I fancy a 'project' Blackbird!

[ericonblackbird]

In the last week as I have been riding to work I have noticed it is dark and cool - autumn is coming and the call of a winter project raises its ugly head. Having finally got rid of the dirt bike (back is just too knackered to ride it off road!) I fancy 'fettling' a Blackbird. New front end, better rear end, delinked, perhaps some engine moods etc etc. I spent some years building rally cars and engines when younger so quite handy with the spanners.

Since my Bird is my daily transport I will be looking for another bike as the basis of the 'project' and this is where I'm dithering!

Do I buy a crash repairable ............... and then probably spend may hours finding clocks and other rocking horse sh.t items? Chance of buying a 'dog' which soaks cash getting it together without doing what I really want to. brok3 Potential insurance issues on completion?

Or do I spend more (considerably?) on more of a 'known bet' and sell on good items that have been removed?

I'm thinking of a 3 or 4 year old bike as a starting point but bearing in mind my Bird is now 8 years old and it has worn well then I would go older!

........... oh and for a strange reason I fancy a black one this time

 

[silverfox.xx]

I rebuilt a crash repairable BMW R1100RT.. thats how I got back into biking. I paid ?2400 for the bike, spend ?1400 doing it up, and sold it a year and a half later after adding another 19,000 miles for ?3800.

I saw the bike in a dealers 3 years later in a 'not looked after condition' for ?4250.... reduced to ?3999.

Problem was it was supposed to be a winter project, I bought it in September... 2 weeks later it was on the road...

The repair was, one fork leg, front wheel/tyre, wishbone, ball joint, one front disc, repair top fairing support & respray, repair electric screen gears, full respray, wishbone pivot, repair ABS, cylinder head and crash covers, screen, service (full), decals, topbox (bmw) and panniers (which had saved a lot of damage to the rear of the bike), fork seals both legs.

So a damage repairable could be a way forward, and I hope you enjoy yourself whatever you decide. The bonus with a repairable is it can be a clean and rebuild (newer bike) and not a restoration to put right everyone else's cockups.

 

[roXXo]

My winter projects used to take me a winter. Last winter was a 1977 Honda CB400F.

This one will probably be 2.

Enthusiam and good intentions take a back seat to shopping, gardening, decorating and doing as I'm told. Getting soft in my old age.

 

[ericonblackbird]

and not a restoration to put right everyone else's cockups.

........... good point and one that I had not thought about!

take a back seat to shopping, gardening, decorating and doing as I'm told.

I'm on a winner with that lot, house renovated, garden 'done' and I don't do shopping (apart from bike bits!)

SHMBO would also 'appreciate' me spending less time winding up the Court system, camera partnerships, the Crown Persecution Service and having my head buried in obscure case law! So I feel I have permission to indulge in another passion!

 

[roXXo]

........... good point and one that I had not thought about!

I'm on a winner with that lot, house renovated, garden 'done' and I don't do shopping (apart from bike bits!)

SHMBO would also 'appreciate' me spending less time winding up the Court system, camera partnerships, the Crown Persecution Service and having my head buried in obscure case law! So I feel I have permission to indulge in another passion!

Damaged repairable is the way to go methinks and then do your own thing to it.
There are plenty of standard Birds about.
Street fighter, futuristic or radical upgrade. Something different.

Hope you find something suitable and enjoy yourself with it.
:beer:

 

[R2B2]

I would be looking at a salvage bike I think. You have said that you want to mod the front end and as most salvage bikes have front end damage then that would be a cheaper way to source your project bike. Having said that, it always seems to cost more than you originally think, but you have the saisfaction of knowing you do a thorough job.

I have repaired a two salvage Birds now and, like Silverfox, kept and ran them for a while and then sold on. On one I broke even so had 18 months "free" biking, on the other I made about ?400, but that is not why I done them. I think if you do a salvage repair to make money then you start cutting corners and produce a dog.

A cat C repairable will have an entry written into the V5 to say it's been the subject of a total loss claim and/or a major repair. A category D won't have this entry so would be less stigmatised when selling later. Both cat C & D bikes will be recorded as such on the register.

Regarding the insurance. Insurance companies will insure bikes on the register without problem but they view them as being worth 15% -20% less than an unrecorded bike, especially if it came to another claim further down the road (no pun intended!).

If/when you come to sell at a later date prospective buyers normally expect this slightly lesser value to apply when selling privately.

A stolen and recovered bike may be a good option because if it's not been crashed and hence little or no damage then they are often a category X or U which is not recorded.

