Topic: How much has your project CB cost you?

[rebabal]

I'm only keeping track because I want to know what I've invested into it.  I'm not building it to sell, I'm building it completely for myself.

My budget is completely just a random number that seemed right.  I could have easily spent two or three times as much but 3,500 seemed like a good number for my first motorcycle frame-up build.  The next one I do, or if I ever do a real resto ($$$$$$) I'll probably go higher.

I just like keeping documentation, there's no reason other than to remind me what I have, where/why I got it, and how much it cost.

In other news, I put my cases together last night only to find out I forgot to pre-load the spring for the kickstarter, had to break my gasket material and set it - which annoyed me enough to not bother putting the cases back together until Tuesday.

Glad to know I'm not the only one spending a bunch of money on this stuff only to have it as a personal toy.

Cheers!

[Doctor_D]

Put it this way, I started with a $15k budget in January... and to stay within it I'm already making changes.

I'm into a little over $5k in the last two months - with a number of bills coming due in April (Mike Reick and Buchanans).

It adds up fast:
836cc engine, gearbox, clutch, parts and labor $6k
Brakes and suspension $1200
Frame and swingarm, gusseting, bracket removal, bearings, bushings and powdercoating $2k
Simon Tappin's CR replica exhaust $1300
Ignition, charging system, battery, lighting and wiring $1700
Wheels, spokes, rims, bearings, labor (thankfully tires were new and adequate) $1,100
Reasets, clipons and controls $750

I think that's $14,500 - and it doesn't count the million and a half little OE bits I'll need.


Items already dropped from the wish-list:
Nickel-plate and clearcoat frame
GL1000, dual disk fork/brake conversion
Billet triple trees

[domer]

jeez... since i have to spend all my money on rent and the old lady, id say i've done pretty well!
 the bike, bought it wrecked, but it had new tires, chain and a fresh once over ( p.o. had it for 5 miles before head on collision), head is fresh, 2 tanks, 2 sets of sidecovers, and countless other odds and ends. came with a complete, "not wrecked" front end..... $600
finned points and alt. covers.... $40
finned starter cover....... $10
bars.....$20
blinkers.....$25
bar end mirrors.....$10
rattle cans... $0  thank god for company accounts 
polishing supplys, painting supplys, s/s hardware.... see above
carpy rocket four seat.... $185 (still yet to recieve it though )
36 ford taillight.... $8
+ a bunch of little #$%* at god only knows how much
so minus all the countless hours cleaning and prepping and painting and polishing im sitting at around $1k. not bad for a grand though!

[rebabal]

Put it this way, I started with a $15k budget in January... and to stay within it I'm already making changes.

I'm into a little over $5k in the last two months - with a number of bills coming due in April (Mike Reick and Buchanans).

It adds up fast:
836cc engine, gearbox, clutch, parts and labor $6k
Brakes and suspension $1200
Frame and swingarm, gusseting, bracket removal, bearings, bushings and powdercoating $2k
Simon Tappin's CR replica exhaust $1300
Ignition, charging system, battery, lighting and wiring $1700
Wheels, spokes, rims, bearings, labor (thankfully tires were new and adequate) $1,100
Reasets, clipons and controls $750

I think that's $14,500 - and it doesn't count the million and a half little OE bits I'll need.

Wow...

[markb]

Wow is right.  I'm glad I only work on sandcasts.

[manjisann]

1980 CB650 custom I'm guessing about $5k if I take into account tools and everything I bought solely to do this, maybe approx $3500 or so if it's just the bike. I try to think of it as paying my way through the college of useful knowlege. Lets face it, knowing how to fix my bike is more valuable to me than that stupid math course anyhow 

Brandon

[JC46239]

Just getting started in my madness...but I'm sure when it's all said and done I will have spent more than I thought I would.  But at the end I'll hopefully have exactly what I want.

[bucky katt]

damn, i wish i hadnt figured it all up now.

[kerryb]

I don't know, I don't really want to know, I don't even know if I'll ever finish...I'm having such a good time it really doesn't matter.  It's not the destination...it's the ride that counts!

[TommyRocket]

Thanks for making me depressed. I just tallied up what I have into my project.

