What does 'Fully Restored' mean?

[AllanB]

It's a nice looking bike.

Looked at a XR6 recently that was described as 'immaculate' I am pretty sure it had just had it's first wash in years as every spot that did not get a wet sponge over it was covered in dirt and dust showing it's usual condition.

I also looked at one that had "regularly been serviced by a A grade mechanic" and had no visible oil on the dipstick ......... please define regular I guess.

A bike on trademe a while back was described as having a full engine rebuild. Turned out it had had a new set of rings and plugs. I hope he did not pay too much for the full rebuild.

[toycollector10]

Bloody crap Paul, don't beat yourself up mate, there's about X thousand Kiwibikers out there lining up to do that for you.

Well, it has been in my case

Preserved
Conserved
Renovated
Restored
Freshened
Fully Restored
Fucked
Ground Up Rebuild
Rebuilt
Immaculate
Barn fresh


Any more?

If you gave the same bike (two identical bikes, that is) to two different wrenchers they would come up with totally different results. It's like painting a picture. The results will be totally different.

[neels]

It's a variable term, having come from a vintage car family I've seen my dad 'fully' restore a car, which means stripping it down to it's individual bits, and rebuilding, remachining or making from scratch everything so it's exactly as it was when it was new. Right down to the correct type of timber for the wooden body framing, making new body panels using old fucked patterns, and battling with vacuum tanks when it would make more sense to install an electric fuel pump.

He's also built a vintage race replica which he doesn't claim as restored, more a collection of parts put together to look like a car that once existed.

Could be worse, could be claiming 'mint condition except for.....'

[Paul in NZ]

Bloody crap Paul, don't beat yourself up mate, there's about X thousand Kiwibikers out there lining up to do that for you. .

Too true...

I just hooned down to the dairy on the wonderfully load, chronically unrestored AC50 / A100 and a young kid (maybe 12 or 13) was staring at it with his eyes bogging out of his skull... "Nice bike mister" he says... I told him it was twice as old as he was and then an ole Velocette burbled around the bend... drat thinks I, thats friggin sweet but the kid only had eyes for the maverick, you could see him thinking, I could ride that.... wonderful stuff.... Lets hope one day he does...

[toycollector10]

I've got's to get me a Maverick, one day. But they're getting so pricey now!

A guy I knew in the Air Force when I was at Wigram (Christchurch) in 1972 owned one. He got all homesick and rode it to Auckland and back over the Easter break. Jet helmet and RNZAF Great coat for protection. Poor bugger graduated to a big Guzzie and killed himself in Aussie shortly thereafter.

Have you seen this...?

Too pretty by far.


http://www.trademe.co.nz/Browse/List...x?id=303938021

[Paul in NZ]

Have you seen this...?

Too pretty by far.


http://www.trademe.co.nz/Browse/List...x?id=303938021

Oh yes - we have oggled that.... Its just too sexy for words. If people needed to know what happened to the British Motorcycle industry it died because they made the bantam (worthy as it is) and the japs did stuff like that.

[Motu]

My favourite is "Good condition for age" Is there some kind of pro-rata system im not aware of, where a vehicle can become a bit more fucked every year & yet still be described as in good condition?

Certainly,I see it every day.Cars come in,only 4 years old and totally trashed,dents in every panel,seats ripped and smeared and Dog knows what.And yet another will be 20 years old with perfect paint and seats that look like they've never been sat in.Inbetween those extremes are vehicles is various condition.A medium point would be ''Good condition for age''.I don't see the problem there,of course any vehicle will deteriorate with age...there is a norm....and it's easy to find.

[Dodgyiti]

I've never managed to restore anything, refurbish maybe, but not restore- that's for people with a lot more dedication to reproducing something that may have been a bit crap to start with. I like to try and fix the original short commings and deliver something rideable mainly.

[Paul in NZ]

I like to try and fix the original short commings and deliver something rideable mainly.

Fnark..... I dont think I'll live long enough to fix all the short comings in my bikes

[toycollector10]

Speaking of the British Bike Industry. I wound up in Wellington in early 1973. I looked at the Triumph model which is the topic of this post, It might have been the exact same bike. I couldn't afford a 650cc so was looking at the 500cc. On the shop floor of the bike dealers up from Manners Mall, or Manners Street, as it was then known.

It had a one cent piece sized drop of oil under it. Not good!

Then I walked up to the top of Cuba Street to the Honda dealer and rode out on a brand spanking new CB250.

What a blast. I wrung it's nuts off for about 5 years and it didn't break. Red lined +for four or five times a day. Ya couldn't kill it with an axe.

One of these



Try treating a Triumph twin like that, it would be dead in 6 months.

Ya gotta laugh!

[Motu]

Who rode around the world on a CB250? Ted Simon rode a 1973 500cc Triumph around the world.The Triumph had class back then,and still has it now.

[Max Headroom]

The term "restoration" has inherited a very subjective meaning in recent years. I saw an article referring to a rare 1930's limousine which had been restored at great expense and sold a few years ago, wheeled straight into another restoration shop and completely stripped again. It was restored yet again at huge expense, in line with period photos found of the car early in it's ownership.

A bike or car is usually deserving of the title "restored" when it's been returned to factory spec and factory condition in every detail. Any variation of specification or colour generally means that it's been "rebuilt" even if the final result is similar or better to original.

These days, a true "restoration" will probably be unpleasant to drive or ride in current traffic conditions or compromised in other ways, and is doomed to a life of shows and parade events. Discreet upgrades will probably reduce it's value but increase it's usability as far as brakes, engine cooling, electrics or reliability is concerned.

[nudemetalz]

Yes I too have oogled that A100SP, but a tad pricey for me. Wifey is already "raising concerns" at the bikes I have already.

My FS-1 isn't going to be a "factory restoration" but more of a "what would have happened in 1970's with one".
My plan is a YB100 engine (gotta keep up with Paul's Maverick), single TZ-type seat, chamber and TZ colours.
But I will rebuild the wheels etc to make it look like it should.

With regards to restoration, a classic example is Pete's RM400N where he has polished the forks and swingarm. Okay it's not factory original but it looks superb and he doesn't care.

[avgas]

Fully Restored - Fixed and working to a state is was when new. Not of original parts, paint design- that would be using the words "Factory Restored" or "Old/new restored". Fully restored can mean customized or retrofitted. This usually fixes factory issues.

Factory restored - restored as per factory roll-out

Blueprinted - restored to requirements in original design (often different from production model).

Mint - "As original as being pressed by...." , takes into account age - but does not consider wear and tear as reasonable. Similar to factory restore, but allows for 'fade' etc due to age. Does not allow for damage due to use. (e.g. not used at all)

[toycollector10]

You've lost me completely there Avgas....