opinions please "should I sell?"

[revscottm]

hey all,
I have a 80 xs1100 that I bought a year ago for $700. It runs well and is great fun to ride as you all know. Now I must decide what to do. It needs some upgrading, in particular a seat, paint job (faded) and turn signal problem fixed. My wife and I like to ride 2up and so I am looking at a back rest, windshield saddle bags etc. SOOO is it worth it? how much should I put into this bike or at what point is it "beyond return". Should I sell and buy something set up like I want it already?
btw 40K miles

[tcoop]

For less than what it would take to buy a bike with everthing you want you could have your 1100 fixed up (if you do the work). But you have to decide if it is worth it to you. I got the 1100 for me to ride then I got a Venture for my wife to ride with me.

[natemoen]

Agreed. You need to decide what it is worth to you. Most likely you would never see 1600 for an XS for resale(it does happen, one sold for I think 8k). These are easy to work on so of you are semi handy you can most likely fix it. It will cost less to do what you want to your XS than it will cost to buy a different bike. You may not get back what you put into the XS though.

[crazy steve]

Well, it depends...

If the bike runs good and basically only has cosmetic issues, it would be tough to replace it without spending considerably more. A new seat isn't too big of a deal; you can still get new 'king/queen' seat foam/covers in the aftermarket for under $150, or if the foam is decent you can get new OEM-style covers for under $100 (all this assumes your seat pan isn't rusted out). Paint can be very expensive if you have it professionally done, but a DIY job can be done for $200 or less.

As far as finding accessories, except for 'universal fit' windshields they've been out of production for years so you'll have to look in the used market; that may take a while to track down the bits. But they can be found, just don't expect instant gratification.

[CatatonicBug]

I've done exactly what you're looking to do. I spent $500 on the bike originally, then added a full Vetter touring setup. I was able to find the Vetter pieces on Craigslist and this forum for about $170 (IIRC). Of course, it took some patience and constant searching to find a decent deal. Some folks want an arm and a leg for that stuff!

The versatility, simplicity and reliability of the XS makes me say you'll be better off upgrading your current ride instead of trying to find a new one. Of course, it takes patience and a few bloody knuckles to get there.

[xsroadrunner]

Basically whatever you spend on the XS would come out way less than buying a newer bike. But again its also somewhat dependant upon how long you're willing to wait to get it all together. I have the best of both worlds both old and newer.

[DGXSER]

My opinion is this, it all depends on what you really want.

The XS11 is a very versatile bike. You can pull the bags off it and go have fun in the twisties or where ever, or load it up with all you can fit and it will cruise along like a big bike should carrying the weight and the riders in reasonable comfort. If you want a bike that will turn heads and be easy on your pocket book as well, the XS11 is the way to go.

If you want an investment, sell it and move on. You will never, and I do mean never, get out of it what you put into it, especially if you include your time. The market for these bikes just is not there for you get a ROI out of it.

[slow mo]

hi and welcome Scott!first off i think you should keep it! you got a running xs11 with low mileage for a good price,, if you look on the site you should be able to pick up all you need for about 300 bucks ,the paint is up yo you rattle can or pro your choice patience ,,, and ride safe ,,slow mo!

[tom clisham]

dress it up!

I've got 2 great xs1100's that I got cheap.
Got'em both running great (you're already ahead if it runs great), then with ebay searching & careful bidding got both dressed exactly as I want with parts left over. 1's fully vettered, other has windshield & soft bags. got seats for both on Ebay. It was fun to do & it's just the way I want.

Again, if it runs really well you're way ahead of the game. Thats a great start . Go EBAY

[figman]

If you like it keep it ride it enjoy it

[cowboybob998]

Keep it

Just keep it and ride your money out of it, you are gona end up with more money in it than what its worth, the one i have now i gave 50 bucks for i have 1000 in it now, but i would not sell it for 3000, because i know it will give me that much joy in return, to me these bikes are priceless if ya got one runing good, i have so much labor in this thing i think it would take 5000 for me even think about selling it and i know that wont hapen besides that i can say i have a Bob Jones bike, (Kinda) it was in his Atic, has his name on the titel, any way just have fun fixing it up.

[revscottm]

Loving It...

Hey team,
Thanks for all the replys. I appreciate the time you have invested in my question. I am motivated to keep it and start the project. It sounds like fun!
Let see first a king queen seat...

[Crusty Snippets]

Keep it.

I paid $1500- for my 79XS11S.
I will probably spend heeps over time to replace lots of things.
BUT; a newer bike will depreciate more than that per year.
I got a used seat for $80-. There are lots of windshields available. There are probably lots of rear bags and top boxes around.

It is crisp outside here today and raining. I have a 70 mile ride later.
Which bike should I ride, the SV1000S with a chain drive or Yami?

Added bonus though: Mrs Snippets likes to be on the back of Yami.

Unkle Crusty

[ManitoulinLad]

Hey Revscottm: As you can see by my signature, we can do alot with these things. I got a 'spitifre" or some other brand of universal windshield for around $60 - it was transferred from my xs650 to this bike. it is now quite a few years old & still fine (I got the tinted one) I guess what I'm saying is that for little $$ (I know a friend with harley that paid $1000 for his windshield, clips off fast etc - wipy ****) you can get parts for the bike that "will last". So just keep the bike & as stated by other xs'ers you'll ride out your moneys worth pretty fast. - a thousand bucks for a windshield - cheez - oh & his bags cost $1000 too - mine $200 & have had for years, oh yeah & mine are cooler hehe - Dan

[tonyg-5386]

I bought my 79 Special almost 18 years ago from the original owner for $1500 I've considered selling it many times but here's what I did instead.

Changed those buckhorn handlebars to more standard type handlebars.
Installed progressive springs and shocks
Installed ss brake lines
Rebuilt the carbs
Rebuilt the master cylinders
Found a good condition original seat on ebay
Installed a mac 4-2 exhaust on it but later found a mint condition stock exhaust on ebay. It was expensive but I love the looks of the stock exhaust.
A buddy of mine painted the bike a dark burgundy color.
Installed a backrest I got on ebay so my wife will ride with me.
I've been through 3 sets of tires in 30k miles (all dunlops-elite II and now elite 3's)
This bike has been the most reliable bike I've ever owned. It has NEVER left me stranded. I rode it 2800 miles in 1 week last year and it only used 1/2 quart of oil.
I recently purchased a used 1996 vmax. It too is an awesome bike but I think the XS is a more versatile bike. Just my opinion. Keep the XS.