Streetfight... Or... Scrap...
Discussion
Okay, So i have this 1997 Kawasaki ER500, Nothing special but i have used and abused it now for 15 months on my daily commute, She has now got 46,000 Miles on the clock, and having been ridden all winter, is in a bit of a sorry state...
She currently needs the Following work -
New Front Brake Disc
New Front Brake Pads
New Front Brake Lines
New Rear Shocks (Current Ones Leaking)
New Exhaust system (Current one cracked at the 2-1)
A Ruddy good service with valve clearances...
Normally i would just spend the money and do all that without thinking twice, However the bike only cost me £500 in the first place... So is it worth it??
I see it that i have three options:
1) Stop being so tight, splash out and get it back to good working order again & keep plodding to work until she gives up completely
2) Call it quits, Sell it for whatever silly money i get offered for it and find a new daily hack...
OR 3) Streetfight/Customise it a bit...
In mind i am thinking that for a little EXTRA money over option 1, i could land myself a nice shiny set of wavy discs, pads, calipers, lines etc... Some nice extended rear shocks to get that back end up in the air a little, a new under tray with some fancy rear lights, a little belly pan fairing, and finish it all off with a nice aggressive full exhaust system and a lairy rattle can paint job...
Now i know everyone is thinking, why even think of option 3... Well simply the following, so far it has been a cheap to run, realiable bike that returns 60mpg day in day out... So for the sake of a few extra quid over option 1, i could make my daily commute that little bit more special...
So... Opinions?
P.s. Forgot to add, that i would be doing all the work on it myself, as i am not scared of getting my tools dirty...
She currently needs the Following work -
New Front Brake Disc
New Front Brake Pads
New Front Brake Lines
New Rear Shocks (Current Ones Leaking)
New Exhaust system (Current one cracked at the 2-1)
A Ruddy good service with valve clearances...
Normally i would just spend the money and do all that without thinking twice, However the bike only cost me £500 in the first place... So is it worth it??
I see it that i have three options:
1) Stop being so tight, splash out and get it back to good working order again & keep plodding to work until she gives up completely
2) Call it quits, Sell it for whatever silly money i get offered for it and find a new daily hack...
OR 3) Streetfight/Customise it a bit...
In mind i am thinking that for a little EXTRA money over option 1, i could land myself a nice shiny set of wavy discs, pads, calipers, lines etc... Some nice extended rear shocks to get that back end up in the air a little, a new under tray with some fancy rear lights, a little belly pan fairing, and finish it all off with a nice aggressive full exhaust system and a lairy rattle can paint job...
Now i know everyone is thinking, why even think of option 3... Well simply the following, so far it has been a cheap to run, realiable bike that returns 60mpg day in day out... So for the sake of a few extra quid over option 1, i could make my daily commute that little bit more special...
So... Opinions?
P.s. Forgot to add, that i would be doing all the work on it myself, as i am not scared of getting my tools dirty...
Edited by Pionion on Wednesday 11th June 09:07
Edited by Pionion on Wednesday 11th June 09:11
Edited by Pionion on Wednesday 11th June 09:16
Well, for keeping or scrapping it, scrapping it will get you maybe 150 quid max, and its worth way more than that to sell, even knocking off a bit for the to sort list.
As to customising it, why not? To keep it on the road will be a couple of hundred, to do what you've suggested would be a bit more than that, so as you would have to spend money anyway you may as well make it a bit special.
ETA - Its probably worth a good 300 to 400 to the right buyer as it is.
As to customising it, why not? To keep it on the road will be a couple of hundred, to do what you've suggested would be a bit more than that, so as you would have to spend money anyway you may as well make it a bit special.
ETA - Its probably worth a good 300 to 400 to the right buyer as it is.
CBR JGWRR said:
Well, for keeping or scrapping it, scrapping it will get you maybe 150 quid max, and its worth way more than that to sell, even knocking off a bit for the to sort list.
As to customising it, why not? To keep it on the road will be a couple of hundred, to do what you've suggested would be a bit more than that, so as you would have to spend money anyway you may as well make it a bit special.
ETA - Its probably worth a good 300 to 400 to the right buyer as it is.
My thoughts exactly,As to customising it, why not? To keep it on the road will be a couple of hundred, to do what you've suggested would be a bit more than that, so as you would have to spend money anyway you may as well make it a bit special.
ETA - Its probably worth a good 300 to 400 to the right buyer as it is.
