Philosophy of Motorcycle Restoration 101

After answering yet another post by a frustrated member, I decided a bit of a rant about mindset is in order:

These are OLD motorcycles. OLD.

No matter how well-preserved one appears to be, it is NOT "like new" although in some cases it may look that way.

If you really want to ride, and use on a regular basis, one of these old crocks then you HAVE TO reverse the effects of time and neglect or you will have continual problems.

What you have to ask yourself is whether the bike is going to be in charge of the process or you are. "The process" WILL happen, how is up to you.

If you give the bike a cursory inspection, fix the "obvious" stuff or whatever small (or large) issue might be keeping it from running at the time and then start riding it like it was all new, you're gonna have constant problems. Trust me.

One thing after another is going to "go wrong." But that's not what's really happening. The bike is simply showing you all the things you failed to do.

On the other hand, if you:

Get a manual or two (I prefer a combination of the factory and aftermarket books, as well as the dealer assembly manuals) or even just an OWNERS manual (most maintenance items are covered there, or at least listed

Go through the MAINTENANCE section, item by item, leaving nothing out, taking no shortcuts, putting nothing off, do it all;

Replace anything you find along the way that is worn, rotted, corroded or otherwise deteriorated beyond useful service;

Thoroughly clean and inspect everything else;

Adjust everything to specifications, as above, leave NOTHING OUT...

Then YOU will be in charge of "the process," not the bike. YES, you will still get an occasional rude surprise, but for the most part you will be free of the "problem after problem" syndrome, and can ride and enjoy your new-old bike.

Or take shortcuts, fight with it and you will end up doing it all anyway-- the hard way.

Your choice.

 

Well said Fitz!!!

Shaun

 

Also...it this is your first time working on bikes expect to "create" a couple of problems also (That's what I was dealing with this morning ). I figure you have to learn from your mistakes, and if you don't know much...there are many mistakes to be made :lol:

 

Fitz says "leave NOTHING OUT".
You can take that as gospel. If you're not in for the count, don't start the fight!

 

On the plus side, there is an army of willing volunteers here who want you to get that bike up and running. All you have to do is accept their advice.

 

Just keep reminding yourself-"It's theraputic!"

 

:lol:

 

Shamelessly bumping my own thread so it will get read, I hope.

It's NOT a "problem bike!" I keep seeing "This thing is nothing but problems" "problem after problem."

NO NO no. It's an OLD bike. Those are not problems, they are merely symptoms of neglect and deterioration. They are very predictable, and very preventable. Go through the bike, do it right, or do it the hard way.

You cannot expect to take a 25+ year old bike (or ANY motor vehicle) for that matter, and simply put it back on the road without having "problems." It has to be properly "recommissioned" or you will suffer failure after failure of long-deteriorated parts.

Go back and read my original post in this thread. PLEASE. Rant over.

 

just going on about what fitz said- unlike wine, bike's (especially rubber) do not age well, these bikes are pretty bullet-proof, sure the older electronics can be a pain, and getting the 4 cylinders to work with eachother can be a hassle, but this is no yz490, it will run.

 

THANK YOU FITZ!
I'M MAKING MY WIFE READ THIS THREAD.

Trying to explain things like "you only have to replace
one wheel bearing, why are you doing all five?" or "you just
changed the oil in march" is getting old.
Or the look on her face when she see you pulling the wire loom
apart to hit the connectors with dielectric grease.

Now maybe she won't think I'm completely nuts.

 

take a picture of the look on her face and make it your avatar

 

Anyone ever read ..."Zen and the art of motorcycle maintenance"...it'was th
70's, ..'th bike you are working on is yourself'...watcha expect from a bike that's about 30 years old, and ya just got it...it's gonna need some TLC...it was probly made b4 some folk on here were born. Show some respect and go through th processes........then you two will get on fine!!

 

I am mostly a "lurker" but I read every post. I have to say..Great "Read" Fitz!! One thing if I may add is the line "MOST" impatient newbie will use when trying to get these bikes back on the road is........ "That's good enough". To put it bluntly.. "That is NOT good enough"!!! Carb cleaning, brakes, electrical, should be done correctly and thoroughly or like stated above, The result will be never ending problems. "The Hard Way".

And if I may add a small rant of my own... not to step on your thread..

The "Search" feature is a great tool and yes some times it takes a lot of reading to find what your looking for. But whats the harm in reading about things you will probably have problems with later. I've only been a member a short time but have seen so many of the same problem posts it's almost sickening. I think that is where the "impatient" part comes in. People want fast answers and not willing to do the "leg" work. Not to discourage ANYONE from posting a problem but going over the same thing a hundred time a week is a little ridiculous. Rant over.
Ride Safe Everyone

 

I think for many of us motorcycles, especially classic bikes, are far more therapeutic than we realize. My son complains that I work too much on it and that I sit and look at it too much, but he does not understand the joy comes from the process as much as the ride. I love to look it over for a while considering the different things I want to change or to consider that others have changed and I consider. I love my success, like the first time I replaced my steering bearings, and learn from my mistakes, like when I was changing the steering bearings and loosened the triple tree and pinch bolts with the tire still attached, or recently learned why my polish jobs did not look as good as the ones the shop did and why.

