Hi all. I have recently purchased a 1971 ct 70. One owner, all original, un modified, running and driving, kind of a barn find. Rusty but not damaged. The question is weather it is worth more just cleaned up or totally rebuild? I always wanted one as a kid and that’s why I bought it. Comments?
Restore or not to restore
- Thread starter DavidM
- Start date
Gary
Well-Known Member
Post up some pictures. It all depends on what your looking for-a man cave prop or are you going to use it? All my bikes are original paint-none are perfect by any means. My 50 I got brand new,every scratch on it I did. I sure would like it to look new but can't bring myself around to do it. Probably should have bought another and fixed it up,now they are just too expensive to justify it.They are only original once. Paint the wheels clean up the chrome and polish up the paint you have. It's all up to you
b52bombardier1
Well-Known Member
Only one out of my seven old Honda bikes got the full bare metal paint treatment. But I love 'em all, new paint or old.
Rick
Rick
You're never going to get a black & white answer to this question, because there isn't one. The very gray answer is: "it depends"...and that involves a gazillion shades of gray.
I want my machinery in tiptop condition and maintain it that way. IMO, that means starting out at a level that with which one is happy. I started out doing a full restoration, then fell into the rabbit warren of custom & restomodding. With contemporary finishes and an adult owner calling the shots, it's possible to keep a restored machine looking & running like new for a lot of years and miles. Glass-encased trophy condition is the one thing that cannot be maintained outside the case. That said, it's an extreme and the extremes don't interest me, personally. FYI, that includes the other end of the spectrum, "shabby chic"...i.e. beaters, rat bikes, et al. Don't misunderstand, there are a LOT of original bikes out there with varying degrees of "patina", very worthy of preservation & continued use; that's not my preference and mine is only one opinion among many...that's the point.
Start out with a goal. That will usually set the focus well enough to get you started. In many instances, it will all but dictate the entire project.
I want my machinery in tiptop condition and maintain it that way. IMO, that means starting out at a level that with which one is happy. I started out doing a full restoration, then fell into the rabbit warren of custom & restomodding. With contemporary finishes and an adult owner calling the shots, it's possible to keep a restored machine looking & running like new for a lot of years and miles. Glass-encased trophy condition is the one thing that cannot be maintained outside the case. That said, it's an extreme and the extremes don't interest me, personally. FYI, that includes the other end of the spectrum, "shabby chic"...i.e. beaters, rat bikes, et al. Don't misunderstand, there are a LOT of original bikes out there with varying degrees of "patina", very worthy of preservation & continued use; that's not my preference and mine is only one opinion among many...that's the point.
Start out with a goal. That will usually set the focus well enough to get you started. In many instances, it will all but dictate the entire project.
cjpayne
Well-Known Member
racerx is right, as usual, but ALOT of detailed pics would help alot, including mileage(if the speedo is still operable). I've taken a couple "ugly" bikes and made them nice riders again. If the paint is badly sundamaged, major parts missing, bad body damage, ect., then yes a full resto is probably in order. Modding these bike is easy, but putting back to factory newness is a real challenge, IMO. The best bike to have is one your not afraid to ride. My HK1 is a very nice rider and I'm not afraid to ride it, therefore, she gets ridden as intended, but I am careful with her. NO ONE rides it unless I fully trust them. As racerx said, you need a goal of the bike you want and can live with.
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Here is one pic. I have the chain guard. It needs a little wiring fixed under the seat. Horn and headlight don’t work. Taillight does. Runs and drives . It sat un touched from 1980 to 2017. Oil was changed July 24,2017 and driven 24 miles that day. Then it sat again until last Sunday. One owner. Bought local here in Ontario. I guess my question is more monetary. It’s only original once. So is it worth more in the state that it’s in or re painted and chromed with some fresh parts? Thanks
b52bombardier1
Well-Known Member
I'd put the chain guard on and run it. The chrome on those fenders will clean up and the whole bike will look nice again. Make sure the brakes function well after all these years.
