Re: One small step

crn@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx writes:

The Older Gentleman <totallydeadmailbox@xxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
<crn@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:


What is wrong with a good honest classic in unmolested condition?.

Nothing. Hence the 400 Four in my sig.

To be honest, I can appreciate both points of view. An as-new classic
shows you what it was, when it came out of the factory. Something to be
looked at, pored over, admired.

Yebbut why the fashion for better-than-new.
None of those machines had stainless rims and spokes, none of the alloy
engine castings were polished --- etc -- etc.

Because there is no flipping point to use the same *** materials if you
invest the time to restore something properly. Pretty much all bikes
were built down to a price so if you can improve on it and more
importantly, preempt another restoration in 20-odd years again, why not
do so?

I use stainless steel fasteners and have wheels rebuilt with stainless
steel spokes because from a usability perspective, they knock the socks
off the alternatives and I don't give a toss about the rivet counter
brigade.

How much of the original bike remains ?, I suspect that many should be
treated as modern replicas with a few old bits rather than historic machines.

Ah, you're a paid-up member of the "I'll wipe it over with an oily rag
once a year if it needs it or not" brigade then?

Slightly more seriously, if it's a nice classic bike in good original
condition - what the Americans call a survivor car/bike - then I can see
your point in keeping as many original parts as possible and cleaning it
up rather than restoring it, but there are very few around like
this. The climate here in the UK isn't exactly conducive to that sort of
thing.

An unrestored working classic in lovely condition is just as much an
object of admiration, but for slightly different reasons. IMHO, of
course.

Very few, of course, will be completely original but at will have had
parts replaced as and when they broke. What remains is a piece of living
history.

In most cases it's a piece of consumer history and there are tons of
them about, so I don't see a problem if people want to restore them to
what you consider better than new condition, given that the 'new
condition' of a lot of them wasn't that much to write home about.

You'll find that historically significant bikes tend to be restored in
such a way that most of the original parts are retained as long as
they're restorable, but these bikes then to end up in museums and not on
the street.

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