When assessing a motorcycle for purchase, consider whether it has uniformity in its detail.

When assessing a motorcycle for purchase, consider whether it has uniformity in its detail. If it has original paint, but the fenders are highly polished stainless, it will look odd. On such a motorcycle, the nuts, bolts and washers should have the same level of wear as the paint - not too clean and not too worn. Once you repaint one place on an old and original motorcycle, you've created a bigger problem - the newly painted area stands out, so now you must paint it all. Many collectors have learned this lesson the hard way. If it isn't in really awful shape, don't restore it. You can restore a bike to look like new, but you can't ever get the old, original finish back. Think twice before doing this.