bike that I worked on two years ago until I found out the electrical was totally fried - so I get it. I really do. I've been through this before and I'm aware of the challenges. And I get that you guys have probably heard a lot of these questions before. Forget I said anything - I should have anticipated the default response. I know that the rote answer is "don't do it for your first bike" and I could have been more clear that I'll be looking at the bike with another rider who's experienced in rebuilding UJM's, that I've dealt with project bikes before and that I'm going to be extremely careful about whether I even go ahead with this one, knowing what I do. DrakeriderCa fucked around with this message at 23:37 on Apr 2, 2014 |
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Apr 2, 2014 23:34
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DrakeriderCa posted:I'm not going to compare dick size on projects but suffice to say that firearms are also complicated, expensive and can have lovely parts availability. It's not even worth looking at. Tires - 250 bucks. 1 hour Carb rebuild kits can run upwards of 250 bucks depending on what needs to be replaced. 8 hours if you've never done it before. Stored outside - 120 bucks for replacement rubber bits - carb boots, intake boots, and other airbox related poo poo, plus all the fuel lines. 1 hour Brake lines are hosed - 100 bucks. 2 hours Brake fluid is definitely toast, master cylinders might be too, figure $50 - 2 hours Going to need to deal with those loving absurd forward controls that someone put on it, that's another 100 bucks in parts to find the appropriate pegs, mounts, if they didn't loving cut them off because idiots who do that poo poo love to do that kinda stuff - anywhere from 2 to 10 hours, depending on how bad they hosed it up The fork seals and rear suspension rebuild, that'll be another 100 bucks in parts - 2 hours Another 150 bucks in chain, sprockets, cause those are probably hosed - 1 hour This is assuming the brakes are otherwise in perfect condition, if they're not, 200 bucks in rotors, pads, shoes, whatever if you want decent replacement stuff. If you're willing to gamble on ebay parts, that can be done a bit cheaper. - 2 hours Oh, and you haven't opened the engine - air filter, oil, oil filter, valve check, spark plugs - that's another 100 bucks. - 4 hours Somewhere you're going to need at least one set of wheel/head/swingarm bearings, too, that's another 30 bucks. 1 hour That's just the easy poo poo. Tank rusted out? You're stripping it, hoping it's not so far gone that it's just a mess of pinhole leaks. Ignitor cover is missing, so poo poo's hosed there too, maybe if you're lucky you can find an electronic ignitor for it, that'll only cost you 200 bucks or so plus another few hours of your time... Yay, now you're only $2000 into your bike, a reasonable estimation of ~35 hours of work into it, and you still have a lovely bike from the 70s that's a poo poo starter bike, heavy and overpowered. Oh, and it still looks like something that sat in a barn for 15 years. You can spraybomb it for another 50-100 bucks, and maybe it'll look kinda less lovely. Or doing paint right will cost you 500-1000 bucks. And that's if literally everything else is perfect. Everything. That's if you fire it up and it runs forever. Don't even loving bother. I can tell from looking at it that it's not serviceable as a first bike for someone who wants to ride motorcycles. If you just want to have something in your garage to suck up time and money, well, you should have said that in the first place and start a thread when you buy it. If you want an honest estimation of if the bike is worth a poo poo, the only way to do it is to get the bike running then and there, which is always risky, cause at that level of shitshow you're hooking up a battery, firing ether into the intake, and hoping it lights enough, doesn't spit something through the crankcase, and even then, all of the above are guaranteed to apply. Might also have sludge/water for oil, so if you had torn it down and gotten rid of that poo poo, maybe it would be decent if everything isn't all rusted out from the water... None of this is a dig on your expertise at rebuilding firearms or dickwaving on projects completed, or how good a mechanic your friend is. It's just that if you're going to walk into this, know that it's going to run you 2k to get it running and safe. If you're lucky. Z3n fucked around with this message at 23:49 on Apr 2, 2014 |
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Apr 2, 2014 23:38
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Z3n posted:It's not even worth looking at. Thanks man. This is what I was hoping for - an assessment of the bike, not the idea. I appreciate it.
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Apr 3, 2014 00:02
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Z3n posted:Tank rusted out? You're stripping it, hoping it's not so far gone that it's just a mess of pinhole leaks.