I read a thread were many could not understand why someone would want to spend so much time building their own gauges to sync their carbs arguing that, in the end you would spend too much time and possibly money building something you could buy or just take to a shop and have them do for you, to me, they are riders not motorcyclists. They should buy a new bike keep it for a year or two and sell it and get another, never then having to worry about maintenance or give more thought to motorcycling than the ride. Go a step further and you see there are thousands of people who try to buy an image getting a Harley and all the clothing and gear they can afford to go with it. I see that a sad on some level. Look at the number of low mileage new Harleys on the market and you see the results of this attempt to become something you are not.

My son now likes to ride and he loves to see how, as I teach him the techniques to make him competent his skills and comfort increase but he won’t lift a finger to turn a wrench, unless I ask for his help. What’s funny about that is that he can play Call of Duty with his friends online for hours and have a little fun but he senses a joy that transcends mere fun with a twenty minute ride in control of such a wonderful machine. He comes back aglow with stories of how the bike felt, sounded, reacted, and how he could sense the changes we made. I took him and a group of his friends all in their late teens and on various new sport bike to the mountains last weekend and the looks and smiles and thrills were in their eyes as I showed them various lines and breaking points and they could see their improvement, both in the seat of their pants and on the video I was taking, but it was I who had the most fun watching as they kids began to stretch their wings, challenge their fears, become more confident and, in some small way, become better men. This was a group of guys, much like me 25 years ago, whose chains were so lose I’m surprised they didn’t come off, never changed their oil, never lubed their chains, all short shifted, were afraid of their front breaks , and all had crashed within the year. But with a little patience and their willingness to learn they are squids no more.

To me, it’s all about the process, I invite everyone to come along for the ride.

 

Slightly, Fitz - well put. I know that I enjoy the maintenance, the problem-solving, JUST AS MUCH as I enjoy the ride. Maybe that's because I'm in a city and am a bit starved for twisties, but there is a supreme satisfaction and identity that I glean from just puttering around my garage.

RiderXJ - I second your sentiment regarding the search feature. I have been reading this board for a year and a half now and very rarely do I have a question that hasn't been already asked.

 

Me too. Now that my '83 is nearly done, I'm having the same problem I had for about the first four years I owned the Norton--- I can't believe it's mine. I sit and look at it way too much, I think...

Re: the video game thing-- I have the same problem with my 15-year old. He LOVES to RIDE his minibike, but considers me to be the pit crew and he's just the driver. He'll pull it into the garage, tell me what it needs, and go jump on the x-Box. Then the 9-year old crew chief and I get to fix it.

The "search" feature is cumbersome when you don't know quite what you're searching for; I really wish that some of our "FAQ Suggestions" articles (Gamuru, RickCoMatic, mine and more) would get moved into "FAQ" which is locked and empty.

 

The most frequently asked question I hear when I'm doing some work on my Bike and not going to play Golf or to the movies:

"Why don't you get rid of that old Bike and get a newer one?"

They don't MAKE a newer Bike like the ones I got. If they did; I might be tempted to sell or trade these and get-on a newer Bike.

Bit, I like being in the garage with the Bike and a rag in my hip pocket.
Keeping the Old Bike running young is part of the magic of why we buy these old bikes, anyway.

 

I used to be like that, before junior high i would love to get my hands dirty with my dad and ride around on stuff, then in junior high, i found out what mmorpg's were (if your children ever say Runescape or World of Warcraft, ground them and make them go outside and do something) Then In highschool i came out of my shell and found atv's and bikes to be more fun, working on them is also fun to me, as slightly said, it's therapudic.... the last days of college I couldnt get much sleep thinking about coming home and being around my bikes...

Do i need a girlfriend? nah.

 

Part of the joy of these older bikes is the maintaining. I bought my first XJ from my brother for an old guitar I had laying around that cost me $30.00. It was a good deal since my brother bought the bike for a pack of smokes!

Needless to say the bike was in rough shape and didn't run and I wanted to learn more about bikes so I had nothing to lose but my time and some money I would have spent on another hobby.

The process was great and I would do it again but as the original "rant" says, you need to have the manuals, do the checklists and leave nothing out. I can say from experience, I skipped some steps and rushed some things and in the end, it cost me a lot of money that I didn't have to spend. It cost me parts I didn't need to buy and it cost me a lot in beer!

Now, I've learned my lesson and keep up to date with the maintenance and some fun projects (like wiring my garage door opener into the bike) and I ride often.

 

Fitz, Thanks for the black and white on the maintenance. I think I will take that advice.