The sensible option is to get it back to a roadworthy state as cheaply as possible, but my man logic keeps coming along and saying "for a few extra quid... you could do this..." but ultimately... Its an ER5 at the end of the day, no matter how much i polish it!
As you have other bikes for fun, I'd be inclined just to get this back to decent spec as easy as possible.
All the items you mentioned are really service items on an older bike and would need doing even if you streetfighter it (hard to justify Streetfighter term for a CBT type bike
)
As these are a common commuter bike, there's a pretty good chance someone has written one off - this could probably be a source of most of the parts you need.
Could a local exhaust company re-make a 2-1 part for your pipe, thought the Motads were stainless steel so guess cracked rather than rusted?
eta - not Motad pipe, looks standard, surely 2nd hand one out there on low mileage bike?
All the items you mentioned are really service items on an older bike and would need doing even if you streetfighter it (hard to justify Streetfighter term for a CBT type bike
)As these are a common commuter bike, there's a pretty good chance someone has written one off - this could probably be a source of most of the parts you need.
Could a local exhaust company re-make a 2-1 part for your pipe, thought the Motads were stainless steel so guess cracked rather than rusted?
eta - not Motad pipe, looks standard, surely 2nd hand one out there on low mileage bike?
graham22 said:
As you have other bikes for fun, I'd be inclined just to get this back to decent spec as easy as possible.
All the items you mentioned are really service items on an older bike and would need doing even if you streetfighter it (hard to justify Streetfighter term for a CBT type bike )
As these are a common commuter bike, there's a pretty good chance someone has written one off - this could probably be a source of most of the parts you need.
Could a local exhaust company re-make a 2-1 part for your pipe, thought the Motads were stainless steel so guess cracked rather than rusted?
eta - not Motad pipe, looks standard, surely 2nd hand one out there on low mileage bike?
I agree, perhaps "streetfighter" is a little strong for an er5 All the items you mentioned are really service items on an older bike and would need doing even if you streetfighter it (hard to justify Streetfighter term for a CBT type bike
)As these are a common commuter bike, there's a pretty good chance someone has written one off - this could probably be a source of most of the parts you need.
Could a local exhaust company re-make a 2-1 part for your pipe, thought the Motads were stainless steel so guess cracked rather than rusted?
eta - not Motad pipe, looks standard, surely 2nd hand one out there on low mileage bike?
...The plan for the exhaust would either be a second hand one, that after a little google actually seem harder to find than i first imagined, or Delkevic Offer a full system at a good price...
Edited by Pionion on Wednesday 11th June 09:41
No idea what else you ride but if this is just to go to work and back whilst you have other bikes for fun then id be inclined to go with option 1
if you do it all yourself the biggest expenditure is going to be the disc. But you only need one.
£300-400 on shims, consumables, fluids etc then you have a bike for the rest of the year before it needs attention again.
however if you're attached to it then all logic goes out the window along with cash.
you'd maybe get £300 on gumtree, but then you need to replace that bike and it will be more than the cost of fixing yours
its only really worth scrapping if you were to pay a garage to fix it.
if you do it all yourself the biggest expenditure is going to be the disc. But you only need one.
£300-400 on shims, consumables, fluids etc then you have a bike for the rest of the year before it needs attention again.
however if you're attached to it then all logic goes out the window along with cash.
you'd maybe get £300 on gumtree, but then you need to replace that bike and it will be more than the cost of fixing yours
its only really worth scrapping if you were to pay a garage to fix it.
Pionion said:
My thoughts exactly,
The sensible option is to get it back to a roadworthy state as cheaply as possible, but my man logic keeps coming along and saying "for a few extra quid... you could do this..." but ultimately... Its an ER5 at the end of the day, no matter how much i polish it!
If its a bike you like, does it matter that it is "just" an ER5? The sensible option is to get it back to a roadworthy state as cheaply as possible, but my man logic keeps coming along and saying "for a few extra quid... you could do this..." but ultimately... Its an ER5 at the end of the day, no matter how much i polish it!
moanthebairns said:
No idea what else you ride but if this is just to go to work and back whilst you have other bikes for fun then id be inclined to go with option 1
if you do it all yourself the biggest expenditure is going to be the disc. But you only need one.
£300-400 on shims, consumables, fluids etc then you have a bike for the rest of the year before it needs attention again.
however if you're attached to it then all logic goes out the window along with cash.
you'd maybe get £300 on gumtree, but then you need to replace that bike and it will be more than the cost of fixing yours
its only really worth scrapping if you were to pay a garage to fix it.
