To us, a motorcycle restoration is more than a spray can paint job and a new set of wheels. We believe it involves assessing the vehicle's overall condition and knowing what's involved to return it to original, if not better, condition that when it left the factory 30, 40, even 50 years ago. Our restorations create more than just a pretty bike, but a mechanically sound, reliable motorcycle you can enjoy for years to come with proper maintenance. Restoration includes not only the parts that can be seen; the frame, trim, chrome, wheels, speedometer and tachometer, but also the engine, brakes, cooling system, electrical wiring, and fluid systems. Our restorations leave no nut or bolt untouched, no painted surface unpolished, no wiring untested, and no part goes without inspection.
Some motorcycles are not in need of a complete restoration, but instead what we call a Major Service, focusing on mechanical repairs such as:
• Carburetor Rebuilding - more than a cleaning but a complete overhaul & replacement of certain parts
• Engine Rebuilding - top end, bottom end, or complete with cylinder boring & piston/rings replacement
• Transmission Rebuilding - from new bearings, shift forks or gears to crank shaft regrinding or replacement
• Electrical System Overhaul - replace wiring harness, install combo regulator/rectifier, install Boyer Bransden electronic ignition, remove points, correct "home-made" wiring systems, and service 6, 12, and 24 volt systems
• Brake or Suspension Rebuild - brake caliper rebuild, master cylinder rebuild, replace shocks or front forks
A Major Service can take 4 to 12+ weeks for completion depending on the work, parts availability, and scheduling.
Finding parts for an especially rare or unusual motorcycle - parts made of "unobtainium" - is a job unto itself. Also, we often have to correct previous "restorations" or service work to bring a bike up to our mechanical standards & general safety. Then we're able to start the actually restoration or major service. For your safety & ours, we will not compromise on our mechanical service & safety standards.
We can tailor your motorcycle restoration to various levels, as seen in automotive restoration. Cost & completion time are proportionate with the extent of the restoration, type of bike, parts availability & repairs needed.
As of January 1, 2009, our hourly motorcycle labor rate is $90.
• Museum quality with 100% historical accuracy - not meant to be ridden except at shows, if at all
~ 1 year+ for completion with 100 to 200+ labor hours
• Historically accurate, cosmetically attractive, and still rideable
~ 9 months to 1 year for completion with 65 to 100+ hours labor
• Customized to owner specifications
~ Up to 1 year+ for completion with 40 to 100+ labor hours
• Rideable and mechanically sound - aka "10-footers" or "20-footers" - look great from 10 to 20 feet away
~ 4 to 8 months for completion with 30 to 75+ labor hours
• Just about any level in between
Completions times & labor hours are estimates and will vary with each vehicle & level of restoration.
NOTE: Parts are extra & can add a significant amount to the total.
All our major service or restorations require sufficent time to test ride and fine tune the vehicle before being released to the customer. Test riding & fine tuning may add an additional 1 to 4 weeks to the complete date.
We don't offer a flat-rate price for restoring a vintage motorcycle due to many variables including how extensive of a restoration is needed, the present mechanical & cosmetic condition of the bike, previous work performed on the vehicle, rarity of the bike, rarity of the parts, and to what level of restoration are you interested in obtaining. We create a unique estimate just for your bike, its needs, and your desired restoration or major service level. No two estimates are the same, just as no two bikes are exactly the same. For pricing information, please:
See the paragraph above for labor hours associated with various levels of service or restoration
Review the examples below for details & labor hours associated with work on that specific bike
Visit our Services webpage for details & pricing on items such as engine rebuilding, carburetor work, painting, wheel rebuilding, etc
We do not discuss how much a customer paid for a service or restoration
We have the skills and creativity to make your vintage motorcycle look & run better than ever. Our credentials & expertise include:
• ASE Certification as a Master Technician
• Virginia Motor Vehicle Safety Inspector
• expert diagnostic skills that get to the root of a mechanical issue
• 20+ years of extensive technical and mechanical repair experience
• expert parts research department
• on-site welding (TIG & MIG)
• on-site professional painting services
• on-site polishing (re-choming is done off-site)
• on-site re-upholstery of motorcycle seats
We provide monthly updates on the status of your restoration and detailed digital photographs of all work preformed. Every restoration is approached with loving detail, a critical eye, and sensible budgeting of resources.