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Apr 3, 2014 00:11
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DrakeriderCa posted:Thanks man. This is what I was hoping for - an assessment of the bike, not the idea. I appreciate it. The problem is that nearly every bike you will find for sale in that price range is going to have all of the same problems. And the ones that don't, you won't be able to wait to pick up because they'll be gone. So just from looking at the ad, looking at your timeline, I know it's a lovely idea because the bike is also poo poo. A bike is going to cost you roughly 1500 bucks, no matter what you do. Either it'll happen up front and you'll spend most of your time riding, or it's going to cost you that while you get it riding, plus time. Occasionally if you know wtf you're doing, you can make it happen cheaper than that. But that's probably your 10th-15th project before that starts happening. You can also get unlucky and end up with a totally lovely 1500 buck bike. If you want something reliable out of the box, splash out 2-3k or so for a nice NInja 250, GS500, Ninja 500, or SV650.
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Apr 3, 2014 00:55
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Rev. Dr. Moses P. Lester posted:This deserves another line. Even if it isn't rusted through, but there's a lot of rust inside, the process of stripping and maybe sealing it is absolutely disgusting and filthy, usually with highly toxic chemicals and fumes. Wastes hours and hours of time, and you'll still probably do it wrong because it's easy to do wrong. We charge people hundreds of dollars to do that. It takes a while but it's not super expensive - doing the POR15 kit on my 500R cost me about $60 for the kit and a couple days, plus a hair dryer from Salvation Army for drying, plus it ruined my favorite hoodie. 
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Apr 3, 2014 01:04
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The only old bikes worth buying without too much headache is a bike that is being actively ridden. The vast majority of old bikes that are sold 'running' haven't been consistently ridden in ages. When you start to ride them consistently all sorts of dumb poo poo starts to break. My second RD looked great but clearly had sat for some period of time and definitely wasn't being used much. It took me a year of riding it / poo poo breaking to get it to a point that it was doing well. There are still about 3-4 things I probably should fix at the moment but won't. Old bikes are cool as a second bike but it sucks if you only have one bike and it ends up being down for a month of the riding season as you track down dumb problems withit.
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Apr 3, 2014 03:28
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Z3n posted:If you want something reliable out of the box, splash out 2-3k or so for a nice NInja 250, GS500, Ninja 500, or SV650. Unfortunately, that just isn't an option. I'm buying the bike out of a "toy fund" for lack of a better term, and there's no possible way to expand the budget past about $1500 and still be able to pay for the rider's course, licensing, insurance and registration as well as a few hundred dollars for incidentals. This bike won't be a primary (or even secondary) mode of transportation. It won't be part of a lifestyle. It's 100% a toy. And part of the appeal for me is the wrenching - I'm really fascinated with mechanics, and it'll be an opportunity to learn more about electronics, carburetors, and other things that I haven't learned while working on cars/guns/etc so far. That's not to say that I'm a masochist or that I don't want a bike that I can spend more time riding than fixing. I'm just saying that I'm interested in repairing it as well as riding it. It's just like I am with guns - I spend more time buying, selling, repairing or upgrading guns than I do shooting. I don't just get into this stuff to use it. I want to understand it, work with it, improve it if possible. I'm still keeping an eye out for better bikes and I have a much better understanding of the risks associated with the total bottom of the barrel bikes. I think it was definitely unrealistic of me to expect to find a serviceable bike for less than $800. Around the $1500 range there are some more workable bikes that I've seen. Slidebite was good enough to give me the heads up on this guy: http://www.kijiji.ca/v-sport-bikes/lethbridge/1982-honda-cb-900-super-sport-runs-well-sounds-great/578962739?enableSearchNavigationFlag=true Any thoughts on it?
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Apr 3, 2014 06:39
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TWSS posted:Sooo, I know absolutely nothing about bikes, but my college decided to throw money at me because I helped a blind dude put his 1950 ford back together and after getting jilted one too many times looking at cars I've decided to try something with two wheels. My only experience with bikes/atvs is driving a honda big red when I was 8. As a 215 pound 6'2 24 year old man child I want something fast enough to take on the highway, but not something that will kill me learning to ride, so I'm looking at bikes around 400-500ccs. I have some experience with taking things apart and putting them back together including a john deere riding mower, craftsman snowblower, v-twin honda forklift motor and an SBC so I'm not opposed to buying something that needs a little work. Also, the aforementioned blind dude is best buds with a machinist so I can get a good price on the engine work that I don't have the resources to deal with. My price range is <1500 CDN and aesthetically I love 70's and 80's Japanese machines, but I'm open to other ideas. Maybe I'm overlooking something, but I can't see why a blind man would have a truck. Is this just something to sit in his garage?
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Apr 3, 2014 06:50
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Chichevache posted:Maybe I'm overlooking something, but I can't see why a blind man would have a truck. Is this just something to sit in his garage? What's even weirder is he apparently owns a custom virago too, because that's the only thing I can think of that can explain the second link.
