Project Bike?

[veeeffarr]

Hi,

I'm giving up smoking at the moment (Due to health reasons, and being skint) and I've been thinking of things to get my mind off of worries/cigs.

So I came across the idea of getting a project bike? Pretty sure it's a good idea as:

Will take addled brain off of smoking
Will make addled brain learn mechanics and basic bike stuff
Will make addled brain feel like it has achieved something
Will give me something to ride once I've done my DAS in about 3 months
Will be able to get it exactly how I want it and squeaky clean
If it doesn't work out, I can get rid of it and just add 50 or so quid to the price due to all the cleaning/etc I will do to it!

Just wondering, how viable is this for someone with next to no mechanical skills? And how much do you think this will cost me just to buy the bike? Can anyone recommend any bike salvage places in the Liverpool area? I'm not looking for something simple to get running, has to be a little bit taxing and I'm not that bothered about spending money on parts in the future, just want a cheap startup cost!

Thanks guys,

TobyR

[Chriss]

There's West Coast Motorcycles just need Southport?
____________________
TheShaggyDA: I've got 3 or 4 pairs that predate my wife, so at least 11.5 years old.

[veeeffarr]

Oh yeah... I have heard of the place...

Apparently, it's the place where Ghostrider got his 500HP Hayabusa sorted from... There's their logo on the tank I think? Can't remember, will have to ask one of my mates but apparently GR is also Liverpool based? I've seen a picture of him somewhere and apparently one of my mate's dad's knows him?

Don't know how much truth there is in that, but would be cool to think so!

Will find out their contact number and give them a ring... Only want to spend about a 100!

Tobyr

[Ste]

[veeeffarr]

Just what I've heard, but apparently he's based in Liverpool and my mates Dad knows people in West Coast... He also participates in lots of North West biking events so it's possible...

Oh no because it's Ghost Rider it means that no one possibly on the face of this planet has ever interacted with him. Obviously he must be a complete loner with no friends anywhere!

So I'm not going to get a project for under £100? There's people on here that have got fully rideable bikes for under 200!

[Method]

[veeeffarr]

Good idea method! Might actually try that out.

I have people that can help me if I get stuck, plus in a couple of months I can start putting some money into it, I just want SOMETHING in my garage so I at least feel like I'm advancing in my goal of getting a bike!

[Method]

[veeeffarr]

Well I've got an orchard Sort of

There's an old ZZR/GPZ (Don't know exactly, it's some mid 80's 500 as far as I can see) That has been sat outside someones house with no cover for about 6 months... Might get the bottle to ask whoever lives there if I can buy it... Still has an engine at least

[landy.s11a]

Hi Tobyr

Be a little careful when getting an old Gpz500, as a lot of forum members will tell you they have their problems, and they can be expensive to sort out, problems with alternator rotors can be costly even when buying from breakers and thats if you can find one,

I bought my Gpz500 for £200 as a 'nearly' runner, I was lucky to find a rebuilt engine on ebay with the rotor and alternator intact, the fork stanchions were pitted and even after cleaning back with an arkansas stone they still knackered the new seals, had to buy new forks to swap the stanchions over.

Apart from that the bike is now in a decent state (apart from some mended cracks in the plastics) and a dent in the tank (covered with a baglux tank cover) has only cost me about £500 and
is well fast enough for me, (usually ride cruisers).

Best of luck

Lee
____________________
"Speed:The thing about speed is that you can't catch the people who've attained it to ask them how they got so fast. You chase them day after day, until you find yourself getting closer. Then you catch them, and realize that your question has just been answered."

[veeeffarr]

Thanks for that, don't know what the reaction would be if I walked up to someone's door and offered to buy their bike, could end up with a bike for dirt cheap, dead expensive, or a punch in the head!

I will keep an eye out for knackered bikes to restore though

[landy.s11a]

give it a go, they might be happy to see the bike gone

you get nowhere if you don't try,

Lee
____________________
"Speed:The thing about speed is that you can't catch the people who've attained it to ask them how they got so fast. You chase them day after day, until you find yourself getting closer. Then you catch them, and realize that your question has just been answered."

