Ninjette users vs fixer uppers

[IF13]

So what's the deal? People seem to be afraid of a bit of wrenching on old motorcycles. Is it because of some sort of beginner's mindset or just the unwillingly to take the small financial risk?

I'm not posting this to offend anyone but there are some seriously nice deals coming out especially with the cold weather approaching and people trying to pass off what they assume to just be a 500lb paperweight.

I'm just surprised considering other sportbike forums are a tad more open to fixer uppers. But even on this forum, people are doing their own valve adjustments and what not yet when it comes to purchasing a bike, it's got to be perfect.

[Alex]

I think it comes down to whether it's really worth it, and how much one values their time. The problem with a really old fixer upper, is that you can get a 5 or 6 year old fixer upper for only a couple hundred more. Getting a 20 year old bike into perfectly running condition doesn't just involve elbow grease and time, it involves tracking down innumerable parts that will never work correctly without being replaced, starting with just about every piece of rubber and every seal. Doesn't mean it's a terrible idea, but it only makes financial sense in the rarest of cases.

[IF13]

You've got a point with trying to find the parts. That seems to always be the challenge in all those restoration shows on Discovery - heh.

I suppose if you were to put in $300 into a $700 vintage sport bike, it'd make more sense to have saved up a few hundred more to purchase as you say a fixer upper of more recent time.

Unless we're trying to fix say a pivotal model of some sort with vintage value. Mhm...I'd definitely like to get a vintage Honda VFR.

[choneofakind]

Also remember this site is full of newbies and novices. How often do you find a novice who actually knows enough about bikes or wrenching to confidently buy a fixer-upper and get it in good enough shape to ride, all while teaching themself to ride as well?

Fixing a bike requires knowing what you're getting into and knowing what it should feel/look/smell/sound like. You're not going to find a ton of those people on a site that tends to cater towards total noobs.

[crazymadbastard]

I just think that if you wait around a bit more you will find a better deal. If you really have to think about it and sleep on it, its not a deal.

[Daks]

I dated a guy with a "fixer upper". Spent about 5x the bike was worth fixing it up and then still had to sell it at a loss when something went wrong with the carbs. It was an old 79 CB750.

He could have bought a brand new bike for what he spent on that one in a year.


With ninjettes, it's coupled with the fact that it was likely owned by not one, but many newbies who dropped it and didn't do proper maintenance. All the timely oil-changes, chain lubes, carb cleans and valve adjustments won't change the wear the kid before you put on it to save money. They're such cheap bikes it's not even worth it. I got mine for 1700 dollars. Under a decade old and under 20k miles. Hasn't given me any sort of serious trouble, and what it has was likely caused by me. I've ridden it for a year and a half. 100% worth spending the money to actually be able to ride it instead of spending it on parts, tools, services and hope while it sits in a garage.

[verboten1]

I buy cheap cars, cheap bikes, fix them up, drive/ride them for many miles, and typically make money.

Last purchase was wife's '00 ninja 250 for $400, 2500 mile bike, needed carbs cleaned

Next purchase is a $500 2001 VW GTI VR6 about $300 in parts and it will be a looker.


Not sure if I am selling or driving yet

[greg737]

I am both... a "Fixer Upper" and a "User"

After twenty years of not riding motorcycles I decided (at the age of 42) to start riding again. And it wasn't just a momentary whim to get back into riding, I'd actually been thinking it over for a long time.

The problem was that the motorcycle companies weren't building what I wanted: A small, fun bike with the simplicity of fuel injection.

So I bought a 2005 EX-250 and did my own fuel injection conversion, plus a number of other modifications and upgrades. This gave me the bike I wanted and I've gotten 5 years of great riding out of it.

But for a while now I've been wanting a 4 cylinder bike. Unfortunately I've got the same problem, the industry isn't currently producing what I want which is a small-displacement, rev-happy bike that isn't buried in plastic fairings.

So once again I've reached back into motorcycling history to find a bike that is close to what I want with the plan to modify it until it is exactly what I want.

Last week I bought a 1993 Suzuki GSF 400 Bandit. Gonna do another fuel injection project. Looking forward to some quality garage time.