What do you do with old parts?

[erkishhorde]

Not sure where to put this... I've got a worn out rear brake rotor and I'm not sure whether to throw it away or not. It's totally worn out, no ifs or buts about it but I just don't want to chuck it. Hell, I've got broken throttle cables still sitting around. Things like brake pads get chucked though. What do you toss and what do you keep in terms of broken or worn out bits? I've got a few brake/ clutch levers that have been broken in half that I keep too in case I happen to break one worse and need a temp. 

[mstevens]

What on earth could you use a worn-out brake rotor or broken cables and levers for?!

If you're an artist who welds masterpieces out of found objects, that's one thing. Otherwise you're just a hoarder.

[erkishhorde]

What on earth could you use a worn-out brake rotor or broken cables and levers for?!

If you're an artist who welds masterpieces out of found objects, that's one thing. Otherwise you're just a hoarder.

I think that's exactly it. I'm a pack rat. Is there any part of the rotor worth saving? Like, the floating part vs the mounting part? Do they actually sell just the floating part that the pads touch? I was looking at CA-cycleworks and it seems the answer would be no?

[Spencer]

.

I have pieces and parts from about 10 bikes in my attic.  Every stock part that I have taken off as well as slightly damaged items that needed replaced.  One of these days I am going to build one really funny looking motocycle 

.

[Bones]

you can make quite the lovely wind chime with brake rotors and throttle cables. they make a beautiful jingle in the breeze.....

[red baron]

throw that shit out

[A.duc.H.duc.]

Parts that are totally broken, or old parts that are easily replaced get thrown out.

Parts that are hard to find or might have small pieces that could be used to fix another broken part in the future get stored. I also can't seem to part with any of my stock parts either, and on my monster that's everything except the frame, tank, cowl, and lower triple clamp as well as parts of the electrical harness I have lying around now.

[triangleforge]

Blow up a nice picture of your bike, cut it to fit and use it as a photo frame (though a front rotor would be cooler-looking). Cut a round circle of mirror to fit, use the rotor as a frame & hang that on the wall. Use it as a trivet in your kitchen. Hang it on the wall in your office (with or without the photo inside) and make up stories for gullible officemates.

Or move out of your HOA neighborhood and start building outrageous yard art. Seriously. One of my neighbors has an ancient Harley Sprint in his front yard that's had a tree growing gracefully through it for decades and I'm nearly insane with jealousy...

Oh, and that old clutch cover? it makes a great parts bowl for small bits you don't want to lose while working on the bike -- that's what I use mine for.

[corndog67]

I've got the same problem with old junk.  In my toolbox there is an old Amal carburettor off some old Triumph that is cracked, the top is warped, the screws are stripped, but somehow I can't get rid of it.   I've got old KTM pistons, not worth a damn, and I don't smoke, so they won't even get used as ashtrays.   Broken cables.  Somewhere is a set of bored out Kawasaki Z-1 carburetors, that I have absolutely no use for, but I'll be damned if I'm going to throw them away.  Old brake shoes.  Little hunks of aluminum, stainless, steel alloys, just piles of junk that is worth something to somebody, just i don't know them. 

[dlearl476]

throw that shit out

Easier said than done for us habitual hoarders.  I'll admit. I'm one, but brake rotors...

Seriously, old used stuff like that I throw in a box (brake rotors, chains, sprockets, etc.)  When the box is full, I take it to a recycler.  Good steel is about $1/lb and I generally get $20-30 for it.

(To be fair, I DO have a NOS Moto Guzzi rotor that I'll more than likely never use sitting in my garage.)

[erkishhorde]

Easier said than done for us habitual hoarders.  I'll admit. I'm one, but brake rotors...

Seriously, old used stuff like that I throw in a box (brake rotors, chains, sprockets, etc.)  When the box is full, I take it to a recycler.  Good steel is about $1/lb and I generally get $20-30 for it.

(To be fair, I DO have a NOS Moto Guzzi rotor that I'll more than likely never use sitting in my garage.)

That's a good idea. Never thought of recycling it.

[JimE]

I take it to the local shooting range if it's been trouble 

[NorDog]

What's next?  Running old oil filters throught the dishwasher 2 or 3 times?   

[Demoni]

I always hang onto good scrap metal because you never know when you will need a bracket.

That being said... junk is junk

...Unless you turn that rotor into a cool wall clock

[corndog67]

I did see a set pf old 426 Hemi valve covers (you know, the real Hemis, not the new slow hemis), turned into saddlebag lids.   Nobody at the shop seems to want to get rid of any of theirs though, I guess I could buy a set of the fabricated up new ones, but that is way, way, way too much money.