Author Topic: What's the worst/dumbest thing a PO did to your bike? (Read 66586 times)

tortelvis · « **Reply #125 on:** November 03, 2011, 07:07:53 AM »

One of my CB350Fs has a wall light switch wired in to replace the ignition switch! A mate bought an old Bonneville back in the day for a killer price although it wasn't really running worth a damn. He got it home, pulled the head and found that it only had ONE PISTON IN IT! He did manage to score a deal; another old Triumph that the PO could not figure out why even the bike ran beautifully it had no forward motion. If only he had noticed that both sprockets were worn a s smooth as a brake disc, no teeth left AT ALL!

WhyNot2 · « **Reply #126 on:** November 03, 2011, 07:38:19 AM »

Just look at the picture..........................

for you electrical guys...no explanation necessary.

Really? · « **Reply #127 on:** November 03, 2011, 07:49:11 AM »

That looks better than what mine looked like! I was lucky enough that a new harness was being made for the 75K. I bought a new OEM fuse block and an Oregon rectifier. It is a masterpiece almost now.

Those images are actually forgiving to the mess that was there.

754 · « **Reply #128 on:** November 03, 2011, 08:57:46 AM »

sold it to me.. I got a lot of excellent fun, mostly trouble free miles out of my 73..

Stutters · « **Reply #129 on:** November 03, 2011, 09:11:04 AM »

Sweet Mercy where do I start? Every time I go out to disassemble/reassemble and clean I find something new and stupid. We will start at the top. Took a factory seat that had two small rips in the covering and totally stripped it to recover...which never got covered. Ruined the valve adjustment caps with adjustable wrench and alcoholic stupor(I Assume), had a filthy habit of throwing bolts and screws across the room and replacing with wood screws or whatever else he had laying around throughout the whole bike and my personal favorite, running the cycle with NO oil at all...can't wait to get inside of the motor and find out how much that is going to cost me. At least I got it for a good price right..right?...

70CB750 · « **Reply #130 on:** November 03, 2011, 09:25:18 AM »

How about seat hinges bent from threaded stock and using gauge 12 house wire in the harness?

Duke McDukiedook · « **Reply #131 on:** November 03, 2011, 10:05:07 AM »

Put crappy Emgo podz on without rejetting and took off the seat hinge mounts to mount the crappy seat he put on.

Imago · « **Reply #132 on:** November 03, 2011, 10:16:59 AM »

My PO put on a harley (or something) rear fender, cut off the upper rear shock mounts and welded on this abomination...

Madman9050 · « **Reply #133 on:** November 03, 2011, 04:55:45 PM »

he bought it from the west texas area where rust isnt an issue then left it out in the weather for two years on the coast because of dirty points. The seat pan was so far gone that when the wife and i made a trip on the way back the pan gave out which let the licence plate bracket fall onto the rear tire at 70mph which pulled the the rear cowl and tail light into the tire as well also someone debadged the tank at some point and left holes in the tank then filled them with bondo... wasnt pretty

MCRider · « **Reply #134 on:** November 03, 2011, 05:06:43 PM »

Quote from: Imago on November 03, 2011, 10:16:59 AM

My PO put on a harley (or something) rear fender, cut off the upper rear shock mounts and welded on this abomination...

Accomplished what... lower seat height with stock shocks?

Dimitri13 · « **Reply #135 on:** November 03, 2011, 06:12:10 PM »

Had a perfectly good bike, and managed to ruin it in less than 3 months.

Don R · « **Reply #136 on:** November 03, 2011, 06:39:37 PM »

Leaned it against a clothes line pole for 3 years. Replaced all the K0 parts with the newer looking K4 stuff. Drove off and on a curbing repeatedly until the header was ruined. Pounded the gas cap closed instead of pushing the little lever down first. Slammed the seat down so hard and often it dented the frame. Hammered on the fork caps with a steel hammer. Let a tree grow around the handlebars. Bought one with no title and no plate with 3 previous owners and got a dui on it while on dui probation. painted everything on it red including gauges and chrome. wrapped fiberglass over the inside end of the baffle so when he started it the glass plugged the pipe and rode it until the valves were stuck and the engine was filled with carbon. Not all on the same bike, On the plus side they were all cheaper for me to buy.

Lostboy Steve · « **Reply #137 on:** November 05, 2011, 05:01:44 AM »

lol..... Left mine in a warehouse for 20 years.

onepieceatatime · « **Reply #138 on:** November 05, 2011, 06:45:01 AM »

Removed the tank badges, then used bondo to fill in and seal the leak at the seam. Followed that with a bad Cheap rattle can paint job on the tank.
Lost the side covers.
Removed and lost the front fender.
Welded hollow bolts to the frame to mount the torn up Suzuki seat. Used nails as hinge pins and a bungy cord for a seat lock.
Hacked the wiring harness in the headlight bucket.
Removed and lost the front brake caliper.
Put on a Suzuki master brake cylinder.
14 AWG wire for the main fuse.
Lost the key and used a screwdriver on the gas cap.
Lost the fork reflectors.
I think there is more, but thats all I can remember right now.
All of this on my 1980 CB650C project. I didn't get pictures of any of it, kinda wish I did for before/after pics of the resotration.

