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Post by Splodge on Jan 6, 2012 19:36:44 GMT 1
Right here is the dilemma I have in my workshop a totally standard as it left the factory Lc350 in very good condition, it has all the 'green' bits in all the right places and every nut and bolt is std, i have been doing some work on her over the last few weeks and its quite obvious that she's been well looked after and has never been apart ;D It's fair to say that most people would call it 'mint'.........except me ..........as I am a fussy git! The closer I look the more slight imperfections I see, ie there is some very light furring over the original finish on the odd nut/bolt chain adjuster and stone chips and slight rust in weld joints on frame and swing arm etc, you get the picture I am soooooooo tempted to strip it get the frame stove enameled and rebuild the bike, re paint exhausts and change every nut bolt and washer for polished stainless also re nickel/zink plate tabs and adjusters etc etc which would make the bike (in my eyes) perfect So do I A leave bog std with slight imperfections which would impress the purists but not me ? B Re build to my standards which I would love but the purists would probably hate ? I am just itching to rip her apart but there may be the question of devaluation to take into consideration if I do so? I would be interested in your opinion guys, what would you do
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Post by scott on Jan 6, 2012 19:40:33 GMT 1
deffo gunna de-value it if you strip it m8,worth more like it is unless your gunna replace the parts with nos items then u could end up spending more than it's worth unless u got it cheap.
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Post by twostroker on Jan 6, 2012 20:24:04 GMT 1
i think its a bit of a crime to strip such a genuine bike.if it was me i would sell if for top money next summer and in the mean time buy a cheaper project bike if your just itching to get your hands dirty.
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Post by wizard on Jan 6, 2012 20:26:04 GMT 1
Do it how you want it (not into green bits,cost you more than it's worth). Do the frame and swinger and add the stainless nuts and bolts(easy maintenance)
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Post by midlifecrisisrd on Jan 6, 2012 20:29:16 GMT 1
Heres my 10p worth.
If it is "mint" and not restored I would sympatheticaly refurb it.
Original furred bolts/fasteners re plated and frame stripped and painted in 2k.
That way will be really mint and original, rare to find this way.
If you want it modded you would be as well to sell it to someone who wants an original bike and buy another to mod
Steve
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Post by tunneruk on Jan 6, 2012 20:45:24 GMT 1
If it were me I'd leave it completely as it is with all the finished that it left the factory with. You've got a little piece of history there, it'd be a shame to cover it all up with new finishes .........
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Post by tunneruk on Jan 6, 2012 20:46:46 GMT 1
If it were me I'd leave it completely as it is with all the finishes that it left the factory with. You've got a little piece of history there, it'd be a shame to cover it all up with new finishes .........
There can't be many of these last that are 'as they left the factory'
I bet there are plenty of restored ones.
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Post by Splodge on Jan 6, 2012 21:01:27 GMT 1
Hmmmm very interesting replies fellas I have had a lot of mates tell me to "leave it alone" but I'm just gaging to get it in pieces for improvements Don't get me wrong there is no way i am going to butcher it as I've all ways wanted a standard one I am not going to make tralor queen show bike it I'm going to ride it....I just know how much 'nicer' it could be Keep the replys coming
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Post by Shytalk on Jan 6, 2012 21:06:53 GMT 1
I would say that you will devalue it by swapping the green stuff for S/S, but its yours so if it makes you happy crack on, you can always keep all those bits to swap back in the future.
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Post by Splodge on Jan 6, 2012 21:08:58 GMT 1
you can always keep all those bits to swap back in the future. This was the plan
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Post by billy on Jan 6, 2012 22:42:57 GMT 1
I would say that you will devalue it by swapping the green stuff for S/S, but its yours so if it makes you happy crack on, you can always keep all those bits to swap back in the future. Yeah but who cares? All he needs to do is keep the green bits in a bloody box (they're better off there anyways as they won't wear or age in the rainy UK weather) and put em back on when he sell it. You want 4-pot calipers? GO AHEAD FFS! It's not like it's an irreversable mod. Hell, you could even do an RGV hybrid that can be turned back into an original LC, all you need to do is making sure not to cut off any original brackets and just being aware of what the hell you're doing as you build it. I know, I know, you need to bore the swingarm pivot holes up for the RGV pivot if my memory serves me right, but what if you build it with a little more care so you can use a 16 mm pivot as the original LC swinger use? And added brackets and frame tubes can be cut off later on if you want to turn the bike back to it's original form. Nothing's impossible.
