The Three Important Factors in Bike Restoration

For most people, restoring motorcycles may seem like an expensive hobby. Besides, you have to buy hard to find parts that can really cost a lot of money. You also have to get some of the parts restored in machine shops and you also have to get the engine restored. It is an expensive hobby but for some people, it’s a very fulfilling hobby and it is also considered as an investment.

You see, fully restored vintage motorcycles are very much in demand in the market today. Once you get your vintage bike restored, the value for it will increase. In fact, you can even sell it ten times the price or even more, which can cover your expenses for it and really get you to gain a lot of profit.

It’s the perfect hobby. If you have the money and you love tinkering with machineries, motorcycle restoration is the perfect hobby for you. In fact, if you’re really good at this type of hobby, you can even make a business out of it by restoring other people’s motorcycle.

If you do decide to restore a vintage motorcycle, there are basically three important factors that you need to remember. You will need to think about the engine, the frame, and also the manufacturer’s parts book.

These three things will get you started in your motorcycle restoration project.

You need to remember that the engine is the heart of the motorcycle. It’s basically what makes it a motorcycle. This is the first thing that you need to restore in order for you to start the project.

So, if you are going to buy a banged up vintage motorcycle, try to take a look at the engine. Ask yourself if the engine can still be restored or you may need to get it rebuilt or worse, get a brand new one custom made for you in machine shops.

This is important because engine restoration can be quite expensive. Besides, you wouldn’t want to spend all your restoration project money on the engine alone, would you? You don’t want to spend a lot of money on the engine unless the market value for the fully restored motorcycle is really worth it.

The frame is another important factor that you have to consider when restoring a vintage motorcycle. Check for rust and other damage. This part is the main body of the motorcycle. Everything is connected to the frame, such as the engine, the wheels, the forks, the battery, the oil tank, everything.

If the frame is too damaged, get it rebuilt or get one custom made for you. Go for motorcycles with frames that are not too damaged. Frames requiring minor repairs are OK but if the damage is beyond repair, you may want to look for another motorcycle to restore.

Lastly, you have to have the manufacturer’s parts book. By having this particular book, you will be able to know what you need in order to get the motorcycle restored. With the parts book, you will have an easier time figuring out what parts you need to buy as well as parts you need to be built by machine shops.

Remember these tips and you can be sure that you will be able to fully restore your motorcycle without too much hassle.
