It was on the front page of a newspaper the other day. According to the article the rider was split in half after hitting the tree, so I suspect speed was immense and definitely a factor.
As a father of two boys I can only imagine the horror. Condolence to the family.
Agree with everyone here. Just get it in good mechanical shape and keep the original patina.
Spending on getting it running reliably is all you need, especially riding around the NC remoteness.
Decide on what you'd like to spend and speak to someone like Willie or Freek etc. These guys can...