Project..

**NotaGoth** · 22nd May 2007, 19:21

Originally Posted by Trumpy scooter

Hmm its a tough one.Good fun to be had and a real feeling of achievement,If your dad can lend you tools and experience then yeah go for it.(looks like others will help out from here too)but on the other hand amasing the tools and parts can be expensive (so like the posts say dont choose some weird machine or it can get real hard)
You might need quiet a bit of room in your garage,if the bike comes apart.

Also the time it can take to do can drag on a bit.(which means you can spend all your time working on your bike rather than riding it)

I have a mate that likes finding real bargain priced runners and that has proved to be a far more rewarding use of his time, than constantly tinkering with bits of an old one.He also has a few classic suzukis (in parts) but its riding his yamaha 850 thats taking up his grinning time.

Tools and experience??? My dad died just over 2 years ago hence I'm trying to "teach myself." He was always going to show me but never got the chance to..

I do have a bike now which I ride.. So I won't be without a bike.. I'll just have a little something extra to look forward to doing each week.. Specially now that I'm gonna be living even more so in the middle of no where..

I'm gonna keep an eye out.. Do realize if I do this I need to start with something fairly simple..

**jafar** · 22nd May 2007, 20:09

start with a trail bike or other single,then you can play on da beach when you have finished it

**Jinx3d** · 22nd May 2007, 21:00

I have done a few projects now, I dont think you should worry to much about not finishing it. If you loose interest before you complete the project, just sell the bits you can and chuck the rest. You will still learn alot.

Once I was given a crashed and completely dismantled RD350 LC. It took me quite a while but eventually I got it back together and going and took it to a couple of track days! My dad gave it away when he shifted house, I would have quite liked to have kept it, but I'm not hung up about it. It was about the journey.

What you can acheive is only limited by your patience to learn new skills, your fortitude when it all goes wrong and maybe you need to spare cash as well.

To give examples, when rebuilding a blown XR200 I installed the cam shaft bearings back to front resulting in no oil to the rockers. OOps! Got that sorted out and had a great time doing trail rides. Sold it for less than I spent doing it up - who cares? :-)

On an old GS550 I rotated the cam shafts independantly of each other when I had the head off, oops, 4 bent valves. Oh well!! Bit of money, for new valves and then had a great time blasting that bike round the sound island with my brother.

I have many more stories like this about cars, motorcycles, boats, electronics projects. These days I'm a good finisher but it was not always so.

Good luck with your project, and I reiterate, dont get impatient with yourself if you cant finish the first or second project. And the project wasnt worthwhile unless you had a bad moment when you wished you had never started!!

**ManDownUnder** · 22nd May 2007, 23:27

Kittie - go for it if you have the time/patience, and the money.

There's a wealth of experience in here to draw on, you'll learn tons. The old saying applies - if you think you can, or if you think you can't... you're right!

Go for it.

**slowpoke** · 23rd May 2007, 00:13

Originally Posted by Kickaha

Start with something cheap and small, keep in mind it will cost you 4 X what you think it will and 8 X as long as you think to finish it

Sounds like you've got your head srewed on about the whole tinkerin' thang, but just thought I'd echo Kickaha's thoughts.

It can be gut wrenching when you realise it's cost you far more time and money than you will ever recoup, and you are too far into it to stop. From experience you tell you yourself that you'll keep it for ever.....but life often has other plans and you have to suck up a painful loss (queue the wistful memories, lol).

Sorry, I don't mean to put a damper on things, I know the pleasure and pride you must have deservedly felt at conquering your problems.

"My" R1 is actually my prettier half's bike and we picked up as a pure race bike (no alternator, no starter motor or starter gears, race wiring loom, stripped of all road gear etc) which I would use as a track bike and my missus would use on the road. She was determined to get her hands dirty as we put it back to road mode. She helped out all right, in the end I had to lock her out of the bloody shed!

Go for it Kitty, just choose wisely and I'm sure some people on here can help you out with that.