First Build!

[craftysince86]

Hello everyone, my name is Joseph and i buying my first project tomorrow. This will be my first bobber/bike build ever, i am picking up someone's half finished project and hope to get it one piece sooner than later.

I'm not very familiar with these bikes or what it takes to put something like this together, but i love the look and looking for change (i used to ride crotch rockets)

Hopefully everyone will be patient as i am sure i will ask some pretty basic and even dumb questions, but this is the only way i know how to learn by doing and asking!

this is what i am starting with... and from speaking with this guy he said it is only missing the wiring harness and needs to be assembled. i am picking it up for $1,800 which seems like a good deal to me but again i don't know much about these bikes and the costs.

let me know what you guys think

p.s.
i really dislike the handle bars

 

[craftysince86]

shit totally posted in the wrong section.. can someone move this over me?

 

[weekendrider]

You are in the right section crafty.
To my eyes, I'm seeing a lot more work than just wiring but I've never built a bike before.
And for the asking price I would expect to get something closer to a rider, but I've never bought a built bike before.
Good luck with the project and welcome to the site.

 

[650Skull]

Welcome.

Shit load of work to do.

74TXA/75XSB front end so assuming the frame and motor is as well. More often than not the builders strip it down before doing any engine or carb work. pick and a pock on the condition of the motor unless you can hear it going and the carbs are twin cable operated and you will need to learn how clean, jet and to tune them for whatever exhaust system will be on the bike.

No front brake caliper or master cylinder - have they had any work done to them

Do you know what comes with the bike and what, if anything, has been done to repair or refurbish any parts that have to go back on the bike.

And check out who has done the welding and the condition of such.

Not trying to be a wet blanket but i hope you know how much you have to do, and its the hidden things that could blow this out.

 

[Scrambled]

As with damn near all un-completed chopper/ bobber projects , the seller always understates ( friggin' lies ) about how much work/time/money/and parts you need to buy to actually get his aborted project on the road ,or even running .

I am a skeptic by nature, if it was that easy to finish the bike there is no way they would be selling it .

 

[barelycompetent]

I would call that a pretty nice looking roller, but Im also seeing alot more then just a wiring harness and being put together. As long as all of the parts are there to put it together, you can make your own wiring harness, plenty of diagrams on this very site in the tech section. For 1800 I would expect a bit more closer to being finished as well. If he would budge on the price I would come at him with a grand and see if he takes it. Course in Arizona that price may be par for the course, but in Ohio thats about a grand at best.

 

[craftysince86]

thanks for all the responses!

sorry i should have phrased better originally, he said that he has everything but the wiring harness, and then of course it needs to be all put back together.

so let's say worst case scenario he doesn't have everything (like he said) and the bike comes as is, how much money would i be looking to getting this back together? i know the estimations are not easy since the pictures don't show a lot. another question, i come from building cars so i want to say i have decent mechanical knowledge, how hard is this to put together?

these are the only other images i have received, i'm not sure it can tell a whole lot more.

 

[craftysince86]

i just spoke with him, he is missing the harness, the upper controls (he did mention it, i just over looked it), and no front brake components because he said he wasn't going to have a front brake on it.

everything else is there to get it put back together, just needs to be mounted. he said he has never assembled the bike so they're might be more missing but as far as he can tell everything else is there.

 

[weekendrider]

How much is a headache worth to you?
This one I wouldn't touch for more than $6-7 hundred.
Yes I'm aware of the cost to the PO, but the costs of the unknown are what determines my liability. Or said another way, it would be VERY easy to spend more than what it is worth to the market. Even at $1K the end costs would deter me.
But at the end of the day it ISN'T my money. Your money, your desires and your decision. Good Luck with it (the decision).

 

[craftysince86]

i think i am more in it for the experience, i want to try my hand at something new.

i think i am drawn to this bike because i feel like it looks awesome as is, maybe i just don't have the vision for bikes that are just an empty frame and that's why i am getting suckered into this.

but with that being said i do really appreciate input, i have a buddy who's dad used to build Harleys once upon a time and he said he has picked up enough along the way to understand where the bike is at, but he said he has to see it in person and see what parts he has that are not on the bike.

 

[Royboy]

I say go for it. You're already in for $1,800 and just guessing I'd say budget another $2,200 for completion. So you end up with a custom that you've got $4,000 in. OK, you've also picked up a ton of experience and developed a whole new skill set. Cost about the same as one semester at a decent public university and you end up with an entertaining friend.

Will you ever see $4,000 out of it? Probably not, but for most of us, these things aren't about turning a profit. They are about fun.

roy

 

[craftysince86]

so i went up and checked it out last night, it was a little rougher than i was expecting, but i got him to knock a hundred bucks off so i ended up bringing it home.

i'm going to tear is down this weekend down to the frame and take it to a buddy that is an amazing welder and he is going to re-do all the welds, and remove everything that is unnecessary ..basically clean the frame up.

on the up side he had a lot of new parts i brought home with me, it honestly doesn't look like it's missing much. i'm very much a perfectionist so the frame at the moment is my biggest issue, the motor isn't seized up so i'm thinking it should not be an issue starting.

does anyone know the size/width of the tunnel on a gas tank for these guys? according to my math the top bar is just over around 1.6" ?

 

[craftysince86]

so i started to tear the bike down today

ran into a few parts i am not familiar with but good ol google helped me out there, the bike seems very minimal and i'm hoping this means it'll be easy to get on the road. there are a lot of pigtails that i am not familiar with as well but i assume it will all be obvious when i get a harness.

what is the easiest way to pull the motor out of the frame? should i use a jack to support the motor and then just pick it out of the frame? can a single person lift it?

 

[Airwolfie]

so i started to tear the bike down today

ran into a few parts i am not familiar with but good ol google helped me out there, the bike seems very minimal and i'm hoping this means it'll be easy to get on the road. there are a lot of pigtails that i am not familiar with as well but i assume it will all be obvious when i get a harness.

what is the easiest way to pull the motor out of the frame? should i use a jack to support the motor and then just pick it out of the frame? can a single person lift it?

Th easiest way is to lay the frame on its right side, undo all the bolts, and lift the frame off the engine. The engine is quite heavy, but it is possible to lift it on your own, providing you have a good, strong back and plenty of muscle!! Remove as much as possible off the engine to make it lighter. Oil out, side covers off, and if you can the alternator and clutch basket too.

Good luck on the build, mine was "complete in boxes" too, and I eneded up spending a ton of money to get it where it is now!