I've just been to look over this bike just up the road:
It's an honest machine, 65k miles, ABS isn't functioning (but I think it just needs resetting), recent new battery, asking price is £1,000.
It's been used as a daily commuter for the past four years and has suffered cosmetically.
Fairing is damaged where it's had a lie down.
Quite a few stainless fasteners in place:
Now my quandary is this:
The asking price is realistic for anyone who wants to use it exactly as the vendor has, as a commuter hack.
I'm not overly fond of the 8-Valve K100 and ordinarily I wouldn't really consider one (nothing really wrong with them, I just think that the 16-Valve models are enough of an improvement to justify preferring them to the earlier machines).
Now the SE has two things that make it worth some consideration: The 'S' forks and the bellypan. The forks are not as good as the next generation but they are a huge improvement over the earlier un-braced versions. Yes I'm superficial enough to think that the underside of the K motor is a visual mess, that whoever signed off the idea that they could be sold without it being covered should never be forgiven.
If the bike wasn't quite as cosmetically challenged, I'd be happy to pay the price and do whatever needed as a rolling restoration.
To do what is needed to save an SE the price is double what I'm prepared to pay - given that the two-tone paint job will cost lots to set right (the rest is just labour intensive and my time is free). The black transmission etc all needs stripping and re-painting, the frame is very bad under the tail unit and the white wheels need a total re-spray. All jobs that take time but are relatively easy.
I could pay the price and the bike would make a good basis for a "street-fighter" project but I'm a bit reluctant to do that to an SE (even though I'm not a great fan of the colour scheme) and recover some of the price by flogging off the fairing.
The owner has just been diagnosed with epilepsy, hence the sale. He has a Triton undergoing a full, detailed and beautiful restoration. The RS has a new MoT but is SORN'd.
I've told him that I need some time to consider the options.
What to do?
It's an honest machine, 65k miles, ABS isn't functioning (but I think it just needs resetting), recent new battery, asking price is £1,000.
It's been used as a daily commuter for the past four years and has suffered cosmetically.
Fairing is damaged where it's had a lie down.
Quite a few stainless fasteners in place:
Now my quandary is this:
The asking price is realistic for anyone who wants to use it exactly as the vendor has, as a commuter hack.
I'm not overly fond of the 8-Valve K100 and ordinarily I wouldn't really consider one (nothing really wrong with them, I just think that the 16-Valve models are enough of an improvement to justify preferring them to the earlier machines).
Now the SE has two things that make it worth some consideration: The 'S' forks and the bellypan. The forks are not as good as the next generation but they are a huge improvement over the earlier un-braced versions. Yes I'm superficial enough to think that the underside of the K motor is a visual mess, that whoever signed off the idea that they could be sold without it being covered should never be forgiven.
If the bike wasn't quite as cosmetically challenged, I'd be happy to pay the price and do whatever needed as a rolling restoration.
To do what is needed to save an SE the price is double what I'm prepared to pay - given that the two-tone paint job will cost lots to set right (the rest is just labour intensive and my time is free). The black transmission etc all needs stripping and re-painting, the frame is very bad under the tail unit and the white wheels need a total re-spray. All jobs that take time but are relatively easy.
I could pay the price and the bike would make a good basis for a "street-fighter" project but I'm a bit reluctant to do that to an SE (even though I'm not a great fan of the colour scheme) and recover some of the price by flogging off the fairing.
The owner has just been diagnosed with epilepsy, hence the sale. He has a Triton undergoing a full, detailed and beautiful restoration. The RS has a new MoT but is SORN'd.
I've told him that I need some time to consider the options.
What to do?
