First Project Bike

[PT6]

Hi,
   I am looking for a bike to restore,
   I have a low budget so parts must be cheap,
   Also i would prefer a small engine like a 125.

   Thankyou for any advice you can offer.

[L.A.B.]

PT6,
Are you asking if anyone has a bike for sale? Or do you need advice on what type of bike to buy (or both)?

Knowing where you live on the planet would help?

[PT6]

Hi,
   I live in the North East of England and I am asking for
   advice on what bike to buy.  As this is my first project
   I am looking for something that will be easy to restore
   on a budget.

   Any suggestions are welcome.

[L.A.B.]

Restoring a motorcycle-any motorcycle can cost a fair amount of money, you could end up spending more than the bike will be worth when it is finished.
Parts for a small bike can cost as much or nearly as much to buy as parts for larger bikes and there will be no difference in the cost of paintwork and rechroming than larger bikes that will have a higher value when restored.
If you are doing this because you want to restore a bike rather than just get something on the road to use then it is better to do the restoration in stages as you save up the money.
It also depends how much work you intend to do yourself and what result you will be happy with when you are finished?
If you want a British bike then possibly a BSA Bantam would do?

[PT6]

The reason I require a smaller bike is not for cost it is because I can only ride smaller engine bikes as I am young. I will gather more money on the way just the purchase of the bike needs to be cheap and parts fairly inexpensive. Also I am not bothered about the time frame as I have plenty of time. And I also do not plan to sell the bike on, it is a restoration project that I would like to keep.

Thankyou for the suggestion.

[L.A.B.]

OK!
 I'm not trying to put you off but these things always seem to cost more than you think (don't I know it!) so take your time and don't just buy the first old wreck you find. You can look in the classified ads. section of magazines like Classic Bike, Classic Bike Guide, The Classic Motorcycle and others, also keep a lookout in your local papers and free-ads.

[PT6]

Thanks for the advice it is really appreciated. I understand the bike will cost a fair bit to finish. I'm hoping to get the bike finished as cheap as I can but I understand that some parts will cost a more money than others. Have you got any advice of which was the best Bantam engine the 125,150 or 175.

[PT6]

I was also just wondering if there were any other BSA bikes that you would recommend.

Thanks Again.

[PT6]

I just wondered because I have also been looking at several other BSA's including a C11.

Any information would be appreciated.

[L.A.B.]

You may find that there may be more 250cc size bikes offered for sale like the BSA C15 or B25  as learner motorcyclists of that period could ride up to 250cc.
There weren't an awful lot of good 125s about at that time really, the Bantam was about the best of the British 125-175cc bikes available. BSA Bantams didn't change that much during the time they were made, the only thing to think about is that you could ride an early 125cc version as a learner.
Another option would possibly be a 200cc Triumph Tiger Cub?
I would suggest you try to find a bike that is in a fairly complete condition but 'needs work' rather than buy a bike that has been dismantled (unless it is very cheap) as at least you can see with a complete bike that it is mostly all there.
If you look for a particular make and model then you may not find what you are looking for at a price you can afford so keep an open mind. The most important thing to consider is if spares are available so a BSA or Triumph maybe the best option?

[PT6]

I am willing to go for a larger engine as I may get tired of a 125 later on with it being such a small engine. Once again thanks for the suggestions and I am going to  look into those.

If anyone has any other suggestions I would appreciate them.

[kevster]

try a tiger cub 200cc the parts are available you can pick a project up for around 400-500 quid and expect to spend a lot of time and money as you go .........good luck

[dant]

Does it need to be British?

I've picked up a Honda CD185T Benly for the equivalent of £400 in good running order, and MOT'd for the cost of a spark plug.

There are always some in mags like Classic Bike and prices always seem to be around £4-500, so you wouldn't have to start with a complete basket case.

Certainly as my first project, I'd rather have something running that I could at least have a quick ride on before restoring, rather than a complete basket case.

[Chautauqua]

Hey,

I am from Bombay and I also am restoring my first vintage, a DKW SB 200.

In case you still have not started restoring, I would like to point out that most of the british bikes are 4-stroke engines.. and they are always more messy and complex than 2-strokes.

I would suggest you go for a 2-stroke machine, atleast for the first project. A 2-stroke and a single cylinder.

All the best


Tavish

[christ044]

Hi there,
     Im on with my first rebuild, a yamaha rd125dx, it was a complete basket case when i picked it up but very cheap (£80) with loads of spares, only problem with all this is I dont really know what is there and what isnt so its only until I got building it I could see what was missing. Must agree about the cost though, it can rise very quickly without you knowing about it, still the main thing is the fun of rebuilding it and getting to ride it when finished.