cost is relative to where you're at.

Quote:

I can get a new bike with that kind of mileage.

Just curious, what's a stator?  

Thanks, I've heard the term, but didn't know.

victorbsa wrote on 01/29/14 at 11:54:42:


I've seen these bikes at $1500-1800 that hadn't blown it's load as you. described.  I mean if he's going for a couple of hundred and you find a motor, all day and day.  That said and done, everything I've seen and read says with the right love, they will run for quite some time.  But if it was ridden hard and put away wet, the work involved would be more than the bike is worth.  And depending on the year, that may be $1500.

I do not know what i would sell my bike for because with 53,000 miles on it, it actually is cleaner than new. (2003). it has never leaked oil anywhere and not blowing smoke and runs quietly. It should have maybe blown up long ago because I'm still on my second cam chain and the only oil I have ever used is cheap auto oil from Wal-Mart. I do like to use Castro 50 wt oil and to be fair, I guess I use it more often than not but the cheap stuff at 50 wt seems to work well in my bike. I just change it every 1,000 to 1,500 miles. But for less than $7 for 2 qts,you can. I am getting ready to install the Vers mod but still not sure until I open it up if it is really needed as of yet. Runs too smooth and quiet. I have adjusted the valves twice in all of those miles and I just checked them and they are dead on. I would like to get at least 75,000 or more before I have to do any engine repairs. Been pretty lucky but it seems to run as strong and as quiet as the day I bought it off the show room floor. Now I have to go knock on wood!

After all the replies to my engine life questions ,I started taking eng. apart.The cam chain,as stated broke when the guy I bought it from was driving it. It also had half a link broke in another spot. The poor guy paid $900 for the bike with 25k on it. He only rode it 2 months before it fell apart. The cam chain was also worn and chewed up on one side. The head also had marks from the chain rubbing on it some how. I had several triumph 500 singles in the 70"s so these jap over head cam engines are greek to me! I have to admit it seems far superior to any of the old english bikes I ever had. I have fallen in love with it after only riding it a couple miles.My goal is to make it as close to my old triumph (in appearance and performance ) as possible. I don't care for the rear controls RYCA offers but everything else they got is really sharp. I would like to make the foot pegs in the middle some how, as well as making the bike look like a scrambler...hi exhaust pipe and kenda dual sport tires. Does anyone got a line on different pipes for these bikes? as cool as RYCA pipes are they are very expensive ,or I'm cheap??
I also asked RYCA about making the bobber,but using the stock rear shocks instead of the ridge frame . Or making the street tracker using the stock gas tank (or even the sportster looking bobber tank) instead of there modified kit tank. They don't seem very helpful with deviating from their kits. though it would bring the price down quite a bit just using your own tank.
Does anyone have a pic of the RYCA cafe or tracer with a stock or sportster tank on it?

Thank you all for your replies! I learned more from you guys in a couple days than I would have ever figured out on my own. It's really nice to have a place where everyone has the same bike and ideas.

One last question..If I can find a low milage eng. would a stage one cam, and a mikuni carb make a big differance in performance, with out going crazy with money? I want to keep the large single eng no matter what
Thanks

My recommended order of engine improvements would be, in order of cost and amount of  labor required:

1)    Muffler and carb jetting.
2)    Cam
3)    Open up donut at exhaust port a little bit.
4)    Mikuni VM36 Carb
5)    Wiseco and cylinder bore.

The items 2, 4 and 5 can be interchanged a bit....depending on the condition of your engine and carb.  If your engine has a bad carb, then adding the Mikuni instead of replacing it with a stock carb makes sense.  Same for the Wiseco - if your stock rings and piston are worn then you might as will upgrade to the Wiseco.  The carb alone does not make a huge difference in performance - but the engine does become a little faster to respond to throttle changes and the backfire issue behaves a little different.  The Stage 1 cam work well with the stock piston and carb and the engine runs a bit better with it and the fuel mileage does not suffer much.  The Wiseco is listed last not because it offers the least amount of improvement (I actually feel it might offer the most improvement) - but it is very labor intensive and does require the engine to be out of the frame, and some expensive gaskets.