restore? or leave it alone......that s the question

[swing69]

At what point does one decide to do a full restoration? What is the tipping point?

Subject? 1914 Indian twin. Missing very little, just some odds and ends. Needs some reassembly, but "should" run....time will tell.

Cosmetics? some rust, 60% orig. paint. someone, sometime repainted some red (brushed? sprayed?) on the ole girl.

Restore? or run and ride. what would you do AND why???

[20scout]

Leave it as is and run it. I've seen bikes that were much worse that ran but brought ton's of attention at the meets. It's original only once, don't blow it by restoring it.

[pisten-bully]

Leave it as is and run it.

Agree! (...except it does appear to have been painted... that could make a difference.)

[Jerry Wieland]

Under no circumstances should that bike be restored. Get it running and enjoy it for what it is. Jerry

[sirhrmechanic]

Complete mechanical restoration leaving the cosmetics as they are. Conserve, don't restore at this stage.

There is always a tipping point, but in my opinion, this bike is not there yet. You can always restore it later, but it's only original once.

Unfortunately, it is more time consuming, expensive and nerve-wracking to keep it original. But worth the effort!

Cheers,

Sirhr

[Tom Lovejoy]

Agree, leave the machine as is. Just git it running good and have fun, in that state when you scratch it. It just adds character, a battle scar. Git it totally like new and then every time you scratch it you feel sick to your stomach. I have a bit's of 14, wish mine was as correct as yours - nice.

[Steve Little]

If the bike were mine, I would gently go through every moving part and remedy anything that would jepordize the integrity of the machine. On the issue of coatings and finishes, I wouldn't do anything more than stop the rust.

The marks in the paint, the greenish tinge of the alloy, and the rust, are hard won trophies of the machine, and tell a story that draws me to it,....even though, it is the wrong marquee.
If it was covered in shiny paint and fresh nickel, it would just be another Indian.

[23JDCA 808]

Get it running, then enjoy it for a bit. You could always trade up later. It is hard to recoup your investment from a full restoration.

[D.A.Bagin]

Leave it as is, other than as has been said, make it safe and sane to ride. Mechanically and safety wise take care of anything it needs. Look at the time and money you will save and be able to get on it sooner and not worry if you get a ding here or little scratch there. It looks like it is ready to go other than going thru it as mentioned previously. Great find and good luck. Maybe have a separate thread on the bringing back to running and riding. I am sure you will have many followers waiting for that first ride along with you. Do not restore this fine machine..... After all you are a "Rocket Scientist"" LOL.

[talbot-2]

Complete mechanical restoration leaving the cosmetics as they are. Conserve, don't restore at this stage.

There is always a tipping point, but in my opinion, this bike is not there yet. You can always restore it later, but it's only original once.

Unfortunately, it is more time consuming, expensive and nerve-wracking to keep it original. But worth the effort!

Cheers,

Sirhr

I agree. It will get a lot more attention when you display it to others. They really express their appreciation for a motorcycle that is original.

[MMasa]

I agree with everyone here. DON'T restore it. Another thing to consider is that it will probably be worth quite a bit more UN-RESTORED if you ever decide to sell it.
Mark Masa

[mcarver]

I see no reason whatsoever to restore. Even if it's not original paint / plating, it's still old and has history / integrity as to how it's been for a long time. restored stuff is often very nice, but character is erased with new paint and plating in my opinion.

[Peter Cooke]

IMAG0024.jpg
I was heading down the restoration path with this one due to the paint being all wrong. As there's a 1 inch hole in the bottom of the right hand tank I figured I need to repair and paint anyway so why not go back to original. The motor is already apart as it needs a rebore but as you can see the rest is pretty good.
Should I be reconsidering? Opinions very much appreciated.

[swing69]

OK: overwhelming to NOT restore. About the paint: should I try to remove the wrong red that was applied over the orig. red? Any clues on how to go about that? TIA

[Steve Little]

Pete. You are baiting us, or you have three or four empty wine bottles on the table this morning.