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Starting a Project Bike Build

G

Gilmore

New member
Joined
May 6, 2020
Location
San Francisco
Moto(s)
No bike yet
Hello BARF. I'm a new member here, and I hope that I'm not posting a thread that has already been hashed out previously. My dad and I are planning out a project bike build, and I was hoping the community might have some helpful tips, tricks, or general knowledge/wisdom that might be useful to know. A bit of background:

My dad and I have very little experience working on anything. I am your standard youtube mechanic; I have watched tons of videos on project builds and engineering explained and generally consumed as much info as I can through my laptop, but have never had the opportunity to wrench on anything myself. My dad has never wrenched on anything either, and has always sent his two bikes to the shop for any maintenance or adjustments it might need for piece of mind. Collectively, we have 0 experience.

Fortunately, with current events as they are, we have a lot of time to kill. We have a good garage space and are ready to encounter frustrations and learn as we go along. Our plan, basically, is to buy a very cheap bike that doesn't/barely runs and bring it back to life. We have a list of basic shop tools we might need and dont already have, like an impact driver, metric sockets, torque wrench, owner's manual, etc., but we were curious to see if anyone out there with more experience might be willing to offer their two cents about their experiences with bike rebuilds or things to know about working on bikes in general.

Any and all input is welcomed and helpful, so thank you in advanced!
 
Well
Being that you have no hands on skills, DO NOT GET AN IMPACT WRENCH.

my highschool math teacher, when asked why we couldnt use calculator in class, said that 'calculators just get your the wrong answer faster'

If you're referring to the impact driver you hold steady withbone hand and hit with a hammer then yeah, get that. They're handy. Get lots of PB blaster if it is rusty. Wd40 doesnt do muchbaside from smell good

An impact wrench in the hands of a unskilled hand does the same thing. Fixing wrong answers while wrenching on vehicles gets expensive, and demotivating, Really Fast.

Whatever bike you start with I would very strongly encourage you to start with a running bike with CLEAN DMV paperwork. Anyone that says "ran when inparjed it last week, it hasnt been registered in (insert lie) years and is out of the system" doesnt realize that the dmv is designed to collect fees and has been computerized for nearly 40 years. I've come across bikes last registered in the 80s that still popped up in the system.

And leave the intake/exhaust as stock as possible (I am assuming your donor bike will be carburated) because chasing "why wont it run?" Scenarios is easier if you know it ran before you fucked something up. Undo what you did, is still no workie, look elsewhere

Aaaalllll of that said. If you ignore some of my advice you could do worse than starting with this

https://bayarearidersforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=542874

Huge aftermarket support is worth something.
 
Probably the best and easiest type of bike to learn on is a thumper single of some sort. Dirtbike, dual sport, or any of the very few street bike singles. You get to learn how to diagnose, repair, and or rebuild and all the various parts of a motorcycle with the added bonus of there being only one of each be it carb, cylinder, head, fewer valves etc etc.

Project bikes more often than not will cost more to repair than buy a running complete bike of the same model even if FREE sometimes. So pick a bike that you think is cool and want to spend the money and time on.

Pick a complete bike, not a bike missing parts.

The older the bike is, the higher the chance of parts being discontinued and it taking effort to source them via aftermarket, used on ebay, or specialty forums.

Project or mechanic special bikes are notoriously over priced on craigslist. Assume the worst and deduct what a shop would charge to repair the bike from the going price of a running model. Often, the math doesnt work.

Don't but all your tools upfront. Basic good quality wrenchs, sockets, screwdrivers. Buy as you need.

Figure out a total budget before hand.
 
Jump in the water is fine! Here are my tips.


