More for the chairisti :)

http://www.classicbikes.co.uk/photo16.html

1983 Honda CBX1000 Pro-Link & Watsonian Side Car

 

I can see Olive & Arthur in/on that.

NB: Despite my comments I'd love a go on an outfit.

 

Never mind that. Look at this one:

http://www.classicbikes.co.uk/photo2.html

£15,000 is a bit much though, but god it looks good.

Or this:

http://www.classicbikes.co.uk/photo7.html[/QUOTE]

Bunch of fucking jokers they are!
Nearly four grand for a KH250

 

Steve Parry says...

**** off to uk.rec.tricycles where your lot are tolerated

--
Lozzo
Triumph Daytona 955i SE
Suzuki SV650 K3
Honda CBR600 F-W
Suzuki GSX-R750L
Yamaha SR250 SpazzTrakka

 

They have a rather clean 400E needing an engine recon....

 

Never mind that. Look at this one:

http://www.classicbikes.co.uk/photo2.html[/QUOTE]


I worked for a chief engineer in early 1974 when he bought one of
those - in that black and yellow scheme.
Loved it then and again now.

 

There'll be an opportunity in January.

 

Hog says...

It's a 250F, not a 400E. Red wheels, dogleg levers on the F, black
wheels and straight levers on the E. That's how it is with the white
ones, the other colours just got dogleg levers on F models, and the
frame numbers started with '1A2 04', which is what thios one has.

But...it doesn't have the original engine, the numbers don't match. In
that state, needing a rebuild, it's worth about 700 quid tops.

--
Lozzo
Triumph Daytona 955i SE
Suzuki SV650 K3
Honda CBR600 F-W
Suzuki GSX-R750L
Yamaha SR250 SpazzTrakka

 

Heh. Watch this space.

 

Bunch of fucking jokers they are!
Nearly four grand for a KH250[/QUOTE]

Agreed. I feel slightly different about the 'as new' Z1, because the
price difference between that and the superb other Z1 (£15k for the
former and £5k for the latter) *could* be justified, but I still think
£15k is OTT. For an original black engine Z1, yes, but not for a B.

£4k for a KH250 is silly.

But these guys are a business and they're in it to make a profit. My
guess is that 90% of restorations result in a bike that is owrth less
than it cost to do. My SL125 is one such. The 400 Four, though, is a
definite exception.

 

Excellent

 

"Cane down"

 

In

or a pretty but pricey (of course) 500

http://www.classicbikes.co.uk/photo24.html

 

Oh no. What are you up to now?

 

Steve Parry says...

Don't like the RD/RZ500s, I always preferred the RG500 tbh. It was a far
better bike than the RD[1]

[1] I bet no-one ever expected that.

--
Lozzo
Triumph Daytona 955i SE
Suzuki SV650 K3
Honda CBR600 F-W
Suzuki GSX-R750L
Yamaha SR250 SpazzTrakka

 

*Your* 400 Four may be, but we've seen with mine - RIP - that taking
one that looks reasonable and was an OK bike and turning that into a
proper restored one will cost more than it's worth.

What amused me is that the guy who bought the engine and also a lot of
the brightwork is restoring one that's considerably worse than mine. As
are several other people who have contacted me regarding bits and
pieces.

 

Bear says...

I'm intrigued; what makes you say that?[/QUOTE]

I was lucky enough to have two fairly wealthy mates who owned both when
they first came out. I rode them back to back on a couple of occasions
and the RD just never really floated my boat. I was expecting a wild
hairy-arsed screaming monster that handled like it was on rails, what I
rode was a mediocre handling, gutless bloater of a bike. The RG was
slimmer, easier to ride fast and terrified me with the power delivery
and it went round corners better, despite having similar chassis
geometry and identical tyres. It just felt altogether more right, like
Suzuki had given it more thought and attention. The RD felt like it was
thrown together to meet a deadline.

I know where the RG lives, it hasn't moved from its shed in years and I
know it needs a gearbox rebuild[1]. I might just pay Darren a visit with
some folded pictures of my old boss one day.

[1] Cassette box, so gearbox rebuilds are a piece of piss, but with an
RG they need to be.

--
Lozzo
Triumph Daytona 955i SE
Suzuki SV650 K3
Honda CBR600 F-W
Suzuki GSX-R750L
Yamaha SR250 SpazzTrakka

 

That's of course one way of looking at it, and I can understand the
pride someone feels when he shows his mates the pictures of the rusty
heap he lovingly restored over the past ten years.

The problem is that you need to strike a fine balance between finding
something that's good enough to restore, but far enough gone to be
cheap. Having to media blast the bodywork is one thing, ending up with
something that has daylight shining through where it shouldn't is very
different.

Plus, the further the thing is gone, the higher the costs.

These days I prefer to take an bike that's in pretty reasonable 'nice'
condition (say, like the Ducati or the remaining Motosport) and use it
as a restoration basis. That's far less painful financially and makes
for a better result IMHO. But even my Motosport will need some
paintwork, for example. But looking at the better of the two I broke,
even with the bigger initial investment and the fact that I will have
to treck to the Frozen North again to get the paintwork done, it'll
work out cheaper. And it's better because I've been able to preserve
more of the original bike.

<thinks>

Shit, I'm starting to think like one of these beardy anoraks. Where's
the angle grinder?

 

I didn't take it that way, sorry if it came across like that. The
classic rags are full of restoration heros, but some of them either
lost their shirt buying some parts made of unobtanium or during the
divorce proceedings .

 

Bear says...

Was it known for going pop then? I knew another chap who raced RGs, and
his went phut at an alarming rate.[/QUOTE]

Gearboxes were weak, but there are stronger internals available if you
mix and match cogs from other models. Someone on the net knows how to do
it, so I'll be able to find out how.

--
Lozzo
Triumph Daytona 955i SE
Suzuki SV650 K3
Honda CBR600 F-W
Suzuki GSX-R750L
Yamaha SR250 SpazzTrakka