Rick
Rick
cjpayne
Well-Known Member
Looks to me it will clean up, but dont know what that stuff is on the paint. If it will wash off, then I would save the paint. Go through this thread and it will help with stuff to use for cleaning it up. https://lilhonda.com/index.php?threads/71k0-just-brought-out-of-a-looonngg-storage.19283/
If the discoloration is all rust, then the bike will be worth a lot more after being refinished. The "it's original only once" mantra has limits. I mean, rust, dents, road rash and missing/damaged parts weren't original, either. Beyond a point, it's just fugly. Give it a good cleaning, see what you're working with. The chrome is shot but it might clean up acceptably well. Once there's rust, the plating has been penetrated all the way down to the base steel; the extent of the pitting is far greater than you realize. Those rust spots are just the tip of the proverbial iceberg. Two upsides...first, there may be enough intact plating to get an acceptable shine back, for a while. Second, chrome is chrome; these are all bolt-on parts that can be re-plated anytime you like and fresh plating will only increase the value of the bike...along with it's visual appeal.
If that is the original flywheel cover, then this should be an early "silver tag" model. With nearly all of the hard-to-find early "silver tag" parts still on the bike, it's definitely worth restoring...if that's your goal. From what I can see, this bike is remarkably straight and complete.
There are some items I'd replace from the get-go: brake shoes, tires, chain, air filter foam. Brake shoes don't age well and can delaminate. Tires dry rot and turn crunchy. The drive chain wasn't that great to begin with and won't improve with age. Beyond that it will come down to what works as it should and what doesn't.
Engine condition is a bit of a crapshoot. If it still has full compression, then cleaning the oil spinner might be about all that's needed...that is long overdue. Check the oil seals for seepage. They can replaced without pulling the engine from the bike. However, it's a lot easier to replace them with the engine apart. Specifically, in this instance, I mean R&Ring the kickstart shaft oil seal...way easier while the clutch cover is on your bench. It's also easier to repaint the clutch cover off the engine.
Looks like the fork is in desperate need of a rebuild. That's a messy job, but not difficult or expensive. $75 worth of parts will take the slop out of the inner legs and give you new gators (boots) + caps, improving the steering & stability. That'll also give you a chance to check for straightness. I suspect that these are straight, no evidence of the bike ever being crashed.
The mechanical stuff mentioned thus far should be sufficient to get the bike running and safe. If you weight more than ~150lbs, you'll soon want stronger rear shocks. See what you like and don't like, from there.
If that is the original flywheel cover, then this should be an early "silver tag" model. With nearly all of the hard-to-find early "silver tag" parts still on the bike, it's definitely worth restoring...if that's your goal. From what I can see, this bike is remarkably straight and complete.
There are some items I'd replace from the get-go: brake shoes, tires, chain, air filter foam. Brake shoes don't age well and can delaminate. Tires dry rot and turn crunchy. The drive chain wasn't that great to begin with and won't improve with age. Beyond that it will come down to what works as it should and what doesn't.
Engine condition is a bit of a crapshoot. If it still has full compression, then cleaning the oil spinner might be about all that's needed...that is long overdue. Check the oil seals for seepage. They can replaced without pulling the engine from the bike. However, it's a lot easier to replace them with the engine apart. Specifically, in this instance, I mean R&Ring the kickstart shaft oil seal...way easier while the clutch cover is on your bench. It's also easier to repaint the clutch cover off the engine.
Looks like the fork is in desperate need of a rebuild. That's a messy job, but not difficult or expensive. $75 worth of parts will take the slop out of the inner legs and give you new gators (boots) + caps, improving the steering & stability. That'll also give you a chance to check for straightness. I suspect that these are straight, no evidence of the bike ever being crashed.
The mechanical stuff mentioned thus far should be sufficient to get the bike running and safe. If you weight more than ~150lbs, you'll soon want stronger rear shocks. See what you like and don't like, from there.
