Discussion: Would you rather restore or recondition?

[steveindenmark]

I have never restored a cycle but I have restored 2 Moto Guzzi single cylinder motorbikes and my opinion is that you make the decisions yourself.

The reason I say that is because regardless of what you ask you will not get a United front. Worse still, you will get a 50/50 split, which will confuse and frustrate you even more.

There are several things that you need to consider when deciding if you should restore or recondition in my opinion.
.

Cost

Availability of spares

Timescale

If it is an old bike, dont worry to much about an exact colour match. Find something that is close. Nobody will know, unless they are complete bike anoraks. But professional paint Jobs can be expensive as is chroming.

I now know that restoration is another word for cleaning and cleaning and more cleaning.

In the end its your money and your choice, you cannot please all the people all the time, so please yourself.

But if you decide on a full restoration, you will learn a lot, like dont do it again. You will also get a lot of satisfaction out of it.

 

[Daddybus]

^ ^ that's a beauty...

 

[mikeymustard]

So


That is a pretty good go at making that sticker are you using a scalpel and a cutting mat. As for chip free paint finish, it is still work in progress although we have achieved a hard finish using 2 pack cooked at 200C for an hour, but it is nasty stuff and you should use an air fed mask.

I used my daughter's slightly misused craft knife; now I've got the size right from the printer I'm going to try one or two different types of paper and maybe lacquering before cutting etc.

 

[Hover Fly]

For bikes I would treat them as the original owner would, good lightweights kept spotless, scratches touched up, repaint when it's gone too far: roadsters clean but not overly fussy, rust kept at bay, parts replaced as needed. No flaking chrome (or nickel) plating under any circumstance either remove it and paint the metal, or (preferred) have it replated, splinters of nickel (which is found under chrome as well) are pretty noxious.

 

[mikeymustard]

Very nice @steveindenmark

 

[FrankCrank]

....hey SteveinDenmark - that's motorbike porn - this forum is for bike porn

Restore or recondition? - that one has been resolved by mother nature.........due to the fact that I'm terminally lazy.
Gotta be an oily rag, but only if I can be bothered

 

[shadaboot27]

I still stand by my point of not restoring if the bike is more valuable in it's original condition. When it's comes to cars and motorbikes, full restoration is usually the right way, oily rag restorations don't really come into it much. But bicycles are a bit different, as they have decals and pin strips, which can be near enough impossible to replace so if the originals are still mostly intact you want to leave it that way as it's only original once. Also a lot of old bikes were not painted from the factory, they were dipped in enamel, so you'll never be able to replica the factory finish with paint. For instance a 1930's Sunbeam bicycle with all the original parts intact, will be worth something close to £1000 in original condition, even with lots of dents marks and blemishes, where as if you re-painted it it would be worth next to nothing. Collectors will always want bikes in original condition. A patina shows the age of a bike, if you remove the patina and make it look new then most people wont have any idea that it's not new and almost 90 years old.

 

[shadaboot27]

It's the same with antique furniture, people want it to be a bit rough with a nice patina, it shows how old it is. But I guess this point im making only applies the the really really old bikes, anything pre 1950's, (which is the bikes i like the most). Any bike newer than 1960's id say paint away do as you please, they arent that old so wont have much of a patina anyway.

 

[hopless500]

Nice

 

[Spokesmann]

I always try to preserve as much originality as possible. unless its absolutely screwed beyond repair or restoration, I keep. Its only original once.

 

[Citius]

When it's comes to cars and motorbikes, full restoration is usually the right way, oily rag restorations don't really come into it much

Not sure I entirely agree with that. Originality counts for a lot in classic motorcycles - and probably classic cycles too. In that sense, an original, or lightly-restored original bike will retain a lot more value to a collector than something which has been completely stripped, resprayed and replaced with NOS parts, losing it's entire history in the process.

 

[Citius]

But if you decide on a full restoration, you will learn a lot, like dont do it again. You will also get a lot of satisfaction out of it.

Good work on that Guzzi. I've restored 8 or 9 classic motorcycles - each time I've learned not to do it again.

 

[Illaveago]

Expert eh? What do you use for a good knock-free finish?

Here is one I did earlier.