Thinking about buying a RC51 that's been down.
 

I went and looked at a RC51 today, the bike has been down. It needs fairings, a taillight, headlight assembly, bracket to hold the cluster, the left side rear set is busted, that's about it. The cluster says 3,331 miles, and he claims it is the stock cluster. The tank also needs a little bit of work, but is usable.

The asking price is $1,800, but he is willing to move, I was thinking closer to a grand.

The bike fired right up, which made me feel a little better. However, it's not ridable so that makes me worry.

I know it's difficult for you to tell me anything, really just want input from you guys. Would you do it? I would be buying it as a winter project, I have a shop with all the needed tools/welder.

https://images.craigslist.org/5O45Y3...75c39717e9.jpg

not ridable how? frame/forks tweaked, motor doesnt rev, or is it just because of the lack of lights and other legal stuff? id say if the front end and frame looks good then go for it, especially if you can get the price lower. you could probably part it out for more than that if it came to it.

It's not ridable as far as legal lights, etc. Everything else looks good, frame, etc. The only reason I said it worries me is because every time I've bought a bike, i've taken it for a test run.

gotcha, i felt the same way when i bought my track bike. i was able to ride it around a parking lot which made me feel a little better. looks like a rural area, im not one to condone illegal activities but how bad would it be to just take it down the street and back?

yeah, he said he's going to get it so i can at least take it down the road. looks like headlights for those things are fukkin expensive!

I'm not in the US, so I don't know your local laws, but at least around here, you don't need a headlight to be roadlegal, as long as it's daytime... A cheap flashlight or whatever as a white marker light in front is technically legal around here... Might be an option to at least check...

headlight and taillight are required anywhere in the US, signals and mirrors vary between states

Yeah, I wish... Here in FL not so much. For the head light I was thinking about just retro-fitting a projector in a set of cheaper ebay fairings.

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depends on what you want to do with it. Cheap is relative and its real easy to underestimate the costs. Its either been rolled a few times or endo'd. Have to be really exact looking at the frame, forks, alignment, wheels/rotors to be sure no big damage there. 3K miles on a bike that looks like that could be 3000 of the toughest miles done - maybe tracked, raced or just neglected. so what are you going to do with it helps a lot in your decision.
Track bike? race plastic is cheap and might be OK.
Restore to what its suppsed to look like? that could cost quite a bit and you could easily find rideable, good looking, not crashed well maintained bikes for what it might cost in plastics.
Naked conversion? it will always be a pretty ugly bike that way - to me these fully faired bikes gone naked just always look pretty cheesy and its a pretty uncomfortable bike for a naked.

That looks like buying a liability to me. Without riding it you really dont know what you are signing on for. It would have to be naked and immaculate & that thing sure isnt. Can you see road rash anywhere?

Ya my rough estimate was about $1K - $1,200 to have it rolling and looking close to stock. I just want it for a winter project and something to ride in the spring.

No road rash is visible. As far as immaculate, no it isn't, there are a few small parts missing as well.