I need a project!

[ChristoT]

I need a project! I think...

Don't get me wrong, I love my FZS. But I rely on it too much day to day to consider serious modding. I'd love to build my own performance bike / mod an existing bike to hell & back, but am on a very tight budget. Can anyone recommend a bike that can be picked up for peanuts in a dammaged condition to give a young enthusiast a good project to get his teeth into? I'd love another FZS600, but they seem pricey for my wallet...

I look forward to seeing some suggestions! 

[JoeRock]

A steel framed CBR. They're peanuts, have a fairly decent engine that with a little work can be taken to (or possibly swapped out in some model cases) to the later models (so have a decent amount of power), share a lot of various possible swaps (front ends to USD and radial brakes, rear ends to later swingarms and tails), and can be set up nicely for the track/road, depending on what you want.

Could build it up as a special and keep it/sell it, or maybe turn it into a proper track bike for someone

[Dead Eye]

"very tight budget" and "project" rarely go together...

If you are doing a project which isn't for financial gain then you should be prepared to spend money and / or a lot of time on it. At the end of the day it depends on what your project is - as soon as you require new parts you have unavoidable expenditure if you wish to continue.

If you want some fairly serious answers, I'd suggest providing a reasonable expectation of how much you are willing this project to set you back

[ChristoT]

I like Joe's suggestion!

I'd quite like to spend under £300 for an engine, wheels & frame. Things like fairings, electrics, maybe even clocks I'd intend to change.

The plan would be to get a scruffy thing, ship it back home to France and Dad's garage, then rebuild it over the summer or longer, adding aftermarket parts when / if I get any money in from jobs. The reason I can't afford another Fazer is I'd like a gradual drain rather than a big hit to the ol' budget.

Still toying with the idea, but thought I'd chuck it up here, see what people think.

[red98]

how about something older...70`s or 80`s.....flat trackers and cafe racers are getting popular       

[stevierst]

+1 on project and cheap. They dont go together at all!
I built my R1 streetfighter 'on a budget' and changed nothing mechanical. It cost about £800-£1000 just on cosmetic changes alone with me doing all the work.

Good luck and all the best on your project. When you find one, a photo story of your build would be ace!

Sent from my HTC One X using Tapatalk 2

[Mick-H]

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/1979-V-HONDA-C...20cfc8d07c

Plenty of parts on ebay, a good site for info http://www.c90club.co.uk/index.php, and once it's done you can sell it on without it having cost you £000's or you could keep it and becme addicted to em.

[GrahamB]

You have been given some very good advice already regards projects never being cheap & the steel framed CBR600. Both things I was going to mention!
My "project" FZ750 was very cheap to buy initially but now owes me in excess of £2000 & is still not finished!!!  :'( Being a project I don't think they ever are.
The only other thing I will add is that going too old can end up costing more in the long run as certain spares might be hard to obtain. A 2nd hand Micron exhaust system for an FZ750 "without" end can recently fetched £280 on ebay. I would say something between 10-20 years old but no more.

[ChristoT]

Well, thanks all for the advice!

And thank you Fizzy for drowning me in links!  :lol

I really like the look of that 1990 CBR, it's pretty cheap and the sort of bike I'd like to have. I'm not hugely fussed about bills running up, as I'll be working slowly, and have lots of friends locally who might be able be able to help with the more skilled labour.

When I'm at home, I want something more inspiring than the lawn mower to repair!! As for a C90, I had a PF50 Honda Amigo when I was 16 that I rode round the fields. Finding parts for it was a nightmare, so I abandoned the project.

[Mick-H]

As for a C90, I had a PF50 Honda Amigo when I was 16 that I rode round the fields. Finding parts for it was a nightmare, so I abandoned the project.

C90 parts are quite easy to find, if you keep your spending sensible you could even end up making a profit, I know having a C90 sounds daft but honestly whenever I ride mine I can't stop smiling.

[Mick-H]

put the pics up agian mick of yours, it still wows me every time i see it!

