So.......I Bought A Turd And I Blame You Guys

You are welcome.

Not at all! Heck, my wife might even get on the back of that if I kept the paint

Yeah well, looks as if the PO was secure in manhood or maybe, just maybe a gir…er, a female, then it would be okay or, more okay, nah, no it wouldn’t, that’s borderline, the other side of borderline okay.

But you did say something about it being long term project due to funds and yeah, if you need stuff quick then you often pay too much. The range I’ve paid on the used market varies dramatically as do sale prices for same items (used) in these pure marketplaces. It really comes down to the right eyes viewing what is being sold. I’ve made some great buys but have paid too much at times in retrospect. Right now? In todays times? It turns out to be not a bad hedge and yeah, they are gaining in value but we are in a lull right now after that last feeding frenzy plus all the other noise. Did you see the prices these old bikes were getting last spring into summer? Unrealish, but also understandable. 

Met a guy off of CL that exports bikes and he had a huge metal building with old KZs, Hondas, mostly but others as well. He was a very busy person, advertising on CL, and traipsing all over within whatever radius, to pick up bikes on a large flatbed trailer, you’ve seen them posts.  If I had to guess, 400 bikes in that dimly lit place on the dirt floor, all waiting for the shipping to resume (during Covid)so they can go back home, back to Japan because they love and revere them and likely like them more because they were worldlier than they likely will be and had some patina. The bike he had listed (on eBay) was a 76 KZ900, I was thinking $1400 would be my max. Now, he’s 45 mins away and I set that cap. Wrong! The bike went for $5200 from a guy in Calif and it was beater. I kid you not. I saw it and the others up close. Value is mere perception/want - the ability to pay. The bike was going back to Japan. Both are exporters. So Americas bikes are gaining value mostly because of this and companies like AC/Sanctuary stoking the fire. 

You have a finite resource that others (all over the world) desire so it’s supply and demand and again, in a world where values are in flux, not a bad hedge in my opinion.

As long as you aren’t in hurry.

And as for me, if asked, I never saw that “livery”. Strip it, blast it, sand it, whatever it takes. It’s bad enuf that it will live on online likely forever. Super bad karma, but then again, earlier I was on Ridesafely.youknowwhat and most of those are worse. 








 

If it were me, I'd KEEP the paint and most of the patina and add a bunch of superbike flavor:  performance shocks, forks, fork brace, box swingarm, brakes, CR carbs, superbike bars, rearsets, get a yoshi exhaust, and throw on some number plates at the back.

you'd have a super cool, wild looking bike.
 

Send the body set to Kounts Kustoms in Las Vegas and have that dude with the spiked hair paint a bunch of skulls within the flowers and now you have something!

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Send the body set to Kounts Kustoms in Las Vegas and have that dude with the spiked hair paint a bunch of skulls within the flowers and now you have something!

 

That would be Horny Mike. I see him randomly at a local bar. 

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Whatever! Lol. Looks really complete. A few wrong parts but that’s ok. These first year 1000’s are gaining in value. 

Yeah wrong headlight and seat also missing rear fender, turn signals, and the inside of the gas tank looks pretty rough and I hope it cleans up, overall not in bad shape the rims are in very good condition. Last plated in 2005 with a fairly low Vin. #  but still a 77 A1

Any of you guys that like the paint hit me up and I'll send you my paypal address we can make a deal on the complete body kit......

 

Here’s proof it’s possible 


 

Dan's radio style at On The Fringe likes to sprinkle powdered sugar on it but some you just can't save. 
Steve

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Here’s proof it’s possible 

 

Working on the turd polishing, round one is done with many more to go.

Starting to look good!  Have you started cleaning the carbs yet?