Not a terribly expensive hobby

[mainlylinux]

Owning an XS is a good hobby, not all that expensive with a little luck and some mechanical skills. That's my take anyway - what does everyone else think?

Lots of people around here have much more expensive hobbies - heck look how much you can put into a drag or circle track car.

Guess there are cheaper hobbies though, like watching snow fall...

On average how much do you spend on maint. per year on her?

Me - dunno, not into maint. mode yet.

[mro]

cheep date

My 80G, don't plan on any Xsive costs. So far, a few feet of hose, 4 carb kits, oil/filters. Biggest expense so far set of tires $189.00
Used turn signals All 4 $20.00, 2 mirrors $20.00

Having my own shop helps.

The 80LG expect to cost another $400.00 (guestament) to get running and look halfway decent ($250.00 bike and parts so far)


mro

[mason79]

run it hard put it away wet!

i agree, alot of excitement for little money, but it can be agrevating if the bike acts up, and the throttle controls the fun factor, and i doesn't look so bad either, good old classic naked

[webbcraft2150]

So far, mines been a cheap fetish. I got lucky when I bought mine. One owner, garaged all the time and low mileage. PO dropped $800 at the dealer (saw the bill) to get the bike ready for sale. Tires being the single biggest expense, carb kits, seat redo and the normal tune-up, oil changes, brake pads follow. 'Course there is the couple hundred in metal polishes and waxes, dozen ruined bath towels and such (hijacked for a better use), countless hours using them. Twist of the wrist on the on-ramp, priceless.

[Dragonrider]

Mine was between $350-$700 a year just in tires and oil...

After the restoration (did all the work myself, brought it back from junk status for about $400, not counting tires), it never needed serious work.

[John]

Not including the cost of last years rebuild, the bike has been very reliable, over the years, only requiring regular expected maintenance, tires, gas, and oil. I did replace the engine at one time, only to cure some major oil leaks.

[mro]

John

I did replace the engine at one time, only to cure some major oil leaks.

Hey John, missed that in the tech tips



mro

btw
If not for this site, probably would have sold the 80G after I got it running. Now I'm getting ready to start on a MNS

[eroellig]

I don't know yet. Still doing the restore...

'course, some of my "expense" was justification for some new tools (toys?). For instance, I could have done without the motorcycle jack, but it sure has been nice to have the bike up in the air.

Eric

[81xsproject]

I don't know about everyone else, but it is hard to work past the money amount denial that I am used to giving SWMBO.

[mainlylinux]

Re: run it hard put it away wet!

A little off topic for this post, but how did you like your maxim x and fazer? I really like the look of the fazers.

Dan

Originally posted by mason79
i agree, alot of excitement for little money, but it can be agrevating if the bike acts up, and the throttle controls the fun factor, and i doesn't look so bad either, good old classic naked

[mason79]

Re: Re: run it hard put it away wet!

Originally posted by mainlylinux
A little off topic for this post, but how did you like your maxim x and fazer? I really like the look of the fazers.

Dan

the xs1100 is by far the best bike i have ever owned, inhales miles faster than your courage can keep up and leaves in it's wake a sea of congestion and gridlock.

we're talkin litre class vs. smaller machines, maxim's seating position was too laid back, and thrust concentrated in the upper ranges same with the fazer, did not give a complete feel, handling was better with fazer's shorter wheelbase and smaller front tire, xs imho, not far behind.

remember top of the line anything, in this case the xs1100 gets the best engineering, material and effort.

never again combination of looks, mass, delivery of power, ride and chrome in the right places really sets this behemoth apart.

[Geezer]

My bikes don't cost, they pay but I'm in the bike biz. Once in a while I have to lay out some cash to get or keep one of my bikes going but it always seems to come back to me...

Now if bought a new bike, I'm sure the payments would be crippling. I wouldn't own the bike, the bike would own me...

Geezer

[xs650mike]

Hobby?

My bikes are daily transportation, not a hobby. Well I guess they are a hobby too!

[GNEPIG]

.. this is a hard question for me because i have more than one XS11 and a couple of "other" brand bikes. i have some project XS11's that i collect parts for, and i collect parts that i think i will need in the future, plus all of the new parts that i have hoarded since i have been working at this bike shop[I love saying the words "in stock"]. also upgrades cost money, like the different exhaust i have been dyno expeirimenting with.. but i am the only guy around here that hoards the XS11 stuff, the parts that i have sold in the past has paid for the used XS11 parts a couple times over. i have not sold any parts in over a year, the cost is starting to go the other way again. parts bikes are not coming to me as easy as they used to, unless i get real hard up, i probly wont sell any more