I've got over $5000 into this:



Don't laugh. With another easy grand to spend. I've got lots of spares to sell but that's slow money.

I agree with moham. You can't take it with you. It's only money. You'll get more.

[Old75_ratafe]

damn, i wish i hadnt figured it all up now.

I think that goes for everyone here lol.  Man and I was getting depressed at my 1k when some of these guys got 15k into there's!  Makes me feel better at least    I guess I can also add another $100 into that as I have 81 750C airforks on the way and the parts for the dual discs too.  Plus I have my eye on a cheap rear disc setup for about another 150....  Just keeps adding up.. lol.

[rebabal]

Wow is right.  I'm glad I only work on sandcasts.

I guess you're doing these for people, or to sell?  I guess it's good to hear the market is good enough to sustain a $15,000+ vintage motorcycle.

[Sam Green Racing]

$1,200. doner bike. 76 CB750 automatic.
$    60. battery.
$   600. shipping.
$1,100. valves, keepers, springs and guides.
$   825. rods.
$   160. cam chain tensioner.
$    36. cam chain.
$   804. pistons, head gasket and cam.
$   300. carbs and modded torque converter.
$   224. Vance & Hines drag pipe.
$   329. Dyna 2000 ignition system.
$   100. Dyna secret box.
$   182. air shift system.
_______
$5,920. and that's just for starters

Sam.

[fasturd]

Mine went a different direction...

Purchased for $2500.00

Sold fairing for $1600.00

Taxed, title, lisc as it sits now $1500.00 Not including my "labor" if you can really call it that...
Some times you get lucky and stuff you don't want finances what you wish to keep.

I have never had more than $2000.00 into any project bike in my gallery.

Start...
This is how it arrived.


This is where I am as of last night...
When I sell the rack I will be into it for less than $1500.  



The fairing was a rare BMW R90S with a complete functioning dash and mint silver black fade and original hand done pin stripe. Love to keep stuff like that but I wanted money back out of project 13.

[ngatel]

It is easy for me to track, because I use Quicken for all my finances. So when I buy something it goes to my Motorcycle category. Since it is possible my wife could stumble across this post, lets just say I could have bought a really nice new bike instead. 

[nancy]

75 CB750 K3 bought for NZ$3000.00
Spent:
Clutch $270
Exhaust components to restore to 4-4 $100 (came fitted with 4-1 and a free set of original HM300 and HM341 mixture)
Disk caliper rebuild kit $50
Disk feed pipe and bleed screw $30
Front fork boots $60
clutch cable $30
rear footpegs and bolts $40
clutch & brakes levers and bolts $50
throttle cable $25
handgrips $25
handlebars $45
mirrors $28
weld repair top triple tree $70
weld/repair side stand $20
weld/repair engine guards $70 (not fitted yet)
gasket set $130 (only used clutch and exhaust items so far)
spark plugs $25
front indicator stems $30
HONDA emblems for tank $20
Diamonds - badges for sidecovers $100 (gulp)
airbox to carb boots $25
chrome trim for seat $60
chrome trim for fuel tank base $40
sandblast fuel tank $22
paint materials for respray $220
Decal stripes for tank $65
That's all in NZ $$$ - which is about 0.70cents US value. I'm too scared to add this lot up...pic of how it looks is below.
Still to do: 2nd throttle cable, grab rails, maybe a new seat, both tyres (soon), engine top end (oil leaks - of course).

[ariesfire]

My 81 CB650C cost me $150.00 at a yard sale. It sat for 2 years on my side porch. Last month I started in on it.

Keeping in mind that I wanted a good, cheap ride, this is what I have spent on it so far:
 *4 carb rebuild kits, which I didn't use, so I'm reselling. Comes out in the wash to $0.00
 *2 cans of carb cleaner @ $2.97/ea.= $5.94
 *1 can of Acetone @ $5.00
 *2 cans of starter fluid @ $2.49/ea.= $4.98
 *Tags, title, registration @ $74.00

So, as of now, I have $239.92 vested (including bike).