If I must, I bought the blue one for my lad, £500 sold it around 3 month later, £650.
The last one with the rather large fuel tank is not my bike but it is my tank, I'm doing a charity bike ride in May 1000 miles 24hrs, yup, on a C90  :eek

[MEM62]

No project is cheap.  No matter how little you spend on the machine you start with you will spend a fortune rennovating it in terms of parts, painting & plating etc- not to mention the performance parts you are looking to bolt onto it. 

[ChristoT]

No project is cheap.  No matter how little you spend on the machine you start with you will spend a fortune rennovating it in terms of parts, painting & plating etc- not to mention the performance parts you are looking to bolt onto it.

I'm fully aware of that. But what I want is something I can tinker with over the course of a summer or longer that I can enjoy. I'd love to do work on My Fazer, and I try to keep that running as well as possible, but I can't be without transport (if nothing else, for sanity's sake). That's why I think I want a project. And if I can't afford it, or get bored, there's always E-Bay to get rid of it. Losses don't matter, it's the timeframe over which they occur (and whether I can afford the bloomin' thing).

[AdieR]

Another "projects not cheap" comment. That said, have you tried looking through salvage / breakers yards for damaged repairables?

Obviously care needs to be exercised, and thought given to the money you have / want to spend; there are plenty dropped bikes with the usual cosmetic damage (fairings / pegs / mirrors / levers etc) which are no problem to fix technically (cashflow issues excepted). Then again, there are plenty which have been properly down the road and with potentially more serious issues. It's knowing what you're looking for.

That said, something like a CG125 is probably a good start point (cheap to buy, loads of parts, a doddle to work on, and easy to sell on too).

[ChristoT]

have you tried looking through salvage / breakers yards for damaged repairables?

Not yet, the idea still very much in the planning stage. When I go home to France, I need to clear room in the garage (and see it there's room to work there too), as well as trying to find a way to ship the bike home. Also, I have no idea where to start looking.

That said, something like a CG125 is probably a good start point (cheap to buy, loads of parts, a doddle to work on, and easy to sell on too).

I doubt I could find a CG inspiring enough. If I don't like it, I won't be able to dedicate myself to it enough. Likewise, I've never been one for letting inexperience rule me. True, a 125 is easier to work on, true it's less work, but a 600 (say) would be more challenging, more complex and overall more satisfying!!

[jackojet]

What about reviving an old 2 stroke?
Something like an RD 350 or a RGV 250 or a RG500! The RD series fetch loads now when restored and rebuilding a bike you hardly hear or see has got be worth the challenge?.
If I had the time or money that's what I would love to do.
I have seen some fantastic projects come to life over the years, inspiration can be found on the Performance Bikes website a forum called 'the smoking room' IRC.
Just my two pennath.
Jacko

[Dead Eye]

Out of interest have you considered any investment you may need to put in to tools? I've probably spent £400-£500 in just replacing my base tools after the fire

[ChristoT]

Out of interest have you considered any investment you may need to put in to tools? I've probably spent £400-£500 in just replacing my base tools after the fire

I'm lucky, I have a good set of tools at home (spanners, sprocket set, etc) for most stuff, and a friend 20mins away who has almost every tool under the sun, restores old cars (he loves Reliants) and is a self-confirmed bodger! So safe on that front!  :thumbup

[ChristoT]

Christo, have you not thought about looking in france for one?

Maybe... then again, France is lousy for second hand, etc. I can try, I s'pose!

[fazed600]

You say France is lousy however a few years ago I bought some Fazer bits from a guy in the UK who was going over to France with a Merc van to buy accident damaged bikes and break / sell as a project over here. He quite liked getting bikes from the Marseille area, the reason - no salt on the roads, less rain and therefore less corrosion.
Dunno what the issues are with the French insurance damaged stuff and putting back on the road though.

Personally I would go for an old GSXR - plenty of streetfighter inspiration around.