Just to clear the air...

grandpaul

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There was been an assertion made that I "exaggerated" about having done a Commando chopper rescue for $3,250.

These are the FACTS:

In 2006, I got a "Threefer" chopper deal out of Oklahoma (Commando chopper, Norton custom chopper, and BSA chopper) for $3,000.00 including the cost to haul them back from Oklahoma. I decided to account for them equally as to cost, so $1,000 each.

Deducting the money I received for the springer fork ($250), and the alloy oil tank ($50) that were on it,the ACTUAL NET COST would be $3,035.00

I bought parts from forum friends, e-bay, Fair Spares, Old Britts, JRC and British Only. I also got a few bits at swap meets and in trades. As to trades, I used fair "used part" values for my accounting (based loosely on 1/2 of new price for good parts, a bit less for rough stuff). Traded parts represent maybe 2% of the total cost, so a non-issue.

Just to clear the air...


Just to clear the air...


Just to clear the air...


All the suppliers I listed can confirm the purchases exactly as listed, I know them well enough that they would all do that for me. If EdMc is still alive, he'll back me up, as will Mark & Charlie with whom I'm still regularly in touch. I don't know that ebay will let me go back to see purchases in '06, but the numbers show are as legit as everything else here.

Admittedly, I was in a position to take advantage of volume deals on parts and services (along with other bikes I was working on), and I got some fantastic parts lots deals from forum friends, but ANYONE can do that by just asking around the forums, I see it every day RIGHT HERE.

So, there you have it. What reason on earth would I have to "exaggerate"?
 
The "threefer" deal. British flag on the tank of the other Norton, BSA A50 chop at the far end.

Just to clear the air...
 
Hope you didn't contract anything unloading those sick puppies. LOL
Keep after it GP.
 
What I don’t understand is why you went to all that trouble? When you cudda just sold it, as is, to Hobot...!
 
I flipped the other incomplete Norton chopper after sitting on it for a couple of years.

The BSA I actually got running first, just cleaned the carb, changed the oil, popped in a decent used battery I had sitting around, and a fresh set of plugs. Over the next couple of years I "Un-Chopped" it, added some much nicer parts to it, and sold it to a buyer from downunder. I had thought about doing it up in a WWII replica allied paint scheme...

As if anyone cared, that one cost me almost nothing above it's original 1/3 of the "threefer" cost, because I mostly swapped for stuff I had on hand. Of course, it was sold as only nominally roadworthy, and missing non-critical missing parts (sidecovers, meters, fork gaiters, and seat catch, not much else). I put a front fender on it before it shipped out.

Just think of what SOME people would say about that BSA chopper as it was when I got it...

Just to clear the air...
 
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Where did you find them in Oklahoma? I'm from there and go back now and then, always looking for anything British. Plus looking for the guy I gave my 1958 Ariel. I want it back, it was a match to Buddy Holly's!
 
Where did you find them in Oklahoma? I'm from there and go back now and then, always looking for anything British. Plus looking for the guy I gave my 1958 Ariel. I want it back, it was a match to Buddy Holly's!
A friend (Darin) from the Dallas area knew the guy and connected us, about a week after I bought a complete 850 e-start engine from him. That engine is in the Blue Dreer monoshock prototype bike in my avatar. Darin has connected me to several other fantastic deals, bought a bike from me, and GAVE me two bikes, one (Norton P11) as partial payment on a Honda 750 resto/mod, and the other (Honda SL350) as a TIP for that job! I have the Bill of Sale, I can tell you the guy's name after I look it up tomorrow. He was so proud of those choppers, the Norton was his regular ride for many years, he more or less rode with the Bandidos. Told me some great stories. He was too old to kickstart, or even hold up a bike any more.
 
I would need anti nausea pills to work on that Beezer chopper as you got it.

Slick
 
GP
If you are clear in yourself that your contributions are honest and accurate, you don’t need to justify on here. For the doubters, it says a lot more about them than you!
Forum members support each other so why would we be untruthful to each other?
Keep after it!
John
 
Hope you didn't contract anything unloading those sick puppies.
No, but between the three of them, I scraped well over 20# of oil-caked red Oklahoma dirt off, before I did much of anything else to them! I'm guessing at least another 5 or 6# fell off along the highway on the way home, too...
 
It's a damned shame a person can't be taken at their word without having to prove what they say to people who have no disproof. The world is full of professional doubters, aginners and deluded cynics.
 
To me building a chopper is simply 'because I can' mentality. It is never a good reason for doing anything. Those bikes would be better if welded to a farmers' gates as letter boxes.
 
