To restore or not to restore - that is the question

Keep it going,a bit of smoke counts as character,as long as it keeps sparking. Patina is cool, If I wanted to look young again I would need a facelift and a wig, and look a right twonk!.

Much depends on just what you want the bike for. Some just love torestore a bike and look at it as a fine bit of engineering. Some just ride them.Some want to customise them. So many reasons for having a bike.

If your bike is unrestored and original, I would be reluctant to do anything other than make sure it is mechanically sound. Original finishes are becoming rarer and so worth preserving if possible. Don't let anything put you off riding it - it's what they are for.

All of my classic bikes are cosmetically unrestored but mechanicaly sound (I hope), and dont burn oil. They all look fairly standard.

I like the standard looking well used oily rag look. But I understand why some people want to get them pristine and modified.

Just my tupny worth.

They're only original once.

You can restore them many times.

Hi Folks

I have had my 1965 ATLAS for about 12 months now. It is fairly original ( apart from wiring, and a single Mikuni carb ), matching engine and frame numbers etc. It looks like its never been restored - the frame and cycle parts are brush painted in places. The engine seems sound - a bit of smoking from rh cylinder but as far as i know the engine hasn't been messed with at all. I will probably spend a bit of cash this year on the motor - i like to ride it and don't want anything 'letting go' at speed as it all seems original ( and 50 years old ). What do other owners think about further restoration - do the mechanicals and leave cosmetics or go the whole hog an do full restore in due course ? Interested to hear all and any views ;o)

Chris

The thing is do you know its history , and how many miles it on the clock and is the reading the right reading, its 50 years old and nothing on this earth lasts for ever, and has you ride these old machines there wearing out just like you are, and logicly you have to pull the motor out one day, and there fairly easy to strip and rebuild, has for the paint work its obvious its been painted before now has original paint was Synthetic based , only the metallic paints were cellouse based , but its up to you what you deside your the owner now, But if its was me I be thinking on the lines of full rebuild and check what worn out, and try get the original parts old stock stuff if you can , A 1965 Atlas was built at plumbstead and there were one of two colours Black and sliver tank or Black and Red tank , Plumbstead by then were keeping things as simple has they can , has the year after they went bust, but Dennis Poore came to the rescue the rest is now History , yours Anna J

I would not rush into a rebore if the motor is reasonably quiet when hot (they are not a quiet motor!), The smoke may come from a worn guide/seal/head fit. To check this, stop off the oil to the head for a few miles ,

Oily rag condition is so good to see, and restored machines can be rubbish inside; so why waste time and lots of money when you can be on the road? You won't increase its value.My Dommie is untouched because I reckon Norton knew more about engine assembly than I do, so it will stay that way. Not an engine that breaks easily anyway, and if you keep the revs down it never will. Famous last words?

You can soontell what itslife has beenlikeby the conditionas you expose different elements. Spanner rash, driver slots and basic bruising will guide you. Cable integrityclutch pull and all other functions feeling right are far nicer than look right but notchy. Andyoucanalwaystell if it was andelectrician or afitterwho had it. Cobblersand worst shodcomesto mind !

If its not reliable and there aresigns of failure immanent, dealwith it in the whole. Ifits basically sound andfunctionalthatisthebest way to keep it.

I have a lowsmoking left cylinder on a 650SS, it's smokedthroughFrance, Ireland and Isle of Man,butsoundssweet as anut. Mylatest isclean, not prettybutvery functional...