How much did you pay?

[jetmechmarty]

If we're going for "toppers", I drove from Georgia to Nebraska and back to get mine in a weekend. It rained and snowed on the trip. The old Nissan truck had no radio, no speedo, and an intermittent ignition problem. The best part was sharing the weekend with a good friend and it didn't hurt that the bike was just as advertised.

[beechfront]

79 SF - $500

came with new battery & a helmet.

i have probably put $1500 into it (though most of that was not necessary) and a good $1000 to get it 'close' to where i want it.

i say close, because as somebody said above - i am a tinkerer and it will never be done.

[FutZ]

79F - $500

Had it almost a week now. Was told it would roll start but when I got it I couldn't get it to roll. Still lots of work ahead I will send some pics as available.

A month ago I didn't have a screw driver to my name. My biggest expence so far is the pile of tools I now have. Then again running back to the store every time I need something obvious is getting a bit old.

Estimated Cost To Complete == $500

That is if I can get it to run first :P

-FutZ

[wildbill]

how much?

78E bought in 00 for $1000.The bike has around 40,000 miles on it.Had to replace the gas tank and plug wires est.$30.I have some other things I need to do to it but since I can`t afford insurance and tags right now.That will be backburner stuff.I fix alot of the things myself but I`am happy enough.I don`t count routine maintence in cost but things I might have to replace later will be front master cylinder and brake pads,tires and anything else that might popup .Nowhere as bad as it sounds.P.S. Be very careful what shop you take your bike to.Took me nearly {a guess}4 months to fix their mess. .Take care.

[Robert Haller]

Originally posted by Pat Kelly
One of the appealling aspects of this bike is it's versatility. I currently have the fairing, hardbags, and trunk on it. I also enjoy it nekkid. I can now put it back to original stock condition or cafe it or ride it across country. A little work can transform the bike to differing roles/moods.

That's what's so great about this bike. I can put on the sissybar/luggage rack and highway pegs for touring or strip it down for a streetfighter. The only new bikes I can think of that might do that are either too expensive (Ducati Multistrada - $12,000+) or butt ugly (Suzuki V-Strom).

I paid $2700 for mine, but it was in excellent condition and local. I've spent about $600 on mods such as 4-1 exhaust, fork brace, and progressive shocks.

[Upright]

I paid $1100 for my 79F with a Windjammer SS. It's all pretty much stock and fairly well-kept. At least it looked good! It had it's share of a previous owner's Dremel-tool experiments on the carbs. And when the fusebox went bad, PO decided to "fix" it. Obviously, he wasn't a member of this forum....I think he used at least two rolls of electrical tape! Anyway, one month at Merriam Cycle and $1500 later, I'm riding it and loving it! And now that it's running right, I know I'll be able to take care of future maintenance issues myself with help from you guys!

[John]

Purchased a $500 Rat with 26K miles showing in 1991. Put in 150 hours of restoration work, and about $500 in parts. Replaced pipes, seat, tail light, headlight bucket and ears. Handlebars(black), levers, and mirrors. Windshield was given to me. Luggage rack and adjustable back rest came on my 79XS750SF. Batteries, tires, and filters don't count. They are consumables. Wheels, and rear shocks are from an XJ11 that I parted out. Recent Big Bore Project, and related items were $900. So, I figure after 13 years, 67k miles, and around $3000, I can't bitch. Wouldn't do me any good anyway...nobody'd listen.

[Jerry]

$650 for my XJ in 1999. Drove from Wisconsin to Maine to get it. Only things I really needed to get it on the road were a new air filter and fuse block, for a total investment of $735.00 ready-to-ride. Outside of maintenance items, I have another $950.00 in it, (Custom seat, fairing, saddlebags, floorboards, ss brake lines, Jardine exhaust, throttle lock.) Total investment, then, is right around $1,700.00.

[RS Thornton]

The 78, $800 delivered to my house!
Tank leak was silver soldered and tank relined by rad shop for $125, parts to overhaul petcocks and carbs, new front and rear wheel bearings and lip seals, 1 carb float and a new swing arm boot all came to ~200, then paint on tank, side covers and top of hardbags $350, new front tire and more comfy handle bars - $125, 4 K&N filters on ebay for $110 to replace emgo cones,
So, 1700-1750 and ready to cruise another 25 years.

