Motorcycle Thread

[tequilla]

I very much appreciate the unbiased input

I don't mind the tinkering..........
I found out that my hours are not getting cut at work.....
(at least for the time being)
But I am still losing one of my roommates.........

So........ I really do like the bike but I think I will take a hard stand at $3,500.......... then I will pass if he won't take that. I don't think he will go for it since he paid $5,500 for it and has only put about 250 miles on the bike. He is not a tinkering kind of guy and has had to pay people to do a few things to it so he is over his original investment. If it doesn't happen then it wasn't meant to be........ I'm not sold on Harleys...... but I do like mild choppers and bobbers. I just figured that as kind of a Harley if I had to sell it later it would be easier to
re coupe my investment.

[Steve White]

Originally Posted by rostigbug

[Lookin' at inland empire Craigslist, "harley" between 3000$ and 4000$ and there are a shitload of 'em!

after reading the responses last night I went and searched the big classifieds for the Province of Ontario where I live and as sometimes turns out to be the case ... I didn't have a clue what I was talking about. Lots of $3-4000 Harley's. None anywhere near me but lots if I take a drive.

[Bobsmyuncle]

Originally Posted by Steve White

after reading the responses last night I went and searched the big classifieds for the Province of Ontario where I live and as sometimes turns out to be the case ... I didn't have a clue what I was talking about. Lots of $3-4000 Harley's. None anywhere near me but lots if I take a drive.

hehe I was thinking of calling you on that but...

[V8Transporter]

Hey, if the bike 'speaks to you,' then buy it. From the photo it looks pretty nice, even has rear suspension and you sure won't see one parked on every corner. I run synthetic oil in mine, check the valves religiously (every 2k miles), run an oil cooler (Iron Heads weren't called "Waffle Irons" for nothing). Clutch pull is pretty heavy. Judging by the size of the rear pulley, she should be pretty quick out of the hole.
Mine started as a stock `83 XLX and I paid $1950.00 for her in `86. I've rebuilt or changed pretty much Everything and she's been a Cafe style ride since `87. If you need any advice or tech info I can probably help out.

[tequilla]

I'm sure I can use some advice and support Even though everybody has recommended for me to pass on it......... I think I'm gonna buy the damn thing. I'm not looking to go cross country on it....... just cruse around town and maybe once in a while do the Laughlin and Vegas bike runs. To me getting a "Custom Bike" for 4K seems like a decent deal. If I buy a more modern Sportster it will cost me $3K to 4k then whatever improvements I need to make. I figure this one has a lot of shit already done to it so I can just slowly make a few changes to make it my own. So later on when I regret buying the thing pretty much everybody in this thread can say "I told you so"!

[V8Transporter]

Ha, so you are hooked! Okay, so you're not getting 'modern and alloy,' but if you keep her up she'll be good for lots of miles. And, she ain't hard to look at. I've got over fifty thousand miles on mine since the rebuild, and I'd run her about anywere.

[rostigbug]

Why wait??
imonna' beat the christmas rush & say "I tol' you so"
Do yourself a favor & adjust the valves & change the oil now!
Mr V-8 transporter do those old ironheads have hydraulic lifters?

[V8Transporter]

Hydraulic what? Ah, no. You adjust the valves by feel, no sissy feeler gauges here. Once up on TDC, you use a rag between your fingers and the push rod (of course, you have the push rod tubes held up by wooden clothes pins) and adjust the push rod until it 'just' turns. Tighten up the jam nuts, double check, and then try again 'cause tightening 'em up closed the clearence...and try again until you're done.
And it isn't "Mr." I happen to work for my living.

[tequilla]

I should be picking up my don't buy it you'll regret it on Sunday. I'll snap a few pic's and post em up. Right now it's a non-op and will stay that way for a little while cause I'm fucking broke
But that will give me some time to give it some attention. Needs a tune up and a few little items. Then I gotta save some money for registration, bike insurance, auto insurance due in may, home owners insurance due in August and my vacation comming up in October

[Turbo Punk]

Originally Posted by tequilla

...Right now it's a non-op and will stay that way for a little while cause I'm fucking broke .... Needs a tune up and a few little items.

Non-Op? Does that mean it doesn't currently run? I would be VERY wary of sinking that much cash into something that I can't start up and take around the block. Especially if it was going to sit for any length of time before I was able to drive it.

Just my $.02

[tequilla]

Originally Posted by Turbo Punk

Non-Op? Does that mean it doesn't currently run? I would be VERY wary of sinking that much cash into something that I can't start up and take around the block. Especially if it was going to sit for any length of time before I was able to drive it.