It had a Vetter Windjammer IV on it, which I am gonna sell (maybe $75.00?) or trade for headlamp and brackets and front winkers. It also came with an extra rear fender assembly, with all lights and working, which I am selling (maybe $50.00?). Deduct those from what I have spent so far and I am up to a whopping $114.92! AND I have a rideable bike. I'll be the first to tell you it ain't perfect. It could use summa this and summa that, but it gets my @55 from A to B with no breakdowns and a minimal amount of gas compared to most cars... AND it's more fun to boot!

So, bottom line... $114.92 (optimistically)

[fantino]

Hmmm, I've been keeping pretty poor track of these things, but I'll try and remember what I've put into my 72' CB500 so far...

Bike... FREE
Salvaged CB550 front forks $160
Frame and Swingarm powder coated $250
DSS Spoke Kit (front and rear) $55
Extra set of nipples (DSS sent me one set in yellow zinc ) $30
Transmission undercut and shift fork hardweld at Fast By Gast $450
New valves ( $95
Salvaged carbs $80
Carb rebuild $60
Salvaged head (ruined the valve guides later  ) $40
Valve job (before ruining head) $125
Misc paint, polish, etc. $150
KPMI Valve guides $160
.25 oversize Art piston kit $50
New case bolts $25
APE heavy duty studs $89
Front and Rear 500 wheels $50 (thanks Joe!)
New cam chain, primary chain, oil seals $150
New conrod bolts and nuts $85
Dyna coils and wires $125
New points assembly $60

Total: $2289 plus countless hours of labor already invested.

Doing a little math, I'm still at least $2250 away from being anywhere close to where I want to be. Still need to finish the dual disc conversion, stainless brake lines, rotors drilled, stage 3 port job from Mrieck, jugs need to be bored out, rims powder coated, new seat and tank fabricated (first out of fiber glass, then carbon+kevlar), external oil lines to the head, rearsets fitted, cables, wires, batteries, electrical this and that, tires... Yikes. To think this started out as a "budget build", haha.

[edit]
Oh, yeah, forgot about fork seals, and my 650 cam and tach gear. Add another $100...

[Stixxy]

'77 CB550K --- $1100
New halogen headlight --- $50
Motrax bar end mirrors --- $60
Clutch cable --- $25
Tach cable --- $25
Plugs & wires --- $60
Dyna ignition --- $150
Rear spokes --- $50
Led tail lights --- $50
Main jets --- $20
Spare front wheel w/disc  --- $20
Chain and sprockets --- $200
Compression gauge and Carbtune --- $200 (not really CB specfic, but bought for this bike)

Total about $2000.


Lots of hours working on her and thanks to this forum, she's now running really nice.

I'd say I'm getting roughly 100 smiles/gallon 

[H2Eric]

Frightening when you add it all up. Best advice is don't, just enjoy the pleasure of building your dream and taking it for a ride.  

Cheers all
Eric

[Kframe]

1974 CB550K0, roughly 21K miles.  Sat in a garage from 1985 until Fall 2009.

Bike $350

+

Brake line (thanks, Pampadori!) $45
Emgo Mufflers $104
Brake pads $38
Exhaust seals $10
Banjo brake light switch $26
Speedo cable $13
Tach cable $11
Fiberglass packing $32
Sprockets $44
Fork seals $20
Air filter $28
Stem roller bearings $42
Chain $44
Tubes, Rim strips and Roadriders $180
Dunstall 4-1-2 header system $140
AGM battery $60
NGK plugs $8

($845 in parts)

= $1195.

Add in another hundred for shop supplies and miscellanea, right about $1300 spent to get it road worthy and reliable.

For $1300 I probably could have bought one in decent running condition, but I still would've had to go through everything and probably do tires and battery anyway, which are regular maintenance items, so I consider that this bike cost me about a grand.
Not too shabby.

Then:


Now:

 
-K

[zanorak]

1972 CB500                       $200
Carb Cleaner and Seafoam   $10
Harbor Freight sanblast gun  $14
Baking Soda                       $6
Jets                                  $40
4 quarts of oil                     $16
Inline fuel filters                  $6
TOTAL:                               $292 (cheapest project machine of any sort I've ever had! (but it's not pretty) lol