Well, I paid $300 for an 81 250R a few months back. Thus far I have easily put over $1,000 into it, and probably could spend another few hundred on cosmetics. Don't get me wrong, it's nice getting back in touch w/my youth (even though I never owned an R...I was stuck w/a 185) but this thing could easily eat me out of house and home.
Out of curiousity.....how much dough have you all put into your machines?

 

$700 into my 83 Big Red-really good shape...done nothing to it
$750 approx into my 86 250SX-fair shape...just got $200 worth of new Maier plastic
$80 approx into my 84 200M-worn but fair shape...trail **** so appearance doesnt matter
If I had just one, Id do a full restoration, but with multiples, its harder to spread money out among them without breaking the bank.
Still plan to get a 125M(may get one in a few days), 200x, and maybe a 2 popper then I will stop.

 

You'll feel better if you stop keeping track of how much you spend and the sooner the better.

 

Just make it a long term project. Most newer riders are never going to ride a trike, so you are going to be unique! Anyway, I know what you mean, life doesn't always make it easy to put the money into these like we would want. It might be easier to set smaller goals and work eventually towards the restore. I have only put about $200.00 into the old Quadracer, but she is at the point where I really need to spend some cash on new parts.

 

I know how you feel. I paid $500.00 for mine and easily have put another $1500.00 into it. But the answer to your question, when is enough enough? Answer: NEVER, if you truely love your trike and want to be a die hard trike owner for life. That question sounds familiar, maybe from the movie "The Mexican"

 

Don't get me wrong. I have no intention of stopping throwing money at her, hell I'm 75% of the way to a full original stock restoration. Can't quit now. I do know I will never see that money again, Even mint the thing probably won't be worth $800, so there would be no point in trying to recapture some of that loot. I'm already waste deep in it, might as well get the head wet.

 

i spent $600 on my 200s when restoring it and about $300 so far on my 200m

 

350 for a 185s, 125m, and 225dx... Kept the 185s and sold the two others for 150 because they were trash. Muffler, carb rebuild, grips, recoil assembly and air filter later, I am in for just under 500 for a decent trail machine.

Plan on getting my other project bike running and selling it and the trike for something bigger.

 

I've been pretty lucky. Only had to spend about $60 getting my 3 wheeler in good running condition (and some time and effort). It had low miles on it, though - a Yamaha 225 DX. I've only ridden it a few times, so far, though.

 

personally if i got ahold of a vintage racer like u have id give it a total tear down paint and polish everything and if you can find all new plastic make it look pristine then you would have something that would turn heads in a world of mass produced wheelers that only differ from each other by fancy grafics if you do a half hearted fix up it'll just look like you have a delapitated old junk to the masses only a few like myself would reconize it for a vintage old battle ax that wheeler is a piece of history and theres not many of those left thus the reason to do a compleat resto but i do realize backin the real world moneys tight so if you really like it finish it if youre just doing it for something to ride do the bare minimum to keep it going and if something major goes dump it to a collector there are people looking for vintage wheelers....