How to Restore a Vintage Motorcycle

Whether you want to ride it, show it or just want a fun project to work on, there are many reasons to restore a vintage motorcycle. It’s important to realize though, that restoring a vintage motorcycle is not necessarily like restoring an old car or truck. While the process is mostly the same, early motorcycles often were not kept past their useful life, and many classic and vintage motorcycles were scrapped for parts.

The first step to restoring your bike is to purchase a book or manual that outlines servicing that particular vehicle, if possible. It’s also helpful to make sure that the bike will actually run before you go to the expense and trouble of cosmetic restoration. Typically, if the motorcycle has just sat for a little while without running and all the covers are in place on the bike, you can usually get it running to at the very least to turn over without much difficulty.

When beginning the restoration process, dismantle the motorcycle one section at a time, and restore those individual sections before moving on to the next. This can help keep you from getting overwhelmed. The sections you can usually work on individually include the front forks, the rear swing arm and suspension, the engine, the body, and the frame. If you do have a restoration manual for the bike, work through the manual from front to back and try to avoid skipping over steps.

Remember, restoring a vintage motorcycle to its original conditions is very challenging. Some people prefer to customize the bike to their own tastes instead, or create a hybrid. The bike hybrid craze started in England where bike enthusiasts took the best parts of a couple of motorcycles and put them together. One of the more famous of these bikes was the Triton, which was a mix of the Norton Featherbed frame, and suspension with a Triumph engine.

No matter what type of classic or vintage motorcycle you own, we can insure it at Condon Skelly. Your vehicle will fall into the antique category if it is completely original and at least 25 years old. We insure many different types of antique cars, trucks, and motorcycles so we’ll be able to craft the perfect policy for your vehicle. Please contact us today for more information. (866) 291-5694