BACK IN THE DAY, [ my day that is - early mid 60's ], bikes were a means of transport first and foremost - 100's if not 1000's of "commuter" bikes [ BSA, Norton, Aerial, Matchless .............. ] were abandoned for almost nothing as peeps switched to low cost cars for their commute / family transport. Those of us that had a passion for bikes and biking snapped these up for pennies. 8) But why would I want a cruddy B31 .... exactly the same as a 1000 other cruddy B31s - especially when they'd nearly all be Maroon ! Especially when [ for not a lot of money ] I could buy a complete Triumph 500 / 650 twin and plop the engine in the Beesa frame - AND CREATE SOMETHING DIFFERENT. Did I think then that someone 50 years later would be paying obscene amounts of money for the bits I discarded ? :
What I have never understood is the "let's all be different together" mentality. Restore your 1954 BSA B31 and what have you got ? A restored turd, just like a 1000 other restored models. I suspect the same is true as to why peeps want to do something different with a stock UJM. Each to their own. As soon as you bolt a non standard part, or change the factory colour - you have begun customising your ride - it's just the level of customisation that differs.
What I have never understood is the "let's all be different together" mentality. Restore your 1954 BSA B31 and what have you got ? A restored turd, just like a 1000 other restored models. I suspect the same is true as to why peeps want to do something different with a stock UJM. Each to their own. As soon as you bolt a non standard part, or change the factory colour - you have begun customising your ride - it's just the level of customisation that differs.