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Post by arrow on Jan 6, 2012 22:59:05 GMT 1
Heres my 10p worth. If it is "mint" and not restored I would sympatheticaly refurb it. Original furred bolts/fasteners re plated and frame stripped and painted in 2k. That way will be really mint and original, rare to find this way. If you want it modded you would be as well to sell it to someone who wants an original bike and buy another to mod Steve I'm with you on this one dude.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Jan 7, 2012 3:02:08 GMT 1
wish i had it, but im still not sure what id do with it, if there is some light surface rust in the frame here and there ,well i wouldnt think it would heal itself, so maybe something is needed to fix that, .having said all that, to the purist whats it worth in dollars?not what they think but what somebody would actually give you for it?right now. really when its all said and done you have a really nice old original bike, but remember you will never be able to sell and buy a house,, id probably go for a gentle resto to how you want it to be and keep all the goodies like a few have said. , or sell them to fund it, as far as the green bits go for my way of thinking, its either all on the bike or none,just my opinion.
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lcolin
Thrash Merchant
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Post by lcolin on Jan 7, 2012 8:04:35 GMT 1
IMO bikes like this are few and far between, so it seems a shame to change it - that said if it was a case of just making a few minor changes and keeping the OE parts for re-fitting at a later date then why not. Although i know myself from experience that once you start modifying it can snowball, in which case i'd be tempted to sell it for good money, buy a cheaper one that needs some attention and use the excess money from the sale of your current bike to help fund work. That way you can get stuck in to your hearts content without having to worry what other people may say (not that that should matter really, its your bike after all - but its obviously in your mind or you wouldn't have asked the question).
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Post by cb250g5 on Jan 7, 2012 9:04:12 GMT 1
Have you considered just riding & enjoying it?
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Post by oldelsieboy on Jan 7, 2012 9:14:32 GMT 1
If it were me I'd leave it completely as it is with all the finished that it left the factory with. You've got a little piece of history there, it'd be a shame to cover it all up with new finishes ......... Ditto OEB
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Jan 7, 2012 9:33:42 GMT 1
To save you all the worry and sleepless nights about it...... Sell it to me....
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Post by daglad on Jan 7, 2012 10:00:34 GMT 1
It's a tricky one, i absolutely get the leaving it factory, but i also get your feelings on it being mint. If i was you my dilema would be the following,
Do you do as Billy said and take off all the green/slightly tainted bits and put them in a box and replace with stainless, so you can swap back later.
Do you say bugger em all and do what you want with it.
Finally do you vac bag it and buy another to play with.
Me, i would do option 3 if i could stretch to it, however there is a school of thought that says there are now plenty of mint originals about, 1 less won't make them extinct.
Christ i am confused and it's not my bike bike ;D
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Post by Splodge on Jan 7, 2012 12:32:24 GMT 1
;D^^^ That last reply did make me laugh^^^ ;D Looks like I have opened a right can of worms here Just for the record there is no way she will be up for sale what ever i decide to do, it took me years to find this one and that's why I'm a bit undecided as to which direction to take although I am defo not going down the modified/streefighter route as I all ready have one If I do strip her I suppose its a bit like losing your virginity ....Irreversible but at least I got to "do" a really nice one!!
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Jan 7, 2012 18:06:29 GMT 1
Still worrying about it...... My offer of buying still stands....
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Post by atomicstroker on Jan 7, 2012 20:24:41 GMT 1
Just buy another to play about with - sod the indecision - stop worrying.
