Topic: Metal prices up...thinking of scrapping bikes

[74cb750]

Hi All,
ok, not ALL the bikes. I will probably keep a few cb550's and cb750's, a Kawasaki H1, a couple of S2's, but all the rest to the junk yard for quick cash.

Sales of parts this year is down 90% for me from last year. I think maybe I have the wrong parts bikes or maybe I should just get out of the business. 50+ bikes removed from my back lot might make the wife happier.

 Would it be worth my while to tear down all the engines into aluminum and steel parts or just not....?

peace,
michel

[Terry in Australia]

Yeah Michel, due to China's insatiable need for raw materials, metal prices have gone thru the roof here in Oz too. In the "old days", if I had an old or wrecked car to dispose of, I'd have to pay someone to take it away, but recently I got rid of my son's old Ford and they paid me 100 bucks!

The young kid who came to collect it told me that they sell the cars to the metal recyclers for 380 bucks per tonne, and they can't get enough old bombs to supply the demand, there are even stories emerging of cars being stolen for the scrap metal value.

Removing old cars has become a growth industry here, a lot of blokes have quit their jobs and now with either a small truck or a car trailer, work full time removing old cars. If you're looking for a way to make some good money, you should think about something like that, you'd only need to collect one or two cars a day to make some pretty good dough......... 

[mcpuffett]

Same here in the uk scrap prices have rocketed, over here you get better money for clean aluminium, thats all the steel components and bearings removed etc, heard stories of cars ,road signs etc disappearing to be weighed in  , cheers Mick.

[74cb750]

I was thinking of maybe scrapping a few cop cars that have been bothering me....

[DJ_AX]

I was thinking of maybe scrapping a few cop cars that have been bothering me....

Lovely 

[74cb750]

Some locals say it is worth taking the engines apart, but they are retired and have some massive crusher thingy.

Using a sledge hammer really doesn't work well. I tried it on some cb550 and cb650 and cb450 engines with little luck. I'm thinking of purchaseing a larger compressor and saving some pistons, nuts, bolts etc etc.

Most people do not want to pay for used parts anymore. I find many people want used parts for nothing, or as close to nothing as possible. Therefore it is almost not worth my time to take these bikes apart for parts. Besides the wife's TO DO List is getting lengthy.
peace,
michel

[754]

You have to look at the time taking it apart THEN packing in a manner it will arrive in one piece.

Most of the stuff I have takes too much time to ship, in relation to price realized.. so meanwhile I am not having to run out to get spare parts..

[Raul CB750K1]

In Spain they steal the copper cables from public lighting -or ground wire and antenna feeders in telecom equipment-. Seems that copper prices has gone over the roof. In fact, my company -Nokia Siemens Networks- has developed aluminun antenna feeders to save on cost and weight.

Michel, with 50+ bikes, I would save whatever is saveable and sell the rest as scrap. If you can get $200 or $300 at once, that would save you a lot of hassle of listing articles, packing, going to the post office etc. Or you can "invest" and wait a couple of years, bet the scrap price will have risen by then.

[Terry in Australia]

That's the problem though, most "restorers" need good cosmetcs, (seats, tanks, sidecovers, exhausts etc) for bikes they have with reasonable engines, so you end up with a lot of frames, engines, wheels, forks etc that you can't move. That's when the scrap metal bin comes in handy.......... 

[754]

Build some yArD aRt or gArDeN bIkEs     

 100  to 150 for each bike....

[troppo]

Build some yArD aRt or gArDeN bIkEs     

 100  to 150 for each bike....

Tell them its art and they will pay a fortune for any piece of schit..........
"Done during his CB period, the most incredible example of conrod art around, look at the flowing lines, the inherant power in it, yours for only $500" 

[74cb750]

Hey Canuak,
I DO have several grab rails....now rem that the cb650 is different from the cb650sc grabrails, and the marks I put on them have worn off...   I do also have some sidecovers, and maybe a tank, don't remember.

Check my website....
peace,
michel