Those bikes would be better if welded to a farmers' gates as letter boxes.
Speaking of welding things to other things, half the "custom" parts on that Norton chopper were WELDED to it, including the gas tank and sissy bar; the other half were held on with bolt-on "U" clamps (I kid you not). The coils were housed in two chunks of heavy-wall pipe, duct-taped to the frame, because the small weld holding the "coil mounts" to the frame had broken from sheer weight.
 
Hi GP no one should have to prove themselfs to others, if you have a love of motorcycles as I do and others then thats all that is needed, I am a honest person and every thing I put on here about my Norton and any other bike or things I have done in the last 45 years of owning and riding my British twins are all true to my words, I don't care if people don't believe me or not as I know as well as my mate's know and most of my friends and riding mates I have known most of my life and if I sell a bike to someone I know they are going to get a great bike.
A lot of mates want to race me when I am out and about but really I have nothing to prove, some say I like to be out front all the time but really I don't I ride my bikes hard and push then to their limits but hey thats just the way I ride.
The only people I have problems with are my mates who have gone to owning big Harlies, they think they are the best bikes around but they hate it when I leave them in my wake or show them their weakness, but of course we all put shit on each other after, that what friendship is all about and like I say I no need to prove myself to anyone and I have a love of twin British motorcycles and what others think of me I don't really care, I am who I am and treat others the way I like to be treated, honestity and politeness goes a long way, there is enough of dishonest people in this world and its one of my biggest hates is dishonest people.
Yes I been ripped off over the years buying second hand bikes but I just get over it and fix then the right way and the person that ripped me off never get another chance.

Ashley
 
the quote
You seem to be prone to exaggerating. And not just with this particular post.


There was been an assertion made that I "exaggerated" about having done a Commando chopper rescue for $3,250.

These are the FACTS:

In 2006, I got a "Threefer" chopper deal out of Oklahoma (Commando chopper, Norton custom chopper, and BSA chopper) for $3,000.00 including the cost to haul them back from Oklahoma. I decided to account for them equally as to cost, so $1,000 each.

Deducting the money I received for the springer fork ($250), and the alloy oil tank ($50) that were on it,the ACTUAL NET COST would be $3,035.00

I bought parts from forum friends, e-bay, Fair Spares, Old Britts, JRC and British Only. I also got a few bits at swap meets and in trades. As to trades, I used fair "used part" values for my accounting (based loosely on 1/2 of new price for good parts, a bit less for rough stuff). Traded parts represent maybe 2% of the total cost, so a non-issue.

View attachment 7608

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All the suppliers I listed can confirm the purchases exactly as listed, I know them well enough that they would all do that for me. If EdMc is still alive, he'll back me up, as will Mark & Charlie with whom I'm still regularly in touch. I don't know that ebay will let me go back to see purchases in '06, but the numbers show are as legit as everything else here.

Admittedly, I was in a position to take advantage of volume deals on parts and services (along with other bikes I was working on), and I got some fantastic parts lots deals from forum friends, but ANYONE can do that by just asking around the forums, I see it every day RIGHT HERE.

So, there you have it. What reason on earth would I have to "exaggerate"?
 
the quote
The thing is, besides the above "exaggeration" which was totally refuted, he didn't mention any OTHER one, which I can refute with the same veracity.

Like the old saying goes, "it ain't braggin' if ya did it"
 
The thing is, besides the above "exaggeration" which was totally refuted, he didn't mention any OTHER one, which I can refute with the same veracity.

Like the old saying goes, "it ain't braggin' if ya did it"

A self prepared spreadsheet is an assertion, not a refutation.

Let’s back up. You claimed a $10,000 restoration was excessive. Your “proof being”, you did a rescue for $3,250. In the first place the bike is not complete. Secondly, what you paid for parts hardly seems credible. Thirdly, I’ve been suspicious of your mechanical competency since you posted you use Locktite on the head fasteners.

If you used values like that on your income tax form you’d surely be audited.
 
My accountant has receipts for everything I've bought, going back to 2003 when it was still just a hobby. (because some personal lot purchases carried forward as business inventory).
 
A self prepared spreadsheet is an assertion, not a refutation.

Let’s back up. You claimed a $10,000 restoration was excessive. Your “proof being”, you did a rescue for $3,250. In the first place the bike is not complete. Secondly, what you paid for parts hardly seems credible. Thirdly, I’ve been suspicious of your mechanical competency since you posted you use Locktite on the head fasteners.

If you used values like that on your income tax form you’d surely be audited.
here's the claim
JimC said:
You seem to be prone to exaggerating. And not just with this particular post.
 
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