So I bought this Honda Goldwing 95 last year thinking it’d be a quick fixer-upper. Big mistake, man. First thing I did was rip open the engine like a kid on Christmas morning. Pistons looked like they’d been through a war – scored all to hell and leaking oil everywhere. Had to order new rings and gaskets right off the bat. $300 just disappeared like that.
Then the carburetors… oh man. All four were gummed up tighter than a drum. Spent whole weekends soaking parts in cleaner, rebuilding each one piece by piece. Thought I was saving cash doing it myself but still dropped $150 on rebuild kits. Had to replace some float bowls too cause the old ones had cracks you couldn’t see till they started leaking fuel all over my garage floor.
The Money Pit Surprises
When I finally got it running, the electrical system went bonkers. Turn signals would blink random patterns, headlight dimmed whenever I hit the brakes. Turned out rats had chewed half the wiring harness back when this beast was sitting in some barn. Had to rewire practically the whole bike. Bought a new harness for $250 then spent three evenings swearing at color-coded wires till 2AM.
Brakes were another nightmare. Calipers were seized solid, master cylinder shot. Took ’em apart hoping just new seals would do but nah. Ended up replacing:
- Front brake calipers – $180
- Brake master cylinder – $90
- Rotors – $200 cause the old ones were warped
- All new lines – another $50
The Final Sticker Shock
Just when I thought I was done, the damn driveshaft started making unholy noises. Mechanic pal told me splines were worn out. That set me back $400 for a refurbished unit plus labor cause I sure as hell wasn’t touching that mess myself.
Add in tires ($220), battery ($80), fluids ($30) and all the little crap like bulbs and filters? Let me tell you what this “cheap project bike” actually cost:
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Total restoration costs
- Initial purchase: $1200
- Parts & supplies: $1950
- Shop labor: $600
- Random tools I had to buy: $150
So yeah, ended up dumping almost $4000 into a bike worth maybe $3500 tops. Learned my lesson though – never trust a seller who says “just needs minor TLC.” This Goldwing bled me dry but damn if she doesn’t purr like a kitten now.
