1981SH Special Illinois

[DGXSER]

Don't let the old fuddy duddy types (me included) get to you. Have fun with your project, and I wish you all the luck in going easy for you.

Like I say, sell us the primo parts you do not use. Hopefully you don't take some of the primo parts and cut and hack and then paint them. Sell the primo part to a member or trade for a less cosmetically perfect part that is destined to be hacked and painted anyway. Those are the only things I suggest you keep in mind. Quality nice parts are tough to find these days.

[Hak]

Definitely! That's what I plan to do. I definitely wouldn't hack this one up. And hey, at least I'm not making a bobber haha

[jetmechmarty]

I'm a purist too! But, when you can go from this


to this,


I'm all in!

Truthfully, we see more bikes ruined than turn out like the one above.

[Hak]

Haha believe me I understand, I've seen them for sale half completed all over craigslist.. This bike is going to be my baby and it's going to be bikeexif worthy. I plan to put many times over what I'm spending to purchase the bike. Everything will be done with the utmost attention to detail!

[DCII]

Hak, good luck with your project I will look forward to seeing it's progress. I don't think however there was much chance in you losing the sale as this bike has been on and off Craigs list over the last year.

[Hak]

I gotta say I'm a little disappointed right now!!!!!! I went to pick this bike up tonight and the gentleman selling it showed me all these emails from someone (who knows who they are who I will leave nameless out of courtesy) trying to take the sale away from me!

I UNDERSTAND if you do not approve of me modifying this bike. I UNDERSTAND if you'd rather see it go to someone who will appreciate it for exactly what it is, no more, no less. But what I don't understand is why someone would passive aggressively try to stop me from pursuing my dream!! SHAME ON YOU.

Apparently this person is a collector and said he has many XS's and was willing to drive across the country and pay more than me to prevent him from selling the bike to me. I even offered that I would gladly trade anyone with an XS standard for this XS special, as I would prefer the standard over the special anyway! The offer still stands until I start work on it! But instead of messaging me personally he decided to try to snake my sale.

I understand you people hold this bike in high esteem. One member compared it to modifying a mint 1964 1/2 Mustang. While this bike is GREAT, it is no 1964 1/2 Mustang.

Thank you to those who support my freedom of choice, to the one's that do not, please grow up and get over yourselves. I'm sure you were "ruining" your parents favorite things at one point or other yourself.

Can't wait to share the build with you all, if anything the pressure will just make the approval that much sweeter once it is complete.

Rick

[Hak]

Also, can someone help me identify what bike this is? He says it's a 650cc but I didn't think Yamaha made an inline 4 in anything but the 1100? It looks to me to be an XJ1100/Maxim? If so I may pick this one up and sell the mint special I just picked up. Any help with that would be appreciated

http://chicago.craigslist.org/wcl/mcy/4292016172.html

[DGXSER]

I am almost certain that is an XJ650. From the year, four cylinder, and 650, that would confirm it to be an XJ650.

[Hak]

Thanks for the quick reply! You're too fast I added the link after I realized I forgot to post it haha Yeah I just found the xj650 I think that is what it is. Which unfortunately is not what I want! I like the XS wheel's much more anyway

[rdmcguy]

650 maxim

That bike is a 650 maxim,
I have two of them They are bulletproof,
If you rev them up they move pretty well.
Great gas mileage 45+
Reasonably comfortable once you get rid of the rototiller bars.
A little short on personality though.
A header helps ,But it aint no 1100.
Joe

[Hak]

Thanks guys! Just what I was wondering

[IanDMacDonald]

Lmfaoooo. I know I should not be laughing Hak, but DAMN! Somebody drank their HATORADE, and then some. I wasn't comparing your bike to a Mustang, I was comparing the sentiment. Some guys really take heart to these bikes. If I wrecked mine tomorrow, I'd probably move-on to something else. Maybe an '83 GS1100ES.

[Hak]

I knew what you meant, Ian! I just used it as a polite way to say that at the end of the day this is still a 1500$ Motorcycle, as it seems you understand lol. As much as someone would like it to be an expensive collector's item, and while it is an AWESOME bike and a classic example of an era that unfortunately happened before I was even born, sometimes you shouldn't attempt to hold on to things too tightly. With this comment I mean no disrespect.

In the car world I've seen it over and over when car's are newer and in a higher price range most of those who purchase them either keep them original or the one's that do mod them take great care in selection. Then as years pass and the car's value is reduced into a low budget build, you start seeing some very awful modifications take place and people who really don't know what their doing ruin a car you once loved so much, to the point where you wouldn't even want to own it to risk being associated with them. But alas, it is the nature of the beast and must be accepted. But this also brings great value to the few who will buy the vehicle (whatever it may be) and do extensive work to transform it into something it never could have been otherwise.

Once we leave this planet none of us are bringing our bikes with us, and I personally would rather leave a bike that has my name on it than a bike that I kept in perfect condition for someone else to buy later and mess up. But to each their own.

[DGXSER]

As has been said before in this thread, the reason some folks get quite disenchanted with the "customizers" is that over the years I have been a member here, I can count MANY MANY MANY folks who came in asking for help with their custom build, only took the advise they wanted to hear, and kept coming back asking the same thing over and over. Big one is usually exhaust, they always want to run open pipes, which these engines do not work well with, but they don't want to hear that, so they keep asking how to tune it to run smooth and nice with open pipes.

Most....I did say most and not all.....end up trying to sell the bike they got on the cheap, for thousands of dollars, as an incomplete, hacked up, mess of a bike. So, we see frames cut to hates and back, fenders cut up, seats hacked to death, sometimes gas tanks hacked and welded or beaten with a hammer to simulate the trendy indents, nice parts hacked up or pitched. And then what was a decent bike that was for sale at $1000 or so is now a piece of goofy hacked up metal to every one but the builder and they wonder why no one else appreciates their "Custom" bike and will not pay $3000 for it, as a project to finish. "just needs the carbs tuned is all".

Now, we understand you have a different approach. And certainly appreciate that you have been through this with cars, so you have an idea what your getting into, unlike a lot of those folks I eluded to.

We have seen some good custom bikes made from members. And I certainly appreciate you not wanting to start with a completely abused and rusted out bike. So, we look forwarding to seeing what you do with this one.

[Hak]

Thank you for your understanding! I tried to convey early on that I am not one of 'those' guys. I'm definitely no kid with a craftsman toolset from sears in his parents garage lol