[ST] Restoring Patti's Duc

["Allyoop" <allyoop@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Folks,

I've restored a '32 Harley from the ground up (scoring an AMCA Senior First
with it) and brought back a '73 BMW R75/5, '69 BSA Victor Special, '75
Norton Commando, '72 Triumph Bonneville and '73 Kawasaki Mini Trail from
barn find condition to daily runner. I'm as big a sucker for restoration
projects as a street drunk counselor.

A couple of observations about bike restoration:

1) Don't expect to make money. Expect to spend it. It costs more and is
harder to restore a bike nobody knows or cares about than one everybody
likes and wants, because the supply of parts and knowledgeable owners/fans
will be much lower for the oddball. At the end of the process, your
glistening oddball will be worth squat. Your popular bike will be worth
something, but you'll still be $thousands in the hole. I'd put the Duc in
the middle of that range -- nice, but no Vincent.

2) If you love the bike, do it anyway. If your high school honey rode a
Ducati 350 and you had your first romantic experience on the pillion, go for
it. If the image is burned in your mind of that handsome ne'er do well
blasting past as you rode behind your dad in the back seat of the Ford, go
for it. Just remember rule 1.

3) If you enjoy wrenching, polishing, scrounging for parts, strolling swap
meets, haunting eBay and Craig's List, learning Dellorto needle settings and
hobnobbing with others infected with the same disease, go for it. Actually
since you're already on this list, you probably meet this criterion. Doing
it yourself will save a lot of money and teach you plenty. But remember the
rule: you can do it fast, you can do it good, you can do it cheap. Pick two.


4) Have fun. 

5) Does the engine kick over? How's the inside of the gas tank? Got a shop
manual yet? Joined the vintage Duc club? Watch out for the price of chrome.

Walt Greenwood
2000 Sprint ST
1972 Triumph Bonneville
1932 Harley Big Twin
1935 Harley Big Twin (project) 

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