Just my $.02

Toss in your $.02 anytime....... I'll put it in the bank

It has current registration, he just recently went non-op so he doesn't have to carry insurance on it. It starts, runs and drives. He paid $5,500 for it with the intention of keeping it for a little while, then selling it for a profit. He has ridden it maybe 250 miles since he purchased it. In the mean time.... he has had to pay somebody to rebuild the carb, build a support rod for the carb, put points in it and he bought a battery tender for it. He's not a real mechanical kind of guy so he has to pay to get things worked on so an Ironhead short chopper is not really the bike for him. It has not been officially advertised or put up for sale and he is not desperate for cash. His profit idea went out the window with the current economy. He was kicking around the idea of selling it to generate some cash to spend on a more conventional bike. One that he could just hop on and ride and would not need tinkering all the time. A good friend of mine, who works with the bike owner, knew it was the style of bike I would like. This is how this whole event came to be. The little details I need to tend to is shit like fresh plugs, check the timing, adjust the valves. The support that bolts to the engine that mounts the forward controls has a crack in it from vibration (who would have thought a Harley vibrates?) so I need to pull that, weld up the crack and add some bracing to it. My buddy has some drag bars that he will give me which I like better so I'm going to put those on. I'm just going to do shit like that while I'm saving up the money to take it off non-op and put insurance on it.

[JiI]

http://www.timelessmotorcompany.com/vintage/index.html

[Turbo Punk]

Oh, ok. It's just here in Mass we just take them off the road, cancel the insurance and turn in the plates. We keep the title as it is. I can even buy a bike or car, get it titled and just park it in the yard without getting insurance. We just can't drive them.

[V8Transporter]

The Battery Tender is an excellent idea! I keep one on the Sporty 'cause for some unfathomable reason, the battery drains down a bit over a week or so. I've checked over the electrical system to no avail, but with the Tender on the problem goes away. The valves shoud be adjusted cold, and it's the push rod tubes that are adjustable. I do it with the rear wheel off the ground (via home made rear bike lift) and get things close to TDC with the starter, then, with the bike in second, use the rear wheel to get it where I want it. Having the plugs out makes it easy...I run Bosch Platinum WR9FP with my single fire Dyna Tech electronic ignition, but ran them with points too at .028"). Points should be easy, and you time it through a plug on the primary side. They even sell a little clear screw-in plug to check things while she's running. You're really lucky you're dealing with points and not a mag, plus it look like an electric start (!).
All kidding aside, these engines are stone simple and they stay in tune a lot longer then the British bikes I've had. I run a set of Andrews PB+ cams and set the idle at 1000 rpm.

[tequilla]

Well I bought it........ Didn't get any pictures because it was cold and almost getting dark when I got it home...... But it's mine One of my first upgrades will be an electronic ignition so I can trash the points. I like never having to set the timing again and have it stay set. Been real happy with both pertronix and comp-u-fire ignitions in my Volkswagens. But not ready for any upgrades just yet.... still got to pay for the title transfer tomorrow.

[Turbo Punk]

Swapped out the carbs and it fired right up.

[Turbo Punk]

Damn, that's sweet.

[JiI]

Got an 81' Hondamatic if anyone is interested. Seen better days but so have I!
Jeff

[Turbo Punk]

Well, this is it. The last motorcycle I'm going to buy.

For now.


It's a 1969 Jawa Californian 350 with 1380 miles on it. It was running up until yesterday the carb started leaking and the clutch started to slip.

Yup, it's gonna need a bit of work to get back on the road but damn, I got plans for it.

Hey Carlene, can you say CAFE'?

This is a pic fom the ad. I'll get some better ones tomorrow.

[ratlook63]

Damn Tim, thats sweet! I miss my CB350....

[JiI]

Originally Posted by Turbo Punk

Well, this is it. The last motorcycle I'm going to buy.

For now.


It's a 1969 Jawa Californian 350 with 1380 miles on it. It was running up until yesterday the carb started leaking and the clutch started to slip.

Yup, it's gonna need a bit of work to get back on the road but damn, I got plans for it.

Hey Carlene, can you say CAFE'?

This is a pic fom the ad. I'll get some better ones tomorrow.

You'll have 2 more by next week!
Jeff

[Turbo Punk]

Originally Posted by whozawhat

I love the smell of 2-Stroke in the morning....

Cafe with clip-ons, shorten up the rear fender and make a tail piece for the seat.

And lower the front a couple inches.


All in good time.

[Turbo Punk]

Here's the pics.

[tequilla]

Ok, I finally got around to taking some pictures of my "Don't buy it you will regret it".......... And I got a question for the Harley experts here. How the hell do I figure out what year my Iron head engine is so I can start looking for a manual on it? I found some information on a website but the engine serial number example they give is nothing like the number on my engine

Anyway here's the pic's.........














The last pic is of me sitting on it making Vroom, Vroom noises.......

[Turbo Punk]

Damn, that's a good looking bike. Looks better in these pics then the other one. I'd have to say nice score man.