Complete restorations, major services, and performance, electronics, or cosmetics upgrades to a vintage motorcycle can take several months to 1 year+ to complete. Costs are proportionate to the rarity of the bike, intensity of the restoration, and urgency of the finished product. To make a restoration possible for most vintage motorcycle owners, we offer interest-free financing and have developed a "Restoration or Major Service Program." Below is an outline of the program followed by complete details.
Restoration or Major Service Program - Outline Top
1. Vehicle arrives at our shop
2. Written estimate performed
3. Estimate/Agreement approved, monthly payment amount established & deposit received
4. Monthly status reports provided
5. Major service or Restoration complete
6. Major service or Restoration added to our website
Our written estimate is the blueprint detailing how we plan to restore, upgrade, or customize your motorcycle. We inspect your bike with an experienced, critical eye looking for mechanical and safety issues, then cosmetic effects. We do our best to anticipate all labor hours and parts, but a cushion of +/- 20% (basket cases are up to 40%) helps the estimate fair & accurate. Our estimate prices are good for 60 days from date of preparation.
Our Estimate Fee, paid in advance, is:
•$90 for mechanical only service or restoration
•$180 for mechanical & cosmetic service or restoration
Payment for fee can be made via cash, check, MasterCard, Visa, or PayPal addressed to info@rcycle.com. If you allow us to perform the service/restoration and the estimate is over $250, the estimate fee will be credited to your invoice. Preparation of our written estimate takes 4 to 6 weeks to complete.When complete, we email the estimate to you. We can also fax or mail, just let us know. Estimates are 2 to 5 pages long depending on the extent of work.
We only provide estimates when the vehicle is present in our shop.No estimates via phone or email.
Our Estimate is also Restoration Agreement detailing the financial obligation and time frame for completion of the project. Financial information includes the deposit, which is the price of all the parts required + some of the labor cost. Also detailed is the monthly payment amount, due dates, and an approximate completion date. Monthly payment amounts are determined by dividing the estimated amount (minus the deposit) by the number of months the project will last. For example: $5,000 restoration - $1,000 deposit = $4,000 balance. Divide by 8 months = $500 due each month. Monthly payments may be made via cash, check, MasterCard, Visa, or PayPal addressed to info@rcycle.com. Vehicle released after the final payment is received. Failure to make the scheduled monthly payments will result in immediate termination of the project with no refund of payments or deposit. *Please note: on major service or restorations lasting more than 3 months, there may be a month with little or no progress to report. Payment is still required during inactive periods.
Once the Restoration Agreement is signed & the deposit received, you will receive monthly status reports and digital photographs via email detailing the progress of your service or restoration. You will also receive a reminder of when your monthly payment is due. Not all digital photos are be emailed as we take up to 1,000 pictures of each restoration and approximately 300 of a major service. All pictures are saved on a CD and a copy will be given to you once the project is complete and final payment is received. All photographs are the property of Randy's Cycle Service & Restoration. *Please note: on major service or restorations lasting more than 3 months, there may be a month with little or no progress to report.
With your permission, we will include your restoration or major service on our website and on our Home page. The webpage will include choice photographs & a brief description of the work performed. Your privacy is important to us so if you prefer not to have certain information appear such as your name or location, we will tailor the page accordingly.
When your restoration or major service is complete, Randy road tests the bike several times on a stretch of paved road that has varying speeds, straight-aways, and curves. Road testing requires safe road & weather conditions - no rain, snow or ice on the surface and safe bike components such as tires, brakes, steering, etc. (See Important Information.) After road testing, your bike is giving a thorough final inspection before it is released. Test riding ranges from 13 miles to over 100 miles for engine/transmission work. We always test ride our bikes before they are released. We ask that when you come to pick up the bike, YOU take it for a test ride. That way, any questions or issues can be addressed before you head home.
