Parts vs Bike

Stephen Hill · Dec 18, 2011

Is the value of a Commando greater when it is all together, or parted out? I see some silly asking prices for parts, yet the prices on complete bikes seems pretty soft.

To be more specific, I bought an 850 engine that has been gone through and sorted. And I am looking at picking up an 850 frame. I probably have 3/4 of the bits to put the bike together. Holding the "we're in it for the fun" and "its just a hobby" thinking aside, it seems that economically the best thing to do is to sell the parts. Rather than assemble a bike from the parts I have, and chase missing parts with high "unobtanium" price tags. Not to mention the cost of painting, plating, new rubber, and all the usual stuff that we blow our wad on cause we can't help ourselves.

So back to the question, assuming you had a pretty much a complete bike, but all in parts, which makes the most economic sense: part it or assemble it?

Stephen Hill
Victoria, BC

Fullauto · Dec 18, 2011

Put it together. Then you know what you've got, rather than relying on the bike you are buying being good. Which you can never count on.

Hobot · Dec 18, 2011

Yes a complete road worthy Cdo don't bring as much as a basket of parts. Separated item bring about what they are really worth but once all together
its general attitude is to discount the assemblage. So the more ya put into a Cdo so its nice as can be, the more you've cut your investment returns unless just using it up yourself. The whole bikes that are advertised for about what$ in them w/o counting labor, generally get sneared at. If i ever get my special going and make a splash with its performance, I'll part her out when time to quit the hobby.

rvich · Dec 18, 2011

Keep an eye on Ebay parts. There are a lot of bits that are cosmetically challenged that do not sell. Or they sell very low. So take a look at your parts with a critical eye. Are you going to really want them in your build? Will anybody? It is going to be hard to compare worn out bits versus a pristine bike or visa versa. I see stuff on Ebay all the time where the price is so high that it is obvious the seller hasn't even looked at whether there is a replacement part for less. I became accutely aware lately of the fact that all of the chrome pieces on my project bike are essentially useless because I can buy new from Old Britts for less than I can replate them. We all know the bits cost a bunch but a lot of those get replaced during a rebuild anyway.

Russ

rpatton · Dec 18, 2011

Stephen Hill said:
So back to the question, assuming you had a pretty much a complete bike, but all in parts, which makes the most economic sense: part it or assemble it?

Stephen Hill
Victoria, BC

I think you have shed some light on a fascinating economic niche to be filled by an enterprising individual. Simply buy complete bikes and part them out at a profit. Just keep doing it. Oddly enough, I'll bet that if this person was at it long enough they would start seeing their parts showing up over and over again. Economic wonks would call it some kind of 'creative destruction', or is it creative deconstruction'? Anyway, I'll bet there's lot's of money in it.

Edit: I'm not a barbarian, I'd sell the frame, cases, and gearbox shell as a set so the numbers match.

madass140 · Dec 19, 2011

well there is obviously money in parting them out, there are at least 2 regular guys on Ebay that buy complete Nortons from all over the US and part them out to be sold on Ebay, they been doing this for years, I know I've bought tons of stuff from them, it seems a shame but remember me and others I'm sure are reassembling them just as fast, well not that fast.
but at least we are putting Nortons back together, so I'm certain there is money in parting them out, fortunately for me
I can get good quality chrome plating done at a fraction of the cost in the west, it took me a few years to find the right plater, and I send parts 400miles by courier regularly, the quality is as good as I could ever get in Australia and even with back and forward courier, still only about 2 weeks turn around, My zinc plater is just down the road less than 1$ per kg, 1 day turn around, I'm there nearly every day, sorry if I'm off topic a bit.

Matt Spencer · Dec 19, 2011

When it was a Company they were doing it to , buying , splitting up , selling off , shutting down .& fireing the employees .

It was called ' Asset Stripping ' and made illegal in the U.S. in the early Eighties .

