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Post by mekon on Oct 14, 2022 8:11:43 GMT
My mate has been banging around on his Velocette. He also races them so knows a fair bit about maintaining them etc. He's saying I should fuck off getting something like modern retro Royal Enfield and get an actual classic.
Anyone owned a proper classic bike? Not the sort that costs like £10k+ but the cheaper end of the market.
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Post by pantah on Oct 14, 2022 9:43:01 GMT
I cut my teeth on classic bikes and ran a BSA Lightning for 10 years. Bought it in late 70's when the Japanese were dominating the market and i was an 18 year old idiot who thought that the oriental offerings were soulless. Gave me miles of pleasure but to be honest you needed plenty of mechanical knowledge to keep them reliable. Costs now are through the roof and probably not a practical choice.
Modern retro classics are probably a better bet. The Royal Enfield 650 twin appeals to me and gets decent reviews. Cheap too.
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Post by beefus on Oct 14, 2022 9:58:29 GMT
I'd probably go for 80's and 90's classic Japanese if I had the dosh (and the skills to maintain!!).
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Post by mekon on Oct 14, 2022 10:48:51 GMT
I think he is talking from a position of extreme knowledge with some of these bikes. He's into them, his old man literally had dozens of them in lockups and probably knows every part of some of this stuff. I haven't a fucking clue about anything before the mid 80s really. So owning a classic is going to be way easier for him.
Another point which I can't ignore is just about every fucking classic I ever parked up is pissing something all over the floor or so it seems.
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Post by Diego the toe clipper on Oct 14, 2022 13:44:23 GMT
Tools are your worst enemy. You might be able to buy a Werthers Original 150 Squirrel super twin for peanuts, but once you buy the imperial socket set, combination spanners, flywheel puller, leather drive belt rivetting tool etc. and then discover that you actually need all this again but in Whitworth sizes, you'll be so demoralised that you'll want to push it back into a barn for another wannabe restorer to discover and post on Facebook in 12 years from now. Do what Beefus says and buy a old Jap classic with electronic ignition and metric nuts and bolts. Easy classic, and possibly with brakes and lights that actually work. www.ebay.co.uk/itm/275480251979 |
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Post by philthewindsurfer on Oct 14, 2022 14:05:57 GMT
I would suggest that if you cant buy a modern Jap or KTM which hasnt been neglected by its previous owner and is a money pit, stay away from old bikes  |
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Post by mekon on Oct 14, 2022 15:32:25 GMT
The gsxr hasn't got anything wrong with it at all other than the previous owner didn't torque up the headstock properly. It's solid now and just needs fairing panels.All the spangly bits were pretty expensive like the Yoshi system and the rearsets and discs. It's worth £2k I paid. The KTM had lots of hidden behaviour the fairing problems but they were mainly of the seized bolt variety and I stripped it down entirely to an engine in a frame and it passed the MOT no advisories.
When buying a modern bike a fresh MOT is worth more than you kicking tyres and bouncing things for play. All that shit has already been done. The problem with classics is this no MOT business. I guess you need to take someone who knows the bikes.
I hadnt thought about the tool thing. Once again my mates dad will have every tool known to man for older bikes but I don't want to be they can I borrow a spanner guy.
Maybe i should buy that royal Enfield 350...
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Post by mekon on Oct 14, 2022 15:36:16 GMT
The gsxr says hello Phil.  |
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