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[Ken4004]

Good morning everyone, I have just been looking through EBay and I have found a part finished project that might be of interest to someone if there looking for a project over the winter months.

[Athame57]

if there looking for a project over the winter months.

It would help if I had a cozy garage to work in! 

[Ken4004]

if there looking for a project over the winter months.

It would help if I had a cozy garage to work in! 

I had the same issue so I built a log cabin in the garden !

[McCabe-Thiele (Ted)]

If you live in a Flat then shed is not an option.

Looking at the photos its had a lot of work done, in the current market it's not priced low enought to be snapped up imho.
The engine alone might need £1000-£1500 spending on it.

[Yetanotherbike]

I suspect many people go into bike restoration with rose tinted spectacles. But the fact is, they cost a lot of money to restore. In the world of classic cars the situation is far worse. I think very few people make any money from either. My own view is that if you enjoy restoring it and you can take satisfaction from your hard work as well as knowing that you've saved a classic bike from becoming spare parts, then it's money well spent. Some people throw vast amounts of money away on clothes, gambling, TV, whatever, but at the end of the day restoring bikes actually gives you something , even if it's cost a lot to get there.

[McCabe-Thiele (Ted)]

I agree with your observations about restoration costs, even the Bangers & Cash team made a massive loss on the early Land Rover they restored.

When I used to watch the US TV series American Chopper the remark "It's all about the build" rings so true.

[Ken4004]

I suspect many people go into bike restoration with rose tinted spectacles. But the fact is, they cost a lot of money to restore. In the world of classic cars the situation is far worse. I think very few people make any money from either. My own view is that if you enjoy restoring it and you can take satisfaction from your hard work as well as knowing that you've saved a classic bike from becoming spare parts, then it's money well spent. Some people throw vast amounts of money away on clothes, gambling, TV, whatever, but at the end of the day restoring bikes actually gives you something , even if it's cost a lot to get there.

I totally agree, with my restoration I probably broke even if you exclude all the hours spent but great sense of achievement and satisfaction thats worth its weight on gold in my opinion.
It was I also keeps me out of trouble well thats what the missus says.

[McCabe-Thiele (Ted)]

One of the things about a restoration project is that there are so many aspects to the process, particularly if you are retired.
Maintaining or learning new skills that require mental and/or physical effort. Forget Suduko we have instead the puzzle of assembly.During the process there is the quest for knowledge from sites like this, learning new skills, reading manuals or online information. Improving our IT skills when posting photos etc. The challenge of restoring a part or the quest in finding a NOS, pattern or used part. The angst of things not always going to plan, learning from our mistakes, sharing our problems or solutions with like minded folk.

Unlike say furniture restoration, we have the option to not only admire our finished project, when the urge takes us we can ride on the open road, sometimes feeling the adrenaline rush of our lost youth, whats not to like?

[Athame57]

Unlike say furniture restoration, we have the option to not only admire our finished project, when the urge takes us we can ride on the open road, sometimes feeling the adrenaline rush of our lost youth, whats not to like?

Yup. When I got my bike eight years ago she was in a sad state and I would soon realize I had paid too much for her as well. Lots of bits quietly missing and even home made bodges on her, but now she is a lovely bike and a lot of people who remember the 400/4 especially stop me to let me know it. I've never had a bike so long and become so personal, definitely a part of me now. 

[Ken4004]

The only issue I have now is I would like to do another restoration but haven’t got the room for another bike and after completing my first restoration don’t want to sell it because it’s a fun bike to ride.

When I first started the restoration quite a few years ago I thought it would be quite straightforward and didn’t realise how hard it can be to find parts .
The other issue is because I was still working I didn’t get the time to work on the bike and we all know that it takes many hundreds of hours to complete , it was only when I retired I had to time to complete it and in fact it only took me another 6 months to get it on the road.

My long suffering wife thought it was a complete folly and thought I would never finish it and had visions of me dying first and leaving her the task of dealing with it, great to prove her wrong.

Now I am a great believer in always being able to learn something new from other people and I must say that in general this group has been very supportive and helps spur you on when it gets tough going which I am extremely grateful for and may long it continue.

It would be great to meet up with people from this group in the Sussex and surrounding area so I can put a face to some of the names .

[Ken4004]

https://youtu.be/JYC-xFpoFAg?is=tcVAimNPixWDAQ_j

This is a link to a video of my 1977 Z1000 which I sold in 2014, really liked this bike but it was heavy and didn’t handle particular well whether it was me or the bike I am not sure but I thought I might wrap my self round a lamp post so decided to sell it on .

I particularly liked the Harris exhaust which sounded amazing, for anyone who lives in the Sussex area I used to go out of my way to ride it through the Lewes Tunnel which is very immature but enjoyable.

As far as I know the guy I sold it to has still got it and has fitted a set of standard exhausts to it at great expense, I need to go over and see him again .
I did say to him if he was considering selling it to let me know as I would love to own it again but don’t tell the wife !

[Ken4004]

I do have to apologise for the heavy breathing I sound like Darth Vader

[Mikep328]

Many years ago I bought a E-Type Jaguar in need of "restoration."  It was pretty cheap and I figured doing all the work myself (I had a real job at the time), it would take me about a year.

Seven years later I sold the still incomplete car to another fool, er, I mean enthusiast who wanted to take a shot at it.  Maybe he finished it; I don't know.  A friend on the Isle of Man recently bought a Honda CB400F to restore; he sold it two months later after doing some rough figures on the cost of restoration...

The point is: be prepared to spend a lot more time (and money) than you think you will. 

[Bryanj]

Dave Silver once offered to tell me how much i had spent with him, i said dont be stupid my wife doesnt need to know! I did once come back with 5 of his us imports!!

[McCabe-Thiele (Ted)]

My current 400NA Superdream will be my last ever project, a combination of old age, being the main Carer for Wendy has substantially restricted my free time. With the benefit of hindsight, part of me wishes I had done more projects when I was a decade younger.

There are still a few  things I want to change/improve on my 400/4 when the Superdream is finished. A few short rides out next summer plus general servicing & maintainace  will keep me busy enough in my twilight years.