I'm in the middle of my 72 Interstate restoration, I'm trying to keep it fairly original but when I see some minor improvements that can be made with out being to obvious I make the changes such as
Stainless spokes
Boyer Ign
Britts mod to the crankcase
Amal Premier carbs
adjustable Isolastics
transmission layshaft bearing , clutch pushrod seal.
spin on oil filter kit
Tach drive seal
Would these modifications be considered butchery for a restoration?
or should the bike be restored with its original problems?

depends if you're building it to ride or to show

Very practical hidden upgrades everyone and you will appreciate but those that just want one like factory issued with the maintenance routines that makes owner feel so needed. Don't worry you will still be needed just not as often or tedious to do.
Now if ya go adding signals and two mirror that'd be stepping over the Combat line in the sand. World has changed in tires and fuel since Combats sold so just part of keeping up in modern times. Thank goodness didn't come with linked leather belt drive.

madass140 wrote:Would these modifications be considered butchery for a restoration?

Yes.

madass140 wrote:I
Britts mod to the crankcase ?

Butchery

ok, I'll stop caling my project a restoration , its just another butchered rebuild, I can sleep easy now.

I wouldn't do a restoration without the mods unless it's for a concourse bike, but I would never do a concourse bike. So there, it's up to you, do you want it in original leaky condition or a reliable rider?

Nearly all of my mods are not visible, it looks like it's off the show room floor, less the leaks, points, some stainless hardware, you could even put on a belt drive primary and not tell.

Dave
69S

I think your list is fine and adds sensible improvements. Personally for a restoration, if the mods are on the inside then does it really matter? I suspect more than a few "trailer queens" that show at concourse events have empty motor cases!

Mick

Looking at aircraft , you tend to up rate the odd thing from time to time, as it beats walking . Dont Trudge it , Rudge it .

Early 70s cars seldom had radiator catch tanks or dual circuit brakes ( pommy ones , anyway ) hardly fit for use , better to
even the odds durability / performance wise . The neigbours will get used to it .

But , for a 1903 whizzer , the only original 1903 whizzer is a original 1903 whizzer .

I guess you could also call an over restored bike butchery. but sensible mods IMHO is an evolutionary thing for a good rider to be dependable.

Some feel the Old Britts mod to the Combat crankcase is butchery. Controversial. There is a danger that circulating chunks of metal could get sucked up right into the oil pump gears. Would check into the Windy version or the Dyno Dave version which tend to minimize that problem. I plan to do the Dyno Dave version on mine the next time I have it apart after talking to him and looking at it at the Empire Rally last summer. There is plenty of info in the past threads on this topic.

On my own bike I have done some mods but everything is reversible in case some future fanatic wants to put it back to the questionable (crappy) original state where things break off and the handling is dangerous. I'm somewhere in between the leave it stock brigade and the "It's my bike and I'll do what I want" group but probably closer to the stock side.

When you find a true survivor that is still all stock, it is butchery to turn it into a custom. Luckily those are really hard to find.

Russ

The question you have to ask is - if the bike had been in continous use by an owner, how many of those 'updates', 'upgrades', 'changes' or 'modifications' would have been done by an owner. ?
As improvements become available, or required, folks use them.
So the answer is probably most of them...

BTW, original bikes are none too hard to find. ?
This pic of USA bikes ready for sale/export appeared last week. Fair old mix there.
Someone is doing a lively trade in original bikes...

madass140 wrote:ok, I'll stop caling my project a restoration , its just another butchered rebuild, I can sleep easy now.

You can call it a restoration if you like, it's YOUR bike.

The Commando gestapo are getting a bit too thick these days.

Sweet dreams, and post lots of pix.

[quote="batrider"]Some feel the Old Britts mod to the Combat crankcase is butchery. Controversial. There is a danger that circulating chunks of metal could get sucked up right into the oil pump gears.

The stock '72 condition before the Old Britts mod has the potential to suck metal bits into the oil pump gears. That's the condition mine was in when I bought it before doing the oil pick up and breather mod.