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Apr 3, 2014 07:02
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DrakeriderCa posted:Slidebite was good enough to give me the heads up on this guy:
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Apr 3, 2014 08:04
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Linedance posted:What's even weirder is he apparently owns a custom virago too, because that's the only thing I can think of that can explain the second link. If you read the ad it says the first picture isn't his. Chichevache posted:Maybe I'm overlooking something, but I can't see why a blind man would have a truck. Is this just something to sit in his garage? I got paired up with this guy Dick Standish (nobody would make up that name) through a group called Help Age Canada. He's 73, but fell in love with cars as a kid and grew into a gear head keen to learn from his mechanic father. He dealt with his own vehicle maintenance from when he bought his first VW bug at 17 and always kept his cars for 10 years (with the exception of a few write-offs). He's owned a model a, many old ford trucks, a few ford coupes and a 38 plymouth, but only one at a time because that was all the missus would allow. He was diagnosed with macular degeneration in his 20s and handled it with a great attitude keeping up the hobby by buying stronger glasses and making use of magnets and good lighting. He worked for the city and eventually became the head forester/arborist, but in the early 90s his retina detached and he was moved to a desk job. He lost his licence when he went blind in one eye and took the bus to work, but suffered from depression he attributes to ignoring his cars. His wife died of cancer in 200X and soon after he remarried a woman who drove stick. He bought his current truck soon after and she drove him to his favourite swap meet in Pennsylvania while he shifted the gears  Because the truck wasn't the right shade of red, he embarked on a frame-off restoration that he has been puttering away on for 3 years. The truck lived a long enough life in Canada that gravity and rust cancer made it all stancenation, so he pulled it apart, powder coated the frame, bought a new box from some place in Detroit and had a body man from Quebec city take care of the cab, doors, hood and fenders. The flathead was only 5000kms into a fresh rebuild when he got it so it just needed to be reassembled. 65 year old fords are not legos for a dude with 15% vision in one eye. His daughter-in-law works for Help Age and sent out a message to the local college where I'm taking automotive and my instructor recommended me so I helped this guy put his truck back together. He's in Florida right now with every other pasty Canadian snow bird, but we'll keep at it one Saturday morning at a time until it's finished. He put the 47 logo on a 50 as "a way to get assholes to speak up" TWSS fucked around with this message at 10:28 on Apr 3, 2014 |
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Apr 3, 2014 08:51
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^^ Old dude sounds cool as hell.DrakeriderCa posted:http://www.kijiji.ca/v-sport-bikes/lethbridge/1982-honda-cb-900-super-sport-runs-well-sounds-great/578962739?enableSearchNavigationFlag=true Typical old bike stuff will probably need to be looked after for safety sake (IE: Brake hoses) but he's put some money into it as well recently. Tires are no small thing, even if he cheaped out on them. With a little bit of effort and cash that bike could look drat sharp. http://knkcycles.com/honda-cb900.htm For our market, especially for a "reasonable offer", it's worth a look. slidebite fucked around with this message at 14:32 on Apr 3, 2014 |
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Apr 3, 2014 14:27
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TWSS posted:If you read the ad it says the first picture isn't his. Well poo poo. That was definitely worth learning about. Good job, dude.
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Apr 3, 2014 15:50
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clutchpuck posted:I am pretty jealous then. Mine are stuck as stuck gets, and the screws are made of butter. I had to drill them out and then order new Handguard Attachment Posts. But then I used Loctite for the screws, shouldn't have done that. Replaced them with hex heads.
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Apr 3, 2014 18:35
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DrakeriderCa posted:http://www.kijiji.ca/v-sport-bikes/lethbridge/1982-honda-cb-900-super-sport-runs-well-sounds-great/578962739?enableSearchNavigationFlag=true
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Apr 3, 2014 19:11
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Isn't that where the old-timey anti-dive cylinder would go? That thing looks like just an aluminium bracket for some random thing.
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Apr 3, 2014 19:18
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Well it's only on one side but maybe a mount for extra lights? Maybe the other side wasn't too corroded to get the bolts out.
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Apr 3, 2014 19:25
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Slavvy posted:Isn't that where the old-timey anti-dive cylinder would go? That thing looks like just an aluminium bracket for some random thing. I don't think they had TRAC on those, but who knows. Mystery accessory bracket is my guess too and the bolts were just to corroded to get out without effort.
