Topic: What's it worth... don't want to sell but putting feelers out!

[loonymoon]

I feel your pain. Been there done that! The biggest issue is whether you would regret letting it go. As for 'storing' it in rented accommodation....what the landlord cannot see he/she cannot fret about. Put it in your hall, cover it with a tablecloth and put a trailing plant on it. I hid a BSA C15 (for my sins) in my first flat in Harlow like that for a year or so with no grief at all......

If you do let it go stay in touch!!!

LOL 

I think I'm gonna be able to keep it at least for the immediate future, my parent's house isn't sold yet and our current carport/makeshift garage could accommodate the 350. I know that if I did sell it I'd regret it!! If we did move to a flat or something with no storage I'd have to do something - however talking to my partner, we're of the opinion that we'd only move to somewhere with storage, he doesn't want me to part with the 350 either.

I'd like to keep it until it's at least 60 years old!!

[mcpuffett]

hi loonymoon , don't sell your bike either buy a cheap 6ft x 4ft shed from B+Q £99 quid up here , or buy an old van and keep it in the back thats what i would do  ,    mick.

[loonymoon]

hi loonymoon , don't sell your bike either buy a cheap 6ft x 4ft shed from B+Q £99 quid up here , or buy an old van and keep it in the back thats what i would do  ,    mick.

Like the van idea... then I'd have somewhere to live if everything went wrong!!

TBH, I think my original post was probably a little over-reaction to my parents telling me yesterday that they're putting the house on the market and that I'd have to move/sell the bike.

I won't sell.  Unless absolutely unavoidable.... so don't worry guys I won't be leaving the SOHC4 clan too soon.. just another 26 years or so -then the bike'll be 60 and i'll be 56... and still a spring chicken!!

[turtle]

I won't sell.  Unless absolutely unavoidable.... so don't worry guys I won't be leaving the SOHC4 clan too soon.. just another 26 years or so -then the bike'll be 60 and i'll be 56... and still a spring chicken!!

It might even qualify for vintage rego by then. 

[loonymoon]

It might even qualify for vintage rego by then.

LOL

Don't you bet on it. It'll only qualify for that when the oil's run out and the seas have risen so I can't ride it anymore anyway.

To this day I can't beleive that they stopped the vintage (free) tax at Dec '72 and my bike is Jan 73. which also means that I shouldn't really be using a black and silver plate - but I do as it looks cooler and I find that drivers give me more respect as they can instantly see it's an old bike.

[Chris Schneiter]

I have a carport, and at least in good weather, I keep it there with a good cover, and it stays nice and clean. I do store it indoors in the winter though...you might be able to rent a storage unit for the winter. Oh, by the way, this is what my carport looks like today...bike's inside...'port's on the right..

[Jugghead]

It might even qualify for vintage rego by then.

LOL

Don't you bet on it. It'll only qualify for that when the oil's run out and the seas have risen so I can't ride it anymore anyway.

To this day I can't beleive that they stopped the vintage (free) tax at Dec '72 and my bike is Jan 73. which also means that I shouldn't really be using a black and silver plate - but I do as it looks cooler and I find that drivers give me more respect as they can instantly see it's an old bike.

Hey Looney moon, I'll trade you mine for yours! 
It is 9/72 manufacture! same color, only about 12000 miles, really great condition. I even have OEM 4into4!
All you have to do is get it over here and all I have to do is get mine over there.
Just kidding.   That is a major bummer, that you can't get the free plates. Over here, there is a 30 year decree and new bikes are allowed every year. by 2010, a 1980's bike will be eligible! LOL
oh well, good luck and sounds like your partner is pretty cool for encouragin you to keep the sweet 350F.

[loonymoon]

Hey Loony moon, I'll trade you mine for yours! 
It is 9/72 manufacture! same color, only about 12000 miles, really great condition. I even have OEM 4into4!
All you have to do is get it over here and all I have to do is get mine over there.
Just kidding.   That is a major bummer, that you can't get the free plates. Over here, there is a 30 year decree and new bikes are allowed every year. by 2010, a 1980's bike will be eligible! LOL
oh well, good luck and sounds like your partner is pretty cool for encouragin you to keep the sweet 350F.

Heh Heh. I keep seeing your avatar and thinking you stole the pic from me as I've taken one very similar. But then I guess everyone does that shot!! It's almost worth shipping your bike over just for the pipes..!! I've seen a set go for well over $1600 on Ebay.


Yeah the tax is a bummer. They used to have a 25 year rolling system but that stopped in 1998 .....

I think that they realised that the seventies brought the japanese cars and bikes and therefore a lot more of them were likely to be on the road still and they'd lose revenue... but hey it's 34 years now and I ride it so little!

[turtle]

We have a rolling 30 year system here in Queensland (not sure about the other states), but with very strict conditions about where you can ride (club events; parades; family occasions; charity events; shows; servicing;  and test riding 15km from home). The rego is cheap at around $100 a year compared with around $400.

[loonymoon]

 

We have a rolling 30 year system here in Queensland (not sure about the other states), but with very strict conditions about where you can ride (club events; parades; family occasions; charity events; shows; servicing; and test riding 15km from home). The rego is cheap at around $100 a year compared with around $400.

Yeah I've heard that some other countries impose similar conditions on historic vehicles too, I guess I can't complain that much, the road tax is only £31 for the year - but then I probably only just spend that much on petrol in a year.

[turtle]

31 pounds sounds pretty cheap compared with our regos. They do include CTP (compulsory third party insurance) for personal injury. That is the really expensive part. We do have the option to make the bikes single seaters for a substantial saving but no way am I going to mess with a classic.

