New bikes!

Machete vs. Swiss Army? So, kinda like Rambo vs. MacGyver! I'm more of a Leatherman on the belt kind of guy...

I appreciate the advice from all. There's no doubt in my mind i will enjoy riding the SL. I do think it would be a shame, as PigIron pointed out, to cannibalize a bike that is seemingly complete and from what i can tell mostly original. Seems like y'all are saying that the best thing to do is hold onto it and slowly get it back into working order as time and money can afford. If it has lasted this long, it can go another year or so... Seventy-five dollars for these two was definitely a deal i'm sure i won't make again! i know one thing, neither of these bikes are going anywhere without a working engine! That's prio #1!

BTW, the Irish make the best whiskey!

hobojoe said:

Machete vs. Swiss Army? So, kinda like Rambo vs. MacGyver! I'm more of a Leatherman on the belt kind of guy...

Seventy-five dollars for these two was definitely a deal i'm sure i won't make again!

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What a great steal....I mean deal.

Yeah take your time. Thats what I am trying to do with my SL.

hobojoe said:

Seventy-five dollars for these two was definitely a deal i'm sure i won't make again!

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:shocked: Where did you find these?

75 Bucks!!! You need to buy some Lottery tickets with the Luck you are having!

My luck comes once a decade and runs out quick! I posted a Craiglist wanted ad a month ago here in Vermont and a fellow called me last Friday saying he had gotten these bikes from a woman on one of his heating oil fill up routes for seventy five dollars. I think he bought them for his son and didn't really want to invest the time and money to get them running. Plus i don't think his kid was really looking for a "vintage" motorcycle. He said he was just looking to get his 75 bucks back but would sell them to me for 50 bucks since i had to drive a whole hour to get them. Real nice guy, and I felt kinda bad since he didn't really know what he had, so instead of taking them for fifty i just gave the 75! Can you blame me? He said if i didn't take them they were headed to the dump! They will live again!:rockon:

hobojoe said:

Machete vs. Swiss Army? So, kinda like Rambo vs. MacGyver! I'm more of a Leatherman on the belt kind of guy...

I appreciate the advice from all. There's no doubt in my mind i will enjoy riding the SL. I do think it would be a shame, as PigIron pointed out, to cannibalize a bike that is seemingly complete and from what i can tell mostly original. Seems like y'all are saying that the best thing to do is hold onto it and slowly get it back into working order as time and money can afford. If it has lasted this long, it can go another year or so... Seventy-five dollars for these two was definitely a deal i'm sure i won't make again! i know one thing, neither of these bikes are going anywhere without a working engine! That's prio #1!

BTW, the Irish make the best whiskey!

Click to expand...

I can understand how you reached the "Machete vs. Swiss Army [knife]" conclusion, poor choice of words on my part; that's not what I meant. Leave out the "vs." and you'll get closer to my point... The SL is a specialized machine, that does one thing (off-roading) very well, while the CT is a multi-tasker, that does a lot of different things. Other than the engine, they are completely different bikes and not really comparable. i.e. they don't compete, but rather serve different functions...like a Machete and a Swiss Army knife (or the Leatherman tool you mentioned, though I prefer the Victorinox version:4 or, maybe, Irish whiskey and Canadian beer. They both have their place(s) but share little beyond a family name & a basic motor design.

Considering the condition of these bikes and a total investment of $75, to this point, it's hard to see how you could go wrong fixing them up. And it doesn't really matter if you go purist resto, restomod or custom. Both machines, for this money, give you quite a leg-up on a finished project.

Now, we just need to hear from devotees of Kentucky bourbon, Tennessee whiskey and single-malt Scotch...who might be feeling a bit slighted right about now:21:

I gotcha Racer! I wasn't really trying to compare either with regard to functionality. I was really just wondering about the monetary value of a restored CT vs. a restored SL comparative to the cost of restoring each of the two. But, I realize, as you succinctly stated earlier, that value is quite subjective and that something is only worth what we really want it to be or what we hope someone else to believe it's worth.

I'd have to say that they're definitely worth every penny i spent!:4:

I'll take a tumbler of Bush Mills over any American bourbon or whisk(e)y. Do Canadians really know what beer is supposed to taste like? Vermont's got you beat when it comes to beer and maple syrup, mmm syrup, Doh! It got on my keyboard! Oh, yeah did i mention Cheese! sorry i couldn't resist! I love Canada, especially those warm hearted, funny talkin' Quebecois A.D.D. thread! what? go ride bikes sweet let's go!