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Post by trev1340 on Jan 7, 2012 21:09:48 GMT 1
look the way i see it it was your hard earnd cash that bought it you can do what you like and sod the "purists" if they dont like it its there problem it would not bother me if it was mine i would do it up if it was looking tatty ;D
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Post by Witterz on Jan 8, 2012 0:29:08 GMT 1
Splodge,
There are not many left untouched, especially in the same way as it left the factory gates. You definately have a little piece of history there. If it took you years to find, then why start changing it !!! (Surely stainless steel is 2nd best to the original factory spec).
I'm not you, but l would leave it as it is, I know its not a money thing, but your bike will just gain in value year after year, as more & more Lc's get modified / updated.
The reason why we are all into LC's, is due to those bikes that came out of the factory in the first place.
All the best, in what ever you decide.
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Post by arrow on Jan 8, 2012 0:35:27 GMT 1
The reason why we are all into LC's, is due to those bikes that came out of the factory in the first place.
That's a great point and one that is often forgotten I think.
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Post by billy on Jan 8, 2012 5:52:11 GMT 1
The reason why we are all into LC's, is due to those bikes that came out of the factory in the first place.That's a great point and one that is often forgotten I think. Blaargh, now that's just nonsense man. You think tank slappers and ultra shitty brakes are that fantastic? So did the Yamaha dealers say: "Oh yeah we have this lovely bike here which is specifically made to commit suicide on because of it's excellently horrible handling, the ultra skinny saggy ass poo forks and brakes that can deliver about as much braking power as a bicycle brake! Buy it now, crash it and die in a pool of blood next week! It'll be AAAAWESOME!!!" Sorry mate, I just don't buy it. ;D The LC (or any other 2-stroke bike for that matter) was all about powerband hit and "f**k all the rest". Bikes has evolved quite a bit since the 80's (or... more correctly, the STANDARD of a bone stock bike has evolved, I'm sure they could have manufactured 4-pot calipers back then aswell but people probably thought 1-pot floating calipers was "about as good as it gets") and people generally want to have descent handling bikes and maybe most importantly, descent brakes. Upgrading this doesn't really take away the "LC soul" of the bike as that was really all about the powerband. So anyway, the guy wants to ride the bike and therefore I think he shall do some upgrades to it. I mean come on, it's the year 2012, we know a thing or two about brakes etc now, so why not make improvements on the poor old bikes? And as I said earlier, most mods/upgrades are easily reversable. And btw, let's face it, the frame paint on the bike is apparantly somewhat shitty and the frame is getting rusty so......... like............ uhm............ WHAT'S THE GODDAMN POINT OF KEEPING IT LIKE THAT!? Jeez... ;D ;D ;D
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Post by billbott on Jan 8, 2012 11:18:46 GMT 1
If it was mine..... I would sell it, and buy a snotter to modify / restore as I saw fit. This would make 2 people happy, the new buyer and you. It would also mean that 2 LC's are on the road rather than just one. My opinion only.....
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Post by Splodge on Jan 8, 2012 12:10:00 GMT 1
Judging by all the divided comments above you see why I was undecided I appreciate that any modern day improvement would be classed as a revers able upgrade but as I said before I want to leave this one completely Std ......I all ready have a heavily modified RD I am not in any way trying to start a davide between the anoraks and the modifiers (all ways gets people upset) just interested in what other people would do in my position that's all ;D ;D Certainly makes very good reading though.............
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Post by lcowner on Jan 8, 2012 15:47:13 GMT 1
Just ride it till next summer and sell it
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Post by Splodge on Jan 9, 2012 20:40:30 GMT 1
Thanks for all your input guys it has helped me make up my mind, I must admit if there had been an overwhelming majority saying leave the bl00dy thing alone (as the Mrs did) I just might have gone along with the flow .....for a while! But fortunately the majority of you (two to one ratio actually) had the same view as me The portable sandblaster has been ordered and I can't wait to strip her down in the next day or two ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D PS. NOT FOR SALE this year or next
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