Bike Swap? Opponions Requested

"TysMagic" (twjeffery) 01/16/2019 at 08:30 • Filed to: Motorcycle, cb750, Honda, cafe racer, Trade-up

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I have an offer to trade my signed Mariota Jersey for someone else’s project “cafe racer” which I’ve always interpreted as the rat rod of motorcycles. Furthering that thought, I jump to lazy builds with half assed work. Which is where I think this 1980 CB750 is at. However, I’m just trying to trade up for things and I believe this is worth more than the ~$250 that jersey’s market value. Though not worth the $500 he is asking for it.

I do not know a lot about bikes. I’ve worked on small engines and I’ve worked on cars. I’m comfortable with electrical. My logical side says, how hard can rewiring an 80s carbed bike be? It also says, look how bad this is.

Easy “value add” would be scuffing the frame and painting it.

I’m leaning towards not doing the swap, but a small part of me wants it. It feels like a step upward in value and it might be fun to tinker with while I try to continue trading. I think I have space in my garage to store it. However I do not have a way to haul it.

Is it worth the swap? Would I be better off parting it out? What say you oppo?

themanwithsauce - has as many vehicles as job titles > TysMagic 01/16/2019 at 08:44

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Don't do it. They take forever to finish or trade/give away. You'd be better off with something like a scooter that needs some maintenance or a more complete small bike like a ninja 250 or a Honda cm200. 

E92M3 > TysMagic 01/16/2019 at 08:44

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Just looking at the pictures, I’d say that’s an even trade. I honestly don’t know which would be easier to trade. T hough I imagine for a lot of married guys it would be easier to bring that jersey home than a project bike.

TysMagic > themanwithsauce - has as many vehicles as job titles 01/16/2019 at 08:47

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I was looking at those. I’d love to pick up a moped of some form to tinker on. Good point, this pile may be difficult to swap off.

TysMagic > E92M3 01/16/2019 at 08:49

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Excellent point, the Mariota jersey has proven difficult with a lot of Titans fans having pretty mixed feelings about him. Part of my factoring is how long do I want to sit on the jersey or the bike, the jersey takes up no space vs a bike

Mercedes Streeter > TysMagic 01/16/2019 at 08:51

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Does this bike have a title? Without a title it’s basically worth however much you can get rid of the engine for. With a title? I still wouldn’t pay more than $250.

That said, the beautiful thing about bikes is that you can d ouble their value with elbow grease. Make it look better than a pile of scrap, get the engine running, then sell in the spring and you’ll net some decent cash/trade.

My verdict? Nah, run from it.

TysMagic > Mercedes Streeter 01/16/2019 at 08:54

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good point on the title!! I don’t know the answer.

But for what it needs, I would easily have more in it than it’s “worth” by some guesstimates. 

Jake - Has Bad Luck So You Don't Have To > TysMagic 01/16/2019 at 09:02

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Hell. No. Run as far as you can.

Pickup_man > TysMagic 01/16/2019 at 09:12

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Hard pass, normally I’d value any motorcycle over a piece of clothing, but this thing is a total basket, and IMO not even worth $250 with everything it needs. Wiring a bike like this really isn’t that hard, I’ve done one myself (it’s much easier if you eliminate a bunch of safety nannies as well). Take a look at prices on a carb rack, that’s likely going to cost you what the bikes worth, and they’ll probably need to be rebuilt anyway.

If the engine is good (and how do you prove that?) , there’s maybe $400 of parts here, and you’ll sit on some of them a long time. 

TysMagic > Pickup_man 01/16/2019 at 09:16

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This is why I came to oppo. I appreciate you pissing on to the spark inside of me that was wanting to do the swap. I needed that.

edit: this reads as me being rude I think, really I am 100% on board with what you’re saying 

TysMagic > Jake - Has Bad Luck So You Don't Have To 01/16/2019 at 09:17

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And with that I think I’ve got my decision! 

dumpsterfire! > TysMagic 01/16/2019 at 09:19

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that looks like a handful of bolts away from the literal basket case it probably was not long ago. a CB cafe, done right, can be a pretty thing but this one is a long way off from pretty. i so want to tell you to dive in, but i just can’t.

AdverseMartyr > Mercedes Streeter 01/16/2019 at 09:25

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I can’t believe you are telling someone to run from one of these beauties. Did an intervention happen and I missed it?

Mercedes Streeter > AdverseMartyr 01/16/2019 at 09:38

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Oh no, it’s that even I have standards lol. One of the factors in if I buy a bike is how quickly and/or how cheaply I can get it road ready. This is just barely more than a bunch of scrap, so it would be a long and expensive project for me.

Mercedes Streeter > Jake - Has Bad Luck So You Don't Have To 01/16/2019 at 09:41

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If I ever get a project like this I would definitely need someone to give me an intervention. :O

Pickup_man > TysMagic 01/16/2019 at 09:41

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It’s all good. I hate ever turning someone away from a motorcycle, but sometimes it’s just not worth the trouble, unless you go into  purely for emotional reasons, and realize that you’re gonna loose some money.

DipodomysDeserti > TysMagic 01/16/2019 at 09:56

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Bobbers are the rat rods of the bike world. That bike isn’t really a bobber or a cafe bike, it’s just a rusted up bike with missing parts.

If you feel like tinkering, have at it, but it will require quite a bit of tinkering, and you will have to put some money into it to get anything for it. However, for a few hundred bucks and some elbow grease, you could build something cool and sell it to a hipster.

I’d be worried about that rust, though. There’s not a lot of metal on bike frames, and they aren’t worth fixing.

TysMagic > DipodomysDeserti 01/16/2019 at 11:15

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Bobbers, got it. Not in to bikes, had no idea.

Good point on the rust and limited frame too 

TysMagic > dumpsterfire! 01/16/2019 at 11:15

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Told the guy I’m going to pass. The world will never know if I could have done something with it - I’m fine with that

Geoff > TysMagic 01/16/2019 at 11:26

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My advice is always not to buy anything that doesn't run, especially if you've never done it before. I wish I followed my own advice.

TysMagic > Geoff 01/16/2019 at 11:52

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with that kind of advice, you need to not be in the grays 

IBMcGinty > TysMagic 01/16/2019 at 14:15

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On the subject of the frame, I’m pretty sure the far rear end of the frame has been cut off. I can look at the one in my yard when I get a minute, but it sounds like you’ve made your (the right) decision already. Let me know if you revisit it.