If they do it to the lot , youll all end up on hondas .Like refrigerators , theyre all the same . :mrgreen:

gtsun · Dec 19, 2011

Frankly I think it's a sad way to make a living, there are lots of people doing it with vintage Guitars to the point where a lot of what's being sold are parted togeather & I hate to think of some guy destroying a 1950 Telecaster or such just to sell the parts. I don't care if you put one togeather with the parts it's realy only original once.

madass140 · Dec 19, 2011

I agree with you 100%, guys pulling them apart are doing it for one reason only, guys reassembling them do it for a passion, certainly not to make money, I know which is the better reward, for me anyhow.

rvich · Dec 19, 2011

madass140 said:
well there is obviously money in parting them out, there are at least 2 regular guys on Ebay that buy complete Nortons from all over the US and part them out to be sold on Ebay, they been doing this for years, I know I've bought tons of stuff from them, it seems a shame but remember me and others I'm sure are reassembling them just as fast, well not that fast.
but at least we are putting Nortons back together, so I'm certain there is money in parting them out, fortunately for me
I can get good quality chrome plating done at a fraction of the cost in the west, it took me a few years to find the right plater, and I send parts 400miles by courier regularly, the quality is as good as I could ever get in Australia and even with back and forward courier, still only about 2 weeks turn around, My zinc plater is just down the road less than 1$ per kg, 1 day turn around, I'm there nearly every day, sorry if I'm off topic a bit.

If you can get parts chromed at a good price there is probably a cottage industry of sorts in buying up the bits that nobody wants because they are pitted and rusted and getting them plated for resale (collect them up and plate them in bulk). I recently took my headlight bucket, kick start lever, gear shift, foot rests and brake pedal to shops in the Puget Sound area (Washington state) and the cost for replating was going to be about a thousand dollars. Unless I wanted show quaility, with all original casting marks polished out, then the price went up according to labor invovled.

Russ

pete.v · Dec 19, 2011

Although it leave a bad taste, parting out a bike has a niche for us.

Sometimes it's good,
sometimes it's bad,
sometimes it's RAPE,
always seems sad.

1up3down · Dec 19, 2011

Matt Spencer wrote:

It was called ' Asset Stripping ' and made illegal in the U.S. in the early Eighties .

Matt, help me out of this because I didn't know that the US Congress passed such a law:

In fact I have done an internet search to find the, as you say, illegality of asset stripping and can't find it.

What was the name, date, of this legislation?

Or perhaps you can provide a link to where I could read to see where you personally learned of this legislation.

Thanks Matt

rvich · Dec 19, 2011

It's funny how one guy looks at a pile of parts and sees a motorcycle and another guy looks at a motorcycle and sees a pile of parts.

But the original question was which makes the most "economic sense". If you are approaching this from true economic sense you will sell whatever you have and not build a Commando at all. If this is what you are really asking is whether you should assemble it before you sell it, then no, do not assemble the bike. Give me a list of the parts and I will make you an offer for them.

I think most of us assumed you wanted to end up with a Commando when you were done regardless of the path taken, but this is the least favorable option if "economic sense" is to rule.

russ

ILLF8ED · Dec 19, 2011

Stephen Hill
Victoria, BC[/quote]

I think you have shed some light on a fascinating economic niche to be filled by an enterprising individual. Simply buy complete bikes and part them out at a profit. Just keep doing it. Oddly enough, I'll bet that if this person was at it long enough they would start seeing their parts showing up over and over again. Economic wonks would call it some kind of 'creative destruction', or is it creative deconstruction'? Anyway, I'll bet there's lot's of money in it.

Edit: I'm not a barbarian, I'd sell the frame, cases, and gearbox shell as a set so the numbers match.[/quote]

Case in point, this ad for matching numbers engine, gearbox and frame from an early Commando. What do you think it would cost to make a Fastback out of this or maybe just what someone is looking for after stealing one.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/NORTON-1 ... 3f1167496e

rpatton · Dec 19, 2011

rvich said:
I think most of us assumed you wanted to end up with a Commando when you were done regardless of the path taken, but this is the least favorable option if "economic sense" is to rule.
russ

I think that it would make more economic sense to sell the parts whether you want to have a bike at then of the day or not. You could either take the money and buy a better bike for less money than the one you would build, or you could just pocket the money from the sale of the parts which would be more than if you took the parts and completed the bike then sold it.

