Building a bike

[jslauer]

I've got a question,

say I just wanted to find a project to do and build a bike. It appears it's possible to build a bike completely from OEM parts (bike bandit) and put a new bike together.

anyone ever done this? I'm sure it's not cheap but it would be a good learning experience.

josh

[KatBusa]

WAY TOO EXPENSIVE. YOU WILL PAY 2.5 TIMES AS MUCH FOT THE PARTS THAN THE BIKE WOULD ACTUALLY COST PLUS YOU DO THE WORK. mOSTLY BECAUSE SUZUKI AND kAWASAKI DO NOT SELL WHOLE ENGINES OR TRANS. YOU WILL HAVE TO BUY EACH AND EVERY PART. THIS IS OF COURSE IF YOUR DOING OEM LIKE YOU STATED!

[Dan Dubeau]

Re: Building a bike

I've got a question,

say I just wanted to find a project to do and build a bike. It appears it's possible to build a bike completely from OEM parts (bike bandit) and put a new bike together.

anyone ever done this? I'm sure it's not cheap but it would be a good learning experience.

josh

Sure it would be a great learning experience. But a better learing experience (economically, and mechanically) would be to goo buy a brand new one, tear it down to every last nut and bolt, then put it back together with your eyes closed. Ok just kindding 'bout doing it blind

[Black_peter]

Actually I looked into that..
I explored building a Bandit 12 off ebay.
Although I'm not sure I would have saved any money..
If you were to do that.. you better know something about bikes first.. At some point you will need to substitute something..
It would be neat to get one as a kit though huh?
Cheaper too!!
(Batteries not included some assmebly required!)

[The CyberPoet]

As a learning tool, buying a non-running or badly-running bike dirt cheap and tearing it down, then replacing only that which may need replacement is a much better (and cheaper) way of doing it. Among other things, you'll see what parts tend to wear down, elongate, etc., plus you'll be starting from an assembled point, so you don't have to scratch your head and go "what was this again?" at the outset. Since labor is the biggest cost in R&R'ing a bike (offically means "remove and replace", but I think of it as repair & refurb), you can even end up with a profit margin from the learning experience

The simpler the engine, the easier it is to learn -- a single cylinder air-cooled bike is probably the simplest place to start...

Cheers,
=-= The CyberPoet