So here is my dilema.I’m on my GPZ 500 which I have had for about 4 years now… I love her as much as the day I bought her, I do not get a lot of mileage on her any more (with new job paying for travel and all). She still runs fine but is looking a little worse for wear.
So I’m thinking of making her pretty again, yes I know if (an if only) I was to sell I would not get the money I put in, but I dont think I will be selling her any time in the near future…
So I know loads of you will say “why it is only a gpz” but hey anyone could say that about any bike.
Go for it dude, strip, clean and rebuild to how you want it. Plus you can have a colour scheme that you really want, and have a really nice plush seat.
I was in the same dilemma - my Hornet really needs doing up - it scrapes through MOTs but it’s getting so tatty it’s just embaressing and sooner or later it’s gonna fail on head bearings or something and the fork seals are perished and will go pop eventually - although it’s a tribute to Honda that the plot has kept together so long after so much abuse, provocation and winter salt.So I sat down and compiled a list of things that needed doing to see the bike good for at least another 20k miles - this included new bearings (head/wheels etc) new seals (brakes, forks + fork oil) new brake lines plus renewing fuel lines and the rad piping as that was getting a bit old too.
Will rebalance the carbs too (maybe carb strip down and soft parts replace if I think it’s necessary).
I then went onto wemoto and totted up the bill for the various seals, bearings etc and compared the refurb bill to the cost of chopping it in for a newer Hornet or Z750 equivalent - it was so much cheaper that I’m gonna refurb + it’s fun.
I’d love to replace the rear shock - but that will put me way over budget and I don’t know that the bike justifies it.
Other stuff will be cosmetic - respray matt black, belly pan.If it’s looking really good I may push the boat out and put on the new rear shock and get an after market can. :)So yeah, I would do it - everyone needs a hack.
I’ve spent years of my life and thousands of pounds turning pigs ears into silk purses. I’m still doing it with this big friggin Victorian pile of sh*t I call home.
Whatever decision you come to there seem to be two simple rules:
1: It will far take longer than anticipated.
2: The budget will disappear long before you have finished.
Make that three simple rules:
It will be dead money. The finished product will be worth much the same when you have finished as if you’d done nowt.
