What to do ?

[admin]

I want a rally bike for me and my girlfriend.
I prefer singles, so it needs to be a 500, and I don't like swingarms (bigger and heavier).
Squares aren't my thing either. A nice 500 plunger single.

I've been trying to sell my early 50's KH500, as I don't like the engine much, but I do like the plungers and the original running gear. It's been for sale for all of this year and there is zero interest, unless I want to take a silly offer.

I am now thinking I should take out the KH engine, primary, rebuilt mag and dynamo etc etc and just put a 500 engine in. Funnily enough I have the engine plates which let me do this.
I really don't want to do this, as the engine will languish in my garage forever and it seems a shame ....

I know it's my bike and I can do what I want .. why on earth does nobody want a KH ?

[Knud.Degnbol]

That ought not to be true.

[Dave.Barkshire]

Time to re-launch your KH sale. If nobody takes it on the forum or facebook group and you don't want to have to deal with the numpties on ebay then you could try calling Chris at Venture Classics who's not that far from you. He has sold several of my bikes for me in the past on a commission basis and he's one of the few dealers who I can say is absolutely honest and straight.

[dave.owen]

They have very good looking rudge for sale

[adrie.degraaff]

I prefer singles, so it needs to be a 500, and I don't like swingarms (bigger and heavier).

There is nothing better than a swingarm 500 ferc for 2up long distance.

[john.whiting]

The Rudge 500 with enclosed valves is a lemon,pure and simple.

[Dave.Thomas]

Maybe you’re just asking / expecting too much ? By your own description it’s a scruffy non matching bike without original paint ( and having paint issues ) and with a few jobs that need sorting . If I was advising a young / new buyer about it, I can’t say I’d recommend it unless it lost 1000-1500 off your price tag.
Only you can do the maths that will decide it’s fate though !

[Vincent.vanGinneke]

Hi John, you could give it another try on Carandclassic.
The ads are for free there
https://www.carandclassic.co.uk/free_advert.php

[nevhunter]

The twin is a bit underrated. Easy to restart without dismounting. The frame is thinner walled than the ones for a 500 single Nev

[admin]

I've been around EBAY twice
Alot of very silly offers, a few promises to turn up but ultimately nothing. I cannot bring myself to sell it for £2500 (less than a rough 350 swingarm single ....).
I'll take that as a sign.

As the bodywork/running gear is original and all the electrics work then I'm going to extract the KH engine and replace it with a VH (which I have most of). The KH engine has a regrind/new shells, rebuilt mag and dynamo plus the right chaincases so I'll seal it up and store it somewhere for the future (prob a trip to the local auctions, when I pass onto the great carpark in the sky ...).

I do note Nev's comment, but I'm not racing it although it will carry two of us.