Topic: What's the worst/dumbest thing a PO did to your bike?

[CycleRanger]

What's the worst/dumbest thing a previous owner did to your bike?
Let's hear some stories and see some pictures!

On mine I have (so far) discovered the case cracked at the drive sprocket (discussed in another thread) and the mounts for the center stand were completely mangled. 
Then there's this which is kind of interesting.



I suspect that compared to some of you I'm getting off pretty lucky.

[Old Scrambler]

My worst is the green putty the PO applied to the cracked cases at the countershaft.  It got into the oil and plugged the feed to the left side of the topend.  The camshaft was completely broken (sheared) next to the drive-sprocket. The motor still ran on #3-4.

The second worst was the K4 with the K8 front forks and rear wheel.  The chain alignment was off and the fork legs were installed backwords (wrong sides).  His confusion ended the project so it now sits in my garage for $100.   

[Otto]

Not as drastic as either of yours but I just hate it when I buy a bike with perfectly good side covers and a tank that have been poorly rattle can painted- emblems removed, filled. I have gone thru that more than a few times..

bc

[Seamus]

Mine is the crankcase trick with the JB weld.





Also having the wheels rebuilt using the old rim that was rusty. Fitted new stainless spokes too.

generally he spent a lot but failed to clean up or polish the bits after replacing things all around them. Odd really.

[Bluto]

The dumbest thing the PO did was buy the bike (76 550k) brand new and 2 days later put a Zoom 4 into 1 exhaust system on it and throw the brand new, stock exhaust (4 into 4 into a dumpster.)

I am the PO...original owner and 33 years later I kick myself every day for that one.  WHAT WAS I THINKIN???

[Old Scrambler]

Almost in the same boat with Bluto.........I saved my original 341 pipes for many years. My mistake was placing a plastic jug of acid on a nearby shelf. A few years later it leaked. The fumes ate my pipes to the point that when I did finally want to put them back on the K3, they crushed in my hands!

[JBMorse]

My bike was in pretty original condition when I got it, besides the 4-2 exhaust and paint.  But, can you see the yellow wires hanging out of the side cover?  Oh that's just the cheap hardware store push button switch that functions (though it doesn't work) as my starter switch.  Instead of fixing the button and spring in the handlebar control, why not hack into the wires with one of those?  
Also, letting it sit for a year did me no favors when I bought it either.  The carbs were thoroughly clogged.



Sorry don't know why it's so small.  You really can see the wires hanging out here!
http://www.flickr.com/photos/47792194@N00/3838955945/

[Alan F.]

I'm the PO that replaces lots of screws with torx head... heh, heh.

[05c50]

I guess the main fuse blew too many times, so the po replaced it with a 1/4 inch bolt! Lots of melted wires, but that "fuse" never blew again.

............Paul

[fastbroshi]

Fitting 2 unipods to the outer carbs and two cones to the inside ones on my '77 F.  And then advancing the ignition to +Retarded degrees so it would idle.  Oh and don't forget cutting down some yamaha pads to make them fit the brake caliper.  But the worst was jumping the battery backwards from a car.
And then mounting the front tire backwards.  Those little arrows on the tire don't mean anything you know.

[333]

My first SOHC4,  a 550K, the PO tried to adjust the voltage regulator to charge constantly.  It wouldn't adjust far enough, so he took a pair of needlenose pliers to the tab and bent it so the relay wouldn't open.

[mick7504]

A few years ago I bought a K1 motor from a guy which had a nicely ported head, a nice strong Ivan Tighe cam and a big bore kit.
This motor had been sitting around for many years uncovered in his shed.
The wasps had made their home inside the head and it was full of nests.
I pulled this motor down and found that the pistons had been attacked with a die grinder presumabley to lighten them up a bit.
The pistons are Honda CB360 (67mm) with 16mm pins and the stock rods that came out of this motor had the small ends bored to suit.
At least it did hold together. 

[Retro Rocket]

I was just 16 when i bought my first 750 Honda and in my excited state never saw the marijuana leaves engraved all over the motor, i almost got used to being searched every time i got pulled over.......

Mick

[Simpson]

Probably what the PO or seller did to my cb750 on ebay.

-Sandblasted most alum surfaces to get a shine for the posting pictures including fork cases, brake calipar, hubs, carbs
-mixed up slides in the carb
-split grease shined paint
-wired points backwards
-insulated bad wires with eletrical tape
-sanded fork slide tubes
-Put big inline fuel filters with lines going everywhere that starved right side of engine
-wired light signals backwards

Advertised perfect running engine on ebay and after winning bid, it was barely firing on pick up.
Wonder why?

[vanillagorilla]

Worst thing the PO did was install the clutch incorrectly and let her sit for 20 years. But it worked out well for me, I guess!

[westondc]

PO replaced the original seat with big old two up seat and threw away the original, welded adapters horizontally to the rear shocks in an effort to lower the bike, and let rust get into the tank. but shes mine now and looking much better.

[vorhese]

P.O. made it look like this


At least it's not JB Weld


My Triumph used to look like this


My old RD400. When I bought it from the guy he informed me he had given all the "racer junk" that was on the bike to his friend.  He then horribly attached a 80's Kawasaki rear to it.  All the welds looked like a bird took a crap all over it.

[grumpy]

He bent the sh#t out of the tang on the #2 float by trying to adjust it w/ a screwdriver while it was still in the carb. Caused it to run ultra lean & cooked the exhaust valve, the header, & prolly the rings. (I'll find out for sure when I get the motor out  )

[MJL]

On my Kawasaki, someone hacked into the wiring in the headlight bucket.



I wonder why my headlight quit working?

[martin99]

Errr... where shall we start???

[Laminar]

Made the 550 look like this:

[72 yellow]

Purchased it in the first place. 

[cb650]

Always loved the 81 custom 2 tome blue tanks.  Dad bought a whole bike several years ago.
Side covers are perfect. Tank looks great EXCEPT for where the BIG helmet sticker was from honda.  Someone used a putty knife to remove the sticker and the paint.  OH and they used steel wool to polish the chrome.

[ProTeal55]

All the wiring on my latest project (CL450) was done with thin gauge radio shack clear speaker wire..

[jeepster]

Mine did a kreem job without taking the petcock off. Left me this inside the tank: