Collecting parts the hard way!

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Curtis in Texas
I luv the smell of Diesel...
Posts: 101
Joined: Sat Aug 11, 2007 10:23 pm
Location: Rhome, Texas

Collecting parts the hard way!

Post by Curtis in Texas »

Well, now that I've got my password sorted out (for the time being anyway) I wanted to share some news.

Been planning to build my diesel bike for some time now.
Last week I got got the engine, in a round about way!
I had to buy the whole cow, but she was used very little.. Ha!!!!!
Image
I bought this Toro 2300 Diesel Reel Master mower with only 350 hours on the motor from the sister of one of my local bikiing friends.
It is powered by a Diahatsu 850cc non turbo 3 cylinder engine.
She had bought it at a Government Auction for $1500. Her husband died recently and she just wanted her money back.
So I took it off her hands. I think her fingers are still sore from me snatching the keys for it.

I have two options. After summer of course, as this thing really cuts the grass out here at the Ranch.

Option 1: I strip the thing down and E Bay the pieces excluiding the engine which I keep. That should get me a return on my investment + a little.

Option 2: I sell the mower intact for what it would cost to get a new Diahatsu 850cc turbo.

And in reality, I guess I have an option 3:
Keep the mower and keep on cutting the grass with it and forget all this nonsense about building a diesel bke.
Not likely!

I have several old bike frames lying around with titles, so, that's more progress. Found a local bike shop that does 3 wheel conversions on Gold Wings and they are going to sell me the next final drive they take off, cheap.

"Perry's Sidecars" in Fort Worth said he had some good BMW transmissions I could come pick from. Said he'd let one go real reasonable.

Anyway, it's a start!

Curtis

As we KLR Guys say, "Let the Farkels Begin".
It only cost a little more to go first class,
You just can't stay as long...
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SUMO
Been here a while now..
Posts: 44
Joined: Mon Nov 12, 2007 9:09 pm
Location: london / halifax
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Post by SUMO »

ahh - a man after my heart - similar daft idea - sold the chassis and gubbins on and got a lot of my money back - made for a cheap donor motor

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Curtis in Texas
I luv the smell of Diesel...
Posts: 101
Joined: Sat Aug 11, 2007 10:23 pm
Location: Rhome, Texas

Post by Curtis in Texas »

Thanks for the support Sumo.
Watching your build and enjoying every picture.
That sure makes me feel better when I explain this to the wife.
'Course she thinks I fell out of the smart tree a long time ago.

I'm looking to find an entire BMW bike to put this in. IT would sure make things a lot less complicated.

Right now I have 2 74 Yamaha XS 650 's to work with. But none of them are shaft drives. And I have a Honda Sabre in pieces.

Curtis
It only cost a little more to go first class,
You just can't stay as long...
User avatar
SUMO
Been here a while now..
Posts: 44
Joined: Mon Nov 12, 2007 9:09 pm
Location: london / halifax
Contact:

Post by SUMO »

my build is on hold for the next few weeks [oraganising a bike-run at the end of the month and need to finish my drag bike etc...] but will be bak to it soon
smokyjoe
I luv the smell of Diesel...
Posts: 201
Joined: Mon May 26, 2008 1:42 am
Location: Western Taxachusetts (Massachusetts) USA

Post by smokyjoe »

Wow, what a cool idea. I oughta try that. Lots easier telling the wife that I bought a new lawn mower than telling her that I just bought a Diesel engine to build a motorcycle! Then I could pull the Diesel and throw in an old Wisconsin gas job I've laying around the shed. As Stan laurel used to say, "she'll be none the wiser"

-smokyjoe
Curtis in Texas
I luv the smell of Diesel...
Posts: 101
Joined: Sat Aug 11, 2007 10:23 pm
Location: Rhome, Texas

Post by Curtis in Texas »

smokyjoe wrote:Wow, what a cool idea. I oughta try that. Lots easier telling the wife that I bought a new lawn mower than telling her that I just bought a Diesel engine to build a motorcycle! Then I could pull the Diesel and throw in an old Wisconsin gas job I've laying around the shed. As Stan laurel used to say, "she'll be none the wiser"

-smokyjoe
You know I'm considering that too!

My wife doesn't know a Cresent Wrench (spanner to my Euro Friends) from an impact drill. So she'd never know the difference between gas or diesel.

Makes me wonder how some people survive!!!!
This not having skills thing, you know?
Guess it's up to use to save the planet.

Has this ever happend you ya'll?
I've got real tubing benders and migs, lathes, mills, plasma cutters and all the hand tools a guy needs to build stuff. Course I've spent a lifetime collecting them, and the wife just looks at me with this "WTF look" on her face. She somehow thinks that just because my shop is full of tools, that means I have all I need.
Hmmmm, before I got married, I collected women. You'd think she'd be happy I stuck to a better hobby for a married man!!!!!! :lol:

I apologize there for that little digression from the facts! We're having issues on the home front over this Diesel Bike build. Go Figure! My Companys' name is "Ridiculous Equipment LLC" you'd think she'd figure it out after 10 years.

Picked up some nice Kawasaki round dual headlights for the build yesterday. I'm thinking Sport Tourer theme on this one.

In a day or two I'll post up some more pictures of the "stuff" I've collected over the past few months.

It's morning here, so I gotta get to the day job,

Later

Curtis
It only cost a little more to go first class,
You just can't stay as long...
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