Want someone to re-build my '79

[peckm3]

Taking bids to re-build my '79 XS11. I simply do not have the time or the expertise to do a re-build myself, and I am tired of seeing it rot away in the garage. But rot away it will, unless someone can help me out by making an offer to do this work for me. I will never sell it. Never. Please do not ask.

Can send photos of the bike, which has been in the family since it was new. Hasn't run right or been on the road in about 8 years. At that time the carbs had just been re-built, but the petcocks leaked like sieves. I would like it put back in stock condition, and part of that will entail re-chroming the exhaust system, and Dad put the usual custom parts on--windshield, king-queen saddle, backrest, touring pegs, etc. Electrical system will need some work, but otherwise the bike has good bones.

I am in Amarillo, Texas, but can deliver the bike to you for service.

Email me at peckm3@yahoo.com

Maxwell Peck

[crazy steve]

When you say 'rebuild', what will that entail? Does it need all-new chrome and paint? What kind of mechanical issues does it have? Do you realize just how much money you're talking? If you're after a 'like new' restoration, you're probably looking at $5K minimum, and depending on how bad it is it could reach $10K or more. The exhaust system alone could be over $1K easily.

Most of us here are all DIYers, with a sharp eye on costs and a willingness to accept less than OEM new in favor of functionality.

If you do a google search for 'motorcycle restoration', you'll get multiple hits with shops in various parts of the country, but most have labor rates of $75 per hour or more. Add in the cost/difficulty of finding some parts if needed and you can have a ton of money into a bike rather quickly. I've done 'frame-up' bike builds for myself, and you're talking several hundred hours of labor easily and I have a well-equipped shop. The last build I completed cost me a bit under $4K in parts (and that was as low as it was by being brutal about looking for bargains and adapting 'other', less expensive parts in place of 'correct' bits), but if I figured my labor at only $20 per hour the total would be closer to $10K. And that was with zero chrome work and a very basic paint job.


Is the sentimental attachment worth that much?

[DGXSER]

There is a guy named Olly or Ollie, that I believe XS11lover knows, that supposed to do out standing work. May want to contact him. Otherwise, there are few folks in Texas on here, but that seems like saying you live in the same hemisphere as big as Texas is.

[peckm3]

Mechanically sound

Yeppers, I know how much money I am talking.

Sentimental value is really worth that much in this case. I grew up on this bike. Started riding on it when I was 8, then later inherited it for myself.

Mechanically it is sound. I did the research a few years ago when I was looking at re-chroming the exhaust myself, so yes, I am aware of how much that part could cost. Mechanically the bike is sound. Only issue I remember is the petcocks, and it will likely need a transmission overhaul--it tended to jump out of 1st into neutral at high rpm.

Paint is not imperative--pretty good right now. I know a lot of the personalities on this forum, have been a member since 2003. I want a DIYer who will brutally manage costs and look for bargains in the overhaul. Sure it would be easier to find one already re-built. I want this bike.

[peckm3]

And I am willing to travel a bit to deliver the bike to let someone look it over for a while and figure out what they could do it for. The reason I posted in this forum rather than looking for a general motorcycle restoration place is specifically because I want a DIYer/pseudo-professional who loves working on THESE BIKES and will understand my attachment to it.

[DGXSER]

Fully understand Peck. I'd love to help you out, but the distance is crazy, and honestly I would end up in divorce court if I brought another bike in the garage.

I would suggest you find soemone to do the exhaust for you and have that done yourself anyway. That would save some middle man cost for a purely outsourced effort anyway.

[trdriver71]

Sounds like to me you are just looking to get it working good and back on the road. If the bike is in good shape and just has sat for years, you could just find someone to go through the bike, like clean the carbs, go throught the brakes and check the electrical system and do the second gear fix, as of the exhaust you might find it cheaper to get it ceramic coated in what ever colour you like.

By the way what model is it?

[peckm3]

'79 Standard.

[foreda]

79 Standard

Give us some pictures to work with. This would help to come up with a ballpark restoration figure. Do you have the original exhaust?

[DAVINCI]

When you say 'rebuild', what will that entail? Does it need all-new chrome and paint? What kind of mechanical issues does it have? Do you realize just how much money you're talking? If you're after a 'like new' restoration, you're probably looking at $5K minimum, and depending on how bad it is it could reach $10K or more. The exhaust system alone could be over $1K easily.

Most of us here are all DIYers, with a sharp eye on costs and a willingness to accept less than OEM new in favor of functionality.

If you do a google search for 'motorcycle restoration', you'll get multiple hits with shops in various parts of the country, but most have labor rates of $75 per hour or more. Add in the cost/difficulty of finding some parts if needed and you can have a ton of money into a bike rather quickly. I've done 'frame-up' bike builds for myself, and you're talking several hundred hours of labor easily and I have a well-equipped shop. The last build I completed cost me a bit under $4K in parts (and that was as low as it was by being brutal about looking for bargains and adapting 'other', less expensive parts in place of 'correct' bits), but if I figured my labor at only $20 per hour the total would be closer to $10K. And that was with zero chrome work and a very basic paint job.


Is the sentimental attachment worth that much?

I second Steve's comments, I spent 350-400 hours getting mine back to life 7 months of weekends. Then again, i didn't have a 'fully equipped shop', so it probably could have been done faster, but certainly not cheaper.

[peckm3]

I do have the original exhaust.

I am traveling, and it will take about a week and a half for me to get pictures up, but I will get it done.

[cywelchjr]

There aren't a lot of folks on the ground in here in Texas, but there are a few, although not all of them are active on here, I'll see if I can find some of the ones who are not active here and get them to come over and talk to you if they are interested, as I believe they may have the stuff needed to do the work but I'll have to catch them offline as they haven't been on here in a while.

[xs11lover]

http://www.xs11.com/forum/showthread.php?t=30930