[Serenity]

 :(oh you have a nice bike id not sell it either...move the dog and cat and bird out and chain it in your lounge or to the clothesline, and set a big ass rotty dog there to watch over it....

[loonymoon]

31 pounds sounds pretty cheap compared with our regos. They do include CTP (compulsory third party insurance) for personal injury. That is the really expensive part. We do have the option to make the bikes single seaters for a substantial saving but no way am I going to mess with a classic.

Yes our tax disc is simply the road fund licence it doesn't have any bearing on the registration or insurance - however you have to produce documentary evidence of registration, insurance and MOT test (roadworthyness) in order to be issued with the tax disc, so it kind of ties everything up together.

[CrisPDuk]

If you get really stuck for somewhere to keep it, and can get it up to the North-West, you're more than welcome to store it in my garage.

It could keep my 550 company whilst I'm out here in Thailand


One rule though, you'd have to get it neutered, MrsD would go spare if they started breeding

[loonymoon]

awwww thanks for the offer!! I'm sure I'll sort something out!!
 

[CrisPDuk]

No problem

I must confess to an ulterior motive though. More space occupied by bikes is equal to less space available for bloody shoes

[loonymoon]

Ok. So they haven't sold the house yet but I'm trying to decide on the best way of moving my bike. It could be ridden, it's only 150 miles or so, however it's not really the weather at the moment and that is some ride for a little 350 - I'm not saying it won't manage it because I'm sure it would, but I know by experience that the buzz on the right bar gets tiring after about 100 miles and your bottom starts to go numb and that's just when you'd hit the M25 and the scary motorway traffic! I've never ridden the little 350 in that sort of traffic.

I don't have a towbar so hiring a trailer isn't an option and motorcycle transportation companies would be very expensive (around £175). Anyone have any suggestions or know any (UK) companies that might be cheaper? I've asked for a couple of other quotes but I don't imagine they'd be that much different.

[Jugghead]

Hey looney moon, here is one option, but maybe you already investigated... are there alternate routes that you could take to avoid hightraffic high speed roads?
maybe a frontage road? You could turn it into a great morning/ lunch stop/ early afternoon ride.  I do about 100 mile rides once a month on my 350F and it definitely handles it. (though I need to refuel right at 100 miles.  Tank runs dry at about 125.)  how many miles (kms?) do you get out of a tank?  what is your average mpg or km/g (do they do km/litre in england?) i am now confused anyway i am trying to guage how my mpg is. it seems low for this little displacement bike.  max about 32mpg, on a good day.  more like only 28 or so. It makes me mad when these bigger bike owning folks brag about 55mpg.  I wish I got that!
Anyways...
I know I don't like to take the 350F on the freeway too much.  Just more because of all the psychos out there, not that the bike can't handle it. It cruises and handles like a dream.  Even with cheapy Cheng Shin tires! Granted I am not doing high speed carving on mountain roads, but I have scraped the side stand on left handers a couple of times. Makes you pucker up right quick!
Also, it is a well known fact that the 350F has a peculiar buzz somewhere between 5000 and 6000 RPMs.  I know exactly what you are talking about! Totally smooth up to that point and really smooth after that, but in top gear, my cruising speed is just in between there.  ( I don't like to really go that fast and 55-65 MPH is my self imposed maximum.)  Maybe I should just run it in 4th to really be in the power band!   I have gone about 80 or so on an open stretch of straightaway on a 4 lane divided state road, (just for thrills, you know?) and that was a little unnerving because I didn't have riding pants, just some levi's jeans.  At 80mph over concrete or tarmac, those "rugged work jeans" feel about paper thin and I would hate to have to spend the next 5 years picking denim out of my thighs and butt!
anyways, this novel is now over.  Good luck with moving your little beauty. keep us posted.

[upperlake04]

 

[loonymoon]

LOL Upperlake - might work better with a hatchback like my car- you never know!! 

Jugghead....

I just used the AA website to calculate the non-motorway route and it makes it 168 miles - and it's quite complicated, with unfamiliar roads, so bearing in mind I'd probably get lost that takes it to about 200 miles!! Given that the weather isn't exactly nice at the moment (she says looking out of the window at driving rain) I'd not really relish that idea!! However it may be better in a month or two - depends when it'd need moving. Dad has said he'd ride it up for me, he's less scared of the motorway than me, however I'd of course have to take him back home and then drive back again - a slight logistical nightmare. However I'm sure we'll sort something out!

I get a few more miles from a tank than you. I don't normally get to the reserve and fill up at about 125, just incase, I think it'd normally go to reserve at about 150ish. There was a time when I went onto reserve at just over 100, but I got the timing sorted and carbs balanced and I was back to normal again.

[Jugghead]

hmm... interesting about the mileage.  I have a martek 440 electronic ignition, so i believe my timing is ok.  I could advance it some i guess?
I just got the original paper work and will double check thst mine is installed/set properly. that could very well be the problem.
But my carbs are balanced, the plugs are a great tan at my cruising throttle range.  I guess it must run rich in the city traffic of philadelphia,thus killing my mileage.  not to mention i have *slight* weep in the petcock bowl.  but not to the extentg that I lose a gallon of gas(25-30 miles worth) between fill ups  i will have t0 check into that this winter.

[loonymoon]

Yes I guess the traffic probably makes a big difference. I rarely ride in traffic so it's usually at a cruising pace.

[clarkjh]

Found these plans if you can read German and can build it yourself.
http://www.baumarkt.de/b_markt/service/unterstand.htm
It's just a simple lean-to shed

James