Fixing vs buying new?

**fireball** · 27th April 2008, 00:20

today after having my little play with Rawberrys oily bits i started thinking, as much as this bike has been broken down/need of repair and pissed me off, shes not such a bad bike and if i spent the time fixing her she would be better. So then came the question: what would need to be fixed and adjusted to make her fine? so in a short amount of time i have made a short list of sorts and its as follows....

Suspension
Fork oil
Chain
Breaks
Tyres (god knows what shoes she should be wearing)

and this brings me to 2 questions how much would this cost? and would it be cheaper/more return if i purchased brand new and just adjusted the suspension......

i have yet to sit my 6R (procrastinated getting 6L

, but will sit 6R end of the month) so have alot of time to kill before getting my full and i am doing aprox 1000ks per week just to and from work so the bike needs to be right!

anyone with knowledge in this area that could answers my questions would be great!

Edit: Rawberry is a GZ250 Marauder if that helps

**awayatc** · 27th April 2008, 00:46

Doesn't sound like a big list to me....not big enough to warrent buying a new bike....

**R6_kid:Me** · 27th April 2008, 00:54

all of that is run of the mill stuff, what do you want to do with the suspension may i ask?

**fireball** · 27th April 2008, 02:01

Originally Posted by R6_kid

all of that is run of the mill stuff, what do you want to do with the suspension may i ask?

would like to set it up for my body weight etc as at present when i go over a tiny bump in the roas it tends to bottom out and it hurts my back like you wouldnt believe

**Henk** · 27th April 2008, 08:21

All the things you listed are things I tend to do as a matter of course when I buy a second hand bike. The cost won't be huge, the question is one of mechanical aptitude, I asume you have never done any of these before, if you have a decent collection of tools and feel confident that you cn do the work without beating yourself to death with a spanner buy a manual and get stuck into it. If you have a mate who has more experience working on bikes than you get them to give you a hand, bikes are easy to work on, the only thing you have planned that I don't do on road bikes is the tyres, and thats because I haven't got a bead breaker or balancing rig.

**toebug** · 27th April 2008, 08:22

Spend the money to get your current bike sorted. Getting new bike instead is just laziness! Sooner or later you will have to maintain it, but then again you could just sell the next one when it needs maintance too.

**R6_kid:Me** · 27th April 2008, 10:32

Originally Posted by fireball

would like to set it up for my body weight etc as at present when i go over a tiny bump in the roas it tends to bottom out and it hurts my back like you wouldnt believe

Ok, in that case it's probably shot... I mean you weigh 50kg MAX. Perhaps check at a wreckers for a replacement, or perhaps you can get it 'rebuilt', i think Jebe Bruin may be able to help you if you want to go down that road.

If you're going to do fork oil you might as well do the seals too. You could also possibly put some spacers in if you need to firm it up a bit at the front. Seals should be relatively cheap (less the $70 I would think) Fork oil is about $15 for a 1L bottle and comes in different weights. 10w is about standard.

Brakes should be relatively cheap, i'd assume your bike would be sorted for less than $70 for the pads. Then you just want lots of brake cleaner and a good brush. I would suggest also flushing and re-bleeding the brake lines at the same time.

Chain - do the sprockets at the same time. You get what you pay for, but don't bother going for the expensive lightweight alloy ones on your bike

stainless steel will do just fine. Chain, perhaps go for an o-ring chain, but the main thing is that you maintain it correctly... have someone show you how to adjust the chain tension, which you should check every 300-400km, also clean and lube the chain every 700-1000km. All up i'd guess you'll pay $150-180 for chain + sprockets depending on the chain you get.

Tyres... talk to cycletreads, should be able to get hooked up for about $300 a set on the 250. I dont have any experience with cruiser tyres but I'm sure they'll be able to help you out.

And if you need help fitting/doing/being shown how to do any of the above then just ask.

**Squiggles** · 27th April 2008, 17:49

Where is rawberry located?

**daaatomic** · 27th April 2008, 18:26

I've got the rear shocks off my old 250 Katana. Dont know if they would fit, but if they do, you're welcome to them.

**fireball** · 27th April 2008, 22:56

Originally Posted by Squiggles

Where is rawberry located?

she is out east in pakuranga you uni boys wanna play?

**fireball** · 27th April 2008, 22:57

Originally Posted by daaatomic

I've got the rear shocks off my old 250 Katana. Dont know if they would fit, but if they do, you're welcome to them.

i dont think it would fit my bike but if we measure it all up and they do i may quite possibly be keen!

**Squiggles** · 27th April 2008, 23:39

Originally Posted by fireball

she is out east in pakuranga you uni boys wanna play?

Yeh, we're good at doing that...

Can give it a good looking over, change the fork oil and seals, brake fluids and pads, a bit of grease here and there... maybe the tappets if needed, wont take too long and theres plenty to learn

**Mike748** · 27th April 2008, 23:47

So many variables here, when you say buying new are you meaning brand spanking new, or just another second hand bike?

It all comes down to the dollars, will your bike be worth any more if you fix it up??
Can you get a better second hand bike for only a few dollars more??

Most of your issues sound like general maintenance, which means you could be up for the same issues on any second hand purchase.

Given your licence status and the K's your racking up I'd say you probably should just fix it up, get your full licence and then trade up.

**Subike** · 28th April 2008, 00:45

Have looked at this issue myself,
to upgrade my existing bike would be cheaper than replacing it.
and I already know its limitations
but my bikes big nuff for me
But as said before
you will probably upgrade to a better bike once you have a full licence
so just maintenance at the moment would be the thing to do
there have been some good offers here of assistance, and lessons on what to do to keep your ride healthy,
I would take those offers and learn from them, best place to learn, off the people who ride the machines

**skidMark** · 28th April 2008, 01:01

Originally Posted by fireball

would like to set it up for my body weight etc as at present when i go over a tiny bump in the roas it tends to bottom out and it hurts my back like you wouldnt believe

Your bodyweight.

You weigh less than a little japanese man!