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I came from it a different way - my background is becoming a registered Rolls Royce tech - after years at NYC dealer went on my own - owned a restoration shop - then in 79 started a for hire Rolls Royce limo service with the cars i bought and restored in my shop just for that reason - i also have always been into machines and old ones at that - so when i retired in 1992 sold everything went back to working on old bikes -
i buy and sell both bikes - parts and service on stuff i want to work on - the knowledge I accumulated i share as most have not had the same experiences but share the same love of doing it so to speak - the AMCA is a great place for a number of reasons glad i am part of the stewardship in performing in what i do to the old machines - my first love was street racing and this was my sporty with the first Silver Cloud i built for my self picture was the day a moved into the house i am still in 1979
I’m of the same mindset as Hellonewman. I don’t have the patience to do the kind of restoration as Joe12rk and others have done. I’ve picked up bikes that PO’s have bastardized but have always gotten the OEM parts with the bikes. These I would strip down and paint (not original paint anyway) and restore the OEM parts. Others I would just leave them in their original but we’ll ridden condition. The nice ones get ridden on nice days, the others whenever. I ride them all in a rotation and they’re all in mechanically good condition. Old man, old bike, limited miles per year, insurance is pretty cheap.
Im of the same mindset as Hellonewman. I dont have the patience to do the kind of restoration as Joe12rk and others have done. Ive picked up bikes that POs have bastardized but have always gotten the OEM parts with the bikes. These I would strip down and paint (not original paint anyway) and restore the OEM parts. Others I would just leave them in their original but well ridden condition. The nice ones get ridden on nice days, the others whenever. I ride them all in a rotation and theyre all in mechanically good condition. Old man, old bike, limited miles per year, insurance is pretty cheap.
Unfortunately up here at the North Pole my bikes are over a grand per bike per year to insure. Im the only licensed rider in the house, clean record and over 50, no such thing as vintage bike insurance yet. Hagarty is considering it but not yet.
Unfortunately up here at the North Pole my bikes are over a grand per bike per year to insure. Im the only licensed rider in the house, clean record and over 50, no such thing as vintage bike insurance yet. Hagarty is considering it but not yet.
Yikes. I think the premiums are around $120/year/bike through Condon and Skelly. Can you cancel the insurance during the winter?
As said, I have restored lots of bikes in my time. Most were not perfect, but you could ride the hell out of them, and I did. I think it was last summer or the summer before I ran into a big group of guys on old bikes at a bar in, I think Coudersport. They were all old bikes, shovels, pans and knuckles all in running condition. None of them were restored looked like natural rat bikes, but all were maintained to perfection. I could tell by the tires, wheels, cables and so on. After talking to the guys, they go on rides once a week to back woods places and ride the **** out of them on dirt roads and trails. They were from Gettysburg area. Looked like fun to me. Check out the Pixs.
As you can see some pulled out you can tell by the oil on the ground. LOL
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