Project bike buying advice!

Evening org. I've just been to look at a 1996 gsxr 750 as a project bike. It has a 96' 600 engine fitted with some paperwork to say its done 25k, the chassis has done 36k. It's all fitted well and it mostly all works.

Bad bits are that the engine swap hasnt been declared yet, and it wiring is pretty chopped, bikes a bit tatty but all seems straight and uncrashed. Anyway, he was asking £800 I said it's worth about 400.

How much trouble am I going to have declaring the engine swap ?

I have never bought a bike with a different engine in and usually get a runner but fancy a project. Am I wasting my time?

Sorry there's no pictures, but I gave the bike a good going over, and other than it being tatty all bearing seems good, fork seals fine, suspension good, new tyres.

Cheers.

[yorkie_chris]

Expect the DVLA to be c***s about it since it will have gone down a tax group.

Good point. I know some garages and I believe it has been done well. How hard of a time can they give you if I get a garage to say it's roadworthy?

[squirrel_hunter]

Can't help with the engine DVLA situation but I've got to ask, what are you wanting to do with this bike? Unless I've missed something you have a 750 chassis with a 600 engine. What are you looking to achieve with this. I could understand a 600 chassis with a 750 engine as that more cc, or is this for some sort of race series where the chassis is allowed to be played with but not the engine? Having said that what has the chassis got with it anything special?

I wish it was for an interesting reason. It's just cheap if he takes the £400 as it's all there with a fairly low miles engine so happy days. The chassis is pretty nice to look at (ha) having ridden my friends 98 srad 750 compared to the sv, it takes longer to stop and isnt as quick lean to lean so to speak. So Good question really. I guess I fancy a project and I fancy an IL4 and I havent got a whole lot of money to play with! At worst I was thinking I could nick the front end..

[Fallout]

As weird as it is to have a 600 in a 750 chassis, if it runs and goes and costs £400, that's a bargain. It's not like 600s are slow or the frames etc are that different. I wouldn't bother to declare the engine unless that'd get picked up on the MOT (doubt it. How could it?) or you're desperate for your £10 saving in road tax. DVLA + Insurance headaches doesn't sound worth it to me.

I was thinking insurance wise, would I be covered? I dont care about the tax really, but I'd hate to get hit and them tell me the smaller slower engine invalidated my cover... It runs and goes but the wiring really looks like a gcse project and Id have to tidy it up but all works. No T&T ect though, the £800 he's asking is a bit steep for the condition and he really wants it gone.

I think it is much easier to get the correct engine no. on the V5 from the DVLA if you are reducing the cc rather than raising it.

[Biker Biggles]

Originally Posted by rb8989

I wish it was for an interesting reason. It's just cheap if he takes the £400 as it's all there with a fairly low miles engine so happy days. The chassis is pretty nice to look at (ha) having ridden my friends 98 srad 750 compared to the sv, it takes longer to stop and isnt as quick lean to lean so to speak. So Good question really. I guess I fancy a project and I fancy an IL4 and I havent got a whole lot of money to play with! At worst I was thinking I could nick the front end..

Never pay the asking price,or in this case anywhere remotely near it.

Originally Posted by Biker Biggles

Never pay the asking price,or in this case anywhere remotely near it.

Ha! Yeah he is way off though! These 90s sports bikes are bargains galore out there at the moment, I think he has spent a fair bit on the new engine but it has zero history and only his word for milage. Also it needs a van to get it. I think he's going to hold onto it to see if he gets anymore offers anyway. I doubt he'll get many though, some terrifying splicing all over the place, it's more crimp connectors than wire!