I thought I recognized this model of motorcycle when I came across the auction here on eBay, and sure enough, our own Scotty G. had written up a beautiful one a little over a year ago. This one is nowhere near as nice as that one, but it is a genuine barn find and bidding is only up to $50 with no reserve at this point (there are three days to go, however). The little bike can be picked up in Davison, Michigan if you’re the lucky bidder. Scotty, that’s not that far from you!
As you might expect from the current bid, the little 149 cc bike isn’t ready for the road just yet. The seller says there is compression and the engine does turn over. I’m sure the new owner will want to perform a complete fuel system clean out.
I love the emblem on the side of this cycle. The bike’s very 60s styling really appeals to me! Isn’t this cool!
The seller does tell us that it’s missing some parts. You will definitely need a replacement exhaust system. Luckily, there’s a set of headers for all of $15 here on eBay. I sure wish parts for my cars were that inexpensive! Hmmmmm.
Now the electrics look to be pretty much of a mess, and I’m guessing that hose sticking up should be connected to something. But if the price stays anywhere close to where it is ($50 without a reserve as I write) who cares! Scotty, are you going to leave this one for the readers, or are you going to snap it up?
It’s nice that there’s a set of headers in eBay for this bike, but expect the parts supply to dry up long before you’re done getting it back together. Even 20 years ago, getting a part for any ’60s Japanese bike but Honda was a unicorn hunt. Now even Hondas are almost impossible To get parts for. But if anybody can manage it, this should be a fun little ride.
I agree on the frustrating hunt for parts. I spent 10 years collecting parts for a 50’s Italian touring bike. I took building a website on the company and an Italian connection to get the job done. The satisfaction of it being restored and finished means not going on the internet everyday looking for parts.
I just finished rebuilding a ’79Yamaha XS750 triple. Luckily for me, this bike and motor has a following. There were websites (Mikes XS) that carried those impossible parts. If I did this again, it would have to be a bike that collectors really like so repo and original parts can still be had. I call this one Frankenbike.
Nice work, Stuckin2nd! I have a 1978 Yamaha XS750E that I’ve had for 35 years and my fuel shutoff valve lever was broken off. I looked for one for years in the pre-internet days. I should give MikesXS a try, thanks for the tip!
Sadly, vintage motorcycle restoring/collecting has gone the same way as with cars. Most of what is for sale is either junk or over-priced, dubious “restorations”, there is no middle ground. Parts are increasingly difficult to find, with many suppliers having closed down. The guys who actually know what they are talking about are mostly retired, and there are too many know nothings out there who think the parts they have are worth the price of a small Caribbean island.
My older brother had one of these back in ’64. He rode it for a couple thousand miles then something went wrong in the transmission. It went back to the dealer where it languished for most of the riding season. Dad stopped in one day to talk to the store owners/salesmen, and came home with a brand new X6 Hustler. I was riding by then and that new bike definitely went like Jack, the Bear. But I had more of a soft spot for that blue 150. I’ll always remember the ‘instant’ electric start; push the button and it was running….
I’m somewhat surprised there isn’t more interest in this one, vintage rice is really popular with the hipsters right now. Then again, without a phone app they wouldn’t have a clue on how to restore it.
Nice little survivor bike there. I have a lot of Honda’s and two strokes…..parts are available on ebay all the time….
Yeah, it’s not as bleak a picture as some make it out to be parts wise. If you want pristine NOS parts for a complete factory restoration that might be the case but if you just want to keep one running then eBay is your friend.
I own a 1966 Suzuki K10, ( 80cc) with exactly this styling.
https://d3h6k4kfl8m9p0.cloudfront.net/stories/wCP1Hrqa5wpnFCjavklh5g.jpg
It was my childhood bike, and we beat the crap out of it. It sat in my brothers barn for years, until one day, I wanted to see if it would run. The motor was stuck, so filled it with PB Blaster, , nothing, so I warmed up the cylinder with a propane torch, it moved. After several kicks, it started, and ran exactly like it did before being put in the barn. Not the fastest thing, but it taught me the basics of motorcycling, ( with a few tumbles) and still ride motorcycles 50 years later. Parts are a funny thing. Turns out, I can buy just about anything for that bike through ebay, but not sure I’d want to. It was fine when I was 14, but not much fun today. This is just a parts bike for someone, and by today’s standards, not the best motorcycle to share the road with some honcho pickup.
Jamie, that’s pretty tempting but I have a minibike restoration taking up a corner of the garage as we speak, and another car being worked on, and, and, and..
Saterday I became the proud owner of this bike. Took it home to find a well preserved survivor with everything working and a fresh tank of gas away from running. Fires right up runs smooth, 117psi in each side.
Terrific, Devin! Be sure and post a picture when you can!