Motorcycle Restoration

Hi there guys ! This is a project i did with my Dad . We started in the beginning of last year (2015) with a simple 1983 Honda xl250r . Its been a dream of us to do this and i'd like to share it with u , so here are the steps on how you can restore a motorcycle to your own custom build?

Step 1: Overview

So as you can see this is how the motorcyle started of looking , it was used on a farm and was in a good condition seeing that it is 23 years old . We were actually looking for the older honda's that had the double rear shocks .We saw this motorcyle on our local classified adds for a decent price and picked it up the next day.

Step 2: Stripping

Losing parts are the worse and putting something back together exactly the way it was can be difficult . I took pictures of all the wiring to see how everything has to be put back together . Also to prevent me from using the wrong parts or placing them in the wrong position.

Step 3: Frame

After all the parts were removed we sand blasted the frame and painted it with a primer followed by a matt black paint. The rust had to be removed and all the oil & grease .

Step 4: Shocks and Wheels

We bought a pair of shocks at our local chinese motor spares , some changes had been made to the yoke to fit the new shocks . New dual sport tires was shipped in and balanced on the rims , the rear rim is original , the front rim was a modern rim used on a motard (Some spacers were made to fit the wheel between the shocks). As you can see the part where the seat is fitted on the frame is bent down on the second picture to give the motorcycle a more retro type of look.

Step 5: Tank

This is a second hand tank. The old tank was to big and the upright shape did not fit the look. The tank was sanded down to the metal , a strong putty was used to level out all the edges and bumps and sprayed with primer . We then sprayed the tank a gloss white .

Step 6: Extras

The last parts were added . We pasted the honda logo's on the tank and made side plates to cover the battery and air filter . The seat was made by a upholsterer with brown leather .

Step 7: Finish

It took us the whole year to do the restoration and legalize the motorcycle and make it road worthy . Its finally finished and i hope this project inspired you to go and build you own custom motorcycle!? , don't hesitate to leave a comment , ask questions or leave a vote ?

Comments

[R717]

I’m doing up a 72 XL250, I have in issue with taking part the choke cable, how does the black pull knob come off , is it screws on .?

[Artuino]

I just happened to see your instructable..This is great!..I hoped to build my cafe racer also but the budget restricts me.

[tomvanetten]

Why does everyone who restores motorcycles on instructables have to paint the rims and spokes black?

[josh]

most of the time it's because rims are rusty or pitted. rather than getting things re-chromed it's much easier and cheaper to paint them- and it gives the bike an extra mean look ;)

[GideonB4]

The rims were in great condition, the black look was to bring out the frame and give it more of a stealthy look

[kylerelay]

very cool! I'm in the middle of restoring a 75' dt400
you guys did a great job!
I love the way the front end looks!

[GideonB4]

Thanks ! The DT is a great bike my dad was looking for one as well but they are quite rare in South Africa

[Snowberry]

Wow ! well done.

[Fly4aWhiteGuy]

Saw it in the first picture... 42 is the number I use on race cars when I can.

[bekathwia]

W00t, so great! Awesome that you and your dad restored it together. Congrats on a great instructable, too!

[BobE9]

So cool! What shocks are those on the front? And whered u find the tank?

[GideonB4]

The shocks are from a motomia 250 motard and the tank is also a chinese make

[gunguru]

Your bike build looks great! I think these retro style bike are making a big come back too. Our local Yamaha dealer is even making a new bike with this same look for people who want less weight and horsepower in favor of style and ease of ride. Nice to see a build with some real style.

[badly_bearded]

Excellent job. Really nice to see an old bike brought back to life :) I'm got an old Honda at the moment but I rarely do work on it. This has inspired me to start in earnest!

[SebasRC]

So cool, congrats this is a very nice project

[GideonB4]

thank you

[Hari Mohan]

Nice work.

[Scopunk]

wowww very nice!!

[TheTutor11]

Hi, great build, I have an 82 Honda 500r and I have to figure out where to start

[GideonB4]

start by looking on the internet for ideas of what you want it to look like