A Project Bike...

[Renegade]

OK, here's the dealio.

I have a friend (a stupid friend) but a friend none the less.  Last year he bought this Honda 599 Hornet, also known as the CB600F, or the Hurricane depending on where it's being sold.

He was new to bikes, not sure the dude rode a bicycle when he was a kid.  Very uncoordinated.  Then he wrecked it.  He's giving up biking.  (a good idea)

But has this 599 just sitting going to waste:

Well not really to waste but it's just sitting.   Best I can figure is it's $1600 in parts (Honda retail, which includes a arm and leg for a tank).  Probably $500-600 if I'm patient and pick and choose of ebay.

All the damage appears to be cosmetic, the tank, plastic around the seat, foot peg, mirrors, headlight, etc. 

I couldn't get it started tonight, the battery was dead and didn't have facilities to jump it.  It hasn't been started since he wrecked in March.

The front looks straight but I'm a little iffy on the wheel.  No center stand so I couldn't spin it and check (yet).

So if I could grab this cheap, like $700 cheap and put less than a grand in it I'd be OK.   I'd have a nice fun play bike, perhaps even a decent starter bike for my son.

It's a 600 supposed to have 100HP.  I rode it before he crashed it and it felt like 50/60HP to me.  It ran fine, but didn't feel like I *thought* it should have felt so I'm a bit skeptical.

The other catch is that it has a rebuilt salvage title, which means it's been wrecked before.  He bought it from his cousin for $2500 last fall.  So it's been wrecked before.  When I rode it, it was OK, but definitely felt a little tweaked, but the rear could have easily been out of line.  It wasn't bad but if you let go of the bars it would fall to one side.

So I'm on the fence.  He feels he'll get $800-$1000 on craigslist or ebay.   I'm definitely not going above $700 for it.

It could be a fun project for my son and I to rebuild together.  But I also don't want a nightmare.

What do you think?

[Gar]

Hmmm.....interesting. Could be fun.

[1nakidbandit]

I would take the seat and the rear cowl off of it and make a templete of one side of the rear sub frame. Then use it to check the other side. I'm don't have the bike but looking at the pics it appers to me that the rear sub frame may be bent. That is a cheap way to check it.

I fyou want a good starter bike I have a Kaw 500 that is in great shape. I will have the top end finished in a week or two. I have all the body but I don't have a gas tank.

Just a thought

Mark

[Renegade]

I'm going to pick it up tonight, strip it down (it's basically a naked so I don't have to do too much).

and inspect all the welds, and make a template as suggested.

If it's bent, it's not worth it, if it isn't, I think I'm gonna give it a go.  :0

[Renegade]

Well so far so good, sort of.

Dad and I picked this up yesterday  (still no commitment to buy it)...

I spent a couple hour playing with it last night.

Got the tank off (which is warped pretty badly). 
- Did finally get it started but it would only idle with the choke on, any throttle input would stall it.   It's been sitting since March so the carbs are probably jacked and need cleaning.
- I got the headlight straightened out, so that's a $100 item off the list.
- Bars are straight, and the forks/tripple clamp seem fine but I'm going to pull them and make sure they are straight when I can find some time.

this bike doesn't have a center stand.  I borrowed dads motorcycle jack, but the bottom of this bike isn't exactly flat so that's barely helpful.

I need a set of stand...

I'm also working from the assumption that I can check the frame with a string from the head set and measuring to various points on both sides to check for straightness.

Let me know if I'm off base there.

-MD

[1nakidbandit]

sounds like your right on time.

I have a set of stands if you want them.

Mark

[Renegade]

Well at the end of the day, I've decided to pass on this wrecked POS.

After further review, the front wheel and one rotor are bent.  Wheel could possibly be saved but at the end of the day the ROI for this thing just doesn't compute.

It is twisted in the front, I suspect the triple, and maybe the forks too, could be the head tube, but in any event when you add it all up, plus the whole salvage title issue and it's a bust.

so it's going back...

whew.  HUGE time-suck averted.

-MD

[Renegade]

Oh, FWIW, if'n someone is interested in this thing, it can be had for...

wait for it...

$300.

Worth that if you plan to rebuild it and ride it, be it on the track or what ever, but not worth it if you're thinking of buying to resell.

I still have it and will for a week or two and would even help deliver it.

-MD