 

[gypsy]

A stolen and recovered bike may be a good option because if it's not been crashed and hence little or no damage then they are often a category X or U which is not recorded.

There's your answer :yo:
Nick Robs bike ,spend the winter months matting the shiny blingy bits with a bit of scotchbrite

















Oh and dont go for a rideout nr Monmouth h1d1ng2

 

[Dave.ett]

If yours is an older bird, why not buy a newer one for every day use, and mod yours? The older bike is likely to find a better market for the bits you remove too...

 

[ericonblackbird]

Nick Robs bike .....Oh and dont go for a rideout nr Monmouth

much too dangerous proposition since I don't live far away!

why not buy a newer one for every day use, and mod yours?

yes had thought of that, but since I bought my current Bird when it was a year old and have maintained it myself ever since, I know it inside out which gives me confidence for my daily commutes which can be as high as 170 miles there and back!

R2B2 thanks for the good info on salvage and its implications, I've not dealt with insurance co's before on this subject and thought it would be far more difficult! As for the value issue, I'm already well down the devaluing road since I have some zx12r forks kicking about in the attic!

 

[ericonblackbird]

Somebody must be a sick puppy having done this to an 07 Bird

http://www.universal-services.co.uk/

 

[R2B2]

Eric... just reading thru my post again I realise I have omitted something!

A Cat C vehicle will need to undergo a VIC (vehicle identity check) when repairs are done. This isn't a big deal on a bike, they just want to check that frame number [on headstock] and vin plate haven't been tampered with, and that the bike is the bike it's claimed to be! A worthwhile safeguard you have to say.

A Cat D vehicle doesn't have to undergo this check. Just repair, mot, tax and go!

 

[ericonblackbird]

Thanks Rob, I've genned up on the issues and as you can see from my last post I'm having a look round!


Regards
Pete

 

[R2B2]

What should we be seeing with that link Erc?

 

[silverfox.xx]

A Cat D vehicle doesn't have to undergo this check. Just repair, mot, tax and go!

I was told by an insurance company, while getting quotes, that a cat D required an engineers report before they would insure it. Sorry I cant remember what insurance company... needless to say the next insurance company i contacted said that providing it had an MOT that would be fine.

 

[R2B2]

Your second choice had it right Clive, and the first had it very wrong!

Although I suppose an insurance co could impose it's own rules on this if they wanted to, there wouldn't actually be anything to stop them.

It's not a legal requirement though.

 

[ericonblackbird]

Whoops the actual page didn't show on the link but just look at the mileage 06 bike reg 07 and 801 miles before it became a CAT C!


10277854Lot Number:6,343Category:VEHICLE SPOTLIGHTABI:CAT CV5:NoDescriptionamage:Front Near Side/ Front Off Side/ Front/ Off SideEngine:1137Colour:BLACKMileage:801

Transmission:+ VAT:NoKeys:YesBranch:Westbury

 

[ericonblackbird]

I've been looking at a couple of Cat D's with what could be considered the 'usual' damage, plastics, silencers, covers etc etc.

I'm trying to put ball park figures together (then adding 50% - been here before!) for the repairs.

My question concerns the 'subframe' (tubular steel construction) that holds the clocks, front top fairing etc.(whats its 'official' name?)
Are they all the same? Would an ealy one for 'clocks' fit a digi dash model?

Looking through David Silvers lists I can't find the item listed - the closest is "Top Fairing Bracket" which doesn't seem quite the description and at ?49 a little too cheap!

All ideas much appreciated.

 

[R2B2]

Yep, that'sthe one Eric. Top fairing bracket sounds familiar to me, bolts onto the headstock with two bolts.

I bought one from a Honda dealer on one occasion and it was ?69 if I remember correctly, so ?49 from DS sounds about right.

 

[ericonblackbird]

Thanks Rob, if I end up with a bike that needs one (one that I have seen certainly does) then ?49 isn't too bad since past experience says it is usually those bits that cost a great deal more than expected!

Pete

 

[R2B2]

Agreed - it looks like it could cost a lot more by Honda's pricing structure.

A bit of a tip - unless you are particularly familiar with this bracket and all that it carries/supports, or unless you have a blinding good memory, I suggest you take some pictures as you strip everything off the old one as it's a bugger remembering how all the wiring clips onto it, the positioning etc.

You'll work it out in the end but it does save a bit of hair pulling when you have a few pic's to look at :-: