restore or not restore, that is the question.

This seemed like the right place to ask this. I have a 1972 CL450 DOHC that looks original. Very little rust and that is surface only. The blue paint is faded and does not appear to ever been painted. I don't see any dents either. I have NOS clutch, speedometer, tach, brake & throttle cables to go on it. Eventually, new brakes, sprocket and chain, etc. will all get done. I need to get it running before I even worry about all that.

When I tell people about it, they all say to fix it but leave it as it is. It's 'worth more' if I leave it. I go to car shows and bike shows and you don't see many vehicles with faded 40 yr old paint, running or not. I'm just fine with leaving it alone but I want to get it running and ride without worrying about ruining some expensive paint job.

So, what to do? maybe why to do it is a better question. I'm really enjoying this forum. I haven't decided what custom design do. Whatever it is, it won't be on the CL450. I like it the way it is. I'll chop up one of my other bikes when the time comes.

Thanks for letting me ramble on about this. All opinions welcome. Thanks in advance.

I appreciate the innate beauty of these bikes in stock trim these days. My buddies keep buying awesome shape bikes and i don't have the heart to chop them up. A beater, I'll chop all day. But i almost feel like i owe it to them to save them when they've survived for so long without being scrapped. Good thing all I run across are beaters!

Most of the people that saw my pile of 450's said I was crazy for even thinking about it. Imagine basically a u haul trailer full of most of a complete 450 and a completely taken apart 450. Plus extras from another 450. The complete one was rough enough to make me start with the one in pieces.

Around here 450s are impossible to find and when you do they go for ridiculous money. SO they are both going to be restored to clean running condition, I want one for myself and will probably find someone to sell the other to.

I would find a ratty beater, maybe a runner and work on that. Having a RUNNING bike while you wrench on another is a great BONUS since you will not be in a rush to finish it. I know, I did it and it sucked. That bike is getting taken down and cleaned up this winter, fix all the short cuts I took.