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

[low-side]

I bought a SL350 where a PO "fixed" a dropped valve.  The failure was so extreme that the cylinder block was broken in the cam chain channel.  The fix was to bore the left cylinder out .25mm, leave the right standard, and epoxy the camchain channel shut.  That is probably the worst I've seen.

[nomad]

Yeah, that's right... my 750's PO was McGyver!  Apparently the proper fix to a fuse that keeps blowing is to bypass it with foil... good to know!    I'll have to remember to keep an extra stick of gum in my tool kit.   

[Retro Rocket]

Actually, thats not as silly as it looks, i wouldn't recommend it as a fix but the foil lining of my cigarette packet saved my arse several times in the past when blowing fuses in the middle of nowhere. Always do a quick wiring check first so you don't melt anything and replace as soon as possible..


Mick

[OldSchool_IsCool]

Yeah, that's right... my 750's PO was McGyver!  Apparently the proper fix to a fuse that keeps blowing is to bypass it with foil... good to know!    I'll have to remember to keep an extra stick of gum in my tool kit.   

LMAO!! Just be glad he didn't fix it with a 22-caliber bullet!  

[nomad]

Actually, thats not as silly as it looks, i wouldn't recommend it as a fix but the foil lining of my cigarette packet saved my arse several times in the past when blowing fuses in the middle of nowhere. Always do a quick wiring check first so you don't melt anything and replace as soon as possible..


Mick

I'm pretty sure that was his permanent fix. And I forgot to mention that I found good fuses inside the fuse cover... never used.

Anyway, with the foil bybass in the fuse box and this nice jumper I found twisted & tied into the gauge wiring, I'm surprised the PO didn't burn this bike to the ground.

[Really?]

Fuse box was not even being used.



For some reason he thought he was an electrician.





I got a hold of it last week and replaced the harness, the fuse block, the voltage regulator, the positive battery cable, the negative battery cable as well as cleaned and painted it all.

[MILO]

Dumbest thing he did was try to make it run, after sitting for years and years.... it ran 'apparantly' and bent all the exhaust valves, kiilled some guides, etc etc...


dumbest thing i did was buy it haha, but as my first bike to build up i didn't know any better, im learning a lot from it anyway

[phil71]

Ooh, i've got one... but this may not really qualify as a PO bungle.
I bought a 1971 CB 750 from the original owner in Sept. It was still wearing a windshield/fairing
that was installed by the dealer in midtown manhattan.
    It hadn't been ridden since 1981, or it definitely had not been registered.
Cleaning up, and doing my basic autopsy, it was fairly easy to get running, and so complete that it was difficult to figure out why it was parked... till i took it around the block. It had a vicious wobble and would track with even the smallest groove in the road.. at any speed.
    I pulled off the fairing and discovered that the accessories guy had mounted the fairing to one of the tree-top fork tubes and cranked down on that bolt, cracking off the clamp on the LH side... I bet that bike NEVER rode well. I can picture a trip or two to the dealer followed by some head scratching, as you'd never see the crack with the windshield on.
   

[MCRider]

Phil: Does your bike have these washers?
http://forums.sohc4.net/index.php?topic=72765.0

Mounting the fairing to those clamp bolts and cranking them down should have been fine, if the aforementioned washer/spacers are in place. If they are not there that top clamp will break whether there is a fairing there or not.

[phil71]

They're there, though the outer washers were long gone .

[swellguy]

A previous owner has dry fit everything to a bike then spray painted it with cans and cans of bbq paint. Wheels on, tires one carb filter on. Screws, fasteners, coils, wires, everything covered with or full of paint.

[MCRider]

They're there, though the outer washers were long gone .

Then the PO did indeed screw up! 

[MoMo]

Just finished reading the entire thread-it really should be in the humor forum .  I've run across many of the above problems but one not mentioned is upside down float needles...Larry

[beaniam]

The work of the PO caused me to have to pull the engine and split the cases.  Fun on a brand new to me bike.
5th gear gave me this nice sound http://s257.photobucket.com/albums/hh224/beaniamyota/?action=view&current=P1010275.mp4  What fun that was http://forums.sohc4.net/index.php?topic=76692.msg855141
Turns out a single thrust washer was in the wrong spot in the transmission.  Back together correctly and with a replaced 5th gear I've had no problems since.

[Stev-o]

Dumbest thing she did was sell the CB750 to me for $300!
Def worth more...

[TODD03412]

The PO of my bike let it sit for 20 years. When I went to buy it and asked if he had done a compression check or anything at all, he kicks it over and goes" See, you can hear the compression!" Im keeping my fingers crossed that I dont have to pull the motor apart, its my first major project.

[Stev-o]

Welcome Todd!  When did you get it??

[sv9cvk]

My K2 when it arrives from Germany
 I bought it for spares for my K7 .....
 But I decide to restored it as my K7 was ready ...... >: (
 Now it is disassembled .... and I hope next summer my cafe racer will be ready !!

[Damfino]

My K2 when it arrives from Germany
 I bought it for spares for my K7 .....
 But I decide to restored it as my K7 was ready ...... >: (
 Now it is disassembled .... and I hope next summer my cafe racer will be ready !!

Wow! Was that in a fire or just sitting outside for a very long time?

[TODD03412]

Welcome Todd!  When did you get it??

Thanks Steve! I got it about 3-4 months ago. I started a build thread for it a few hours ago - Im a lurker, but am going to start getting into it soon, so I will be around a lot!

[Stev-o]

My K2 when it arrives from Germany
 I bought it for spares for my K7 .....
 But I decide to restored it as my K7 was ready ...... >: (
 Now it is disassembled .... and I hope next summer my cafe racer will be ready !!

WOW - did he store it next to a BBQ?!!?

[sv9cvk]

My K2 when it arrives from Germany
 I bought it for spares for my K7 .....
 But I decide to restored it as my K7 was ready ...... >: (
 Now it is disassembled .... and I hope next summer my cafe racer will be ready !!

WOW - did he store it next to a BBQ?!!?

No! No next to a BBQ.......  IN a BBQ
Roasted CB750 

[Godffery]

Funniest thing I'd ever seen was the muffler bracket bolted to the swing arm.  Wish I had taken a pick of that one!

[CycleRanger]

Funniest thing I'd ever seen was the muffler bracket bolted to the swing arm.  Wish I had taken a pick of that one!

Apparently that's not as uncommon as you might think...
http://forums.sohc4.net/index.php?topic=97641.0

[tortelvis]

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???

I sold a bike to a work mate who immediately binned the Laser end can coz he didn't like it. I asked if he really didn't want it and if he minded me taking it home. No problem he sez. A few weeks later he complains that he just cannot get the bike to run right and wants a new end can. So I sold him one...yes his old one that he binned! Here is a case of the PO (me) being the smart one. I had no pity; he had taken my gorgeous black and chrome bike and painted it bright royal blue with yellow pinstripes and yellow wheels!