The cost of this tom foolery

[daglad]

I am guessing this has been asked before but here goes

To itemise or not to itemise that is the question

I have been building a spreadsheet as i go along on the costs so far, is this wise or is it just going to put into nervous convulsions every time i see how much i have spent and more to the point how much more i have to spend?

[nikp]

I started off with a spread sheet a couple of months ago... Fantastic I thought... I should be able to rebuild my 31k back to the spec of the one I had back in the 80's for 2 - 2.5k I thought..... ha,ha,ha,ha,ha,ha,ha,ha,ha,ha,ha,ha,ha. ohhhhhhhh.... That hasn't even covered the cost of paint, powder coat & engine rebuild / tune.

Just doing a wish / pick list off Yambits and Norbo I went over 2k... And that's without paint and engine build.

My advice... leave the spreadsheets at the office..... Really.

[nikp]

My better half definitely don't understand....

"so you've sold the BMW m/c that you spent countless thousands on" she said, "that you said would be the only bike you would ever want" she reminded me, "and now you're wasting money on that 30 year old heap of bits in the garage" she blasphemed, "how much are you wasting on this one?" she enquired... "oh..." I pondered, "I'm trying to do it under £500" I lied.

She's bought it for now but I might need somewhere to sleep when she checks the joint bank account!

[mrnegative]

If it keeps making you happy then keep spending the money mate.

Ok, I spend my money on my bike and car... they are my hobbies. For some its going out round town spending silly amounts on drink that you dont even have anything to show for afterwards (I guess kids could result in excessive amounts of alcohol if not careful but you know what I mean!) so I look at it this way-

Some people drink their money away
Some people watch their fav football team and spend x amount on tickets

Thats their hobbies and makes them happy, well this makes ME happy so I'll keep doing it and the moment my other half starts asking questions on it is the moment I start asking "so dear, why so many SHOES AND HANDBAGS?!" lol.

P.S. I'm single now lol... I've got my spare car's cylinder head in the kitchen, spare driveshaft & RD wheels, livingroom has tools all over and my gym and what bedroom wouldnt be complete without a spare tyre!? haha oh hmm.... I guess theres no wonder I'm still single haha!

In answer to the original question though (I think I got sidetracked a little!).... no, dont keep count, by all means keep the paperwork but dont add it up is my advice. Also, you cant put a price on happiness

[jonnyboybon]

I just keep telling myself it only stands me at £1500 and thats what I'm sticking to, if I stop believing this I will tell myself that I've got £500 worth of bits to sell on ebay and if that doesn't work the the bike will be worth £5000 when its finished and if that don't work the wife and kids can f**k off its my toy and no ones gonna stop me.

[stanlc7189]

The words 'pit' and 'bottomless' spring to mind!
Ditch the spreadsheet and heed the advice given by others, or it'll hurt!

[gsexr]

its all therapy so worth every penny

[Deleted]

another good thing i found is when i see a bike for sale, i can look at it and fairly accurately work out how much it will cost to restore,whats salvageable and what needs replacing, then i walk away knowing i can only afford the one i have, for now LOL

[ianmac]

Smiles per mile............Priceless

[nikfubar]

I added the cost of my latest build up in my head the other day & it was over 5K so god knows how much it actually cost. Don't do it ignorance is bliss, just enjoy.

[woodentopp]

I found out that when I sat down to make a plan/budget that I may as well double the planned budget for a more honest ammount.
Stuff the spreadsheet, just build the bike

[lcolin]

We all know and agree that the money we spend is worth it to us, but what you really need to consider before continuing with your spreadsheet is - the wife could obtain hard evidence!! You just know she'd throw it in your face every time she suggestted a holiday to the carribean/new shoes/handbag/conservatory.......... etc!! My advice would be to carry on spending as much as it takes to get the bike done, but NEVER admit (even to yourself) just how much it costs you.

Ignorance is bliss and i'm happy as larry!!

[wiseric]

I also went down the spreadsheet route and while it was ok for a while the smalls amounts soon added up and the big amounts really did hurt. I think the worst bit was when I thought I had done all the big expensive stuff but then added the "to do list" to the total price - man it hurts. So now I do a rough estimate and try to forget about how much I have spent. At least I can see where my money has gone even if I do have to wait 20 years to get it back.
I love my bike and have no regets - mostly
PS. Just started a new project and I can't believe I'm doing a spreadsheet again - it's like an addiction ahhh

[daglad]

you are all correct of course, so thats it, the spreadsheet is a thing of the past. Ya see look at it this way i bought a brand new Gixer thou for 9 grand and at best it's now worth 4500, did i think when wheeling out the showroom this is gonna loose shed loads of cash and wheel it back in? Glorious summers have come and gone, trips have been planned, France, Germany, Switzerland all toured, The Bol d'or, North West 200 visited, Nurburgring, Donnington Cadwell enjoyed. Lifelong friendships formed, beers drunk tales told.

So Bollocks to it, be gone Bank Manager, Sod off Mr Utility bill, i am an Englishman and shall rise above your petty constraints in the name of Restoration (Sorry i watched Robin Hood last night)

I shall spend as much as i need and more if a want!!

Hang on the wife is calling she wants a hand with the washing up, better go or she will stop my pocket money

[ivymike]

I always say to the mrs " I can always get a new hobby, like going to the pub friday, saturday, and sunday like your sisters fella. she soon shuts up.

