Is an '80 Std worth a grand?

[fredintoon]

Hi Pro,
the other thing about buying a bike from a neighbor is that IF one buys for way less than a fair price and IF one can fix it by simply oiling the throttle cable and recharging the battery, one's neighbor is going to find out about it and then things can get ugly.

[81xsproject]

On the plus side, if neighbor sells you non-running crap, you get to pull it out at 6 am and rev it obnoxiously while you work on it Some times the payback is so fun, it's worth the initial loss.

[Crazcnuk]

Best thing to do is to take the bike over to your garage, and take a much better look at it.

If it WAS running when he parked it, I'd have had it running before I had time to post the start of this thread.... Either in his garage, or mine.

Just tell him you'd like to check it over, and involve him, if he's interested. If you do find other things wrong, he'll be much easier to dicker with. If on the other hand, everything checks out ok, you'll be more willing to meet his price.

As an added bonus, you get to know your neghbor....

[GNEPIG]

Quote:
Best thing to do is to take the bike over to your garage, and take a much better look at it.

If it WAS running when he parked it, I'd have had it running before I had time to post the start of this thread.... Either in his garage, or mine.


Yeah, then after you have fixed his bike for free, and he desides not to sell it to you, he can ask more money for it later.

A Grand is to much to ask for the bike, offer him 500 bucks. If he doesn't except it now, he will later when it doesn't sell. The last time that I seen one of these in the Blue Book was about 8 years ago and the best going price for it then was 850 bucks- in good running condition.
The most that I have paid for one of these was 200 bucks and it was in the same condition as the one you're lookin at sounds like.
Good luck

[mro]

As an added bonus, you get to know your neghbor....

Could be a good thing,
then agin...


mro

[Crazcnuk]

"Yeah, then after you have fixed his bike for free, and he desides not to sell it to you, he can ask more money for it later."

I suppose, if your stupid.

No one said anything about fixing, yet. It was about finding out what is wrong. I would think you'd get a feel for his frame of mind in fairly short order, and can decide whether you want to deal with him or not.

Maybe, he'll get a new found love for his XS and help Scott fix his SF, and we'll have another member here?

It doesn't take any expenditures to find out most of what you need to know to buy the bike, and anything else is just like buying any other used vehicle.

[webbcraft2150]

Interesting thoughts from many different views. A grand for a non running bike seem a little steep. There is nothing wrong with it that someone here hasn't addressed and you have to decide if you have the time, tools, money and willingness to bring it back to life. The carbs are always an issue on a bike that has sat for a while. Not being able to ride it, you do not know if it has the dreaded 2nd gear problem, again a fix that is not as difficult as it sounds to fix. I was very lucky when I bought my G hardbagger. I had cut the ad out and stuck it to the fridge. Didn't call the guy for a couple of weeks and when I did, he still had the bike. if my memory serves me, he was asking $1600. I countered at a grand and he whips out a recent reciept for over $800 from the local dealer for work he had done to get it running. Carbs, fork seals, brakes, battery, full tune and service. I plunked down the $1600 and have been happy ever since. This was a one owner, full dresser that sat in his garage over 6 years. Buying from a neighbor, don't see any real risk there as long as everyone leaves happy. I bought a '69 Lemans from my neighbor that was convinced the engine was blown, $75. 2 hours later I was doing burnouts, all it had was a few bent pushrods and a cracked cap. I offered it back to him for $150, fair price I thought for bringing it back to life (had all the parts in my box-o-parts). He cheerfully declined commenting the car was cursed. Make your neighbor an offer your comfortable with. Whatever you pay, we will help you get it back on the road.

[mason79]

Originally posted by TopCatGr58


Yeah Mason, but for a man .... quote:


with a M-B SLK280 $3500 is chump change!
T.C.

yes tc, i could go out right now and write a check for most any production motorcycle, but the merits of this bike still stands as the best all arounder,

and my rationale is that it's old, and a few dings and dents won't hurt so much i already have a new car for that;

it has been a journey for me with the ressurection of this machine with your help et al, i am a better person because of it, some things in life a person has to work for and this you cannot put a price on. i learn alot and a way better shade tree mechanic.

i don't waste money by nature, i am quite frugal it's the only way to be, in light of my age and the knowledge that overspending has led to ruin


to have the eleven perform like a $20,000 bike, i consider that a great value,

motorcyclng , while a serious endevor for me, and all too consuming is not; going out and buying a new one and have it sit, i ride less than 4000 miles a year,

my roster of bikes shows that, plenty of them has sat for way too long, my xs is sittting for way too long, i like this website, it is a friend, there is much more that the yamaha xs eleven here,

there is camaraderie, information, experts in every field, a shoulder to cry on, the internet is something else

the xs11 may be my last bike...

[TopCatGr58]

Hey Mason,

I agree totally with you, was just ribbin' you a bit! You did see the smileys didn't you!?

I bought mine for ~$3,000 essentially new(15miles) in 83, rode it for 9 years, 50+kmiles, tranny broke, parked for 9 years, resurrected it in 2000 with an additional $3,000, and that was with ME doing all the work(except the cylinder boring), and I'm not done spending on it. I, too, don't ride much now either, saving the big bore for rallies and such, don't use it for a daily rider....although IF fuel prices hit $4.00 a gallon I probably WILL ride it instead of my SUV! I, too, have no intention of ever selling it, and have collected a few spare parts(engine), and such to help keep it on the road as long as I can!

XS1100 brotherhood forever!
T.C.

[mason79]

1100 posts

yes brotherhood, i know what is good when i see it, well mostly, and then the shopping is over nor does the remorse starts, it's just an instinct,

hey what does xsively 1100 posts entitled?

[mro]

XS1100 brotherhood forever!
All right!!!
TC for president...


mro

[Crazcnuk]

I look at what I have spent and could concievably spend for the XS, and then I look at my friends $18,000-$25,000 bikes and smile....