Bought 3 more bikes tonight!

[Gandalf]

My roommate and I have been talking about buying an older bike to fix up and sell for the experience, and to make a bit of a profit...after waiting a couple months for the right deal we ended up buying three tonight. My roommate floated most of the cash (he makes more than I do) and I plan on doing most of the work. Any profits will be split 50/50.

We bought (for a lump sum of $900):

78 cx500, 22,xxx miles, running, needs front brakes installed (they came with the bike, just need installed and bled), a front turn signal (probably gonna replace both so they match, using a pair I have off an old kz440). It starts right up but feels a bit sluggish, so I'm assuming it could use plugs and a carb cleaning. The chrome is a bit tarnished but otherwise in decent shape...apparently that style of tank was only made for a year and is in high demand with the cafe racer crowd.

81 cx500, 40,000 miles, needs ignition module and battery, and possibly carb work. It's got the front fairing and windshield, and the body's pretty dirty but once I clean it up besides some faded paint and chrome it should look alright. Although the kick stand is pretty rusty so I'll probably need to track down a new one.

75 kz400, 9,000 miles. Kick start. The only bike that the owner didn't try to start, 'cause he just got it. Needs a battery and probably carb work. The chrome is nearly immaculate...the rear drum locked up when we braked at the bottom of the ramp, so I gotta figure that out, and it needs a throttle, front brake lever/mc, and a battery. Definitely the best looking of the bikes...although as I said its the only one that I haven't tried to start. Based on cranking the kickstart though the compression feels good.

Pics will be up soon...I'm expecting this to be a fun project, and should result in some financial benefits as well. (I'm a starving college student lol)

I did have one question though - I've always taken my bikes to a shop to get the carbs synched, simply because I've never had the opportunity to learn how to adjust them properly. Is that something I could teach myself with an online guide, etc, or do I really need to find someone who knows how to do it to teach me?

[cmonSTART]

Great score! The CX500 is a great bike.

Regarding the carb sync, if you buy the tool I think it's pretty easy. I use a bank of vacuum gauges from Motion Pro, but others use sticks. A repair manual will walk you through it. Just make sure the sync is the last tune-up item you do.

Congrats on the bikes!

[Tdubb]

definatly some good scores. I did a quik search and check out what they did with these:

81cx500


and this Kawi is bad.

[Gandalf]

Is there a particular style/brand I should look for? I'll hit up harbor freight when I get a chance

EDIT: Tdubb, that top bike is by Wrench Monkees, right? They've got a lot of really cool bikes...I love the "rough" look.

[Tdubb]

Yeah I dont know I just did a google images search and thats the coolest one I saw. I like the really bear bones look. It's like your just sitting on a motor going down the road. Thats pretty cool.

[MS_Steve]

Perhaps you should seek therapy... it sounds like you're at the early stages of hoarding... or starting a collection.
Good luck on getting those things whipped into shape.

[Gandalf]

Thanks! And I'm making an active effort to combat my hoarding. Today I sold the motor, both wheels, rotors, tires, forks, gauges, and a 3 boxes of random crap off a kz440 parts frame I no longer own. (Guy came to buy forks, I sold it all for $144 just to get rid of it.)

And I sold my gf's old gt250. Oh wait, I didn't sell it...I traded it for a 93 F150 (straight six) and a mossberg 500 w/ a whole crate of shells. So ok, I ended up with more stuff...But still, I tried!

And thanks! I've aleady got a guy who wants to give me a grand for one of the cx500s...just gotta wait for the caliper rebuild kit to get it street ready. Although there are a couple issues that have me stumped...I'm creating a thread for those questions (and the many more to come) in the appropriate forum.

[Castle81]

You lucky, lucky man. Love the cx, but all the ones in my area are the weirdo "delux" models. Buckhorns, mid controls, wannabe king & queen seat. Is it too much to ask to find a standard CX in TX? Bah, enough of me ranting. Go triple your money.

[Gandalf]

Weird, forum won't let me edit my post. So, sorry for the double post. Anyway, thought I might add that my friends are informing me that an old pickup + shotgun + lots of skeet rounds is properly known as a redneck conversion kit. Now to find an affortable range with a thrower near indy.

And castle, one of them does have the front fairing with the windshield, although it comes off pretty easily I believe. The other one is normal. I think the kz400 might be my favorite though...it's got a great look to it imo.

[aaronrkelly]

Ive done a few of those.....

Heres a Honda CX500 I did a couple years ago.....turned out good....had about $750 in the bike when I was done.





Just a little EMGO fairing......and a Harley Sporster seat.....some flat black paint and some drag bars.

[aaronrkelly]

I havent done a KZ400.....but Ive done its slightly newer, slightly bigger brother the KZ440.





Right before I sold it I put a gas mask and wired some red LEDs up to the eye sockets.....



The frame was chopped.....along with the exhaust.....hardtailed with some iron bars.....Sporster tank......drag bars.....stripped EVERYTHING off it didnt need. It had an ignition.....a headlight......thats its. No speedo.....no horn.....nuttin. Front brake....nah, dont need that.