I see a lot of the same names building another bike. Do you have a stable with untold numbers of bikes? Or sell them? Are they hidden all over in hopes the wife never finds them? I am single so the wife isn't a problem, but I see this as some sort of addiction and I am starting to twitch a little already and just started on my first one. Do some styles make better coffee tables then others? If you sell, is the market such that you can break even? Or is this a hobby like boats, a hole in the water you try to fill with money? Does it help if I am a Rat Fink fan?
I restored two bikes when I started this hobby. I sold both because I wasn't satisfied with the way they rode, but I probably wouldn't have ridden either of them anyway, in fear of scratching them. I am a little less inclined to restore bikes these days. I started hunting survivors and never looked back.
I ride my bikes. If I can't ride them, I don't keep them. If they're restored, then I'll be less likely to ride them.
I ride my bikes. If I can't ride them, I don't keep them. If they're restored, then I'll be less likely to ride them.
I've restored over 20 of them over the past six years. I have sold most of them, because I don't collect things, and lose interest once I've restored them. I still have five in the garage including a vintage kart. Garage is 1450 sq. feet, so space isn't the problem. I did keep some inside in a spare room, but it got too tedious to being them in and out for riding.
Wife attended the Havasu Dave Wife Improvement Course, so is fully supportive of my hobby.
Extremely addictive, and inexpensive when one compares the hobby to boats, or hot rods.
What happens to be "popular" is mostly fad-driven. Lucky for me, I've never been a Rupp or Taco fan, as those bikes have large followings, commanding more dollars for parts. I've sold fairly rare, restored bikes, and I get anywhere from 30 to 50 cents on the dollar, doing almost all of the work myself- less chrome. $$
Note: Those who live in certain areas of the nation have a larger supply of bikes available. Many here will get these old bikes, and sell the parts to help fund their addiction. Where I live, on the Colorado River in AZ, there are seldom any vintage bikes for sale. I have driven to Phoenix, Vegas, and Barstow to buy and sell bikes.
No, it only makes it worse.
Wife attended the Havasu Dave Wife Improvement Course, so is fully supportive of my hobby.
Extremely addictive, and inexpensive when one compares the hobby to boats, or hot rods.
What happens to be "popular" is mostly fad-driven. Lucky for me, I've never been a Rupp or Taco fan, as those bikes have large followings, commanding more dollars for parts. I've sold fairly rare, restored bikes, and I get anywhere from 30 to 50 cents on the dollar, doing almost all of the work myself- less chrome. $$
Note: Those who live in certain areas of the nation have a larger supply of bikes available. Many here will get these old bikes, and sell the parts to help fund their addiction. Where I live, on the Colorado River in AZ, there are seldom any vintage bikes for sale. I have driven to Phoenix, Vegas, and Barstow to buy and sell bikes.
No, it only makes it worse.
I sell them. I did 4 complete restoration bikes this past winter and sold all of them. Plus I've bought fixed and sold about 6 more.
I have a couple for sale right now
I only regret selling one of the restored bikes but if I miss it enough I can build another one like it, right?
I like to buy, fix and sell. It is a hobby not something you can get rich at. I make maybe $100 to $200 on most them which is probably about $2 an hour for my labor LOL. Yes, I lost money on some too. This is a hobby. I keep telling myself that, this is a hobby.
I live in south east Michigan and there are tons of them for sale and selling them hasn't been difficult either. I found that if I stick to the desirable models with front and rear suspensions, selling is easier.
I do have one now that I plan to keep. It is a Wards 525 with 6.5 hp engine and a torque converter. Hydraulic shocks, 10" wheels etc. It rides GREAT and is plenty fast. I've built a few Rupps and am currently looking for another one to build up and keep for myself.
No wifey to yell or boss me around either. My GF already knows I'm crazy and doesn't hassle me other than to tell me to wear a helmet when I ride those "things".
Others are right. Minibikes are addicting. One will NEVER be enough.
Danford1
I have a couple for sale right now
I only regret selling one of the restored bikes but if I miss it enough I can build another one like it, right?
I like to buy, fix and sell. It is a hobby not something you can get rich at. I make maybe $100 to $200 on most them which is probably about $2 an hour for my labor LOL. Yes, I lost money on some too. This is a hobby. I keep telling myself that, this is a hobby.
I live in south east Michigan and there are tons of them for sale and selling them hasn't been difficult either. I found that if I stick to the desirable models with front and rear suspensions, selling is easier.
I do have one now that I plan to keep. It is a Wards 525 with 6.5 hp engine and a torque converter. Hydraulic shocks, 10" wheels etc. It rides GREAT and is plenty fast. I've built a few Rupps and am currently looking for another one to build up and keep for myself.