[yambabe]

LOL you'll not get a project from West Coast! They do mainly customs & cruisers, you might get a decent Harley from them though!

If you are fairly near Southport, Blacks is a better option, although they are a bugger to find cos they're in the middle of nowhere.

MD Spares here in Warrington are good too, although you may be pushing it getting something for £100, £200 is nearer the mark even for a non-runner.

Ebay would be a good bet though, all sorts of shite on there!

Or if you've got £250 you can have a Yam XS750 with 2 engines, complete rolling chassis, most of the bits needed to finish it. I'd even deliver it seeing as you're not that far from us!
____________________
Sod falling in love, I wanna fall in chocolate.

[Chriss]

Haha, Blacks Joke Shop.

I did not enjoy my brief encounter with them.

West Coast Salvage don't have anything project like?
____________________
TheShaggyDA: I've got 3 or 4 pairs that predate my wife, so at least 11.5 years old.

[yambabe]

[veeeffarr]

Ooooooooooh,

Forgot you're in Warrington Babyyam! Will give you a shout if I end up in the area as my girlfriend lives in Warrington!

I would be interested, and I didn't think that West Coast would help! (As I said, I think it's where GhostRiders Hayabusa came from )

I know of Blacks, in Ormskirk somewhere, keep badgering my mate to take me, and could probably get a runner from blacks for a tad over a ton!

Not sure whether it'd be a good idea, me riding an 750 considering it'd be the first bike I jump on after my DAS (although I will have no restriction when I pass), but if it's fairly torquey instead of psychotic I will be very interested!

Thanks a lot babyyam!

[veeeffarr]

I'm in Crosby by the way!

[Method]

What kind of thing do you want to do?

I mean are you after a non-runner to build up and make run again? Or are you after a tatty old thing that does start and run, that you can sit down and make look half pretty and get it road legal?
____________________
CBT Aug '03 ... Gilera GSM 50 ... Honda NSR 125 Aug '04 ...
Full Test Dec 04... Suzuki GS500 Jan 05... Suzuki SV650 Mar 07... Gixxer 6 K5 May 08... Oh and my 'Rado
My Bikepics.com - No Brakes, No Gears... No Fear.

[veeeffarr]

A mixture of both really Method,

Something that's tatty and runs would be fine, but I would be looking for 125cc if I can get on it straight away.
Or something that needs restoring would also be good, as I would have to learn what I need to do, get manuals, ask around, find parts and get accustomed to mechanics (To give me something to do, I learn pretty quickly!)

So at the end of the day I don't really mind - I would consider anything!

[Method]

Ok so what about say a DT125...?
Pick one up that has maybe been dropped? Would probably require new plastics, levers, bars replacing... along with checking over the frame for bends and forks etc...? Or perhaps a "non-runner" that you could take a look at... they normally go for chips on eGay.

You could spend say £70 on a non-running 125 and see what you could do with it? if the worst comes to worst then you can simply strip it and flog the bits individually to get back what you spent on it in the first place
____________________
CBT Aug '03 ... Gilera GSM 50 ... Honda NSR 125 Aug '04 ...
Full Test Dec 04... Suzuki GS500 Jan 05... Suzuki SV650 Mar 07... Gixxer 6 K5 May 08... Oh and my 'Rado
My Bikepics.com - No Brakes, No Gears... No Fear.

[veeeffarr]

I like your thinking method! I'm going to start keeping an eye out on ebay...

Even if all I do is scrub it up and give it a damn good tidy, I might be able to make a nice clean profit by selling it on! (Would be fair as well, as they wouldn't have to clean and sort everything!)

[yambabe]

Ooh that reminds me, I know of an old CB125 that might suit too, but not sure what they want for it, I know it's been off the road for at least 10 years now though & might come in a box.....

Was gonna be our mate's gf's bike but he stripped it to do up and I don't think it ever got put back together properly.
____________________
Sod falling in love, I wanna fall in chocolate.

[veeeffarr]

Bollocks, there's a TZR on there for 300 quid Buy It Now!

https://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=9809&item=4560564933&rd=1

That would have been awesome... but 500 quid overdrawn already! Must... wait... until... next... month...!

[Method]

[veeeffarr]

Don't care about that though!

It's all about the profile...