Looking to get a motorcycle, question...

[georgiabow]

looking for a motorcycle, and have a question.

friend of mine has a 1978 honda cb750. it needs alot of work, new gas tank, some wiring re-done, paint, re-upholster the seat, and as far as i can tell the motor needs to be rebuilt.

fortunately, i am a tinkerer. i like having some sort of project to work on, but im trying to figure out if this bike is a lost cause. it has new tires and brakes, and all of the light work. i have seen him ride it, and when he rode it by the house it ran fine. it has been parked a year and from what i can tell the motor is locked down.

he told me to bring him $100 and i can leave with it. given the work that needs to be done, is this thing worth it financially? keep in mind i like to tinker on things and i like having a project, though i wonder if this is a little too much of a project....

 

[mountainmoped]

Buy it for $100, part it out and sell the parts on Ebay and use the proceeds to buy something that runs. Honda parts are very expensive. You would be much better off getting something that runs. I have done many restorations and have found you can get upside down in a project very quickly when you start buying parts.

 

[georgiabow]

Buy it for $100, part it out and sell the parts on Ebay and use the proceeds to buy something that runs. Honda parts are very expensive. You would be much better off getting something that runs. I have done many restorations and have found you can get upside down in a project very quickly when you start buying parts.

with enough searching, how good of a deal can one find on an operational cruiser? i was hoping to find something that runs, and i can just do cosmetic work on it.

 

[cvpadge]

Get a harley


on a serious note i bet u can break the engine loose and it still run without a rebuild

 

[jahstchris]

I'd say buy, spray some WD 40 down spark plug holes and try to get it to move, if it's just been sittin, could just be some rust holding , 100 bucks a good deal for something to tinker with, and I've seen people want more for less.

 

[streetroc]

Its worth $100. Honda CBs are some of the most iconic motorcycles ever made and there is no shortage of parts available for them. Pour some penetrating oil in through the spark plug holes and let it sit for a few days. You might just get lucky and break it free. (I once did this to an old jet ski that had been stored outside for 3 years and was totally locked up. I had it running and on the water within 6 hours.)

Worst case scenario, you need to get a new motor, tank, and carb setup. This should be no more than $1000-$1500. But like mountainmoped said, don't expect to get any money back out of it. Running driving CBs in good shape can be had for well under $2k all day long.

Oh and ALWAYS wear a good jacket and helmet because you WILL go down on your first bike. Count on it.

 

[jahstchris]

Make a good Cafe' bike, Harleys are much better

 

[sparky59]

Buy it for $100 and I'll give you $200 for it!

 

[CAMSDADDY]

As a parts guy at a Honda shop. Unless you are in love with this bike or unless there is some sentimental reasons I would be careful. Not only can you tie up a lot of money some of the parts are getting harder to get as they have been discontinued. I'm not saying you can't find them just that they will be harder to come by. For what you will spend you could buy a running machine. On the flip side a CB750 is a cool ride.

 

[georgiabow]

Oh and ALWAYS wear a good jacket and helmet because you WILL go down on your first bike. Count on it.

ive had 2 bikes before, but they were offroad bikes. this is my first venture into street legal bikes.