Got an SV650s, TL1000s & Bandit 600 in the garage as my weekend toys...if you do it all yourself the biggest expenditure is going to be the disc. But you only need one.
£300-400 on shims, consumables, fluids etc then you have a bike for the rest of the year before it needs attention again.
however if you're attached to it then all logic goes out the window along with cash.
you'd maybe get £300 on gumtree, but then you need to replace that bike and it will be more than the cost of fixing yours
its only really worth scrapping if you were to pay a garage to fix it.
But i will confess i do have a slight attachment to this ER5 purely because it is so terrible... Hence the temptation to make it a bit less boring ER5 and a bit more... "what an earth is that"
CBR JGWRR said:
Well, for keeping or scrapping it, scrapping it will get you maybe 150 quid max, and its worth way more than that to sell, even knocking off a bit for the to sort list.
As to customising it, why not? To keep it on the road will be a couple of hundred, to do what you've suggested would be a bit more than that, so as you would have to spend money anyway you may as well make it a bit special.
ETA - Its probably worth a good 300 to 400 to the right buyer as it is.
Yup, if this was 6 months down the line, I'd give you £250 As to customising it, why not? To keep it on the road will be a couple of hundred, to do what you've suggested would be a bit more than that, so as you would have to spend money anyway you may as well make it a bit special.
ETA - Its probably worth a good 300 to 400 to the right buyer as it is.
CBR JGWRR said:
Well, for keeping or scrapping it, scrapping it will get you maybe 150 quid max, and its worth way more than that to sell, even knocking off a bit for the to sort list.
As to customising it, why not? To keep it on the road will be a couple of hundred, to do what you've suggested would be a bit more than that, so as you would have to spend money anyway you may as well make it a bit special.
ETA - Its probably worth a good 300 to 400 to the right buyer as it is.
Yup, if this was 6 months down the line, I'd give you £250 As to customising it, why not? To keep it on the road will be a couple of hundred, to do what you've suggested would be a bit more than that, so as you would have to spend money anyway you may as well make it a bit special.
ETA - Its probably worth a good 300 to 400 to the right buyer as it is.
The bandit was bought with the intention of just that, but it works out more expensive to run..
60mpg versus the bandit 45mpg (I do 35 miles a day so slowly adds up)
Chain, sprockets & tyres all considerably cheaper for the ER5
The more i think about it, the more i steer towards option 3 and playing around with it
60mpg versus the bandit 45mpg (I do 35 miles a day so slowly adds up)
Chain, sprockets & tyres all considerably cheaper for the ER5
The more i think about it, the more i steer towards option 3 and playing around with it
This reminds me of the choice I have with my current commuter bike, a desperately tired 650 V Strom. I bought it cheap and have used it daily for the last 5 years with the bare minimum of maintenance. The idea was to run it until it was no longer financially viable, scrap/ebay it and then repeat with something similar. It was very much a head decision, heart had nothing to do with it.
The problem is over the years I have become more attached to it than I care to admit, while the miles rack up and the condition worsens. I'm now at the point when I need to invest circa £500 on essentials or get rid as per my original plan.
If the money bought me another couple of years use I'd consider it well spent but it would also make a useful dent in purchasing it's replacement. I reckon I'll end up spending the cash and try and get some more time out of the old girl but may live to regret it.
The problem is over the years I have become more attached to it than I care to admit, while the miles rack up and the condition worsens. I'm now at the point when I need to invest circa £500 on essentials or get rid as per my original plan.
If the money bought me another couple of years use I'd consider it well spent but it would also make a useful dent in purchasing it's replacement. I reckon I'll end up spending the cash and try and get some more time out of the old girl but may live to regret it.
OP, if you've got a TL1000S and an SV650 for fun, what role is the Bandit fulfilling? And what is the SV650 for, surely the TL1000S is like the SV, but better in every way? If you're struggling to come to a decision on keeping your commuter bike roadworthy, sell the Bandit at the least, as it's redundant, and invest the money into the ER5. I wouldn't "Streetfighter" it, because it will just be less comfortable and practical.
Nooo... turn it into a cheap racebike !
http://www.thundersportgb.com/index.php/classes-20...
Don't forget to budget for a brolly dolly too
http://www.thundersportgb.com/index.php/classes-20...
Don't forget to budget for a brolly dolly too
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