1974 Yamaha SC500 Keep Original or Restore?

[kevino]

I just joined the forum. I have had dirt bikes all of my life. Currently I have a 1974 Yamaha DT 360 that I bought new in 74 and I just
picked up a 1974 Yamaha SC500. My question is this, the SC500 is all original, a few small dents on the tank, the seat is wearing, but
in good shape no real tears but is hard and dried out. The motor, frame, wheels, and shocks are good and all of the yellow plastic is in great shape. Also, this has a pan type spark arrester on it. I've never seen one before. A guy told me that they were used for racing in the woods and then was replaced with a regular silencer for track races. I don't know if this bike has ever been raced.

With all of this being said, is the bike worth more in the long run by leaving it as is, or do I fill the dents on the tank and repaint it back to original and re foam and cover the seat. I just went through the bike mechaniclly and it is sounds and runs strong. Almost scary in a fun kind of way.

I plan on keeping the bike for a while, but I hate to devalue it by restoring it if it's the wrong thing to do.

Please give me your views of this. I need someone elses thoughts.

Thank You

[citabjockey]

If you restore the SC500 as original it *may* increase in value above what a refurbishment would net. That said, anything you do to increase the curb appeal will also increase its value -- its a toss up as to the cost of the upgrade versus the better price you can get for it. How bad is the tank? A fill and paint job of good quality at a shop would cost maybe  3 to 500 -- but may not net you that kind of coin in increased value. A new seat cover, on the other had, is $40 and will certainly make the bike look fresher and is probably a good deal.

I recently resurrected a dead (since 1985) SC500 a year ago and just sold it a couple of months ago. I got the dead bike (with a fragged piston) for free, probably sunk around 700 into it in parts, worked my butt off to do the top end and bottom end rebuild, refurbish the rest of it, then sold it for 1350. I think my labor was valued at about $5 per hour but I sure had fun and it was fun to blast around on "one of the worst dirt bikes ever made" for awhile.

Take a look at this thread:

http://twostrokemotocross.com/forum/index.php/topic,2492.0.html

[kevino]

Thanks for your reply, the bike in the video was a mess. Great job on getting it back to running and looking good. Thank God my bike is in good shape, not 100% but not 30% either. I think I will restore it. I've already put new tires and new fork seals on it and I think it's $500 away from being a really nice looking and running bike. That will be a total of $1700 into it. I may never make money , but it should hold it's value at that. One of my old friends used to say, they just don't make them any more. Well, some cases are more true than others but, he's right. This bike is kind of rare, and there really isn't that many around.

Something about having the power to lift the front wheel in 2nd and 3rd gear without really getting on it is kind of fun, what can I say. You never can have too much money or power, in this case, POWER...

Thanks...

[SachsGS]

A bike is original only once.If the SC is in reasonable condition I would be tempted to leave it unrestored.

[TMKIWI]

I agree with sachs.
If the bike has only minor blemishes and you keep it original, it will always look like it has done low hours.
I find bikes that have been restored and the owner says it has hardly been used............... Well you just never know.

[VintageBlueSmoke]

I guess it depends on what you mean by "restore". Answer these questions for yourself:

Am I going to ride/race it or am I going to display it?

Am I doing this for me or is this a for profit situation? (I fully intend on selling it!)

Whether you race it or display it, you will want to do a restoration - just for different reasons. A race bike you'll depend on so you'll want it to come apart, be cleaned and inspected and have all questionable parts replaced or repaired. A display piece you'll want to do the same if only to make it pretty. Either way, you'll put a lot of "love" into it.

If it is for profit, you'll need to weigh the amount you invest (including your labor) compared to the amount you'll expect to make. I'll tell you, there is little profit in restoring MX bikes. Very few people will pay the cost of a new bike for a gem of a vintage machine - and then only specific brands and models. Yes there are shops that specialize in restorations (Vintage Iron etc.) but most 'dirt bikers' will do it themselves for the same reason you are considering it.

I have a bunch of bikes for me to enjoy. I don't display them and they get put away dirty more than they deserve. My brother, with over 40 bikes, enjoys the hunt and creation of something cool. He collects a lot but everything he intends on selling. He has a couple of race bikes for him to tear up but the rest he rides very few short distances, just up and down the street to ensure they work properly or maybe to have a little fun at Barber or Daytona. Of course his 'race bikes' are nicer than my 'babies'.