No wifey to yell or boss me around either. My GF already knows I'm crazy and doesn't hassle me other than to tell me to wear a helmet when I ride those "things".
Others are right. Minibikes are addicting. One will NEVER be enough.
Danford1
I have done 3 Gilson mini bikes in the last two years , as well as a MW/Cestad big front tire trike.
And some no name little monster that goes like hell!
Normally I build hot rods or restore cars. Chemo slowed me down for these two years.
I had enough energy to do mini bikes but not frame off restorations. Really good therapy
For me!
I should really sell some now, but get squeamish when I think about litigation if someone
Crashes and decides to sue. Don't laugh..... a good car guy friend of mine
Sold a 11 second Nova drag car. The new owner promptly crashed it on track.
A lawsuit ensued and tied him up for over two years..... if I sell the bikes they will be rollers with no engines.
Right now I'm feeling better and enjoy riding the bikes and the trike and pi$$ing off the neighbors!!
And some no name little monster that goes like hell!
Normally I build hot rods or restore cars. Chemo slowed me down for these two years.
I had enough energy to do mini bikes but not frame off restorations. Really good therapy
For me!
I should really sell some now, but get squeamish when I think about litigation if someone
Crashes and decides to sue. Don't laugh..... a good car guy friend of mine
Sold a 11 second Nova drag car. The new owner promptly crashed it on track.
A lawsuit ensued and tied him up for over two years..... if I sell the bikes they will be rollers with no engines.
Right now I'm feeling better and enjoy riding the bikes and the trike and pi$$ing off the neighbors!!
Here's my story....
I collect, restore and sometimes sell. For the last ten years I was mostly restoring 71-75 Rupp and Speedway bikes & selling them to collectors. My most famous bike, a '72 Rupp Roadster, is on display at the Gold & Silver Pawn Shop in Las Vegas and has been shown on many of the Pawn Stars TV shows. It looks all beat up now compared to total restoration I did back in 2007.
Right now I have about 25 bikes. I tend to go through phases and buy several models from the same manufacturer. The one common denominator is that I always buy original bikes with 12" or larger wheels. My current inventory consists of (2) Super Broncs, (15) Rupps including (2) SS-5's & (2) Blackwidows plus several Roadsters and (3) Enduro's, As for Speedway's I'm down to just a totally restored Green Horn, Red Baron and a JC Penny El Tigre. Lastly, I have (5) Fox large wheel bikes that have 16" wheels - (2) FX-200's & (3) Dessert Fox's. And then there's all the parts and spare motors. Fortunately, there's a lot of common engine & frame parts.
About 1 year ago I decided to stop restoring bikes for other people and to just do them for myself. My latest interest has been building custom bikes and the 2 Super Bronc's I just bought.
Here's some pics of my bikes.
I collect, restore and sometimes sell. For the last ten years I was mostly restoring 71-75 Rupp and Speedway bikes & selling them to collectors. My most famous bike, a '72 Rupp Roadster, is on display at the Gold & Silver Pawn Shop in Las Vegas and has been shown on many of the Pawn Stars TV shows. It looks all beat up now compared to total restoration I did back in 2007.
Right now I have about 25 bikes. I tend to go through phases and buy several models from the same manufacturer. The one common denominator is that I always buy original bikes with 12" or larger wheels. My current inventory consists of (2) Super Broncs, (15) Rupps including (2) SS-5's & (2) Blackwidows plus several Roadsters and (3) Enduro's, As for Speedway's I'm down to just a totally restored Green Horn, Red Baron and a JC Penny El Tigre. Lastly, I have (5) Fox large wheel bikes that have 16" wheels - (2) FX-200's & (3) Dessert Fox's. And then there's all the parts and spare motors. Fortunately, there's a lot of common engine & frame parts.
About 1 year ago I decided to stop restoring bikes for other people and to just do them for myself. My latest interest has been building custom bikes and the 2 Super Bronc's I just bought.
Here's some pics of my bikes.
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I have 5 bikes... All RiderZ. I keep them in my single car shop/garage ( the wife gets the 2 car-pffft ). I have them to one side - so I have room on other side with my work benches. If I need the space I just roll them out and get to work in shop. But when I have to put them back I take each bike for a lap or two around the block... It will take me hours to put bikes away if I had 25 like some of these addicts. Lol...
Very interesting subject, I arrived in the US one years ago and already own : Scooter Majesty 400, an original Goped, a Heal super Bronc .... All are running, my Super Bronc will go after restauration in my leaving room .... most complicated will be to persuade my wife !!! In my past flat, I had an Broncco Italian minibike: successful but I was single ..
