What if?

[CookMySock]

Ok this is NOT a bike advert. I post this here for a reason. Bear with me ;

Theres bikes like this GSXF on trademe quite regularly. Near new, deregistered insurance write-offs with stuff all wrong with them.



It wouldn't be hard to put a beefy front end on it, de-packrack it, tail-tidy the rear, and lightly turbocharge it, making it basically a brand new street fighter.

So I'm asking, who would pay for such a thing? Traditionally, hot-ups like this cost the builder heaps and then get sold for a song, which is a great way to pick up a bike but doesn't interest me much.

What say you?

Steve

[onearmedbandit]

I'd say, despite your reasoning, you originally posted this in the wrong topic so I moved it.

[HenryDorsetCase]

my next door neighbour is a car mechanic by trade and a bike enthusiast by inclination. He has bought a couple of bikes like that and put them back on the road. He always (and i think it might be mandatory) gets an engineers certification that the frame and swingarm is straight, and that the wheels point in the same direction. The cosmetics he repairs or replaces from wreckers and he sources quite a bit of stuff on ebay (with the dollar high that is a good option). He has some good bikes for not much money.

I enjoyed the phrase "lightly turbocharge" too, by the way.

[CookMySock]

my next door neighbour is a car mechanic by trade and a bike enthusiast by inclination. He has bought a couple of bikes like that and put them back on the road. He always (and i think it might be mandatory) gets an engineers certification that the frame and swingarm is straight, and that the wheels point in the same direction.

Yes indeed it is part of the repair certification that everything is aligned. Much like a detailed WOF check, but with a ruler.

Pretty much I am in the same position as your neighbour. I have done two bikes so far, and onto my third one now - importing an engine from the US for it. Very enjoyable, and a good bike for half price! Soon I want to do a turbo one.

I enjoyed the phrase "lightly turbocharge" too, by the way.

Hehe thanks. Unmodified modern motorcycle engines take quite well to turbocharging, provided some screwdriver-and-crescent "mechanic" doesn't wind the boost up.

The turbo is mostly about looks on a streetfighter, plus the squeal and the whoosh and the impact of it. I think it would be fun.

Steve

[Crasherfromwayback]

Hehe thanks. Unmodified modern motorcycle engines take quite well to turbocharging, provided some screwdriver-and-crescent "mechanic" doesn't wind the boost up.

The turbo is mostly about looks on a streetfighter, plus the squeal and the whoosh and the impact of it. I think it would be fun.

Steve

And you're not a 'screwdriver' and 'crescent' mechanic? Lightly turbo charge? Right.

[Headbanger]

He is also a backyard paramedic......

[CookMySock]

And you're not a 'screwdriver' and 'crescent' mechanic? Lightly turbo charge? Right.

More derogatory putdowns from your highly tuned derogatory mouth. Do you ever stop?

Steve

[Crasherfromwayback]

He is also a backyard paramedic......

I know. Amazing.

More derogatory putdowns from your highly tuned derogatory mouth. Do you ever stop?

Steve

I'd like to think more like casual observations. Rather be highly tuned than lightly turboed though!

[Tank]

Hehe thanks. Unmodified modern motorcycle engines take quite well to turbocharging, provided some screwdriver-and-crescent "mechanic" doesn't wind the boost up.

The turbo is mostly about looks on a streetfighter, plus the squeal and the whoosh and the impact of it. I think it would be fun.

Ummm given the higher compression of motorbike engines in their natural state - I would suggest that you are wrong on this one. Turbos are all about moving air (not looks - thats just like pitting spinning hub caps on your ho'bag) - lower compressions take this a lot better before reaching detonation.

He is also a backyard paramedic......

Oh Yeah - I forgot that thread - priceless.

More derogatory putdowns from your highly tuned derogatory mouth. Do you ever stop?

Do you?

[R6_kid:Me]

Even with bikes that seem to have little damage there are usually hidden pitfalls. You never know what happened when it crashed, it's not uncommon for bikes to run for a short time (seconds maybe minutes) after being crashed while lying on their side and not getting proper oil circulation, this can lead to serious engine damage and is not something you'll notice while just firing it up to see if it runs.

With the GSXR1000K3 that I rebuilt I'd worked out a budget of $8k to have it back to 'mint' and worth around $10-12k. By the time we'd fixed all the problems with the engine and got it legal it had cost just over $8k and was still without new paint and had a few dents and scratches yet to be sorted but it was mechanically fine. Ended up selling it for $7500 with a WP rear shock and a new after market exhaust, probably spent $9-10k all up at the end of the day, I rode it for about a year and ended up selling it for a loss. In hindsight it was a slightly stressful but over all enjoyable experience building the bike up, I learnt a lot, and got to enjoy it for a while too.

If there is a next time I'll be doing a lot more research and will be far more realistic with my budget. If you aren't buying a crashed bike for parts then I certainly wouldn't recommend buying it with the intention of making a profit - 90% of the time it's hard to do unless you either cut corners, or get the bike ridiculously cheap.

[imdying]

Hehe thanks. Unmodified modern motorcycle engines take quite well to turbocharging, provided some screwdriver-and-crescent "mechanic" doesn't wind the boost up.

Been a few interesting ones in recent years I've read about... one is an SV1000 built in a garage by a dodgy English fella... runs about 8psi but has tried higher, stock internals. Another is that guy with the supercharged 5th gen VFR800... stock internals, iirc he's running about 8psi too.

[CookMySock]

@Tank, not at all, its quite common. How long they last is anyones guess.

@R6_kid, yeah I'm very careful what rebuilds I buy. When you buy is when you make your money, not when you sell. I haven't been bitten yet, touch wood.

@imdying, hehe a SV1000 turbo would be fairly meaty.

So who would part with cash to buy that GSXF beautifully fightered and turboed, with near zero kms on it, ready to slay?

Steve

[Tank]

@Tank, not at all, its quite common. How long they last is anyones guess.

Thats rather different to your original comment that I commented on - which was that motorcycle engines take well to turbo'ing. They dont - it can be done at low boost and it risk detonation is not 'taking it quite well'

[CookMySock]

Thats rather different to your original comment that I commented on..

Sorry, too many interesting things to do, than argue on the internet.

I'm buying bends to make a turbo manifold up today. Cool fun ay?

What about you Tank? What are you up to mate?

Steve

[Tank]

What about you Tank? What are you up to mate?

Today is being spent doing due dilligence. Not quite as much fun as playing with bikes