Restoration or Preservation

[wayne]

I'm leaning towards preservation these days (or am I just getting lazy). If you can find the right bike that is.

I was very lucky to be able to buy this bike from Jess at Rotary Recycle. I cannot take credit for its condition as I didn't do any restoration.

It was thorougly cleaned after I got it, brakes rebuilt, bearings regreased etc and I have fitted a handful of NOS bits (3 engine cases and the radiator grill). But the finish is all original. Jess stored the bike for me until I was ready to ship and I can't thank him enough for the opportunity.

Look how dull the waterpump cover looks. Well, it's NOS and in perfect condition. When I look at it against my ground up restos it shows me how far off from factory they are.

Thank you RR !

Wayne

[ap951]

I wouldn't call that lazy Wayne, it takes a lot of dedication, patients & tenacity....

I would call that authentic

very well done

Bill

[bdalameda]

One thing I appreciate after seeing many many restorations on bikes that I had actually worked on when they were new back in the 70's. I alway notice the restorations that are done to match the original way the bikes looked when they were new. What I mean by this is that the cases are polished the way the bikes came from the factory and the paint was done with a slight orange peel to replicate the stock finish. When I see a bike that has been over polished, with cases, wheels and forks that look like chrome, the hubs fully polished with the casting finish taken off and the paint buffed out and applied so thick - these restorations just do not look right. I also see this with the chrome work as well. I remember what these bikes looked like new so I appreciate an original unrestored bike or a restoration that keeps things looking original - It takes more time to keep things looking as original as possible. It is hard sometimes to know when to stop when it comes to polishing or painting. Dan

[wayne]

Interesting Dan. I went to a lot of trouble with my GS750 to replicate an "as new" finish. It has a lot of NOS cases that are still plastic coated, NOS chrome which does not have a mirror finish and an NOS tank complete with orange peel and the worst paint you've ever seen on the fuel door. Out on the street, Joe public doesn't even notice it and they crowd around the mirror finishes. At the shows, fortunately other restorers understand what was attempted.

But it can be very difficult. I took my original springs to a chrome plater, showed him the very rough finish and asked if he could replicate it. He refused to allow that quality of work to leave his shop as it would ruin his reputation. So you end up with mirror finish chrome. I no longer rechrome springs and use another method because what you get from modern processes just isn't right.

But of course depends what you want. If you want the "show bike" look, that's fair enough.

Wayne

[redbug2]

How timely. I'm trying not to get depressed over my restoration attempt. Yesterday my brother-in-law sent me this link: www.jeffweier.com/ his stuff that is beyond perfect. I'm deflated. I'm just not there, my youngest daughter is a freshman in college and the tuition is crushing me. Can't afford chrome. Plus, I don't think I would want to chrome everything. I want it as close to stock as possible. Check out Jeff's misc photos, he has pictures of an RE-5 that I think has more shine than a stock RE-5. Or this pic, is this stock or has it been plated? www.jeffweier.com/Other/Misc-Photos/20743359_8htZgh#!i=1646212576&k=HNhzSNT&lb=1&s=A

Wayne Your 76 looks fantastic.

I'm trying to fix my 75 up for a show in March, pictures due in 1 week, I just don't think I can make it... plus, I don't think it will be good enough... It's clean now, all of the grease is gone, but was heavily oxidized when I bought it. I've brought it a long way but its still so far away from Waynes un-restored 76... Though, I have learned along the way, I would do things differently if I had to do it all over (And I may still do it all over)

It's such a personal thing to put something in a show. I'm an amateur artist and I put things in shows, and its very personal. But, this is so different, to me its even harder, people know what an RE-5 looks like, or any nice restored bike. They can compare. Maybe I should just lighten up and throw it in the show...

Regards,

redbug2

[ziggystardust]

Got to agree with the above posts, you can overdo a restoration.

I was talking to one of the judges at Stafford last year (big U.K. event) and he told me that's exactly what they were looking for, not something that you have to wear sun glasses before you can look at it.

Great photos too Wayne, a refreshing change from some of the pics I've seen on here.

Z

[wayne]

Thanks for the comments fellas.

Those links Redbug, I believe I have a friend who bought one of those restos (Chris ??). I recognise the photo backgrounds. It is a spectacular trail bike resto.

