Found an '80 standard...

[scalded dog]

all there except the exhaust is a kerker header, pods instead of airbox, has 35,000. been sitting 10-12 yrs, one owner. Motor won't turn over with starter, may be stuck, has parts from 81, motor, frame, carbs etc, almost complete, but completely apart. Owner is asking $600. for all. Any thoughts on how to unstick a motor. Maybe soak in mystery oil, cylinders, valves. Any input appreciated. Later 'Dog

[greatnw]

Owner is dreaming! I'm all for saving one at just about any effort. This is one where you'd be hard pressed to dish out more that $100 cause you are going to have to go through everything and it still could cost a lot.
I got mine for $50 and it took $1K to make it right and I got a lot of stuff at great deals.
Hope it works out for you but $600 seems way high to my way of thinking.

[Geezer]

I'd consider going $200 if the cosmetics are OK. At the worst you could part it out but it would be a shame to part out an 80 standard since there wasn't that many of them...

Geezer.

[CatatonicBug]

I paid $500 for mine, and it was all in one piece, and just needed some work to get it back on the road. $600 is definitely too much to be asking for a basket case.

[tarzan]

I would not pay $600 for an XS with a stuck engine. I haven't paid more than $400 for one yet.And none of those had seized engines. If I were you I'd offer a couple hundred and let him counter.
If he comes around I would buy, if not there will be another one before long.

[fredintoon]

all there except the exhaust is a kerker header, pods instead of airbox, has 35,000. been sitting 10-12 yrs, one owner. Motor won't turn over with starter, may be stuck, has parts from 81, motor, frame, carbs etc, almost complete, but completely apart. Owner is asking $600. for all. Any thoughts on how to unstick a motor. Maybe soak in mystery oil, cylinders, valves. Any input appreciated. Later 'Dog

Hi 'dog,
GNW sez he had to put a grand into his to see it running.
He (and others) reckon that this means the asking price is too high for a non-runner, even with an extra engine in pieces.
What I reckon is, the price depends on how scarce XS11s are where you live. They are real scarce round my neighborhood for instance so $600 would be an OK price here. Also if you are prepared to put serious cash into the bike it don't much matter what the original ante is, it only gets you into the game.
Not that you shouldn't try and dicker the seller down, of course.
As to unsticking the engine, I got this penetrating oil recipe from another site:- Mix equal parts of acetone and power steering fluid.
Users claim it works way better than the best of the propriatory penetrating oils.

[motoman]

Guess location has alot to do with it just like anything. For example I passed on an 80Standard last year that was registered and running as owner and wife were expecting a new one in a short. It had a set of moto-bars, missing ign. switch replaced by a hid toggle and had the smoothest shifting tranny I come across in any bike. He rode it daily to college classes here. It also started and ran excepionally well( I rode it a bit). Can't ride three at a time and really wasn't interested in putting all things back to stock cosmetically. He wanted $300. Offered him $200 really hoping he would'nt bite and he didn't. Guess he sold it to some young worker in the oil field. That kinda gives you an idea what's out there if your a bit patient. By the way, wasn't even looking, just was curious.

[motoman]

I might add it also had the complete Jardine spagetti exhaust system on it in nice cond. with no dents or rust. Once I saw that and rode it, sure was tempting though. Called him four days later and he had already sold it. Again, depends on your geografic location and here on westward rarely see an older bike with any rust unless it originally came from east coast or where theirs high humidity. If you follow a recent thread, a new member here picked an 80Midnite in Denver area,low, low miles that looks from the pics. posted that it just got assembled out of the crate and not even knowing what he had found For $600.

[scalded dog]

Thanks for the input, I live in Ga. Watch Craigs & e-bay all the time, I've come across a lot of xs11s, mostly specials, bought my first standard in 1999 from a pawn shop, pd. $600. '78, ran great after cleaning the carbs,full bagger, learned the hard way about gas in oil, bought a 79 in 2001 full bagger for $750, had only 12,000 miles still riding it, now has 90,000, still runs great. My brother bought an '80 for $500 used my parts off my first bike, and turned it into a full bagger, in 2005, he's still riding it. found an '80 special a couple yrs ago, it skips on number 3 cylinder, but it sat for over 15 yrs, plan on fixing it up. Ive bought three other specials and another standard, sold one special and the standard, got $800 0n the special, $900 on the standard, after getting them running good. then stripped parts and loaded up the shelf on the remaining specials. Iv'e offered $400 for these bikes I'm looking at. waiting to hear from him. Later 'Dog

[cywelchjr]

Yet around here, they are going for around 1500 - 2500 for a good solid runner. I feel I got a good deal on mine for 800, running. Just had to replace the regulator at first, and then fix the kludge the PO had done to make the headlight come on (turned out the easy way was to put the original fairing back on instead of the one the PO had put on and butchered the wiring on). Then got an engine knock and put a $99 engine off ebay in it. It's been in for almost a year, and other than an annoying rattle that's been there from day one, and doesn't seem to be changing, it's still going fine (I do have another engine sitting in the wings however).

Oh, I did find a set of Vetter bags to go on the brackets for them that were already on the bike, and added a trunk, but other than maint and the engine, I just ride the thing. I haven't finished the fins on the other engine yet (blacked out, so I'm making the fins to be bright to set them off, just haven't gotten it done yet).