How is the price of an SE Concept Bike determined?
"Our Concept Bikes are fully overhauled and completely rebuilt custom bikes, including a rebuilt engine and gearbox, which after completion are equivalent to the condition of a new motorcycle"
But what does that mean?
Engine and gearbox are completely disassembled, the crankshaft is ground or lapped and re-bedded, connecting rods are angled and re-bedded, oil pump completely renewed, timing chain, tension rails and tensioners new, cylinder heads converted to unleaded, valves, valve springs, valve keepers new, cylinders overhauled, pistons and piston rings new, all screws and grommets new, engine ceramic bead-blasted, alternator overhauled, all gearbox bearings new, gearbox gears and gearbox transmission parts such as shift forks, etc. renewed as needed. In short, after completion, it is essentially a new powertrain.
Chassis, suspension elements, brakes: The frame is freed from all superfluous brackets, measured and completely sanded. The frame, the rims and all chassis and attachment parts are powder-coated, all bearings, grommets, rubbers and screws are renewed. The fork is completely rebuilt, new shock absorber, the brake calipers are blasted, newly powder-coated and assembled with new pistons and seal kits.
The electrics: The main wiring harness and all auxiliary wiring harnesses are completely new, including all switches, horn and sensors. The alternator and starter are either overhauled or new, new handlebar switches, in short, completely new electrics.
Also all Bowden cables, brake lines, fuel cap, fuel taps, as well as the conversion parts such as lighting, indicators, seat, rear frame, handlebars, speedometer, paintwork, too much to list.
It should be noted that we use original BMW spare parts for motorcycle restoration, so no cheap reproduction products. These are more expensive, but quality has its price.
And how is the price put together now?
"Engine overhauled" or "completely rebuilt" others also write, but what does that actually mean? For SE, an engine overhaul is certainly not done with a big bore kit or a new cylinder head gasket.
If you look at what the rebuilding of a boxer engine, gearbox and carburetors costs at our place or other reputable engine builders, you will always end up with around €5,000. If companies want to sell you an engine overhaul, then look around carefully. Without a valve seat milling machine, a boring mill, a honing machine, a lathe, a milling machine, etc., a BMW two-valve boxer engine cannot be overhauled. If these providers pass the engine on for processing, then two people already have to earn money, which makes it even less viable in terms of price.
And then there are the offers "low mileage", i.e. bikes that have only covered 20,000 km in 35 years. You can believe that or not, or just try it. If damage occurs, it leaks or whatever, you have to get to it. We cannot proceed like that, our customers expect perfectly functioning bikes.
The calculation:
Engine, gearbox, carburetor incl. labor €5,000
Painting and upholstery work €800
Powder coating work €1,200
Conversion parts such as rear frame, lighting,
license plate holder, fenders, seat, speedometer,
handlebar switches, handlebar fittings, shock absorber, handlebars,
triple clamp, ... (Depending on equipment) €6,000
Labor for vehicle assembly €6,000
TÜV inspection €350
+ a suitable donor motorcycle
Do I save money if I source the donor vehicle myself?
We are happy to convert many customer-supplied bikes throughout the year. However, if it is to be a complete conversion in the sense of our Concept Bikes, then you will not save anything. Statistically, our bikes include €2,000 for the donor motorcycle. This price comes about because we simply have good sources for purchasing, have bought a lot of bikes at the right time (currently we still have about 50 motorcycles in stock) and can market some of the leftover parts. On the private market, a reasonable donor bike costs about €3,000 - €4,000.
I cannot speak for the competitors, but one thing must be clear to everyone:
"You cannot completely overhaul a motorcycle, elaborately convert it, paint it and get it through TÜV for €10,000 to €12,000"
I can only advise against buying such an "overhauled complete conversion" for €10,000, as they are offered online. You can only lose in the process, and €10,000 is a hell of a lot of money.
What if I build the bike myself? This is an option. We offer all the parts for it and are happy to support our customers with their home-customizing project. Technical advice is included with us. We have had TÜV parts certificates issued for many parts so that our customers do not experience any nasty surprises during the final TÜV inspection. It is also possible for us to take on partial areas such as the engine, gearbox or electrics and you make the vehicle assembly your personal project.
If at some point you reach a point where you can't go any further, that's also no problem. We also complete started projects and get them through the TÜV.