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One thing I see is the expense of building a hot rod. The bar is so high that 100,000 dollar cars seems the norm. Even Rat Rods are getting the shabby sheik treatment, spend a lot of money to look like you didn't. And finding cars to buy is getting harder. Newer cars with computer operated everything leaves moding to computer geeks only. I read an article about a group that started racing old Honda 160 twins, to keep the cost down and the fun up. Within a couple years the bikes were $20,000 race bikes, with custom frames, cams, cranks, gears, etc. Mini bikes seem like a hobby almost anyone can afford at some level. And yet some on here would give Arlen Ness a run for his money. Plus for some of us old bastards, a Predator head is a dam site easier to handle than a 390 Ford cast iron head. And a blown motor is cheap enough it wont be mentioned in the divorce proceedings.
If you've heard of the "Run to the Sun" show out here in Havasu, I've been involved with that. Going on 37 years now. We have over 800 cars in that show, and I cant think of any that were less than 100K. (Rat Rods are not popular here) Some of them are closer to 250K. Nothing there as crappy as my original 67 RT. It's invisible.
In years past, we've never allowed bikes, since those high dollar folks don't appreciate the dust and grass tossed around. But I believe this year, they will open up a show class of motorcycles. I'd been toying with the idea of getting back into my early to mid 70's Kawasaki addiction. Ha! $$$. Also, there is a shop down the street from me who specializes in restoration of old dirt bikes. He seldom has any for sale. Walking in to his shop is like walking into a MC shop in 1970. All of them are big bucks. So I feel fortunate I can rebuild a 1970 Tecumseh for $400.
Where are you at in AZ? I noted your DMV post. In Mohave, CO we don't have inspections of any kind. Lots of ATV type machines running on the streets with dual use tags.
In years past, we've never allowed bikes, since those high dollar folks don't appreciate the dust and grass tossed around. But I believe this year, they will open up a show class of motorcycles. I'd been toying with the idea of getting back into my early to mid 70's Kawasaki addiction. Ha! $$$. Also, there is a shop down the street from me who specializes in restoration of old dirt bikes. He seldom has any for sale. Walking in to his shop is like walking into a MC shop in 1970. All of them are big bucks. So I feel fortunate I can rebuild a 1970 Tecumseh for $400.
Where are you at in AZ? I noted your DMV post. In Mohave, CO we don't have inspections of any kind. Lots of ATV type machines running on the streets with dual use tags.
I'm in Payson. We have a Hot Rod show here every year. Last one was a couple weeks ago. We used to have a few bikes here with the cars, not sure if they are not allowed or no one entered. One year we had a Vincent Rapide. Which to me was more fun to drool over then any Tri Year Chevy or 32 ford. I have seen the old hit and miss gas engines at some shows and miss seeing and hearing them. And why not have a group for restored auto stuff,, gas pumps, displays, collections. After seeing a couple hundred cars they all blur together. I mean how many 32 Fords with a 350/350 can one look at? I just talked with my insurance lady, and gave her some money, asked about titling the new project. Bonded title, inspections, etc, then maybe 100 bucks a year for liability. I remember now why I sold my last Honda CT90.
You wont see many 32 Fords at our shows with a 350/350. Lots in town, but...
[video=youtube;zt1CZocm7k4]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zt1CZocm7k4&feature=youtu.be[/video]
More like customs, one offs, Willy's with blown Chryslers, etc. Our show is the largest, but during the "season" there are about ten shows in the area with a hundred or two hundred cars. All of the local car clubs seem to run a show. For me, it's a chance to have strangers finger my automatic transmission kickdown linkage, and to pay $40 and end up with a T shirt. LOL!
My first bike in 1969 was a CT 90. Never did run right. Payson is a nice town. :thumbsup: A few of the full timers from here go there to cool off. Hey, some of the guys here don't even have the option of registering/titling a mini bike, so there is that.
[video=youtube;zt1CZocm7k4]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zt1CZocm7k4&feature=youtu.be[/video]
More like customs, one offs, Willy's with blown Chryslers, etc. Our show is the largest, but during the "season" there are about ten shows in the area with a hundred or two hundred cars. All of the local car clubs seem to run a show. For me, it's a chance to have strangers finger my automatic transmission kickdown linkage, and to pay $40 and end up with a T shirt. LOL!
My first bike in 1969 was a CT 90. Never did run right. Payson is a nice town. :thumbsup: A few of the full timers from here go there to cool off. Hey, some of the guys here don't even have the option of registering/titling a mini bike, so there is that.