Godffery · « **Reply #139 on:** November 05, 2011, 08:23:55 AM »

Wow, that's allot of stuff in one bike!

I've been collecting pix of "THINGS NOT TO DO" that I have found on customer bikes; here's a link:
http://www.vinmoto.org/gallery/v/VinMoto-Garage/album03/Godfferys-Garage-123/Things+NOT+to+do/

Stev-o · « **Reply #140 on:** November 05, 2011, 08:52:04 AM »

Good idea Goddfrey. Love the 120V house switch, how creative!

CycleRanger · « **Reply #141 on:** November 05, 2011, 09:13:36 AM »

Quote from: Godffery on November 05, 2011, 08:23:55 AM

Wow, that's allot of stuff in one bike!

I've been collecting pix of "THINGS NOT TO DO" that I have found on customer bikes; here's a link:
http://www.vinmoto.org/gallery/v/VinMoto-Garage/album03/Godfferys-Garage-123/Things+NOT+to+do/

The previous owner has no comment...

crazydog · « **Reply #142 on:** November 05, 2011, 02:04:57 PM »

Po torched slots into the frame to fit a sportster tank, scotch locks holding the electrical system together. The 8 years under a tarp in the Florida air decimated it, water ran out of the frame when I pulled the lower engine mount bolts out. All that I kept was the motor and wheel hubs the rest went to the junk yard.

bjatwood · « **Reply #143 on:** November 05, 2011, 04:09:43 PM »

SOLD the bike.
These bikes are in it for the Life of the owner.
Can you imagine what these bikes in stock form will be worth in 20 more years!!!

cben750f0 · « **Reply #144 on:** November 05, 2011, 05:36:58 PM »

got the F0, and was told that it had a new clutch in it, was like 'super', but it was really hard to get into/out of gear, and was worse when it warmed up. got sick of the playing up, check the cables, checked the oil level, checked the cables again.

In the end i lay the bike on its side and pulled the clutch apart. PO had 'forgotten' to put the thrust washer in that goes between the inner and outer clutch baskets...lucky alloy has some bearing properties, i just dont know how he managed to tighten the clutch together without it being a locked unit?

NEway put the washer in... been awesome ever since...

lol

peace

caluser2000 · « **Reply #145 on:** November 05, 2011, 06:30:55 PM »

I think I've done more butchering in the last two weeks to my 550 than the PO

. If I sold her the advert would read "One well used '76 550F-two loving owners"

Had a sohc cb750F for a bit and the owner hadn't replaced the rear pads. When I took it for a ride and applied the the rear brake the wheel locked solid- pad plates had welded to the disk.

Grnrngr · « **Reply #146 on:** November 05, 2011, 08:49:59 PM »

Front pads on my Virago were worn to the metal and scored the disk, but they didn't lock, worst thing was leaving it sit in the garage for 14 yrs. New battery, solenoid, cleaned all the elctrical connections and rebuilt the carbs and it was back on the road. My K2 750 tho..I bought from a guy who inherited it from his dad who died in his 70s. Dad did a nice job of putting it together, but apparently his son didn't ride. Son in turn handed it over to his own daughter, who rode the tires off it (and probably lost the battery sidecover), Dad said "put tires on it or park it", so she leaned it up against the garage wall and left it outside for 3 yrs. It was seized, but a buncha pbblaster Wd and whatnot, along with some breakerbar persuasion cracked it loose and an oil change put it on the road. I think we pulled the float bowls and maybe had to wipe something out of one, but didn't have to rebuild the carbs, they've been spot on. Kinda surprised us when my friend bought a carb sync tool, hooked his up and spent a couple minutes dialing them in, hooked mine up and started, needles lined up perfectly across the guages...can't really complain about either, $350 each..

WhyNot2 · « **Reply #147 on:** November 06, 2011, 05:25:13 AM »

102 uses for zip ties::::::::

And foot brake light switch bracket attached to the center stand mount:

Stev-o · « **Reply #148 on:** November 06, 2011, 07:00:44 AM »

Zip tie on the exhaust....classic!

Holubs · « **Reply #149 on:** November 06, 2011, 07:13:07 PM »

Bought an F1 that the PO had soldered speaker wire on the headlight bulb contacts, wound the speaker wire around and through the frame back to the battery, where he had attached two big uninsulated alligator clips that he attached to the battery terminals to turn on the headlight! All I could say, was WOW!!!

Holubs

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Author Topic: What's the worst/dumbest thing a PO did to your bike? (Read 66586 times)