Author Topic: Need your advice  (Read 3693 times)

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mathewmerrin

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on: May 14, 2018, 09:55:27 am
Hello guys, I'm from India and own a 2014 continental GT.

I was browsing through the local ads in my area and came across a cool 1978 bullet modified into a bobber. It's being sold by a French Expat.

I went to inspect the bike through the French persons local contact. The bike started without any problem however it emitted lots of white smoke like a two stroke. However it had been parked for a couple of weeks with dust and all.

I did take out the bike for a short spin in the basement parking, however couldn't go more than a few metres as the  bike stalled and was making one hell of a noise and the security guards came running ☺️.

The owner told me that the piston and chamber are new, however I'm concerned about the smoke and the bike not pulling strongly.

I'm not mechanically familiar with CI engines and want your advice that is this bike worth buying and is a CI engine overhaul too tedious.

The bike is up for grabs at 870 odd British pounds of roughly 80000 Indian rupees. Please guys I need your advice.

I have attached some pics of the bike, sorry for the hazy and poor quality pics as the local contact was in quite a hurry.
Yamaha RD 350
Honda CB500T (1975)
RE Continental GT
1977 CB750 Supersport
1976 CB550K
2007 Bandit 1200


Bilgemaster

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Reply #1 on: May 14, 2018, 03:15:51 pm
Obviously, from a pair of photos alone it's hard to judge. Could be a jewel. Could be a turd. I'd say that about $1,200 is a common enough asking price for comparable bobber projects and "barn finds" over here in the USA of old '60s and early '70s British iron like BSAs or Triumphs, some running, but most not. That might be a bit high for India. But then, at least that one's running...sort of.

The first question is: Do you have a garage or some other reasonably secured and weatherproof area to work on it, where it may need to sit for week after week or even longer? Because work on it you will, sooner or later...probably sooner rather than later. Unless you have some old neighborhood Enfield guy who'll work for lentils, like those guys in Old Delhi Motorcycles, or maybe a retired uncle who was once a mechanic in the Army, you might be on your own with that old girl. How do you feel about that?

Would I buy it? Maybe. But I'd definitely want to take it on more of a test ride than just a quick roll around a garage, and I'd bargain HARD.

Please keep us posted on where you go with this!
« Last Edit: May 14, 2018, 03:55:39 pm by Bilgemaster »
So badass my Enfield's actually illegal  in India. Yet it squeaks by here in Virginia.

 


tooseevee

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Reply #2 on: May 14, 2018, 04:34:03 pm
   Way too many things that you don't know. You don't even know what you don't know about that bike.

    You'd better accept the possibility of big bucks big hours or run away, run away (clip, clop, clip, clop)  :) ;)
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Bilgemaster

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Reply #3 on: May 14, 2018, 08:15:15 pm
   Way too many things that you don't know. You don't even know what you don't know about that bike.

    You'd better accept the possibility of big bucks big hours or run away, run away (clip, clop, clip, clop)  :) ;)

I'd say there's far more than just the possibility of that bike taking lots of money and time. I'd say it's a virtual certainty. The question is, is our man Matt OK with that.

Also, assuming our guy Matt is an expat yonder ("Merrin" not exactly being the most Indian-sounding surname I've ever heard), how will he feel knowing that that scoot will never legally leave India, should he decide to come "home", wherever that may be. A pre-'68 one, sure, but a '78? Nope. That thing would never leave the docks if it came stateside...or at least not without a heap of skullduggery.
So badass my Enfield's actually illegal  in India. Yet it squeaks by here in Virginia.

 


mathewmerrin

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Reply #4 on: May 14, 2018, 09:11:56 pm
Thanks guys for all your inputs. Well just because the bloke is asking 870 pounds doesn't mean I have committed anything on the price.

I'm thinking somewhat around 545 GBP, if he is willing to strike a deal at this price, well, otherwise he can keep it.

However, going by the price norm here for a CI bullet it is actually priced OK, but there is no harm in bargaining. :)

Well maintained CI bullets can command over 1200 GBP here. What has intrigued me is the fact that it's difficult to source a classic CI bullet and most owner's don't sell their RE's easily.

The paperwork and legal issues can easily be tackled.

Only thing which remains is the mechanical issue , although a complete engine rebuild will not cost much, it's difficult to source a good mechanic.

The owner of the bike is out of India, in France and most probably he will return end of May to sell the bike( he has two more bikes to sell).

I'm just waiting for him to come, take a thorough test drive and negotiate the price.

@Bilgemaster yes man, I do agree my name doesn't sound very Indian but I'm one☺️. I'm an Indian Christian surname Mathew.

Aesthetically speaking the bike looks good and the pictures don't do any justice to it and I have long wanted to own a CI bullet. Keeping my fingers crossed, let's see the outcome if this.
« Last Edit: May 14, 2018, 09:21:35 pm by mathewmerrin »
Yamaha RD 350
Honda CB500T (1975)
RE Continental GT
1977 CB750 Supersport
1976 CB550K
2007 Bandit 1200


Arizoni

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Reply #5 on: May 14, 2018, 11:42:36 pm
The white smoke (oil burning) could have been due to the crankcase "wet-sumping" (getting too much oil in it) and the oil getting thrown up onto the cylinder walls when the engine started to run.
Wet sumping can be caused on an Iron-Barrel if the crankshaft was left with the big end of the rod towards the bottom of the crankcase.
That is why Iron-barrel owners try to bring the engine up to top dead center if they are going to leave it sitting for any long lengths of time.

