I have kept the mudguards and panels that I have taken off by motorcycles during the years, and kept them. I always thought I might use them one day for spares but nowadays they are a nice reminder of my days riding .
This is one of the complications of when you restore something. Where do you draw the line about what do you want to keep and what are you able to keep. You see, sometimes what you start with is not good enough, the bike was in such a bad way that we had two angle grind the chain off to be able to wheel the bike forward because the wheel will not turn and the chain has seized.
It had been in a damp shed for 25 odd years and everything was rusty. It was in a really really bad way when I then began the restoration. I noticed the rust on the frame hasn't gone, too deep, so by having it freshly powder coated it worked out ok.
Have you kept many of your bikes over the years or have you had to buy them back again at a later stage in your life?
The only bike that I had when I started restoring these bikes is this one, which is the 1976 World Championship winning bike and the 1977 and 1978
The only bike that I had when I started restoring these bikes is this one, which is the 1976 World Championship winning bike and the 1977 and 1978
I had sold them to some friends in Finland, so I knew where they were and I bought them back in the early 80s so I didn't part with them for very long, but in the meantime they had already deteriorated to a level where as far as I am concerned they were in such a poor condition that they were no longer rideable or presentable so they needed a complete overhaul.
This is the original tank from the Sherpa I believe to be Bernie Schreibers USA bike. I have taken the original tank off and placed it in storage to ensure it is protected. This bike was ridden by Manuel Soler a couple of years back but with the spare tank , not the original.