what would you pay??

CTKing

CTKing

Active Member
Looks pretty ruff. $500 is pushing it but the title helps. If the silver tag pipe is good and not rusted out that is also a huge plus. It also looks like the frame weld by the wiring hole in the back is separating but it's a bit hard to tell.This is a bike you would want to see in person. It's also on the San Fransico CL.
 
6

69ST

Well-Known Member
This bike has had a tough existence. The split frame seam wouldn't necessarily bother me, easy enough to repair and it's a common failure with the earliest bikes...NBFD. OTOH, the frame is slightly tweaked, at the RH seat bracket/shock mount. That should be repairable, if you know what you're doing. And, it appears to be slight enough that the shock mount is probably still straight. Replacing a bent shock mount is major surgery.

The engine guard has been :censored: over. Removing the sheetmetal and repairing the damage done by mounting it wouldn't be difficult. Replacing what looks like missing metal from the top of the RH upright would take a bit more welding & metalfinsihing. The AWOL plug guard mounts, OTOH, are a big deal. This bike would have had the early-style with the square brackets and those aren't the easiest to find. Most engine guards have the rounded type plug guard mounts. If you're going for a full-on ST restoration, then a repop engine guard is out; the CHP repops are not only too nicely finished, the detail differences are really obvious. If that doesn't matter to you...find a better base bike to restore. It's the funky little details that make the ST a bit more collectible. The later bikes, including black tag K0s are better machines.

What really raises a red flag is all of that rust. The bars are obviously rusted in place, which sez that this machine has lived with chronic water exposure, maybe even in a salty environment. The coastal bikes are usually the most seriously rusted. Salt is deadly to sheetmetal. If it's only surface rust, you'll have extra surface prep to do...that's possible. OTOH, if the frame has rust perforations, don't waste your time, it'd be the :poop: that it appears to be.

As it sits, I'd say maybe $200 sans title, $450 with and that's only if the frame is structurally solid (not fatally rusted) and not bent severely enough that the shock mount has to be replaced.
 
cjpayne

cjpayne

Well-Known Member
racerx said:
...... which sez that this machine has lived with chronic water exposure, maybe even in a salty environment.
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I was thinking something like that when I noticed the aircleaner is missing. Was wondering how much whatever has gotten through that carb and what the combustion chamber looks like. I figured this engine is most likely VERY locked up.

s-l300.jpg
 
Adam-NLV

Adam-NLV

Well-Known Member
I would not pay $500.oo for it. Lot's O' missing parts and lot's O rust. This bike need$ it all!:4:

$250.... he delivers.:21:
 
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cjpayne

cjpayne

Well-Known Member
I really hate to see one stripped, but I'm thinking on closer examination, this one might just be a good candidate so that other bikes will survive. Bob(racerx) is very experienced at looking these bikes over and, just from the pics, pretty much stated this thing is a gonner for the average person. That seat, IMO, shows alot of weathering. It was probably kept sheltered for years, but someone else got ahold of it and just didn't care. I've seen the type of people that do that stuff, for example: They either blow it up, run it out of gas, leave it outside(ALL THE TIME without a cover), or something broke from sheer abuse. They kick, kick, and kick it over and it wont start. They get pissed and say, "F#$&%$G piece of $h!tt!!!" and then leave it outside by the dead lawn mowers they've killed(at least 1 every mowing season).lol.
 
6

69ST

Well-Known Member
Exactly, Chett...this one is most likely beyond practical limits for most hobbyist-restorers and will consume more man-hours than most, even for the experienced.

Here's the math on this one. What's the bare minimum needed to have a legit, late-production, ST model (when the resto is completed) and what are they worth? The frame, LH engine case, head casting, seat pan and fenders would likely bring a couple C-notes; the rest is more or less a bonus. We know what a cleat title is worth, circa 2017.

This hinges on the condition of the frame & seat pan; there is no way to gauge the extent of the rust penetration from the photos provided. Without firsthand inspection, it's a gamble. Rust damage is wildly unpredictable. I've seen AZ bikes frames & seat pans that looked like they were stamped from lace doilies, after the rust was removed. I've also seen bikes that sat outside, for many years, in the upper midwest and the frames had nothing more than surface rust. Seat pans rot from the foam side; the foam traps moisture...and hides the rust. ST seat pans are thinner stampings than the later version and I've restored too many of them that soaked-up more man-hours than an engine rebuild(!).

I wouldn't be overly worried about the condition of the engine, unless one of the major castings is broken. Other than the uniquely ST head & case SN, 3-speed engine parts are a dime a dozen. And internal rust/oxidation, below the cylinder jug, is relatively uncommon.
 
MiniBike Mike’s Garage

MiniBike Mike’s Garage

Well-Known Member
I would've jumped on this bike, if it weren't 2000 miles away. For me, the thing it had going for it was it's the earliest numbered black tag bike I've recorder in my database. I know that doesn't mean much to most, but my collection is odd ball and to have maybe the first (or currently lowest) numbered black tag around.....I'd jump on it.
 
Mike_

Mike_

Active Member
WarnerSteel said:
I would've jumped on this bike, if it weren't 2000 miles away. For me, the thing it had going for it was it's the earliest numbered black tag bike I've recorder in my database. I know that doesn't mean much to most, but my collection is odd ball and to have maybe the first (or currently lowest) numbered black tag around.....I'd jump on it.
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Kinda my thoughts as well. It def needed work but thats all fun to me! it was a early make. Oh well... the search goes on!
 
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