To take or not take an ER5 freebie??

[orangepeeleo]

Pretty sure I've just been offered an ER5 for nothing, the words free to a good home were def mentioned.

Guy at work says he picked it up from a guy on a forum to do up as a winter hack but has never got round to it and a year later its currently being used as a shelf in his garage, he says the engine is running, but something was also said about the brakes being seized and a van being needed to pick it up.

I've looked at the spec for it and its under 200kg and just as wide as the YBR, so should be small enough and light enough for me to get through my gate and up my slight incline of a garden path.

Is this too ambitious a project for a bike mechanic noob to take on? I'm looking at doing my full licence this year at some point so would be nice to have something to jump on straight away once passed, and better yet something that I've serviced myself and learnt shit along the way, but I'm worried I'm jumping in way to deep here and should just stick to changing the oil on my YBR!

Has anyone ever worked on one? What sort of things would I need to do to get this up to roadworthy condition (obv hard to judge without pictures), and will this just end up taking up room in my garden because I'm clueless with a spanner??
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Bikes : HN125 (sold) - Lexmoto ZSX 125 (Stolen!) - Currently bimbling on : '10 YBR

[wr6133]

Take it.

1 - It's free

2 - It's a naked commuter twin, you won't find a big bike much easier to work on.

[garth]

Take it because it's free. Then sell it and buy something else.
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You ain't a has been if you never was

[Iain.]

Take it.

I'll give you one hundred ponds for it.

[Rogerborg]

https://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m4nvn2hyvF1r0cym8o3_250.gif

Treat it as any other bike. Check the consumables: suspension, tyres, chain and sprockets, bearings and exhaust. Take it on only if it'll be cheaper to get through an MOT than to buy a ready-to-go equivalent.
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Biking is 1/20th as dangerous as horse riding.
GONE: HN125-8, LF-250B, GPz 305, GPZ 500S, Burgman 400 // RIDING: F650GS (800 twin), Royal Enfield Bullet Electra 500 AVL, Ninja 250R because racebike

[Taught2BCauti...]

I would definitely go for it.

I bought an ER5 in bits last year for about £200 as a winter project. Most of the hard work had been done, so it just needs re-assembly.

The whole thing is pretty simple to work on, so would be excellent to learn mechanical skills.
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Honda Varadero XL125(V8)
www.TheFutureIsHere.eu

[Iain.]

Commuter twins are gonna get used in all weathers, and get crashed.

Engine - £150-250
Clocks - £100-200
Forks - £100-150
Headlight - £60
Carbs - £55
Tank - £50

I'd value it on the commonly damaged spares, clocks always get smashed on these and as such are worth a fortune.

[pdg]

I'm pretty sure (although probably best to confirm) that a 'good home' isn't one that is going to rape it for parts to flog off on ebay...

If the guy is offering it for free to help out someone who is starting out and could use a bigger bike it's not exactly 'the done thing'.

I see it working out one of two ways personally:

- You get the bike for free, the donating person offers advice and maybe even help to get it on the road for you to use. Maybe he even has some spare parts. You learn how to spanner a bit. Everyone is happy.

- You get it for free and flog off all the parts. The bits that don't sell clutter up your shed/garden/kitchen for the next 3 years. The donating person (at best) ignores you totally. You have a slightly heavier wallet but still can't tell one end of a spanner from another. You use the proceeds to buy another bike, which breaks, at work, in front of the guy who gave you the ER. He laughs and points at you, you cry.


Up to you really.
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Any and all advice given should not be followed - if you have to ask it means you don't know so get a man in to do it for you.

[pepperami]

[stevo as b4]

Buy to break?
Plenty of this goes on frequently on other car forums I frequent. It's a sad fact of human nature that people want to use other people's good will, and nice intentions to make themselves a few quid with not a blink of an eye in doing so. These people only normally alienate themselves from other genuine enthusiasts, but some see it as a valid meal ticket, or a right to exploit peoples nice natures.

I do agree with Rogerborg though, that even though you've been offered this bike FOC, you should go look at it, and assess it for viability/cost effectiveness before agreeing to take it on. if you don't have the time/ability/money/inclination to sort it out, then there's a fair bet someone else out there will sooner or later.

