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500 lives again

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matthewmosse:
A few ways to go with restorations, one is to bring it right the way to good as new in every detail, I try to keep bikes ( or any other bit of machinery, I've done more lathes than bikes recently ) broadly original and keep the aged look. I vastly prefer the second approach. It gives you an every day useable result and I can actually afford it. In their day my 500/4s and other machines have been about the hardest worked examples of their marque I could find examples of, and boy was it fun, the cb500/4 commuted through 6 inches of snow on the deck, several winters on the Trott, our series 2 landrover ran haybalers and tedders off the rear PTO, got into the landrover magazine on 2 counts, rear pro use very rare, and the engine was about the only regular use example known to the club at that time. No way would I have used a restored example like that on either count. Same with my lathes, everything gets cleaned and oiled, checked and fixed, but the paint is touched up and allowed to mellow back to old looking patina, those old machines attract as much attention at our local classic machinery rally as the fully restored exhibits, even if they feature as non exhibits in the car park.

Bryanj:
Julie, as long as they are 500/550 and going into Dresda frames no problem but you have to just nip into Coningsby and borrow me a Merlin27 to play with as well!!!

Nurse Julie:

--- Quote from: Bryanj on December 19, 2018, 03:48:04 PM ---Julie, as long as they are 500/550 and going into Dresda frames no problem but you have to just nip into Coningsby and borrow me a Merlin27 to play with as well!!!

--- End quote ---
Oh poo, nothing here from a Dresda frame !!!. Anything with a Merlin in it is all tucked up warm, dry and safe for the winter in the hangers Bryan. Plenty of Typhoons etc flying around until tomorrow, then no flying from Coningsby, except for the QRA (quick reaction alerts) till well in to the New Year as all on Holidays.

Bryanj:
Masonmart, there are several things that are a normal must fit to an old 500 and with the 605 probably even more important and i dont know if you did. E.G.  primary chain c/w damper rubbers; cam chain and possibly tensioner+cushion; crank seals(others can be done without spliting cases) etc etc. But as i have owned several even twindiscing one in 76 and have at least 6ish in project form to include no 36 again one more engine is an easy add on mate.

masonmart:

--- Quote from: Laverda120 on December 19, 2018, 11:07:54 AM ---I built my Triton at Dave's workshop back in the early noughties. It was by far the most expensive bike I have ever built at over £10k. Original estimate was £5.5k but of course the costs just spiral as you have found out and especially when it comes to engine work. When you start a restoration or a build you look at things on the bike prior to striping it down and think 'that will do, it's OK to keep'  but when you have fitted all the new bling the old bits look awful so you buy new to keep the standard up! I built my Triton over three years so at least I was able to spread the cost.
Like most people on here though, we restore and build bikes for the love of doing it and the pride in bringing an old clunker back to life. I've never met anyone who has restored a bike and made any money from doing it (unless it was a Brough, Vincent etc). Now I'm retired I would be bored brainless if I hadn't built my garage to restore bikes and to indulge in my real passion whilst listening to music..... absolute bliss 😊👍.
My advice would be to finish your build and enjoy doing it. Don't think of it as a money pit, you already know it is and you can't go backwards. If you sell it now you'll kick yourself every time you see a restored bike. Dave is a great guy and full of knowledge but keep a lid on the spending.
To quote Winston Churchill, When you think you are going through hell, keep going ✌️.
Good luck and please post some pictures of how it is now and future progress.

--- End quote ---

You're right of course and thanks for the positivity. This is a picture of where I'd got to before stopping. The rear shocks aren't the final ones.

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