New Old Bike

vtwin · 02-12-2007, 08:45 PM

Ok, call me crazy, but I actually paid for this non-running, parts missing, faded bike.

OK, it's a wreck, but it's all mine!

Wish me luck.

twinrider · 02-13-2007, 02:01 AM

Good luck!

Straypuss · 02-13-2007, 03:45 AM

Is that a Tempter? they were never sold in the uk but I did read a test of an import and it was a nice bike...grunty and revvy. There was some cleverness with a clutch on the flywheel, I think, to let it rev. I have bought and saved worse than that

vtwin · 02-13-2007, 08:59 PM

Thanks Twinrider, btw, my brother owns a nice 92(?) TDM, well, it's red. Stray, yes, it is a Tempter, just found a site that mentions the "Tempter" name was never used in the UK, but instead the GR650 nameplate.

Have a look. Hope mine could look this good.

http://www.davidreiss.com/Tempted.htm

vtwin · 02-17-2007, 03:49 PM

Ok, it's worse than I thought. I charged up the bad battery and tried to crank the engine. It had the sound of no compression, uh-oh...

This is what I found...or didn't find....

See something missing?

(oops, how can one see something missing?) Upon further inspection.......and fishing.....

Funny little pieces.....and....

Do you see the bent exhaust valve? Being the lazy guy I am, I removed things in situ....

I think I can salvage the piston. Even the jugs look pretty good, hash marks still there. To be expected from a 13K bike, but what the heck happened to the cam chain????

So, it's either is going to be a labor of love or a parts bike, what do all you hardy souls think? Probably could make a few bucks on ebay and cut my losses, or fix it and dump loads of money into getting it nice?

It's not like a special bike, although it's a bit unusual with the variable weight crank, air front suspension and "Full Floater Suspension".

Mattbastard · 02-17-2007, 09:25 PM

I'd fix it, but that's just what I like doing, pouring money into bikes that are definetly not worth it.

ADK · 02-17-2007, 09:37 PM

Part it out.You don't know if the con rods or crank are damaged.

Mattbastard · 02-18-2007, 06:23 AM

only one way to find out...

RayAlazzurra · 02-18-2007, 06:44 AM

I never had one, but I've admired these bikes. Cycle evaluated one in the early eighties and found nothing much to dislike except the name. The bike was good for commuting and touring and got nearly 70 mpg if memory serves. There was one unusual feature of the bike--it had a clutch of some sort that brought a heavier flywheel in at low revs and then disengaged to free the engine of excess inertia at higher revs.

You may be able to fix this thing for very little $ if you can do all the labor yourself. The bike will never be worth much, but it could be a very nice commuter or touring bike.

Daryl_Stamp · 09-17-2011, 04:26 PM

Nice thread about old bike resto; a good friend had one of those Tempters; got a lot more use than the boss's mega $ chopper. His looked really beat & leaked oil so bad he had rags wired to the jugs to keep it off his pants. It was a real bike though. Got a lot of use and created a lot of smiles. Old's Cool. Makes me want to find a project to fiddle with.......

02-12-2007, 08:45 PM	#1
vtwin ^OP Air cooled runnin' mon Joined: Jan 2005 Location: NorCal Oddometer: 6,112	New Old Bike Ok, call me crazy, but I actually paid for this non-running, parts missing, faded bike. OK, it's a wreck, but it's all mine! Wish me luck. __________________ I used to be indecisive. Now I'm not so sure. *"You only have too much fuel if you're on fire"* *unknown*

02-13-2007, 08:59 PM	#4
vtwin ^OP Air cooled runnin' mon Joined: Jan 2005 Location: NorCal Oddometer: 6,112	Thanks Twinrider, btw, my brother owns a nice 92(?) TDM, well, it's red. Stray, yes, it is a Tempter, just found a site that mentions the "Tempter" name was never used in the UK, but instead the GR650 nameplate. Have a look. Hope mine could look this good. http://www.davidreiss.com/Tempted.htm __________________ I used to be indecisive. Now I'm not so sure. *"You only have too much fuel if you're on fire"* *unknown*

02-17-2007, 03:49 PM	#5
vtwin ^OP Air cooled runnin' mon Joined: Jan 2005 Location: NorCal Oddometer: 6,112	Update On New Old Bike Ok, it's worse than I thought. I charged up the bad battery and tried to crank the engine. It had the sound of no compression, uh-oh... This is what I found...or didn't find.... See something missing? (oops, how can one see something missing?) Upon further inspection.......and fishing..... Funny little pieces.....and.... Do you see the bent exhaust valve? Being the lazy guy I am, I removed things in situ.... I think I can salvage the piston. Even the jugs look pretty good, hash marks still there. To be expected from a 13K bike, but what the heck happened to the cam chain???? So, it's either is going to be a labor of love or a parts bike, what do all you hardy souls think? Probably could make a few bucks on ebay and cut my losses, or fix it and dump loads of money into getting it nice? It's not like a special bike, although it's a bit unusual with the variable weight crank, air front suspension and "Full Floater Suspension". __________________ I used to be indecisive. Now I'm not so sure. *"You only have too much fuel if you're on fire"* *unknown* vtwin screwed with this post 02-17-2007 at 03:55 PM

02-18-2007, 06:44 AM	#9
RayAlazzurra Stuck in the Eighties Joined: Sep 2006 Location: St. Louis, Mo, USA Oddometer: 218	The mighty GR650 Tempter worth saving I never had one, but I've admired these bikes. Cycle evaluated one in the early eighties and found nothing much to dislike except the name. The bike was good for commuting and touring and got nearly 70 mpg if memory serves. There was one unusual feature of the bike--it had a clutch of some sort that brought a heavier flywheel in at low revs and then disengaged to free the engine of excess inertia at higher revs. You may be able to fix this thing for very little $ if you can do all the labor yourself. The bike will never be worth much, but it could be a very nice commuter or touring bike.

09-17-2011, 04:26 PM	#10
Daryl_Stamp Studly Adventurer Joined: Oct 2006 Location: FL NY Oddometer: 615	Nice thread about old bike resto; a good friend had one of those Tempters; got a lot more use than the boss's mega $ chopper. His looked really beat & leaked oil so bad he had rags wired to the jugs to keep it off his pants. It was a real bike though. Got a lot of use and created a lot of smiles. Old's Cool. Makes me want to find a project to fiddle with....... __________________ Live while you're alive.

02-13-2007, 02:01 AM	#2
twinrider pass the catnip Joined: Aug 2002 Location: Earth Oddometer: 7,575	Good luck!

02-13-2007, 03:45 AM	#3
Straypuss Adventurer Joined: Nov 2005 Location: West of Scotland Oddometer: 69	Is that a Tempter? they were never sold in the uk but I did read a test of an import and it was a nice bike...grunty and revvy. There was some cleverness with a clutch on the flywheel, I think, to let it rev. I have bought and saved worse than that

02-17-2007, 09:25 PM	#6
Mattbastard Lazy ass Joined: Mar 2005 Location: Sheboygan Oddometer: 1,589	I'd fix it, but that's just what I like doing, pouring money into bikes that are definetly not worth it.

02-17-2007, 09:37 PM	#7
ADK Beastly Adventurer Joined: Dec 2005 Oddometer: 7,760	Part it out.You don't know if the con rods or crank are damaged.

02-18-2007, 06:23 AM	#8
Mattbastard Lazy ass Joined: Mar 2005 Location: Sheboygan Oddometer: 1,589	only one way to find out...

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