[davey]

beer or bits, i go for both

[barbarossa]

If you can afford it, do it. What else is money for ? Speaking as a 60yr old, who has been married for 38 yrs, raised 3 children and paid a mortgage for 30yrs, I can truthfully say that once you have paid for the essentials and done your duty - financially - to the family/wife/children etc., then if you have cash to spend on yourself then go ahead and spend it.
I've reached that stage in life where I have more dead friends than living ones so the truth of the statement " you can't take it with you " is so very evident to me.
I have a ridiculous amount of rolling iron - an RZ250RR, a Honda CB250N, a Cagiva Mito Evo, a Yamaha Maxster scooter ( commuting ) , a Renault Kangoo and a Jaguar X-Type 2.5 V6 SE.
The Jaguar is the case in point - all leather and chrome and smooooooooooth V6 grunt with a superb auto transmission. It averages about 21mpg - ridiculous in this day and age .
BUT.
Me and the missus LOVE it. We love it's looks, it's style, it's power, it's comfort. We feel like millionaires when we drive it. And we can afford it - so we're keeping it and hang the fuel costs.
So don't worry about the cost of your bike - I've learned that whatever floats your boat is worth whatever it costs to float it.

[ianmac]

Costs these days are very different to the amount you'd spend back in the 80's, 90's, then you just had a few places where you could get performance parts/go faster goodies from, nowadays its mental the amount of parts etc you can get and just click on and hey presto! Who'd have thought it years ago......Not me.....Parts from the US? If you cant buy it someone somewhere will make it for you......So its not really our fault that we spend so much....It's the internets fault! I blame technology,cider,and computers.....and something called paypal!

[ianboom]

I bought an F2 for just under a grand with the intention of spending £500 doing it up.
Try £3000 including buying the bike and I made a load of bits and cleaned a load up on my lathe!
The bikes up for £2200 and I'm struggling to sell it.

[Wez350]

If i added up what i have spent on rd's over the 26 yrs i have been riding them i could go live on my own island in the Caribbean But will i stop no way ;D ;D

[weldelsie]

Dont worry about cost ,went to pub last night and blew £50 on net to nothing .. so i try and buy my parts a bit at a time

[ngordoncrosby]

its all worth it ,when you take it out for the first blast,and for everytime its starts up from there its actually a saving because you are no longer spending

[daveadams21]

I just compare the cost to taking the whole family for two weeks to Greece this year....
£2500 to book the holiday,
£500 holiday clothes, bits & bobs before you go,
£100 per day spending money, food & drink.
and the bike starts to look cheap!

[ianmac]

Nov 19, 2011 8:14:58 GMT 1 weldelsie said:

Dont worry about cost ,went to pub last night and blew £50 on net to nothing .. so i try and buy my parts a bit at a time

Yep.....My lc's have driven me to drink......Haven't driven them back tho.

[Deleted]

well after reading this a few times, i decided to add it up, just for fun and all up the bike owes me ($1100 AUS bike and parts $5400 parts) around $4120 pounds all up,that includes paint and powdercoat,, at 1st i started getting a bit clammy as the final figures started rolling in but when i started to look how much a few spend here i felt a bit better, at a guess about $7-800 Aussie dollars on postage, still have the motor to do but have already got most bits i need hopefully, i think if you want your bike to look mint, theres probably no cheaper way to do it unless you buy somebody elses rebuild, but you don't know it like your own,

[billbott]

Bang on pal, especially the last sentence ;D

Nov 15, 2011 22:06:11 GMT 1 daglad said:

you are all correct of course, so thats it, the spreadsheet is a thing of the past. Ya see look at it this way i bought a brand new Gixer thou for 9 grand and at best it's now worth 4500, did i think when wheeling out the showroom this is gonna loose shed loads of cash and wheel it back in? Glorious summers have come and gone, trips have been planned, France, Germany, Switzerland all toured, The Bol d'or, North West 200 visited, Nurburgring, Donnington Cadwell enjoyed. Lifelong friendships formed, beers drunk tales told.

So Bollocks to it, be gone Bank Manager, Sod off Mr Utility bill, i am an Englishman and shall rise above your petty constraints in the name of Restoration (Sorry i watched Robin Hood last night)

I shall spend as much as i need and more if a want!!

Hang on the wife is calling she wants a hand with the washing up, better go or she will stop my pocket money

[bare]

Dunno I've been into this for 5/6 years at least I have 2 4lo's 81 and 82 I have spend a Sizeable amount of Coin. Typically replacing most Every moving part .. simply because they needed it or weren't quite up to it . Gotta love 30 yr old Stuff.
Frankly though as the years go On I've discovered the real imits of these oldsters. Simply put I've come to comprehend they are not overly quick, certainly not reliable nor even handle beyond 'average' current standards. Sadly the love is waning.
My 600rr is like getting into a factory fresh Ferrari after plodding about in an MGB.
Not to say I'm going to sell the things on. Frankly I can't :-) resale is far less than 1/2, at best, of what some British lunatics seemingly pay for a genuinely 'good' LC. Yet proper restoration costs are similar regardless of geography.
Dunno ..., but one thing IS certain the 600rr is Not leaving..not ever.