Laundry List Article:

https://support.common-motor.com/hc/e...

So you want to buy a vintage motorcycle? Well, we think that is great! We have all been at a point where we bought our first motorcycle. Learning to size up a vintage Honda motorcycle when you go to take a look can be quite the trial and error learning process. It is one that, hopefully, this video better prepares you for. The best place to start when thinking about any vintage motorcycle, whether its a Honda, Suzuki, Kawasaki, Yamaha, or Harley Davidson, is managing your expectations. For the Honda motorcycles we support there are 3 expectations you want to set in your mind.

1. Know your budget
2. Keep in mind these are 50+ year motorcycles.
3. It will always need what we call, "The Laundry List".

Setting and sticking to these expectations will keep you level headed while looking at vintage Honda motorcycle project you really want. With these expectations set, we have narrowed down inspecting a vintage Honda motorcycle to 5 basic categories:

Title - This is perhaps the most important category when looking at a project. It will dictate whether you can actually ride the motorcycle or how much money and hoops you will have to go through to be able to.

Engine - Three things interest us when looking at the engine. First, we want to know if its stuck or not and how the engine feels if it does turn over. Second, we want to know the mileage and just how much wear we are expecting in the engine. Third, we want to look at the physical condition of the engine and if there is any major cracks or leaks to be worried about.

Completeness - When going to look at a motorcycle, its important to take note of what parts are there and more importantly what parts are NOT there. What parts have been changed from stock? All of these details will give you insight into what you may need to track down for the motorcycle, as well as its history with the previous owners.

Physical Condition - There are two sides to physical condition, parts that are easy to replace and parts that are hard to replace. Easy to replace items like headlights, shocks, turn signals are readily available and cheap to buy if they are damaged. Hard to replace items like gas tanks and seats that are torn up or damaged can often add significant costs to your project. Dented tanks and torn seats can also save a lot of money on a project if they do not bother you. Parts can be mechanically sound but physically damaged.

Surface finish - This final category involves alot of personal preference. Most often surface finish will not effect the mechanical reliability of a motorcycle but it can be one of the biggest time and money drains if that is going to be important to you. Things like chrome, paint, and aluminum condition can wrap up large amounts of time in cleaning, refinishing, and painting. It can also be a great way to save money. If you are thinking of doing a full custom paint job on your vintage Honda, buy a motorcycle with great physical condition but maybe awful paint to save from the start.

Hopefully, this video helps you set expectations for the project you are about to get into as well as a basic budget for the motorcycle project you are about to restore. If you purchase a CB175 / CL175 / SL175 / CB200 / CL200 / CB350 / CL350 / SL350 / CB360 / CL360 / CJ360 / CB450 / CL450 / CB500T / CB550 / CB500K / CB550F / CB750 be sure to check out our parts and resources to help get your vintage Honda motorcycle back on the road!

Parts: www.common-motor.com
Resources: https://support.common-motor.com/hc/e...

Contents of this video:

00:00 - Intro
00:31 - So you wanna buy a vintage motorcycle?
00:56 - Setting Expectations
01:53 - Title
03:02 - Engine
05:32 - Completeness
07:00 - Physical Condition
09:14 - Surface Finish
11:30 - Wrap-Up
11:50 - Outro