New to XS11, how hard will this be to fix?

[joceiphus]

So, did you get it, or is it in too bad of shape?

[Sojourner]

Nope, I passed on it. There was somethig like 73k on the clock, not a drop of oils to be seen down the filler, and as GSXER pointed out, it's had to sit quite a while for it to have sank down that far into the ground.

[jmnjrpa]

OFFER $150- GO FOR $200/250-- Way to abused for $350

[Sojourner]

I'm going to be honest with the board, despite the possible tar and feather...

1) If I make an offer on the '79 this thread was started about, I'm going with $100 and go up to $150. I'd have to buy a new engine, which someone on this board says I can sorce locally for $100. The old engine becomes the "play baby"- buy new case, and hop it up at my leisure since I would already have a working (replacement) engine in the bike.

2) I need to decide on a damn style and stick with it. I like bobbers, but I also like the semi-stock stance with a big mustang seat. So do I take an XS and work it into a bobber or a HD Sportster? And if I opt for the Sportster, why not just buy a Sportster? That's the direction my step-father is pushing me towards anyway. He's picking up a road kind here shortly, so he's all pro-hog.

3) The wife has told me to spend some money and actually get what I want. We were on the way home from the mall and I think she was feelig a little guilty after buying her second Coach purse (with matching wallet) that week. So I've got a bigger budget now, but it's diminishing at a rate relative to her guilt

4) "Real bikes are built, not bought". I know it's cliche, and it's actually kind of a silly concept, but to me it has some merit. I want to resurect a bike more than buy something new and shiney. I actually want to bust my knuckles and get a little oil under my nails. On the other hand I'd actually like to ride a bike this Spring, not still be toiling away on my 2-wheeled Wanna-be Lazurus! So I guess it needs to need some TLC, but just shy of needing a full-blown miracle.

So where does that leave me? Buy the '79 for a bill/bill and a half, then throw another $850 at it to get it where I want it? It would still be cheaper than $2500+ for a Sportster (those HD badges are apparently made of gold or
something). If I go "cheap" I can buy. Some tools to make it purdy (sand blasting and powder coating guns), but I still can't weld worth a damn.

Decisions, descisions, decisions...

[DGXSER]

Sojourner and I have discussed this, that 79 sitting there is certainly a question mark on the engine. he indicated there is no oil in the site glass, and I know that there is an oil plug held in by the case ont he alternator side of the engine, so did that plug pop out? Has the engine and all sat for however long this thign really has sat with no oil in it? How much corrosion is in there? At 72-73,000 miles, as rough as that bike looks to have been cared for with missing side covers and the wrong seat, missing rear turn signals (illegal her ein Ohio) that bike and engine will probably need alot of TLC like new cam chain, valves lapped, gears repaired.

Yes this is a glass half empty outlook (although as an engineer I say that glass is just twice as big as it needs to be) but that is the correct approach if your looking for something to buy and your on a tight budget.

He asked about buying Banshee, but honestly, I am not comfortable enough I have all the quirks and bugs worked out of it to sell it just yet. She runs and will go down the road and stop. However, I just found out last night the fuel tank now has some pin holes in it so I will be sealing the tank next. After that, I should be ready to fine tune and take some test runs on it. I jus twon't sell it as a nice reliable bike until I know that it is.

As to the Harley, yep, alot like buying a Cadilac. you get the same everything as a really nice Buick but for twice the price.

[dbeardslee]

Here's one that looks nice - if you want to go to Texas . Nice looking '80 MNS

[Rev.Rick]

Boy Sojourner, you must know somebody or HD's are a lot cheaper up north than they are here in the south. The only Sportster you'll get around here for $2500 will be in a box.

[Sojourner]

Well, if they'd return a damn email! Really nice '81 for $2400 on CL.

[crazy steve]

Sojourner, I'll be a bit of a devil's advocate so here's my .02...

"1) If I make an offer on the '79 this thread was started about, I'm going with $100 and go up to $150."