Think carefully about what you want/need in a bike, and also if your up to a project realistically. if the difference between rescuing a project and buying a running legal and tidy example is just a few £££ it's really peanuts and unless your hell bent on a resto/or special build, then is it worth your time money and the challenge if your not 100% sure you can do all the work?

[1198]

Take it - or give the owner my email address and I'll snatch his hand off. I'd have it - I'll put it back on the road too - and Ms 1198 can do her test on it if I can lower it enough.

[orangepeeleo]

Thanks for the replys.

I have heard some more about it and its problems :

- It did run, although 18 months ago was the last time it was started, he's going to charge the battery and let me know its current state.

- Front brake pads have been changed before it was put in the garage, but they now appear to be binding?? Have searched this on the forum and seems like a good ol clean will fix that? (braided brake lines have been bought as well but not fitted yet)

- Front Tyre will need replaced

- Tank & plastics need repainting (meh, cosmetics!)

- Only 16k miles with a stainless steel aftermarket exhaust and a haynes manual to boot!

Pretty sure I will take him up on this as this doesn't sound in that bad nick, thoughts??

EDIT: Chain and sprockets will need replaced but it passed an MOT with the current ones on
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Bikes : HN125 (sold) - Lexmoto ZSX 125 (Stolen!) - Currently bimbling on : '10 YBR

[wr6133]

[orangepeeleo]

And yeah, +1 to all the people saying that getting this to break or sell on is bad form.

I would be taking it to learn my way around a bike, and to take my test on it

Few sneaky trips to the local industrial estate (2 mins away down an empty road) to practice slow manouvers and I'll just rock up to my test! lol
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Bikes : HN125 (sold) - Lexmoto ZSX 125 (Stolen!) - Currently bimbling on : '10 YBR

[orangepeeleo]

[MarkJ]

IMO if it's 'free to a good home' because you need a bike to use, then fix it and use it. However if it's free to a good home because it's a pile of dogshit and he's sick of the sight of it, make the most cash out of it you can

[stevo as b4]

I only maybe agree with the above if there are one or two expensive nice quality aftermarket parts on it, or parts of more than the bike's value as a whole. Though I still don't like the idea of someone doing it.

An example, there was a 1993 Rover 220 coupe that had only had two owner's and was in excellent condition with some nice mods, and bits on it like the rare wheels, custom stainless exhaust, a tidy leather interior and other little bits. The guy sold it on Ebay to someone who quickely broke it for the 350bhp engine and ECU to put into an MGZR.

The car would have only needed a cheap std engine to get it back on the road and make it really sellable, but the new owner said they didn't have time or room, so they sent the rest of the car off for scrap.

This is the sort of behaviour that wipes out nice old classic cars and bikes, as people harvesting them for a few trick bits, and then scrapping what's left because they couldn't be bothered to re-sell or repair, means vehicle counts will go down.

Then again maybe we should all just go out and buy new cars and bikes instead, and change them every 3years like Sofa's, Fridges etc and not give two fucks? as that's how many think of vehicles now, just white goods to use and chuck away when bored/fancy a change?

[orangepeeleo]

I think it's just principle, the guy got the bike for free, bought a different bike and hasn't got round to sorting the old one so he's passing it on to someone who'll appreciate it and it'll be a free way into the world of big bikes

I like to think that I'll get this back on the road give it another few years use and then either flog it to some other guy that's looking for a first big bike for a small amount/free or use it as my winter bike and still be getting use out of a bike for years to come that's only 10 years younger than me!
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Bikes : HN125 (sold) - Lexmoto ZSX 125 (Stolen!) - Currently bimbling on : '10 YBR

[groovylee]

when i was starting out, I got given a Honda Revere (NTV) for free from a guy at work. it cost me £400 to get it the way i liked it, but that was cool, because it was my way of figuring out the inner workings of a bike.

18 months later i gave it to a mate who was starting out and was a bit hard up, in return for helping me put up a big fence one weekend.

the guy who gave it to me was happy as larry that his gift had been paid forwards and the bike had helped two people to start out in biking
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Past - 1988 honda revere 600, 1996 kawasaki gpz500s, 1999 Yamaha R6

Current - 2002 Aprilia RSV1000R & 1999 Kawasaki ZX6R

[orangepeeleo]

[groovylee]