Silly HD question but...

[Edbear]

Does that not apply to all bikes and cars? Buy new and you lose money. Buy second hand and you may lose less. It also depends on how long you keep it. It is easy to count the loss without considering the wear and life of components from kms traveled and time kept.

A study done many years ago concluded the cheapest way to own a vehicle was to buy a new one and never sell it servicing it regularly.

FFS - this thread is drifting all over the place ...:

Ha ha! This is KB, mate!

[TripleZee Dyno]

FFS - this thread is drifting all over the place and falling into a question of the used value of sportsters and the ethics of bike shops...

I was asking about iron sportsters only because of the physical shape of the engine. A narrow angle v twin with exposed push rod tubes which could be obtained cheaply (though not cheaply enough) for a wee project to produce a classic / custom 1930's style bike with a KTOR / matchless / JAP vtwin engine...

Due to some life changing events I just want a wee project to keep me sane - not to win the local bike show or change the world.... The problem is that even the most turgid pile of shit, blown engine, missing major parts sans rego / plate / paperwork etc all appear to be made of solid gold according to the owners. It really is unbelievable the prices wanted for some of these things compared to the cost of getting them road worthy.

I should not have had the crisis of concious and sold on the CB450 motu helped me find but I was in a pretty dire state then and not thinking or acting properly on many fronts. But its unlikely to be the last stupid thing I ever do is it?

Ironheads arent that bad. Biggest problem was people thrashing them trying to keep up with other bikes. Thrash the daylights out of them and they will shit themselves sooner rather then later.
The 900 went pretty well, seemed to last better than the 1000, but they are probably "classics" now so will be overpriced.
Get a late model 1000, 83-85, basically an 883 evo with iron top end. There are a few things you can do to up the reliability, if you are handy with a mill and lathe.
Otherwise use as a cruiser rather than a racer and it will be fine.

[doc]

They are a good looking motor

[_Shrek_]

They are a good looking motor

are they the American throw away version

[Crasherfromwayback]

Sounds like you are looking for something with flattrack heritage - seems there are XLV750's cropping up in a much abused states.It's a hell of a frame to work around,but it's very special engine with pedigree,and kickarse performance.

Like this??
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eB...7195&viewitem=

[Motu]

Wow,that's really something special.Not a toy,but I'd sure like to have a play with it.

This is a photo of my brother's bikes,he lives in Canada.He built the streettracker about 8 years ago,and the bike on the right is his latest build,after 3 years just finished a few weeks ago.The bike was put together just to take the engine he built - it has Shell Thuet pistons and cams.He got the parts from Shell himself,ringing him up to order and question him about setting it up.Shell is pretty old now,and it's great that he's still doing stuff,and some Kiwi can ring him up and talk to him.

The tracker is off the road - no WoF in Canada,but some Cop stopped him about the number plate being hard to read.Now it has to be taken through compliance...and that means it has to be practically stock,a tough call as it was built from parts and he doesn't have the bits missing.

[doc]

Like this??
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eB...7195&viewitem=

Or maybe something like this

[Paul in NZ]

Wow,that's really something special.Not a toy,but I'd sure like to have a play with it.

This is a photo of my brother's bikes,he lives in Canada.He built the streettracker about 8 years ago,and the bike on the right is his latest build,after 3 years just finished a few weeks ago.The bike was put together just to take the engine he built - it has Shell Thuet pistons and cams.He got the parts from Shell himself,ringing him up to order and question him about setting it up.Shell is pretty old now,and it's great that he's still doing stuff,and some Kiwi can ring him up and talk to him.

The tracker is off the road - no WoF in Canada,but some Cop stopped him about the number plate being hard to read.Now it has to be taken through compliance...and that means it has to be practically stock,a tough call as it was built from parts and he doesn't have the bits missing.

Stunning work mate....

[Crasherfromwayback]

This is a photo of my brother's bikes,he lives in Canada.

I'm VERY jealous!

[Crasherfromwayback]

Or maybe something like this

Aye. If I one day win lotto...I'm gonna build a real nasty XR.

[Paul in NZ]

Aye. If I one day win lotto...I'm gonna build a real nasty XR.

The factory already beat you to it mate....

[Crasherfromwayback]

The factory already beat you to it mate....

This would do (nicely) for now...might see if I can con the boss into building one as a shop bike!

[HenryDorsetCase]

best bet would be to head down the parallel twin path rather than a V twin then get something like a GSX400 and make a SFC750 or Montjuich replica. And not like that black & silver thing that's on TM at the moment either.

something like these:

http://www.google.co.nz/images?rls=c...ed=0CCIQsAQwAA

all that cafe'd GSX400 needs is some wire spoke wheels, and drop the forks through the clamps by a few mm, and maybe some work to get the tank and seat and tailpiece in a line. Also he wants too much for it, in that he wants to recoup most of what he has put into it. Has no one told him that project bikes are just money pits that you shovel coin into like coal into the boilers of the titanic?

[T.W.R]

all that cafe'd GSX400 needs is some wire spoke wheels, and drop the forks through the clamps by a few mm, and maybe some work to get the tank and seat and tailpiece in a line. Also he wants too much for it, in that he wants to recoup most of what he has put into it. Has no one told him that project bikes are just money pits that you shovel coin into like coal into the boilers of the titanic?

realistically he's in dream land trying to recoup what he's spent making that thing...the idea is right but making a project bike is money you spend for your own satisfaction not what you expect someone else to pay for your efforts.
Modelling something like that on a 500 Montjuic would be easily done & done right the performance could be as good as the Montjuic for naff all expense

[BIG DOUG]

come on pete you had a nice orange xr1000 in the shop the other day thata a nice looking xr