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Apr 3, 2014 19:33
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I'm thinking of selling my two thirty year old bikes this year and throwing some money toward a newer used or possibly new bike. I learned on a 1982 Yamaha Maxim 400, then a year later had an incredible time ripping around on a 1983 Honda VF750 Interceptor. I had so much fun on the Interceptor that I'm leaning toward buying a sportier bike. What I really loved about the Honda was the riding position, handling, and more powerful engine. So, I've been looking around at more modern sport bikes by Honda, Yamaha, Triumph, Kawasaki. The terrain I'm riding is pretty much all mountain roads, passes, some flats in the western Wyoming, Idaho area. I definitely ride as spirited as I can while being paranoid of hitting some random animal, so the idea of getting a midsize sport bike, 600cc-750cc, is entertaining me. I really just don't know how much is too much considering I don't have a track close by, SLC is the closest. So would something like an r6, or CBR600rr, zx6r, just be overkill? I feel like the more plain versions like the cbr650f, ninja 650, fz6r, are just a smarter choice but part of me still wants the race versions just because... I dont know why... Then there's the random factor of test riding a street bike like a triumph street triple or fz8 and actually liking it. I'm just not sold on the more upright stance. I know its more comfortable but I'm wierd and like the sport bike stance. Any thoughts on what to steer clear of? Is getting the more race tuned versions a silly idea because it really is a waste considering what I'm riding? I've been poking around on KSL classifieds in Salt Lake and there seem to be some options but not many.
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Apr 5, 2014 17:22
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Have you ridden a modern sportbike? The seating position is nothing like your VFR, and you're going to feel right at home on a Speed/Street Triple, Tuono, VFR800, etc.
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Apr 5, 2014 17:27
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I have ridden a friends zx6r and noticed a difference but still enjoyed it. I haven't tried any of the triples or newer vfr's.
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Apr 5, 2014 17:41
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Betty posted:I have ridden a friends zx6r and noticed a difference but still enjoyed it. I haven't tried any of the triples or newer vfr's. See if you can ride one for a few hours - the second ride is the one where you really notice ergo stuff.
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Apr 5, 2014 17:46
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By the time I got back in town, two of those KLRs I posted earlier were sold and one guy told me he didn't want to sell his any longer. The search for baby's first bike continues.
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Apr 5, 2014 19:49
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I'm thinking of checking out this SV 650 as a first bike http://sandiego.craigslist.org/nsd/mcy/4408491364.html It looks like it's been sitting for a long time. Anything I should really look for besides rust in the tank? I figure it will need all of the fluids replaced.
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Apr 7, 2014 09:54
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Budget for tyres and potentially a chain, too. Find out what 'runs but needs service' means as this could mean 'needs carbs cleaned out' or it could mean 'runs on one cylinder after I put a hole in the engine'.
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Apr 7, 2014 09:57
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It's also got a huge dent in the tank.
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Apr 7, 2014 15:19
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With the location and shape of dent, couple that with this "extra handlebars and foot pegs included", that scar along the seat pan, along with the photo that conveniently does not show the front end. Leads me to believe that he laid the bike down, hard. I'd pass.
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Apr 7, 2014 17:37
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As an upgrade to a real bike from my scooter, I hunted around and found this locally. http://okaloosa.craigslist.org/mcy/4410507531.html Can anyone tell me why I should/should not get this as my first? Is he asking a fair price? There's also a Chinese no-name (Dong Fang) 250cc around that I could get for $450. Any advice? These would end up being my daily driver.
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Apr 7, 2014 17:48
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Don't know much about those generic 80s Yamahas, but it's a Japanese bike from a big marque, so unless someone pipes up with a specific no I don't see any problem with it. It just won't be super interesting. Seems fine to start on though. Don't get a Chinese scooter.
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Apr 7, 2014 17:50
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josiahgould posted:As an upgrade to a real bike from my scooter, I hunted around and found this locally. The Yamaha looks to be in decent condition. If it's in perfect shape, $1000 is fair. Make sure the bike is cool (touch the headers and make sure they're air temperature) and ask the guy to kick start it. Make sure the tires are in good shape with no dry rot. Front drum brakes are a red flag. Not a huge one, but something to be careful of.
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Apr 7, 2014 17:54
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That vintage of Yamaha tends to have spectacularly lovely wiring and electrics. Maybe a PO sorted it out, or maybe they made hack repairs and accessory modifications. Take a look under the seat for a wiring and electrical tape rats nest, and make sure all the lights and factory accessories work predictably. Also, the automatic vacuum petcocks tend to be worn out and leaky. Ask about them. Also, take off the oil cap and smell the oil. It shouldn't smell like gasoline; when those petcocks leak, fuel gets right into the oil, thins it out, and causes bearing problems. You probably have many options for inexpensive manual fuel valves to replace them with if they're problematic or as preventive service. Those bikes aren't too common, so finding model-specific replacement parts might cost a little extra in money and time.
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Apr 7, 2014 18:23
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