Buying an Old Motorcycle

I got mine in the same condition that yours is in. The carbs were the main problem I had with getting it back on the road. They're easy to take apart and clean, its just adjusting them properly and keeping them clean was a pain in the bottom. As far as the dollar amount invested for its return to roadworthyness, I'd say it was about $200-300 tops. Of course that included a new tire ($100) and having the fork seals replaced by a shop (another $70...a stupid design prevented me from getting the fork apart myself ) If there's even the slightest amount of rust in the gas tank then one of your first steps should be to clean and seal the tank. If not you'll be cleaning the carbs until the end of time. Trust me on this.

What he said plus after you clean and seal the tank add an inline filter available at any bike shop.

Oh yeah I forgot to mention the filter. Mine caught a housefly sized piece of gunk just a couple days after I put it on. If that had gotten into the carbs I would have been royally screwed.

its a honda you will have not many problems.

Ran said:

Hi Guys, I have a problem and would love to hear your opinions!

My friend's uncle wants to get rid of his motorcycle and is willing to give it to me for free (sweet deal right?) it's a liter crusing bike made by honda and I am sorry i don't remember the exact model. However the bike has been sitting in his garage for over 2 YEARS! I am going to see it next weekend and I would like to know what are the potential problems I could have with this bike and maybe a ball part $ amount on fixing it.

thanks very much!
-Ran

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I just got my first bike which is a 1976 Honda CB550. It's needed some work to get her going but it's been a great learning experience. Soon as I have 15 posts, I'll post a link so you can check out my rebuild blog. (if you want)

So here it is, the bike is a 1987 Honda VT1100 has about 19K miles on it.
The dealer said it cost about 400 to get it start running again. but there might be other leaks and what not after a while. I am tempted to just fix though myself and Don't know how to do anything yet. Maybe there is a repair manuel out there or some documentation from this website that can help me get started?

Ran said:

So here it is, the bike is a 1987 Honda VT1100 has about 19K miles on it.
The dealer said it cost about 400 to get it start running again. but there might be other leaks and what not after a while. I am tempted to just fix though myself and Don't know how to do anything yet. Maybe there is a repair manuel out there or some documentation from this website that can help me get started?

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You may want to check out this forum. There's some pretty good information on hondas there.


1976 Honda cb550 Rebuild

So I took the bike to a shop and the estimates are out, it will cost me about $1100 to fix this bad boy up. It seems that there are a lot of stuff that need to be worked on. Carb rebuild, flush the fuel tank, fuel tank liner, new battery, front and rear tire, spark plugs, air filter. The owner also told me that I can probabaly get another 40k miles out of this bike.

Should I do it? or what should i DO?

Get another estimate because that seems kinda high. Still, you're getting a $2000 minimum bike for $1100.

To give you an idea what a dealer may ask for a VT1100 of 1987 vintage in good condition, I KBB'ed it. Just for curiosity sakes.....

1987 Honda VT1100C Shadow
2-Cylinder
4-Stroke
1100cc
Suggested Retail Value $2475

The Kelley Blue Book Suggested Retail Value is representative of dealers' asking prices and is the starting point for negotiation between a consumer and a dealer. This Suggested Retail Value assumes that the unit has been fully reconditioned and is in excellent condition. Mileage/condition and additional equipment may have a substantial impact on the value shown above. This value also takes into account the dealers' profit, costs for advertising, sales commissions and other costs of doing business. The final sale price will likely be less depending on the unit's actual condition, popularity, type of warranty offered and local market conditions.

That's if you can find one for that price in good condition in the middle of ridin' season.

Ran said:

So I took the bike to a shop and the estimates are out, it will cost me about $1100 to fix this bad boy up. It seems that there are a lot of stuff that need to be worked on. Carb rebuild, flush the fuel tank, fuel tank liner, new battery, front and rear tire, spark plugs, air filter. The owner also told me that I can probabaly get another 40k miles out of this bike.

Should I do it? or what should i DO?

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Dude, I'm sure even if you have no experience, you'll be able to do the work yourself. The only thing you might not be able to do is change out the tires. (it's worth the cost to have someone else do that) Everything else you'll be able to do. All it takes is time and you'll save tons of $$$. For instance, I did all the work you mention above and it cost me nothing except parts and time. The only thing I've had to take to a shop were my front wheel for a tire replacement and my shocks. I took the shocks off the bike myself and it saved me about $100. Have faith in yourself (and these forums)! You can do it!