If it's as bad as it seems, I wouldn't go up; offer the $100 as a take-it-or-leave-it price. This looks like it would make a decent parts bike, and if the exhaust system is as good as it looks in the pic it's worth $2-300 on ebay by itself. Or find another bike that's better mechanically and worse cosmetically and mash the two together.

"2) I need to decide on a damn style and stick with it. I like bobbers, but I also like the semi-stock stance with a big mustang seat. So do I take an XS and work it into a bobber or a HD Sportster? And if I opt for the Sportster, why not just buy a Sportster?"

At no offense to anyone here, I personally don't think the 11 lends itself well to being bobbed (beauty is in the eye etc). The amount of hacking on one you have to do to get the 'look' means no going back (at least easily). So I'm definitely of the 'semi-stock' school for these. Gotta have a bobber? Then look at Sportsters; much easier to get 'the look' and if you change your mind after actually living with one, easy to go back.

"3) The wife has told me to spend some money and actually get what I want. So I've got a bigger budget now, but it's diminishing at a rate relative to her guilt "

You need to be realistic here. Lo-buck build-ups are rarely easy or fast, particularly for a novice at it, and it's much nicer to have a running bike. Good-running no-issues XS11s are going for between $1-2K if they lood good; if they have cosmetic issues, chances are good there's other problems or soon will be.

"4) "Real bikes are built, not bought". I know it's cliche, and it's actually kind of a silly concept, but to me it has some merit. I want to resurect a bike more than buy something new and shiney. I actually want to bust my knuckles and get a little oil under my nails. On the other hand I'd actually like to ride a bike this Spring, not still be toiling away on my 2-wheeled Wanna-be Lazurus! So I guess it needs to need some TLC, but just shy of needing a full-blown miracle."

I'm with you on this one. You build it, and it's actually yours. But watching the riding season disappear while you're toiling away at problems isn't much fun either.

"So where does that leave me? Buy the '79 for a bill/bill and a half, then throw another $850 at it to get it where I want it? It would still be cheaper than $2500+ for a Sportster (those HD badges are apparently made of gold or
something). If I go "cheap" I can buy. Some tools to make it purdy (sand blasting and powder coating guns), but I still can't weld worth a damn."

The XS11 is cheap for the same reason the Sportster is expensive; parts availability. While many 'basic' parts for the XS are out there, the new ones are no cheaper than Sportster parts (and sometimes more), and the stuff you have to scrounge will many times cost as much or more as HD parts, assuming you can find them. As an example, I have a Jag XJS monkey on my back. I love these cars. Iconic styling, great ride/handling/performance. But like the XS, doing major repairs (like a complete engine overhaul) can be horribly expensive and too many parts can only be found used if at all. So the value of them has plummeted; I recently bought a non-running '88 convertible (original retail price: $60K !) for $550, which is less than 1% of it's new price. While perfect, pristine ones still bring good money, any issues and the price drops like a rock.

Generally, the trade-off for money is time. While some members will disagree with me on the costs/difficulty of bring a XS back to life, the fact remains that if it were easy you'd see more running examples. I'm not advocating that you buy either a XS or a Sportster; I own both, and they're both great bikes in their own way. But if you want to go riding, get something that gives you the best chance of doing so. You're lucky; with DGXSR living close to you, you have a resource for the XS so you aren't out in the cold.

Good luck!

'78E original owner

[fredintoon]

- - - The wife has told me to spend some money and actually get what I want. We were on the way home from the mall and I think she was feeling a little guilty after buying her second Coach purse (with matching wallet) that week. So I've got a bigger budget now, but it's diminishing at a rate relative to her guilt - - -

Hi Sojourner,
jump on the guilt train while it's still in the station!
However, with a presumed $2,500 budget you can easily buy the one you were looking at and get it running or you can buy a different one that's in better shape.
BUT
For this coming riding season, don't work on it any more than is needed to get it safely and properly running.
Just ride the thing to get used to it's awesome power and ho-hum handling and to see how it fits you, both physically and mentally.
THEN
Next fall, decide how it needs to be changed to suit your needs because you are the only one who will know.
Then you will have a known bike to work on and all winter to do so.