To quote the Princess Bride..."You keep using that word. I do not think it means what you think it means."

I hear conservation, restoration and reproduction used a lot when talking about bikes or reading about them in articles and forums and I don't know if I am just CDO (OCD but in alphabetical order like it should be!) or if people really feel these words can be used interchangably.

Allow me to give you my definitions and you tell me if I am way off base.

Conservation: Keeping the bike in as much of the original (from manufacturer) condition as possible. No powder coating, no new parts just cleaned really well and kept in working order.

Restoration: In extreme case (if required), a complete strip down and repaint and rebuild of the bike to manufacturers specs as if it has just come off the showroom floor.

Reproduction: To me it just screams "new" not an original. Plain and simple. Much like one can go buy a "Shelby Cobra" car....its not an original but it is an exact copy.

Then of course there is the majority of bikes out there...the "Modified" or the "Frankenbike"

What are your thoughts?