Did I get ripped off?

These guys get a little over excited when they see a nice find. To me she looks like a runner. Do some clean up, get some spark, change some fluids, freshen the carbs, set the valves and timing, giver her some petrol, and away you go. Don't strip it down without at least going for a few rides. A runner is way better than a bunch of parts in the garage and a hole in your bank account. Esp with a youngun on the way.

Buy a manual with a parts list, tear into it , and don't forget to bag and tag EVERYTHING!
And enjoy the ride.

My Bonnie rebuild is approaching the finish line. So I'm looking for a new project.
Where are you located? I'll double what you paid right now. :wink:

This decision will have to come later. Currently I am sitting at the hospital awaiting the birth of my first child.

Again, thank you all for your input.[/quote]

Don't shortchange your FAMILY. You have the bike, it's your call what to do with it. Shit, the side stand is worth $75. CONGRATULATIONS ON YOUR FIRST BORN!

[quote="79x100] With respect Coco, as I recall, you sent your motor away which immediately puts a restoration into another league financially and you've yet to clock up any significant road mileage. It's keeping them running at 100 % efficiency if things don't go completely as planned that requires the character and determination. You may find that you've got a head-shaker or that you lose a cam lobe in short order. A ground up restoration can seem like a pleasant memory when you've run out of ideas to solve some of the very real problems that can arise.

I like the realistic attitude of this forum. No-one say "jump in, it'll be OK" The fact is that building a sweet-running Commando requires either money, aptitude or experience learned the hard way and even then there's no guarantee.[/quote]

True, but when people told me I could not do it, it made me work harder. That is the jist of what I want the thread starter to understand is where there is a will there is always a way. Just becuase I sent my motor out, due to not having the proper tools to do the job does not make a resto that much easier. I'd have to pay for the machine work anyway and tools so paying for an engine rebuild just made more sense at the time. I've had my share of head shakers before, during and after the rebuild and yes, character and determination are prerequisites. Oh, and money.

I heard the same when I was in the music biz. People told me I could not record my own albums. Guess what, I bought my own gear and recorded my last two as well as a few projects for other local bands. I did not master them due to not owning the proper mastering gear so that had to be farmed out, much like an engine rebuild. Not everyone owns a milling machine, bead blasting equipment ect ect so ultimately jobs must be farmed out to complete the project.

However, I'm ripping apart a T140 motor right now and am getting my feet wet with engine internals and it is not nearly half as intimidating as I once thought. Once a beginner starts diving in and doing, they are not going to be a beginner for long and won't hesitate to perform any maintenance or upkeep no matter how daunting the task.

Anyone can do what they put their mind to is all I'm trying to say. It is a learning curve but can still be done.

Lots of different views on this post but it all comes down to "expectation management" and what the owner hopes to achieve at the end of the journey. As for farming out work to others, well nothing wrong with that and as a fact even the professional restorers farm out things that are either beyond their equipment or capabilities. This helps fuel a cottage industry and probably speeds up the process quite a bit. I mean, can you imagine trying to have the equipment, chemicals and experience to do a proper job of chrome plating. Just an example but as you can see the two car garage restorer or the shed in the back yard does have its limitations.
I think what most of those lads have expressed to hudson rider is something most of us have learned about the Commando and that is it can get bloody expensive to rebuild/restore to a fairly high level. I would have laughed at someone telling me that I would drop $4000 in parts before I would be finished. Well I'm not laughing now. I don't regret spending a penny of it and won't hesitate to spend more but hindsight being 20/20 I would have bought one already restored and been riding long ago. Can you get by with spending less? Well that depends upon the expectation; do you want a rat bike that frequently breaks down, handles poorly and doesn't stop or do you want a dependable good looking rider that handles, stops and is comfortable? Remember the Commando wasn't known for being as "civilized" as the Honda 750 and that was 35 years ago at best. After that many years would you trust your life (or others) with a bike that hasn't run in years and that hasn't been gone through thoroughly? When it comes down to it; COST = EXPECTATIONS, manage your expectations.

BTW; Coco did you ever sort out the carb or ignition problem on your Mk III? I would like to know what was causing the problem.

Scooter
(what you own, owns you!)

hudson rider said:

This decision will have to come later. Currently I am sitting at the hospital awaiting the birth of my first child.

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Lets see here......Norton? ........Child?........Norton? ........Child?........Norton? ........Child?........NORTON!

Lets see here......Norton? ........Child?........Norton? ........Child?........Norton? ........Child?........NORTON!

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Both are wallet vacuums that bring a lot of pleasure.

And both are going to leak, stink, and wake up the neighbors. Name the bike Ed, the kid Fred, and tell everone they are twins (fraternal).

If my Commando kicked back half as often as my kids answer back, it would've been sold by now !

And both are going to leak, stink, and wake up the neighbors.

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But you'll be proud as hell of both of therm.