A neighbour of mine is just finishing a sandcast CB750. When I saw the forks, I thought they were NOS. But he's found a guy who polishes to what is very close to original. I have his contact details and am yet to speak to him but I believe it's all by hand and using only wet and dry. Then he lacquers. Has that subdued, slightly brushed finish very close to original.

Wayne

Wayne

[hunter]

Hello Wayne and everyone,

Would be nice to have a pristine or concourse resto bike. Some times I get a little envious of some of the wonderful looking RE5's, But then also I am satisfied to have an original weathered bike. I have to be because most of my bikes are not restored.
I don't think I will restore my A model. After restoring a GT750 with so much work and expense I don't know if I want to tackle another large Janenese bike.
I tell everyone that I am not taking it to a 5 star resturant so it is in its working clothes.
Having said that I do have an 83 GTX 750 Katana basket case donated to me. Not sure what will become of it at this time.

Another few weeks will see me complete a Suzi 72 TS250. This one is near concourse. Small trali bike much easier but still lot of work.

[Al Corelli]

Interesting and timely.

The areas of the hobby (for lack of a better name) have room for all types of "restorations".

I am currently in Florida at a Corvette judging event held by the local chapter of the NCRS (National Corvette Restorer's Society). In this club, cars are RESTORED to original condition. They are to be presented to the judging field in the exact condition (or appearing to be) they were in, the day the new car dealer handed over the keys.
Any overpolishing, incorrect coloring, wrong bolt head marking or part configuration is grounds for point loss.

Anything deviating from "factory typical" is grounds for discussion and evetually points loss.

So, when I see a bike that has been "restored" with shiny castings, the word I use to describe it is not "restored".

I have nothing against any of these "deviations from stock", in fact, I love a bike taken to its limit of finish quality. The hours of work and sweat put into these bikes is outstanding. I truly appreciate them as well as I do a bike with full aging and patina. My opinion of the car and bike hobby is that we are preserving these machines for the future generations. We are just custodians. How many times has any of us purchased an old car or bike from an older gentleman that had a tear in his eye as he watched his old love roll away on a trailer? I remember being asked on many occasions to take care of the "baby". "Send pictures when it is finished", "could you bring it by when its done?", etc. I keep at least a mental history of each vehicle to pass on to the next guy (although I rarely sell)

The RE5 in my care will be preserved with its patina that it has earned in the barn in Texas since 1985. I'll clean it up, and it will be mechanically perfect (gotta order that carb and radiator, Jess), and I will ride that bike and enjoy it, while keeping it up for future generations.

[wayne]

"Anything deviating from "factory typical" is grounds for discussion and evetually points loss."

I like your use of this phrase in your judging criteria. People get too hung up about what exact colours were etc. The factory itself varied due to individual subcontractors. Factory "typical" is a much more encompassing and realistic benchmark.

Wayne

[Al Corelli]

There are many heated discussions about what is actually factory typical. We have judging manuals for each year that cover all areas of the cars, but there are known mistakes in these manuals. The 1963 manual has been under the care of an ornery old bastard for years. Despite having corrections from people who were THERE when the cars were built, he refuses to see the light, and each edition rolls out with the same crap in it. How many cars have been restored to these incorrect specifications? Countless.

[wayne]

Yes, I've seen some recent examples of "not letting the facts get in the way of long held beliefs" when it comes to assessing originality.

How many examples do you need before someone might concede that it is possible that they came out of the factory like this and not like how I thought.

The classic car restoration scene sounds awfully scarey. Bike judging down here in Australia is still very early days. No such thing as judging manuals.


Wayne

[pmcburney]

Geez Wayne, you scalped the grass a bit in that first pic...


The rest of the lawn and garden looks quite nice though - good work!

[wayne]

Bringin' out the tree hugger in you are we McB ??

[hrdrckclmr]

I had a 71 t500 that was original and an AMCA judge that was buddys with the VJMC head judge at our show counted off for the tank paint because you could see where they taped the two tone and that the chrome wasn't polished "slick" enough. we went round and round about that and other original bikes that he said weren't "good" enough, most of us told him to go back to fondling hardleys