The Disease

[Slakewell]

Are you a Collector or a Hoarder? 
We all know someone who has X amount of some certain make or model.
I would never tell anyone what to do with there bikes.
As I approach the other side of 50 I started to do the maths and I'm also slowing down with the time it takes to rebuild as I get older. Cold lonely nights in the shed are something of a distant memory and other priorities like overseas adventure riding use up time I once spent in the shed. It now takes me over 12 months to get a full restore done even when I'm cashed upped.So it's more like 2 years now and I'm slowing fast. I'm finishing off one rebuild and have most the stuff for another so there is the next 3 years. I will stop buying projects as I have done the math. Maths is a bit like death and taxes you cant beat it so unless I win lotto and hire someone to build them for me I will never finish. So if you do your maths how do you stand up?
Are you a Collector or a Hoarder?   

[firko]

I am a reformed hoarder Mick. As I get less interested in VMX I become less inclined to build the projects I have hoarded away. I'll stick to my dirt track tackle and slowly sell off most of my VMX projects. I never thought it'd happen but I'm over VMX thanks to the politics and rubbish that goes on. I'm going to Classic Dirt in the hope that I can restore my VMX mojo but sadly, I think the bird has flown.





 

[Ted]

That is why i go to work, just as normal, and pay a professioal to build the bike. In the end you get a far superior product with absolutely none of the grief. For me it is far cheaper as well. Just maintaining them is plenty for me to do

[Hardo]

No doubt it's probably cheaper Ted, but restoring for me is 1/2 the fun of these things... can't take it with ya !!
An example is that I am running a spreadsheet on the total costs to restore my 1983 KX500 - and it's scary.... almost at 7G..... and I am not paying anyone else labour costs!!

It's funny that you bring this question up Slakewell - I have recently accepted the fact that I am a hoarder of Green things ...

Now... anyone got a KX for sale?   

[Ted]

So in your opinion Dave, do you think the KX5 i bought, with the unobtainable Worrell pipe, good buying at 9K. I have had not one issue with it

[fred99999au]

I think I'm a hoarder of many things, but I agree Hardo, the building of bikes is 50% or better for me. Might be because I am not great as a rider.

Wish I had more free time to do it. The added side of getting someone else to do it is a trust issue, as I have seen some travesties from "Proffessional Mechanics"

[firko]

Building bikes is my hobby, the pride in the finished product is my joy. Even though I am selling up many of my unfinished and even some complete bikes, I'll still always have a bike in the build process. It's the same as before, just the type of bike has changed from  VMX to flat trackers and roadies. At 65 I'm too old to keep a shitload of projects for a few years time. That time is now.

[Rossvickicampbell]

I am a collector albeit a small one.  decide on what bikes I wanted for what eras - YZB for pre 75, RMB for pre 78 and a 1980 CR250 to do up as a garage queen and that is it.  I don't have a lot of trust in my major mechanical skills but happy to maintain where I can based on that lack of  skills - if not work what I can do with replacement parts of pay for it.  Have less time than I used to so want to enjoy them more than having them just in the shed.

[Hardo]

So in your opinion Dave, do you think the KX5 i bought, with the unobtainable Worrell pipe, good buying at 9K. I have had not one issue with it

Doesnt really matter what anyone else's opinion is mate. Youre happy with it so all good. (I don't wanna steer this thread to another cost/price convo!!  )
Your A1 KX5 is great.
I am just amazed the actual cost when you add up all the NOS goodies.
Maybe I should delete the spreadsheet ... I'm not even finished yet... but close! Geoff... where's my pipe! .... 

[HVA61]

Building bikes is also one of my hobbies and  I enjoy doing my own builds and I really like riding stuff I have done myself.

Most of my engines are a collaborative effort with my mate Pete , but still the works all done in our sheds.

If the existing parts are quite worn its also great fun tracking a new or used parts

[Rossvickicampbell]

I do like chasing parts for mine - good fun there.

[Tim754]

(their bikes not there )  I am with Firko and Wasp, 90% of the projects gone along with a waning interest. Still willing to help out if I can       but      it  keeps growing harder now to do so. Tim754

Yeah chasing and locating parts used to be a pleasure too. Sadly that fun finally hit rock bottom for me last year when I asked on here if anyone had a set of reasonable/rough Early CR125m or TL125 alloy wheels. Got one reply from a bloke ,he wanted $450 for bare wheels ,as in no backing plates ,axles ,spacers ect, OK ..... I gave him ealier the rolling frame they were coming from for nothing so he could finish his special keeper for ever build.....    

[Kenneth S (222)]

I don't think I am either. If I can't ride it, I don't want it in my garage. There is never enough room as it is. When I am on top of my work, the wife and kids are satisfied, I am not exhausted, then I do enjoy working on them, but not if it is to a deadline. If there is an impending race meeting, I am not ready, and I have to burn the midnight oil to get the bikes ready, that's not fun. This time around I have enjoyed understanding how the systems work, especially the suspension. In my youth, I tended to ride them as I bought them, and didn't spend a lot of time tuning them.

[Mike52]

There is a different way of looking at a shed full of unfinished bikes.

Check out the old farts on the retirement village adverts on tele and be glad that you have 2 lifetimes of projects in front of you.
If the highlight of your week is Thursdays lunch special at the RSL then you may as well be dead I rekon.

[Bumper]

i once brought a shed with a house on it ,bikes are all that matters
now i to understand that i can,t get all of them back to glory
so i sold off 32 and gave away 40 or 50 ,a slap to the back of the head
said someone could be riding these bikes rather than rusting away
i only kept 9 the one,s that ment the most in my life, the real one,s
when friendship was everything and still is
bumper