The 79 is from the XS11.com classified ads and cost 800, been sitting for ~15years. So far $235 in parts from Bike Bandits to do the same bearing, lipseal and gasket replacements to make sure gas and grease stay in the right place, plus a K&N filter to replace the one that dry rotted out of the air box, new dunlops front and rear. Lined the tank for $65, battery, spark plugs and oil filter from Autozone, so all together say $1250-1300. Still haven't started this one up, need to snow to fall to get me off the other 2 bikes. Next spring this should be a real treat, it has the high backed "banana" seat and lots of chrome that is cleaning up real nice. For remaining costs I just have to rechrome the cam cover and fork sliders, maybe pay the local bike shop to mount and balance tires.

Soapbox time...
I would like to say that these machines are awesome and many have said that riding them is priceless. I would also like to say that the info on these forums is priceless. I have a clymers, but being able to get in touch with others that have already solved the problems that come up when you overhaul these things is the only way I could have such super bikes for so little cost.

[deo]

Got my XJ for nothin! Now to get it on the road the carbs were rebuilt, new tires, battery, fairing and saddlebags, brake system totally rebuilt, painted it, etc. Spent about $2500.00 and still feel like I have a bargin. Then I wrecked it and had a another fairing and lights and and and and. Still for $2500.00 I have the bike I want with only 17,500 miles on it.

Was offered a 1999 Honda Shadow 750 for $1500 and felt the XJ was a better bargin. I'm too big for the smaller bike.

Oh yeah, TC did the transmission for me and didn't charge me a nickel. He's the man on the tranny fix.

deo

[dntemp_ca]

$1750 Canadian for a neglected but excellent local 78E, full touring, with 22,000 kms on it. Also got a complete 78E parts bike with no title in the deal. Other than lots of clean up work and tuning adjustments, replaced air filter, carb boots, fork oil, fork dust caps, header gaskets, installed TKat fork brace. Also just bought NOS Yamaha heavy duty fork springs on ebay...to be installed on a rainy day. Have spent about $2300 total. Bonus: She's convertible! In about 20 minutes, I can remove the touring seat, carrier, trunk & backrest and install the stock seat off the partser and a chopped windshield I made for the fairing. Then I have a cool lookin' go-fast bagger for cruisin' around town and goin' to the store for bread & milk. These bikes are great value. This site is the best!

[dpotter58]

I bought a 1980 Midnight Special with 50,000 on it for $1,500 from a guy 8 hours away. Long story short, needed a tank for a,'81 650 midnight and found this bike 20 miles away from my cousin's were the 650 was sitting. Got a u-haul and went up and brought them both back.
Had a problem with the turn signals but a little time and the schematic and I'm on the road at no extra cost. Lots of commpression, runs like a top, needs a new paint job on the tank but that's about it.
I'd like to ride it as long as it runs this well then get it rebuilt.I have a windjammer 5 that I want to mount for the colder weather and the mount cost me 20 bucks.
I have 4 kids, two boys 17 and 15 who will not get on (not cool to be hanging on to a man on the back of a bike even if it is your dad) and two daughters, 14 and 10 who are just lovin' it. So am I!!!!!!

[D. P. Larmee]

Picked up my baby for $800 with a little over 9,000 miles on the ticker about two years ago. Since then, no real expenses other than maintenance and a few niceties including:

Crash bars with highway pegs - $35 - good for the long hauls
Luggage rack - $30 - Makes life so much easier
SS Braklines from Randy - $120 - What a difference
Fork brace from TKAT - $80 - Again, a world of difference
Seat recovered at a local Shop - $100 - Still looks great

Bringing the grand total to $1,165 and I must be honest here, I love driving it... it's so choice. I highly recommend picking one up if you have the means

[strom]

paid bout 250-300$ for mine... in boxes mostly.
Worked on it for a bit more that 2 years, spent bout 2000$ on a helluvalotofstuff, have bout 500$ more to go... at least. But after that there will be another 500 for sure....
But then again.... it's only money and It can't get you anywhere... XS can. OK, and drugs, cheap hookers, all sorts of other stuff that you can get with it....
Where was I going with this? Dunno... don't care, I'm going RIDING! (even legal.... except if they have a radar or something, can't drive by the legal limit, sorry)

LP

[Shadow]

These are canadian prices mind you, but

$700 for non-running 81XS1100H that was sitting for 3 years (58K kilometers on it)
$300 to get it started
$400 after blowing the clutch with a whole 1/2hr of me driving it
$350 for siezed rear brake after another 8hrs of driving time on it

I figure I've got a another $1000 to put in it with painting, brake rebuilds & electrical, but no rush she drives great right now (at least in my opinion)