Refurbishment or restoration.

Refurbishment or restoration.
Thought of the month.
I have a problem with the word restoration.
It means many different things to many people.
I remember the time taken to weld in, the new sheet steel sides of a T350 seat base,
where it had rusted away.
All, so I could reattach the custom made seat cover.
I recall cutting and welding 2 DT seat bases together to make one.
Restoration is sometimes the replacement of many parts on a bike.
All good, if you can source those parts, or afford them.
Restorations can often leave the bike looking better,
than when it was first manufactured.
Shinier paint. More chrome bolts. (I do prefer that)
Today, we are very lucky today to have available, a lot of unobtainable
& expensive parts which have been reproduced. Technology and demand,
has helped reduce the costs to make it possible.
Many of the rubber parts. Especially foot pegs & the air box to carb parts.
Those parts to the carbs always shrunk and went hard.
How many of you heard of leaving them in a sealed bag covered in armour-all.
I tried it. I checked every 3 months. After 2 years, I gave up.
They were still hard and short, but shiny and slippery.

Who would have thought 10 years ago, that reproduction Kawasaki Z1 pipes would be available. Apparently from the original dies, but no longer with the KHI 750/900 etc stamped on them.
Even handle bar switch blocks. I have heard that the electrical parts inside the switch blocks are of inferior quality!
Reproduction seat covers, foams and even complete seats.
How these make refurbishments / restorations, far easier than 15 years ago in the late 90’s.
Today, we can buy most of the paint work graphics.
I don’t know how long they will last in the sun.
Fortunately today, these done up bikes, are treasured.
They are covered up in a garage when not in use or on display.
Jap classics no longer languish outside under a tarp, or on the kerbside.
So does this replacement of parts equal a restoration? I think not.
It is refurbishment.
To me a true restoration is the remaking or refurbishment of the original parts to an excellent condition.
I think it is cheating to buy a Z1 seat and bolt it on.
But yes, I too have done it. Why. Because it is cost effective.
I don’t really care if the seat base may be 1/8 mm thinner than original.
The time and money to restore the original can be 4 times the cost of the new reproduction seat.
But another question is raised. Is the genuine bike with proper restored original parts worth more? I am sure it is and so it should be.
But who can afford the real deal at what cost.
(We commoners are not all Southwards family members)
And more worryingly.
Who can tell what is genuine or reproduction from a picture on trademe or ebay.
All I can say is thanks to all the reproducers. Good work.
It is great to see more old bikes, looking original and back out on the road.
And all this is thanks to the reproduction parts.
Which leave us with a few more bucks in our pocket, so we can afford to register the bikes?
But that is another story.
You may disagree with my thoughts. That’s OK.
Email in your thoughts. Barry D