> Trent Anderson Wrote:
> -------------------------------------------------------
> I picked up my Swinger 2 two years ago for $125. As I'm a complete
> moron with engines, I had Rocketman make it turnkey for me. He cleaned
> and sealed the tank, rebuilt the bottom end, tuned, and timed it. It
> went 38 mph when I had it running 25 mph several months prior. We later
> added a Biturbo pipe and kit so I could keep up with the other bikes at
> Mopitt by getting it to go 42 mph.
>
> The total bill ended up at around $875, so I have $1000 into this
> Northeast Ohio bike. If I could have done all the labor myself, I
> probably could have saved $200 - $300. I'm never crazy about missing
> fenders or chain covers, but that's just me.
>
> So if Carlos' bike were in Northeast Ohio, should it be $400 less? $700
> less if you don't place ANY value whatsoever on you labor time? How
> fast SHOULD it go with that kit? How fast can you get a Puch to go on a
> $700 budget? On a $1000 budget? The prices on these bikes are probably
> going to keep going up. Given I was able to get mine real cheap, if I
> would have had to pay another $400 to begin with, my bike would end up
> being a $1000 - $1400 bike depending on my mechanical ability and
> whether I put NO value on my labor.
I mean, yes? I sell faster and rarer bikes for less, I'm getting ready to sell a pretty nice condition blue Maxi with a kit, Biturbo, 14mm intake/bing, new tires and an Ohio title and I'm thinking of asking $900. It does 45 comfortably.
If I had rebuilt the bottom end and put a new crank in it, then yeah I'd be asking over a grand. But this dude just put a kit, pipe and carb on an e50 and got it going less than 40. Why not just port a stock cylinder at that point?
Here's a guaranteed 45 mph+ (realistically 50+ mph) e50 starter pack for ~$500, and it would take an hour to put together. You can use different reeds/intake/carb/pipe and save like $100 total but I'm not going to spend the time putting that together cause I'm not buying it. https://www.treatland.tv/puch-party-supreme-p/puch-treat-party-supreme.htm
If you're outsourcing labor you're not going to see that money again when you resell the bike, unless you got the bike for free or close to it. (edited)