  • Take your time, buy a neglected bike, an outdoor dog that just needs some TLC that has been parked for a while but not decades. If you see a potential project bike on the street or in someone's driveway knock on the door or leave a note. You'd be surprised at how many people (or ex-riders) have bikes that they would let go for practically nothing.
  • Do not buy or even take for "free" someone else's failed project in pieces in boxes. It is a missing parts nightmare and money pit.
  • Avoid a crashed bike with bent in front forks or damaged wheels, those reclamation projects are for advanced wrenchers.
  • Nothing fancy or exotic. Stick to a standard issue Kawi, Suzi or Honda from 2000 or even better 2010 or later so parts and online expertise is not hard to find. Get the service manual.
  • Buy a bike you think you might like to ride for a while after the project is done and not just flip.
  • Buy tools as needed and don't buy the cheapest tools. They won't last.
  • I'd stick to a fuel injected bike unless you like spending hours and hours trying to get the carbs right or even get the right parts. Carb work is a black art, that way lies madness.
  • Run a compression test and confirm the motor is viable and, if possible, actually runs. A restoration project that includes major engine or top-end work is double the work, cost and effort.
  • Check the tank for rust. This is like cancer for a motorcycle and if it was like that before it was parked everything south of the tank is toast, especially carbs. If it got rusty while sitting then it is major work to clean and reseal a tank, probably better to just get a used tank so include that in your budget.
  • Watch out for scope creep. By that I mean... thinking, well since I am in here I might as well rebuild, replace, refurb every possible item. Set a budget and goal and stick to it or it will become a time and money sink.
  • This should be a fun father/son bonding project and learning experience, don't lose sight of that and be aware you won't recoup the costs when you sell it but that was never the point anyway.
 
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Want to start simple? Find a briggs and stratton engine off an edger, mower, etc. Tear it down, and put it back together. Make it run. Graduate to motorcycles.
 
Thanks for all the responses guys! Some of these comments have been really helpful. Unfortunately fuel injected bikes are hard to come by at the current budget for the bike itself ($1k), but the hunt continues.
 
Gilmore said:
Thanks for all the responses guys! Some of these comments have been really helpful. Unfortunately fuel injected bikes are hard to come by at the current budget for the bike itself ($1k), but the hunt continues.
Click to expand...

What kind of projects do you want to learn? Basic carb cleaning, tuning, valve adjustments etc... or more like doing a top end? Whats your total budget, bike, parts, and tools? $1k for bike. Must the bike be street legal, or would a dirtbike do.

A little more info will help folks keep an eye out and offer suggestions. :thumbup
 
be aware that there are (at least ) three different measuring systems on bikes and wrenches:
metric
Sae (inches and fractions)
whitworth (?) british

do not mix or use a wrench that is “ close enough”
 
Serviceable bikes, even ones that need a lot of TLC to get back in working order, generally will bottom out in the used market around $1500-$2000 depending on brand/model, especially if the motor still runs. $1000 is more for a parts bike or non-running bike so I'd recommend upping your budget for your target bike.

Here is a project bike I bought back in 2014 for $1500 with fuel injection and ABS brakes.

And here are some pics of it during and after refurb.
 

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Been there, done that, would do it again.

Get a powered yard implement and restore that. Amazing how much a Briggs can teach. Buy the manual, get good light, there is never enough horizontal space, make more. Music. You need music in the shop. Ask a neighbor with a moto-hobby for advice.

Welcome to an addiction. Will always cost more than the value when completed. ( A professional therapist is more expensive and less effective anyway.)
 
Update: Looks like we're going the route of baby steps: going to pickup a small engine just to take apart and reassemble. A lot of you suggested briggs and Stratton, would a coleman mini bike engine (195cc) work as a substitute.
 
My first attempt as a motorcycle mechanic was a neighbors CB350. I was looking at it in his garage and he said, "Hey, if you can get it running you can ride it."
Welp, that's all it took. That and hearing my friend grumbling every time my dirt bike broke, " I don't know why I have to fix this piece of crap. It ain't MY bike".

Mad
 
Gilmore said:
Update: Looks like we're going the route of baby steps: going to pickup a small engine just to take apart and reassemble. A lot of you suggested briggs and Stratton, would a coleman mini bike engine (195cc) work as a substitute.
Click to expand...

Pic what ever you can find parts easiest for. Another bonus is if there is a forum dedicated to them where you can ask specific questions about them as you tear down and rebuild. So some cheap throw away chinese motor probably wouldnt be a good choice. Briggs and Stratton would be a good choice. People geek out on older american made chainsaws too, which could be a good starter project (maybe even useful.)

I repaired my brother inlaws 80 some year old gas powered woodsplitter last year. Turned out it was a brand that had been around forever with lots of collectors. The carb was literally designed about 1920 and that forum helped me find parts.
 
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