Started sorting through the delivery…
As I began dis-assembling the package, I became more and more aware that this is just a jumble of bits more than an actual motorcycle…To be honest, I have never paid so much hard cash for a pallet-load of random parts in my life! (Things now are, of course more expensive than even a few years ago, so that’s no surprise – even then, no excuse. What do they say? “look before you leap”?). This is definitely not even a ‘non-runner’, but fits squarely in the category ‘basket-case’. More basket than bike, if I’m honest. To be fair, this is all the necessary major bits you will get used to expecting for this sort of purchase, but being human, I was hoping for a bit more (especially as I’m not used to laying out this sort of money!).
The rest of the parts have been set aside and will be dealt with later in detail, but first I have to decide what I have and what is missing. I have taken some other photos, which I will be using for my measurements for the model I will be making and some of those I will show below.
I have already assembled the forks to see what is missing (if anything) and they seem to be almost complete, which is a plus!
Everything will be stripped as ‘conservatively’ as possible (I am not great a friend of shot-blasting, as most blasters use far too coarse a grit and far too much air pressure, blasting holes into parts and sometime deforming them beyond any conceivable repair) So I will attempt to use paint -stripper on what I can, until I find someone who I can trust to do the job decently. That will also be dealt with individually when the time comes.
At the moment, I am measuring and doing the ‘bookwork’, sorting all the parts that I will need to replace and repair or just get, as there is a LOT missing.
A Basket-case is the worst-case scenario for a restoration, (which is why I chose it!), as you almost never know what is there before you buy. While not necessarily risky if the seller is honest, as with most restorations, it will always cost you three times as much as you budgeted for, take three times as long as expected and take up three times more space…than you probably have, so start selling everything that isn’t nailed down now, to make space before you start!
The beauty of this is that you have total control of how it will look and even if some parts do take a bit longer to track down (or you have to wait a bit before you can afford to buy them!), it will mean that you really know the bike inside-out. The satisfaction of having done the job all by yourself (with some help, of course), finding out how it all goes together and then getting it going, maintaining and riding it is second-to-none. It boost self-esteem, self-confidence and trust in your own abilities like almost nothing else (the wife excluded, of course!). We all seem to spend so much time beating ourselves up all our lives about trivia and things that we have done (that most other people have never even noticed!).
Here is a perfect opportunity to spend some time with the REAL you! – Creative, resourceful and thoughtful, not afraid of the unknown, not afraid to ask questions and find out what the hell that widget is for and how it works, or in the absence of time o convenient people to ask, just work it out for yourself.
A word to the wise: Use the internet forums and the clubs, their members and their advice, the various publications and manuals and spares-lists (especially if illustrated!). Be thoughtful and selective once you have obtained a little knowledge and experience…while there are still ‘old wives’ tales circulating even in these circles, you will learn to differentiate and to make your own choices regarding ‘tips’ from ‘experts’ as time goes on. Become your own ‘expert’, keep your opinions to yourself and be generous in your thoughts, do not be too quick to judge. You may yourself get ‘burned’ on occasion, but at least no-one else will get hurt who is undeserving of it!
So to some pictures and maybe a comment or two:
Interesting! Original 19″ Boranni rims!
© peter gouws 2012