Building a Budget Hyosung Comet 250 – Can an Old Bike Feel New Again?

Every biker has that one project where they say, "I'll just tidy a few bits up." Fast forward a few weeks and suddenly the bike is in a thousand pieces, there's a growing pile of parcels on the doorstep, and your postman knows you by first name. Welcome to my Hyosung Comet build!

I picked up this Comet for £1,450, already fitted with a 250cc engine conversion, giving me a great starting point. Since then I've spent around £200 on parts. The labour bill? Thankfully it's free, because I'm doing the work myself—with the occasional rescue mission from a few mates when I inevitably convince myself I know what I'm doing.

The bike is getting a complete refresh to drag it into the modern era. The panels are being wrapped in forged blue carbon fibre, while the frame will be finished in black carbon for a cleaner, more aggressive look. It's also getting a ProTaper handlebar conversion, an aftermarket enduro-style digital speedo, a new headlight, tinted rear light with a full LED conversion, upgraded mirrors, new foot pegs, fresh indicators, rim tape to brighten up the wheels, and a full engine casing refurbishment with the block and cylinders resprayed in black.

One of the biggest goals with this project has been proving you don't need deep pockets to build something you're proud of. Most of the parts have come straight from China, which means I've saved a decent amount of money... although waiting up to 30 days for some deliveries has definitely tested my patience. Nothing quite says "motorcycle enthusiast" like checking the tracking number five times a day!

The end goal is to have the bike ready for Kustom Kulture Blast Off this September, where I'll be entering the Budget Bike Build Competition. It might not have a five-figure price tag or a TV build team behind it, but that's exactly the point. I want to show that with a bit of creativity, a few evenings in the garage, plenty of tea, and the odd bit of colourful language when a bolt refuses to move, an ageing bike can be transformed into something modern, unique and worthy of turning a few heads.

Follow along as the build progresses. Whether it wins a trophy or just wins the award for "Most AliExpress parcels delivered to one address," it's already proving that building on a budget can be just as rewarding as spending a fortune.