The thing that might bother me more depends on what you meant by saying, " the bike was not pulling strongly" and, "and was making one hell of a noise...".

Not pulling strongly could be a ignition timing issue but if the engine was making a lot of pounding, whacking sounds the entire lower end might be crap.
Jim
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ace.cafe

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Reply #6 on: May 15, 2018, 01:18:28 am
When I buy an iron barrel,  I always just assume that it needs a full engine rebuild. Then, I pay what I am willing to pay for it. Then, I pull the engine and give a proper quality  NON-FACTORY rebuild, and enjoy the bike.

Why do I always assume that the engine requires a rebuild?
Because they need a rebuild right off the showroom floor. They were never built right to begin with. But,  they can be rebuilt to be right, and when they are right, they are very nice.
« Last Edit: May 15, 2018, 01:21:13 am by ace.cafe »
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Adrian II

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Reply #7 on: May 15, 2018, 12:02:58 pm
It might help if you could price things in $ rather than £ on this forum  ;).

A.
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Bilgemaster

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Reply #8 on: May 15, 2018, 03:37:27 pm
It might help if you could price things in $ rather than £ on this forum  ;).

A.

If it's all the same to you, I'd prefer that all possible future transactions be denominated in my favorite currency, the Mongolian Möngö:


And if we cannot embrace its desirable "verticality", then at least we can all get behind the good old Burmese Kyat. I mean, any currency wA¢k¥ enough to make a "45" bill is one we can all get behind, right?

« Last Edit: May 16, 2018, 12:49:42 pm by Bilgemaster »
So badass my Enfield's actually illegal  in India. Yet it squeaks by here in Virginia.

 


mathewmerrin

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Reply #9 on: May 15, 2018, 06:33:29 pm
Thanks Jim & Ace. The bike didn't make any mechanical noise as such, however it did have a free flow AEW exhaust, the sound of which reverberated in the confined parking.

Yeah the bike was actually stalling as if it was running out of gas, so I just left it there.

I was told that the bike hadn't been started for many weeks and the owner told me it was running fine
the last time he rode it.

I can confirm the mechanical condition only when the owner returns to India this month.

However, like Ace said I'll not take any chances and give the bike a thorough engine rebuild, atleast to factory specs. :)
Yamaha RD 350
Honda CB500T (1975)
RE Continental GT
1977 CB750 Supersport
1976 CB550K
2007 Bandit 1200


Bilgemaster

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Reply #10 on: May 15, 2018, 10:05:49 pm
Buy it, Matt. For a great price. My hunch now is you'll be just fine. Despite the Ace man's forebodings, I should tell you that I've just clocked 1,200 personal miles on an unreconstructed "iron belly" I got back in December with only the sort of "getting to know you issues" one might expect from a 2005 with the sort of emissions rigmarole you'll not need to deal with. You'll need to deal with something, but it'll be yours: an honest-to-shit classic thumpin' bobber that you got from some Frenchman. You'll be the sexiest centaur prowling the Coastal Highway.
« Last Edit: May 16, 2018, 12:57:18 pm by Bilgemaster »
So badass my Enfield's actually illegal  in India. Yet it squeaks by here in Virginia.

 


Adrian II

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Reply #11 on: May 16, 2018, 04:36:50 pm
If it's all the same to you, I'd prefer that all possible future transactions be denominated in my favorite currency, the Mongolian Möngö:


And if we cannot embrace its desirable "verticality", then at least we can all get behind the good old Burmese Kyat. I mean, any currency wA¢k¥ enough to make a "45" bill is one we can all get behind, right?


Some useful pub quiz material there, thank you! I could be waiting an awful long time before HM Treasury finally comes up with my long-awaited £7 note, though.

A.
Grumpy Brit still seeking 500 AVL Bullet perfection! Will let you know if I get anywhere near...


Bilgemaster

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Reply #12 on: May 19, 2018, 02:03:18 am
Some useful pub quiz material there, thank you! I could be waiting an awful long time before HM Treasury finally comes up with my long-awaited £7 note, though.

A.

Can't help you with the seven quid note, though it wouldn't surprise me to find one amongst the older pre-revolutionary colonial currency issued over here. There were certainly 7 dollar notes aplenty, both state and "Continental" for some reason. Seven bucks must have been the then-going rate for something commonly commandeered for the troops, like a peck of hominy, a hogshead of ale, or some great fat sow like my prom date. In more recent times there was even a proposed 7 cent piece about 1951 or '52, when the phone company wanted to double the cost of a payphone call from a nickel (5 cents) to a dime (10 cents). That would have been like jumping from a thrup'ney to a tanner to you lot. And for anyone born after, say, 'Men in Black' was in a theatre near you, a "payphone" was this public telephone that one put coins into to make calls, but oddly could not take photos of your cheesecake so some guy in Kuala Lumpur could see it. Congress, in their storied wisdom, concerned that a 100% increase in the cost of a phone call might be viewed by their wise constituents as excessive, proposed the new 7 cent coin to the mint, which thereupon duly devised a model and samples of same, one of which may be seen at the Smithsonian Institutions National Museum of American History in a big case of other coins that also never made it to prime time.
« Last Edit: May 19, 2018, 06:41:22 am by Bilgemaster »
So badass my Enfield's actually illegal  in India. Yet it squeaks by here in Virginia.