Topic: What happens just before it is sold or parked?

[KingCustomCycles.com]

I was scraping some rtv sealant off of some bowl gaskets and it occurred to me that the PO had probably just done this botch job to stop leaking carbs just before selling me the bike.  I started thinking of all the last ditch efforts I had seen over the years to get a bike right with no mechanical knowledge whatsoever.  I thought of a few:

charge the battery before each ride with charging system failure
add kerosene to oil to fix stuck rings and cure smoking
smear sealant along the outside of a leaking gasket
JB weld a damaged case or cylinder barrel
take sparkplugs out to look at them, and push it outside to sit for 10 years
jumper a known short and smoke the harness
remove and disassemble the carbs completely, put them in 2-3 boxes, lose one box
remove side cover over battery to jump start and never put it back on, sell the house with side cover sitting on shelf, move, then sell bike.

Any contributions? :-)

[Elniniomuchachos]

"I have an extra tank and whole crap load of parts that will go with it."

-Get there....

There's a tank, and one box with a beat up tail light, rotten cables and random bolts.

-Get the bike home

"Oh sorry my friend wants that other tank."

[DedHed]

"Yeah, I'm willing to let it go cheap, come on by"

- Get there

Asking $3000 for a 750K8 missing half the spokes in the front and the tank is "Somewhere, I'll call you when I find it"
DOH!!!!!
Don't laugh.. It happened 2 weeks ago to me.... Lesson learned, ask a few more questions that may seem obvious to me. i.e. does it have two operating wheels?
Phil 

[70CB750]

- fill tires before each run since they will not hold air
- use jump wire to get power to backup lights - this one is from jeep world
- coin to replace fuse 

[Magpie]

You have a deal, shook hands, and left a deposit on a very rough but complete 12/69 CB750 that is about 100  numbers away from the one you're restoring, waiting for the kid to get the paperwork in his name when he calls to say his father wants the bike back (father abandoned it some time ago but found out it's being sold). 
Cliff.

[m in sc]

jb weld to repair split gas tank seam, decent spray job over it, tolsd it was mint...only to have it let loose in middle of night in garage letting loose 2 gallons of fuel. happend a few mos ago to a friend of mine. good thing the gas water heater is not in there 

[ekpent]

You have a deal, shook hands, and left a deposit on a very rough but complete 12/69 CB750 that is about 100  numbers away from the one you're restoring, waiting for the kid to get the paperwork in his name when he calls to say his father wants the bike back (father abandoned it some time ago but found out it's being sold). 
Cliff.

I can see Cliff that episode still stings a little in your heart.That was very unfortunate to be that close to a deal that you wanted badly.Think some of us chimed in back then "Take the trailer" and get while the getting is good.We all have had a couple of heart breakers,but that one you were so close it hurts worse.  Eric

[Tews19]

Not for either of my 550's but the KZ PO told me he pulled it from a barn after sitting since 79'...........Took numerous pictures of the bike coming out of the barn, he cleaning the carbs..... Then I drive 160 miles plus to pick it up and he forgot to mention the clutch cover was broken in half, the stator was shot and oh yeah he jacked the accelerator up so much he purposely had the carbs spewing out gasoline non stop.... LOL plus eh said the tach was loose and needed to be tighten.. took off the tach and there was nothing left of the mounting brakcet...


Cant blame the owner, i was the idiot who decided to buy the POS after seeing and testing it.... WELL i put enough into to it to get back what i originally put into it.. LESSON learned

[Magpie]

Yes Eric, it still bugs me to be that close to have 2 750's that were probably built within hours of each other only to come together 42 years later. The kid is restoring it though. It was a VERY good price so maybe someone was watching..............
Cliff.

[zackblack]

From the sellers side (because I've recently been one):

Buyer: I'll give you 500 CASH (like I take Mastercard or something) 

Buyer: Will it fit into my van when i pick it up? (only to have them show up in a shrinky-dink half van) 

Buyer: I want it YESTERDAY - I'll be right there! (four days later - I can't afford it) 

Add says: If this add is still up then the bike is still available. About 50 "potential" buyers: Is the bike still available? 

 

[ekpent]

Yes Eric, it still bugs me to be that close to have 2 750's that were probably built within hours of each other only to come together 42 years later. The kid is restoring it though. It was a VERY good price so maybe someone was watching..............
Cliff.

Hey Cliff, big hug here,that was a rough one.I was wondering if you still had that bike on your radar. You should keep in touch with the people and show continued interest and if their project stalls out or other variables pop up you can claim it again.

[BobbyR]

I think you have hit on something here. Some people posting questions may be the 3rd owner or more. They have no history of what has been done in the past. I am sure some past owners had some "creative" solution to problems, or secret modifications that boost HP by 20%.

The current owners are trying to correct crap done by people in the past. i bought mine from an Engineer and he told me what he did, which was rejetting to 120 mains. He also told me it had not run in 20 years and it was $100.00 bucks. All the mistakes to date are mine.   

[KingCustomCycles.com]

3rd owner?  Dude, I see bikes change hands 5 times in a month with no
one bothering to title it in their name.

[Tews19]

3rd owner?  Dude, I see bikes change hands 5 times in a month with no
one bothering to title it in their name.

HAHA that is another excuse when talking to the ever so popular CL seller...

"Well I had the bike for awhile and never put it in my name but I do have the previous owner before me and he signed it!"

[Gordon]

Whaddaya mean "what happened to it just before it was parked"?  Everybody knows they all ran great before they were parked!

[Really?]

