So I pulled the cane out of storage for the winter on saturday. Gave her the once over and now my frame is cracking by the left upper rear bolt. The carbs got gunked up super bad even though the fuel was drained, the paint started flaking, the valve seals started leaking, and my LED undertail quit working. AHH. Add in my daughter is about to born, my hours have been cut and I rarely get to ride her since my son was born in 06 and I am facing a connundrum.
I have owned this cane since 1999, modified, loved, hated, babied, stunted, raced, cruised, wrecked and just about everything else you can do to a cane. I have never repainted her, but other than some road rash the paint was in good shape. I haven't gone through the carbs since 03, it has ridden great ever since, well at least until saturday.
The head has been ported and polished, decked .030, D&D head back tri-y exhaust, jetted carbs, air box mods, sintered race pads, braided stainless brake lines, vortex 0,+3 sprocket set, waterproof custom seat, lightened body, etc. It used to rock a custom ram-air setup that took way to much thought in the morning before I could ride as to what length tube or amount closed the tubes were, temperature, humidity, etc(long since trashed). So I have a significant amount invested in her in time and money and memories.
In her prime using a 110lb really good rider geared up, c16 race gas, aired down slick rear at 25psi, retuned carbs for the c16 and stripped body she ran a 10.9 at 122ish mph. I can't remember exact mph since it was back in 01 and I have lost the timeslip since moving 3-4 times. I used to street race her and never lost until my buddies 06 CBR 1kRR killed me by 3-4 lengths. He even was there when she ran the 10.9 but thought she had gotten old and slow, he was right. My personal fastest with my 240lbs geared up fat butt was an 11.59.
It used to take older liter bikes by a little over 1 length and most 600s by a hell of a lot. Problem is now she is old, the carbs are gunked, compression is down under 175psi(used to be 250), so I need to go through the motor too. Rings are getting on there in age, the valve seals leak after a hard ride when I fire her up the next time. All in all total rebuild time.
I went through the squid faze the first 2 years, the stunter faze the next 2(until wrecking the f out of the left side and having to replace everything down that side.), a mixture of the 2, and then the resposible faze these last 6 years or so.
She isn't worth selling whole, but I don't really want to part her out, but if i did I would reuse the powerplant in a F600 race car. I can restore her given enough time and money, but both are tight right now.(Nonexistant)
So my question is: What should I do?
1. Keep her, ride as is when I can, dealing with the lackluster throttle response, highway surging, fugly paint and cracking frame till she falls apart.
2. Part it out, hang on to the motor and exhaust for a f600 race car, long term build for the race car, get a new bike when cash becomes available again.
3. Part it out completely and be done with her, get a new bike when cash becomes available again.
4. Hang onto her, strip her down and slowly do a full frame up resto with powdercoat, fuel injection using microsquirt, and an overbored built to nuts motor. This would be a loooong term build like 5-10 years. Higher compression than she used to have(13.1) maybe drag race only stripper or a show bike, I dunno. Get a new bike when cash becomes available again.
5. Blow it up with dynamite, move to alaska and become a paranoid old geezer who never talks to anybody and mumbles all the time. (kidding)

What do you guys think???
BTW My wife and son both love the bike, I give him rides all the time and he has several dirt bikes once he gets big enough. 50, 75, 125 honda cr's. My 250 needs the same loving as the cane, fresh rebuild.

 

ride it, fix it as you go

 

this is what i would do . you and your son rebuild it together . thats what im doing my son and i are both enjoying together and when he is old enough to ride it . it will be his . its a great way to spend time together .

 

do a restoration with your kids. Teach them and save a classic at the same time.

 

I agree, restore your Cane with your kids to many win win situations for you to sell it for a few bucs.

 

keep it and fix it up as you go. its what I am doing, and you already have the bike and know it, no need to find another and fix what is wrong with that one

 

part it out and sell me the wind screen

 

I crashed mine, kept it for 6 years in the garage, bought a 2nd one for parts, put mine back together and ride it now. Glad I kept it.

 

with a cracked frame and tired motor i would possibly let all of it go in pieces unless you think you can squeeze a fart or two out of it still, then do the car project with the motor. she's done a lot for you but it will be a painstakign task rebuilding (might just get a new one) and you just wont feel good riding in the shape she's in. keep the motor, at least youll have the heart.

 

I should mention I have a street legal race car and another in the process of being gutted out and non street legal for road racing.

But yes its a hard one, she has been in the family since I got married and my 2 year old loves it.