What isn't taken into consideration is the value one puts in the enjoyment of building you own bike. It's entertaining, pleasurable, rewarding, so on and so forth. If it goes under the monthly budget for entertainment then it's money as well spent as doing anything else I can think of.

rvich · Dec 21, 2011

rpatton said:
rvich said:

I think most of us assumed you wanted to end up with a Commando when you were done regardless of the path taken, but this is the least favorable option if "economic sense" is to rule.
russ

Click to expand...

I think that it would make more economic sense to sell the parts whether you want to have a bike at then of the day or not. You could either take the money and buy a better bike for less money than the one you would build, or you could just pocket the money from the sale of the parts which would be more than if you took the parts and completed the bike then sold it.

What isn't taken into consideration is the value one puts in the enjoyment of building you own bike. It's entertaining, pleasurable, rewarding, so on and so forth. If it goes under the monthly budget for entertainment then it's money as well spent as doing anything else I can think of.

Just thought I would get out my switch and beat the dead horse a bit. Bob, I understadn exactly what you are saying BUT if you buy a bike for less, then tear it down to fix all the little stuff that it needs and as a result buy a bunch of parts, then I am not sure you have gained anything over assembling a bike and evaluating parts as you go. In the end the only real "economically" sensible thing to do is not to do it at all. Thus I am still waiting for a PM as to what it would cost to buy out the lot!

Russ

rpatton · Dec 21, 2011

rvich said:
Bob, I understadn exactly what you are saying BUT if you buy a bike for less, then tear it down to fix all the little stuff that it needs and as a result buy a bunch of parts, then I am not sure you have gained anything over assembling a bike and evaluating parts as you go. In the end the only real "economically" sensible thing to do is not to do it at all. Thus I am still waiting for a PM as to what it would cost to buy out the lot!
Russ

Hi Russ,
The best bargain for buying parts is to take a collection as a single lot. Conversely, it's the least profitable way to sell them. The profits that we're talking about in parting out a bike are when you sell, box, and ship them individually, which would amount to a lot of work. As a buyer, you could get a great deal depending on the usability of the parts and how complete it is.

rvich · Dec 21, 2011

Stephen never said he would sell the parts as a lot. In fact he never said he would sell them at all. I just wanted to get my foot in the door, just in case.

I do however stand by the idea that selling the parts to buy a complete bike is a losing proposition if your goal is a well sorted commando. As you will undoubtedly end up going through the complete bike anyway. Mr. Hill has remained mum on what his exact intent is, but if it is just getting rid of everything you have at maximum profit, then by all means...sell those parts unassembled! Heck, Victoria...I could do a road trip to pick those up!

Russ

rpatton · Dec 22, 2011

rvich said:
I do however stand by the idea that selling the parts to buy a complete bike is a losing proposition if your goal is a well sorted commando. As you will undoubtedly end up going through the complete bike anyway.
Russ

I've seen a few bikes on ebay that I would like pretty much just the way they are. I'm kidding myself, I just wanted to hear what it sounded like when I said it. After 30 years I wound up with a collection of original parts that just about amounted to a complete bike. I sold or gave away all of it a couple of years ago after I got a really crappy diagnosis. I got very lucky, now I want my stuff back!

Actually, if you keep a bike like a Commando long enough it seems like the investment of the original bike becomes a smaller and smaller percentage of what you've got in the project..

rvich · Dec 22, 2011

rpatton said:
Actually, if you keep a bike like a Commando long enough it seems like the investment of the original bike becomes a smaller and smaller percentage of what you've got in the project..

Amen

Parts vs Bike

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