We have many satisfied restoration customers and many service customers available to provide feedback on our technical work, customer service, and their over all experience with us.
Click on a motorcycle picture to the right or below to be directed to photos and details of each restoration. More detailed restoration pictorials will be added so check back from time to time. The only altering we do to our photos is cropping - no PhotoShop gimmicks here!
How to Get Started with RCSR
Ready to make the commitment to get your vintage motorcycle serviced or restored by Randy's Cycle Service & Restoration? Here's the way:
1. Call or email to schedule an appointment to bring your motorcycle to our shop. We offer appointments Tues - Friday from 10 am to 6 pm and Saturday from 10 am to 4 pm. Closed every Sunday & Monday
2. Arrive at our shop with your bike. We will help you unload it from your truck or trailer.
3. Tell us everything you know about your bike, what you want to have done, and your time frame.
4. Provide us with your contact information & $90 or $180 for the estimate fee.
5. Give us 4 - 6 weeks to prepare your estimate. The bike must be left at the shop for us to prepare the estimate.
6. Once you agree to our terms and pricing, a deposit is required & a monthly payment plan is scheduled.
7. You will receive monthly emails with photographs & details of completed work & a payment reminder. Some months there may be little to report, but we will still be in touch.
8. When your motorcycle is ready, it's time to schedule a pick up appointment and final payment.
Getting your Bike to Randy's Cycle Service & Restoration Top
The customer is responsible for transportation to and from our shop. Here are three suggestions on how to do it:
3. Bike transport company - several of our customers have used HaulBikes.com with success. Average charge from East coast to middle of the USA is $500 - $600 (as of October 2010.)
When a customer's bikes arrives at our shop, we will gladly assist in helping them unload or load their bike with their permission.
How We are Different from Dealerships or other Restoration Shops Top
* We're not about hype or the latest fad in the motorcycle world.
* We get to the root of a mechanical issue and solve the problem, not just "patch" on it.
* We keep our customers regularly informed of the progress on their service or restoration with phone calls, emails, digital photos, & 1 to 3 minute digital videos of vintage bikes.
* We take the time to learn about you as a rider, your bike, its past, and what you want your bike's future to be.
* We give tours of our shop & work area. Nothing is hidden from view and no questions goes unanswered.
* We provide written estimates that are detailed, accurate & good for 60 days.
* We provide personalized restoration & major service programs including 0% financing.
* We always test ride* our bikes before assuming they are fixed. (*Unless mechanically not possible or the bike is too unsafe for riding.)
* When we bring one of our bikes or a customer's vehicle to a bike show, we ride the bike in - not push it in. Our restorations not only look great, but run great as well.
* Restoration & service of vintage bikes is what we do for a living - not as a hobby, not in our basement, we don't ship engines or paint out to another shop, we're not retired, we don't do this and work somewhere else. THIS is what we do.
* We always follow-up with our customers to find out how the bike is operating.
• We will not compromise on safety related repairs or parts such as tires, brakes, or steering. If customer declines safety related repairs, we reserve the right to refuse service.
• Vehicles that do not meet minimal safety standards such as operational brakes, safe tires & tread, etc., will not be road-tested. We perform a minimum 13-mile road test on all service or restoration vehicles before returning to our customers.
• Estimates only provided when vehicle is present in our shop.
• Vehicles left at our shop 15 days after completion, decline of service, or Randy's Cycle Service & Restoration's refusal to service will be subject to $50 a day storage fees. Storage fees can only be paid with cash. (No check, credit cards or PayPal.
• We reserve the right to refuse service to anyone at anytime.
Website created and managed by Ursulina Creel. Comments? Send to info@rcycle.com
This page was last updated on: February 1, 2012
Website, photographs & video content are the property of Randy's Cycle Service & Restoration & may not be used for any reason without prior, written permission.
$90 for mechanical only service or restoration
