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A little help with the value

PostPosted: Wed May 22, 2019 1:39 pm
by Gormagon36
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engine
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left side
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right side
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I have a 1958 Harley Hummer 125cc. It's obviously not running and I'm not sure exactly what it would take to get it there. I have every singel part but I'm sure a couple may need to be replaced. Can anyone estimate the value of this Hummer as is, with all the parts. What should I ask for it?

Re: A little help with the value

PostPosted: Wed May 22, 2019 1:42 pm
by Gormagon36
My name is Donny btw. I really love this bike but considered turing it into a unique cafe racer since the fully restored versions aren't really worth that much. Do any of you enthusiasts have any thoughts on this?

Re: A little help with the value

PostPosted: Wed May 22, 2019 3:14 pm
by hennesse
There is way too much right about the bike to turn it into a worthless chopper.

You've got almost a complete bike in good shape - nice fenders and gas tank, front end's all there. Toolbox, kickstand, speedometer, etc. Wheels look OK. All those things are hard to find in decent shape, and you've already got them. The only things really wrong that I can see offhand are the seat and headlight.

My advice is to get the engine running. No one can tell what that will cost in without disassembling it. Perhaps contact Mutt and get an idea of the range of prices it might cost.

Once you're got the engine rebuilt, you can decide how far you want to go with the rest of it. Perhaps just assemble it, replacing only what needs replacing, and cleaning up what can be cleaned up. Once you get it riding around, you might decide that it runs so well you want to go farther, and get a professional paint job, etc.

If you decide to sell it, you're selling a project of unknown proportions. They buyer has no way of telling what is required to repair the engine. Does it need an afternoon's fiddling, or does it need (more likely) a $1500 rebuild? It's nearly a complete bike, so it's a good project starting point, but the unknown engine condition will hold the price way down. Do you have a clear title? That's getting more important every day.

Dave

Re: A little help with the value

PostPosted: Wed May 22, 2019 9:29 pm
by billc
i wouldn't know how to act if any of my projects started out that complete. i usually just start out with a straight bone and go from there.
:D

Re: A little help with the value

PostPosted: Wed May 22, 2019 9:45 pm
by Mutt
I started my very first Harley (1957 Panhead) out with a allen bolt I got for the Motor Pool.. 3 years later, the bolt had turned into a complete beautiful Panhead , feature bike in Iron Horse Magazine

Re: A little help with the value

PostPosted: Wed May 22, 2019 11:34 pm
by Rick ostrander
dam cuz. , you have some thing that is rare, a 60 year old harley that is 95 percent org. not sure it would be worth more as a racer no matter how much spend on it . before you chop such a bike maybe consider selling to some one who would appretiate and restore and build a racer . just a thought. Pa. Rick

Re: A little help with the value

PostPosted: Thu May 23, 2019 3:17 pm
by Gormagon36
You guys are right. I'm going to restore it as is. I ride, but have never restored anything like this. Someone said I should just see if the engine runs first. Any ideas on where to begin?

Re: A little help with the value

PostPosted: Thu May 23, 2019 5:02 pm
by CJY
I guess the first thing is to evaluate where you are. Does the motor turn over and, if it does, is there compression? It is does, then check for spark. If not, try pulling the plug and soaking the piston / cylinder with a mix of half ATF and half acetone (or use something like PB Blaster) to see if you can get it to break loose.

Once it turns over, check for spark.

To do that, you will need to mount the coil toward the top of the down tube, connect the coil to the wires coming from the generator, install a spark plug lead, and obtain / install a 6v battery. Use some very fine sand paper to deglaze the points before you test. Make sure the switch located on the left side of the tank is in the 'On' position. Wiring diagram is here: https://harleyhummerclub.org/restore/chapter66/wiring-165.pdf

Think I would pull the plug and kick it through with the base of the plug grounded to the motor case. If you have spark, on to the fuel system. If not, double-check the wiring & the point gap. If no joy, then try replacing the points and condenser.

Re: A little help with the value

PostPosted: Thu May 23, 2019 7:07 pm
by Gormagon36
Thanks CJY!!

Re: A little help with the value

PostPosted: Sat Jan 11, 2020 9:01 pm
by rjohnson
There has been a few at auction in the past year that have sold for over 10,000.00.
There are also a few customs popping up worth a lot more than a restored stock version.
Do internet search for custom harley hummers or try searching bikeexif on line.