Rebuild engines: Beautiful or criminal

Auto Motor Klassiek » Practice and technology » Rebuild engines: Beautiful or criminal
Purchasing classics there

Rebuild engines: In BMW classic circles it is generally clear: Only factory original is good. Some go very far in that. We once saw a BMW fan turn away in disgust when he noticed that the rushes were stuck to a tank instead of pulled.

Original is historically the best

But almost every classic was once just an 'old engine' that only then was affordable for the - then often young - enthusiasts. And what do you do when you are young? Then you do not think about returns in the future, but you do what your heart and money make possible. That was at the time that companies such as Bolman motorcycle run, Gert Muts in Soest and Struik Onderdelen Leiden were doing good business. Then work was done on passion and necessity. Now the importers all offer factory original sets to be assembled by the dealer around your motorcycle your to make a motorcycle. That is soulless ready-made clothing. Because happiness is not for sale.

But what should we do with people who are happy to put the flex in a classic?

Ah. Let them. If they are happy with the result? And because the engines that are rebuilt in such a way are usually volume models, there is little chance that the very last instance of that engine in the world will be rebuilt into something fierce. Rebuilding engines even has some sort of advantage. The caferacer / scrambermanie of recent times has given a lot of old Japanese (and certainly a few German) engines a second life. And the original parts that came from that can make others happy again.

Be careful when renovating engines that the result does not differ too far from the number plate. Because you can get into trouble with that.

And remember that it doesn't have to be all poverty. For example, lately the prices of the first less-loved XS650 models are on the rise. And if you convert such an XS650 to 750, 70 or 1015 cc, put a hydraulic clutch on it and hang a set of Dell 'Ortos behind it and then tackle the bicycle part again ...

But with a remodeled Honda CB 400 you can have just as much stupid fun. And a pretty neat CB 400? Ach: For 600-800 euros you need one. And then you can also set requirements.

And why do scrambler saddles have to be brown? No idea!

Have fun this winter!

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