For most bike enthusiasts, motorcycle restoration projects are considered to be an enjoyable and relaxing activity. It shouldnt be stressful and it should also be a lot of fun to do. Your experience on restoring a motorcycle will depend on how you approach the project.
A lot of people quit even before they start because they dont know how to restore a motorcycle. Some may have the mechanical know-how but they just dont know how to make the project or activity of restoring bikes fun.
The first thing that you need to remember when restoring motorcycles is that you shouldnt be in a hurry. Always keep in mind that motorcycle restoration requires a lot of patience and it should be methodical. You should never scatter your attention all over the bike as this will only lead to frustration and will get you to do a lot more work than it should get.
Just like cleaning a totally cluttered basement, you should start in one corner and work your way through the rest of the basement methodically.
Although you may get overwhelmed at the required amount of work to be done at first but once you get started and concentrate on one part of the bike first, you can be sure that you will be able to get the job done without even knowing about it.
So, here are some tips that will be able to help you finish your restoration project without too much hassle.
The first is that you need to take all the parts off the bike. Make sure that you take considerable care and attention on every piece that you remove in order for you to know how to put it back again. Try taking pictures at what you are doing. This will serve as a reference in the future.
Once you remove all the parts from the frame, try to keep them separate from each other. If you can, you should try labeling them. This will make it easier for you to identify each part you took off the frame.
By taking all the parts off, you will have much better control and also more time devoted to each part when you are cleaning or reconditioning them. And, its much better to work standing or sitting at a work table rather than being hunched over working on each part that is still attached to the bike.
Also, by taking each part off, you will be able to clean it thoroughly and you will be able to decide whether the cleaning is good enough or you may need to send it out to be re-chromed or repainted.
The point here is to get everything organized. By doing this, you will find that the entire restoration project is quite easy to do. Just do things one step at a time and you will end up with a great looking bike that is also mechanically sound in no time at all. In fact, if you do these things, youll be surprised that the entire restoration project didnt require a lot of work as you may have first thought.