If it were a car, water on top of the air cleaner and sawdust in the diff. My stepdad long ago would half azz rebuild an engine and put sand or comet in the oil, the person would come back, he would show him that someone musta put sand in the motor (made sure some was under the cap) and tell the guy it will need to be done again and get paid twice.

There was a Samoan with a purse and a gun in it one time. That one was interesting.

[splitt]

A few more from the sellers point of view.

buyer: Well I get paid next Friday, could you hold it for me until then?

buyer: Will you take payments? (they must have missed that savings and loan sign under the motorcycle sales sign)

buyer: I have a $500 10-speed bicycle that I can use as a down payment.

buyer: I can give you a down payment. After I ride it home to my parents house (3 states away) I'll send you the rest.

[Terry in Australia]

I've had lots, but one thing that sticks in my mind was the F2 tank I bought on EBay from a guy in New York. It had a dent in it so he took it to a "pro" to fix and repaint, and to be fair, the paint looked really good.

By the time USPS/Australia Post had finished playing football with the box, there was a hole in it, and a corresponding dent in the side of the tank, and as I was gonna repaint it anyway, I took to it with my 3M strip disc to remove the paint, and bondo.

When I finally stripped all the bondo out, I found 2 holes where the "pro" had drilled into the dent and used self tapping screws to pull it, and only bondo'd over the holes!

The PO hadn't used the tank (he was selling the whiole bike for parts) so it wasn't his fault, but if I'd put gas in it, the gas would eventually have seeped thru the bondo and bubbled up under the paint, or worse.

I brazed the holes up and used it, but it rusted out in less than a year, so I was lucky that a member here, "KGhost" did a trade with me, a really nice OEM paint F3 tank with no rust or dings, for a pair of NOS Boge shocks I had lying around in my garage, from memory. Once again, this site saved my bike!  

[MidnightLamp]

I did an awesome valve job on it, but I just ran out of time to put the rest of it together.

I did an awesome valve job on it, but I just ran out of time to put the rest of it together.
I replaced the guides in an F2 engine with seal-less guides from a K1 (used...obviously), and then proceeded to lap the valves in with a power drill for a valve job.

[70CB750]

All it needs is to clean carburetors and it will purr like a kitten - but I don't have the time to do it now.

[Blasbo]

I have the title but I can't find it right now. I'll mail it by the end of the week.

[BobbyR]

Of course I will respect you in the morning.
I promise I will pull out.
I am from the Government I am here to help you.
 

[catsoup]

All it needs is to clean carburetors and it will purr like a kitten - but I don't have the time to do it now.

I have seen this more than anything else... +1

Runs Great, Road Ready! = running on 3 cylinders, two seized master cylinders, original dry rotted tires, BUT it did run when i went to pick it up... I think the distinction between "Running" and "Will pass inspection and not kill you on the road" is a relevant one.

[Magpie]

From a friend who bought a motor from a mutual friend. He was told "it just needs reringing". Cliff.

[72 yellow]

PO: "Just needs points."
Reality: Needs points and $800.00 worth of other parts.

[754]

 It does need re-ringing..

 You guys are talking used bikes.. often the price reflects the actual condition/worth....
 if you dont have the stomach for it... buy much newer or at a dealer..

[Magpie]

Someone crap in your corn flakes this morning 754? You seem a bit testy.  Cliff.

[FrankenFrankenstuff]

My first 550 the guy had rebuilt the carbs using "an old drag race technique"...the bike ran for about a month and when I brought it to the local shop the mechanic told me that the carbs were missing parts and the bike should not have been able to run in that condition.

tin foil in the fuse box.

Front brake piston loosened to the point of falling off and zero function....so it didnt squeek. ug

[754]

Naw I am having a good morning..
 just thinking on the keyboard that peeps that prefer to buy non runners so they are cheaper, will get what the pay for...

 its like my free advice... worth what exactly  you paid for it...

[Really?]

PO: Yea, it runs and I drive it all the time.  Me: So, should it make it to my house.  PO: You should bring a truck or trailer.

Yup, that is what I dealt with for the 750.  Yea it ran, barely, after a while.  Darn throttle kept freezing because the tank liner was melting down into the carbs.

[KingCustomCycles.com]

Naw I am having a good morning..
 just thinking on the keyboard that peeps that prefer to buy non runners so they are cheaper, will get what the pay for...

 its like my free advice... worth what exactly  you paid for it...

I never buy them running, sellers want too much of a premium for what is usually a carb clean and a new battery. Non-running $400, running $1200, time to clean carbs and battery $100, you do the effing math.

[danfr]

From a friend who bought a motor from a mutual friend. He was told "it just needs reringing". Cliff.

I'm Cliff's friend that picked up the project. It is very disappointing when you trust someone's word that you respect and has more knowledge and experience then you. Only to find out they're unloading their rejected leftovers and it isn't what they originally said it was.

[MoMo]

.
I am from the Government I am here to help you.
 

Bobby ,  you did a great job organizing our Zilla loop.  Do you remember the author of that quote?...Larry

[Bankerdanny]

CL heading: All original CBXXX

Photos: wrong seat, wrong jardine 4-2 mufflers, wrong tank style for that year.

Seller: well the guy I bought it from said it was all original.

[Steve_K]

Ronald Reagan said the scariest thing one could hear was...

"I am from the Government I am here to help you."

There may have been others
Steve

[MoMo]

Ronald Reagan said the scariest thing one could hear was...

"I am from the Government I am here to help you."

There may have been others
Steve

Steve, right and if I remember he prefaced it as you said by saying it is the scariest thing you can hear.  Good memory...Larry