Post by propav8r on Jul 9, 2018 9:17:41 GMT -5
Hi all, I made a little intro post awhile back, but since I've now recovered the bike I was speaking of, I figured I'd start a project thread on the machine.
I first learned of RE5s about 4 years ago when I saw one at a show called Antique Bikes on Main in Chesnee, SC. At the time, I didn't have a motorcycle at all, but I made a note of how interesting and different this machine was. A few years on and I've got three bike builds under my belt, and as with cars, my taste in bikes has run to the strange and eccentric.
I've been on the lookout for an RE5 for some months now. I'm a bit of an odd duck. I prefer to buy a basketcase and bring it back. My reasoning for this is that the bikes I'm working on are 30+ years old anyway. Even if I were to buy a good running bike, I would trust NOTHING about it, and would wind up tearing it apart anyway. Might as well start with a basketcase if you're going to do that.
Anyhow, when my search for RE5 projects turned up precious little in classified ads, I remembered a gentleman I met some years ago named Steve, just over the hill from me in Maggie Valley, NC. Steve is a character, and has one of the largest collections of antique cars and motorcycles that I am personally aware of. I called Steve up and told him what I was looking for, expecting him to give me a tip or a number to call. I figured he had one, but Steve isn't known for selling his collection.
To my surprise, he said he had three. One complete, but project bike, one parts bike, and one complete NOS bike. He told me I should come over and we'd take a look at them.
After a bit of scrambling through a giant barn, we found two RE5s sitting in the same spot that they had occupied for the last 30-odd years. We agreed on $1,000 for the pair (probably overpaying slightly, but a few hundred dollars will be a drop in the bucket on this project overall), and I arranged to come back with a trailer to pick them up.
On Saturday, Steve, myself, and my father spent about 2 hours dragging these bikes out of their resting place. It was a herculean effort for sure, but we got them out and I drug them home.
So the bike is serial number 11316, manufactured 11/74. Steve has the side covers stored in another building we didn't have time to get to since he needed to go pick up a Vincent Black Shadow (rough life lol).
Both motors are locked up. They've been sitting in a drafty barn, but not directly in the elements. I'm hopeful I'll be able to free them up, however, if anyone is interested in trading two locked motors for one good one, let me know.
I'm sure it'll be a few months before I get around to starting work on this bike in earnest. I need to finish a friend's Shadow and my CBX first. Both are pretty straightforward, so I want to get them out of the way before I tear into this beast.
In the meantime, I'll be lurking, reading, and learning about these bikes. Thanks for having me!
Oh, and here's a video on Steve's place if you're interested.
I first learned of RE5s about 4 years ago when I saw one at a show called Antique Bikes on Main in Chesnee, SC. At the time, I didn't have a motorcycle at all, but I made a note of how interesting and different this machine was. A few years on and I've got three bike builds under my belt, and as with cars, my taste in bikes has run to the strange and eccentric.
I've been on the lookout for an RE5 for some months now. I'm a bit of an odd duck. I prefer to buy a basketcase and bring it back. My reasoning for this is that the bikes I'm working on are 30+ years old anyway. Even if I were to buy a good running bike, I would trust NOTHING about it, and would wind up tearing it apart anyway. Might as well start with a basketcase if you're going to do that.
Anyhow, when my search for RE5 projects turned up precious little in classified ads, I remembered a gentleman I met some years ago named Steve, just over the hill from me in Maggie Valley, NC. Steve is a character, and has one of the largest collections of antique cars and motorcycles that I am personally aware of. I called Steve up and told him what I was looking for, expecting him to give me a tip or a number to call. I figured he had one, but Steve isn't known for selling his collection.
To my surprise, he said he had three. One complete, but project bike, one parts bike, and one complete NOS bike. He told me I should come over and we'd take a look at them.
After a bit of scrambling through a giant barn, we found two RE5s sitting in the same spot that they had occupied for the last 30-odd years. We agreed on $1,000 for the pair (probably overpaying slightly, but a few hundred dollars will be a drop in the bucket on this project overall), and I arranged to come back with a trailer to pick them up.
On Saturday, Steve, myself, and my father spent about 2 hours dragging these bikes out of their resting place. It was a herculean effort for sure, but we got them out and I drug them home.
So the bike is serial number 11316, manufactured 11/74. Steve has the side covers stored in another building we didn't have time to get to since he needed to go pick up a Vincent Black Shadow (rough life lol).
Both motors are locked up. They've been sitting in a drafty barn, but not directly in the elements. I'm hopeful I'll be able to free them up, however, if anyone is interested in trading two locked motors for one good one, let me know.
I'm sure it'll be a few months before I get around to starting work on this bike in earnest. I need to finish a friend's Shadow and my CBX first. Both are pretty straightforward, so I want to get them out of the way before I tear into this beast.
In the meantime, I'll be lurking, reading, and learning about these bikes. Thanks for having me!
Oh, and here's a video on Steve's place if you're interested.
