Lafayette, IN: Considering Selling my '79 XS Eleven

[al_ngl]

I've had my 1979 XS1100F for about eight years, and it has been great, but I think I would like to move to something nimbler and newer. My bike still has under 10k original miles, so I'd like to get a reasonable amount of money out of it to buy something lighter and newer. I'd like to know what would be a reasonable asking price given its condition and low miles, as I'd like to extract enough value to get another bike I will fully enjoy.

The bike is in largely original condition and has mostly OEM/original parts on it. The only things I can think of that aren't OEM are the front signals and flasher relay, air filter, battery, and clutch springs. Everything else, barring tune up items, is original. I winterize it every year and refresh fluids every spring. It usually gets about 2-300 miles each year I've had it. I've always had cars that took precedent over the bike, so it has retained a low mileage status. It runs a bit rich, and sometimes takes minor coaxing to start, but once running will run all day. I tend to run E0/ ethanol free gas from a Phillips 66, then add a non-alcohol octane booster.

The bike could use a once over on the carbs. I don't think they need full rebuilds, but I think it needs float needles. Secondary fuel valves have been added to prevent fuel seeping past the float bowls and into the crankcase. Apart from that the bike is pretty solid. To my knowledge, I am the third owner, and it has always been garaged. There is very little corrosion, and I would say that overall it does not even require a restoration, just a good paint detail and possibly cleaner/newer badging.

I feel that I would get out and ride more often with something nimbler, which is why I am considering selling it. I feel that someone might appreciate this bike even more than I do, and this is a great bike for someone wanting a low mile, mostly original XS Eleven.

Let me know if you are interested, and if you are not interested, I would appreciate hearing what you feel would be a fair price to ask and expect. I do not feel like placing a price yet without knowing desirability yet. NADA guides says "Very Good" is $3430 and "Good" is $1895, and the bike is probably between those metrics in my opinion. I am not in a hurry to sell the bike though, and will likely keep smoothing it out and riding it in the coming warmer months.



Thank you

[IanDMacDonald]

I'd put the bike's value right around $2k, and not much more. For the enthusiasts, the original exhaust helps, to the majority, it's just an old UJM most would stay away from. Many young people will seek it out at a cheap price to chop it up into something they saw on a calendar. If you fetch anything close to what you're asking, I'd be surprised.

[al_ngl]

That's fair enough and honest. I didn't really set an asking price, just that it would probably be somewhere between what NADA says for "Good" and "Very Good." I've had good luck lately with my pricing, but I mostly need to be able to buy something that suits me better with the money. I also forgot to mention that I have a Windjammer for it as well, but I've never used it. Thanks for your contribution, and I'll certainly consider your input in pricing the bike if I do indeed sell it and make a Craigslist ad.

[Ranger_xs1100]

value

I've always found that KBB pricing guide to be closer to reality that NADA. Though I have also found that KBB is a little lower than what you can actually expect to sell the bike for. KBB states that your bike (in my market) and in excellent condition is valued at $1600. I have bought and sold at least a dozen bikes over the past several years and always get a little more than KBB. So based on my experience I would say that Ian's assessment of $2000 is pretty close. I would expect it to sell between 1800 and 2000, which is in the range that I sold a 79 xs11 almost identical to yours last fall.