81 xs1100sh whats it worth?

[Tbell]

The more I get into this bike the more I want to go with a full restore to original. In the process of getting it running I have just been cleaning it up and it wont take much more work to get it to like new condition. There are no rust issues and only one small blemish on the tank paint. Even the engine finish is like new except for the normal oil deposits which will clean up nicely. All the chrome is 9.9 out of a 10. I am rebuilding the carbs now as well as the brakes so I haven't started the engine yet. It has 9k miles.
What might a fully restored 81 be worth. Don't want to put a lot of bucks into it if it isn't worth it. Is there a market for this particular bike? Thanks!

Tom

[natemoen]

Does it actually still have the original exhaust?

[Tbell]

Yes, it has the original exhausts and in "almost" prefect condition even the headers.

Tom

[DGXSER]

Tom, NADA on the bike is about $1500, I've seen some on really nice showroom condition with low miles go for $2-3k.

At the end of the day though, you should also think about, how much will you get out of the bike, and how much would it cost you to go out and buy what you will have when your done. You will never get your money for labor out of it, it is a labor of love at best. JMO

[xs11lover]

Yup and if you have one xs that usually leads to two or three more, then you're polishing and buying more parts to make it a little special, pretty soon you never leave the garage, you have black fingers and all your friend wonder what happeened to you. RUN AWAY QUICK BEFORE IT GETS YOU TOO.

[Tbell]

That's what I'm thinking but I like to have a project going to keep busy. I already have a 76 Goldwing gl1000 that I fully restored a few years ago. Not to the original but just slightly custom. I don't want to get to much invested in this one though as I plan on selling it when I am done. The wife is getting on my case now with 3 bikes in the garage.

Tom

[crazy steve]

Tom, NADA on the bike is about $1500, I've seen some on really nice showroom condition with low miles go for $2-3k.

At the end of the day though, you should also think about, how much will you get out of the bike, and how much would it cost you to go out and buy what you will have when your done. You will never get your money for labor out of it, it is a labor of love at best. JMO

I'll second that, and add that most old 'fixer-up' cars/bikes are very poor 'investments'. It's not impossible to do, but you have to get 'em dirt-cheap to start with and carefully control your costs. As is said above, you'll never recover your labor.

There is exceptions; the '78s seem to be doing well, but they're the first year and were the fastest of the lot. If you keep it long enough, the value can go up on most anything, but do you want to wait 20 years?

'78E original owner

[DGXSER]

Well, if it helps Tom, here is the last project I worked on. It is almost done, just need to buy some good paint that won't get peeled like a banana by gasoline. I was able to find some really good deals and got help from some local XS11 members here and there on parts.

But I feel confident that if I get it up for sale before August, I can get my money back plus a little. Not even $5 an hour for labor, but something more. And, I get that awesome feeling of knowing I took a hobbled up, cobbled up POS and turned it into something decent if not nice. Money can't buy that.

[klrconcours]

Tom.
You sound like me. I have an 81 special, and a 75 Gold Wing that I slightly modified. I Have more hours into the xs11 than it's worth. But not really. To me it's like when I was a kid and building models. They weren't worth anything. In fact some I blew up with m-80's. The fun was building them. Now My XS11 is pretty much done, and truns out to be the funnest bike I have. maybe worth 2K. been offered that. Worth more to me tho. My friend bought a Harley Ultra Classic and the second he drove it out the door it depreciated 3 times what my bike is worth, and is NO funner to ride! LOVE IT!

[Tbell]

Tom.
You sound like me. I have an 81 special, and a 75 Gold Wing that I slightly modified. I Have more hours into the xs11 than it's worth. But not really. To me it's like when I was a kid and building models. They weren't worth anything. In fact some I blew up with m-80's. The fun was building them. Now My XS11 is pretty much done, and truns out to be the funnest bike I have. maybe worth 2K. been offered that. Worth more to me tho. My friend bought a Harley Ultra Classic and the second he drove it out the door it depreciated 3 times what my bike is worth, and is NO funner to ride! LOVE IT!

klrconcours: We have more in common than you think. Referring to the m-80. When I was 13 and the m-80 first came out I didn't know it was as powerful as it turned out to be back then. Pryor to the m-80 there was the TNT bomb (looked the same) that wasn't as powerful and we used to put them under coffee cans and stand on the can. Well I did that with a m-80 and ended up in the hospital with a shattered foot and a blistered behind from my dad. Not sure which was worse.

[klrconcours]

Good stuff brutha! Now that you've healed. What a trick! Standing on a coffe can with a bomb under it! Fantastic campfire stories! Anyway, just rode my rehabed xs11special to a british bike club meet her in Duluth and folks liked looking at her. rode a while thru the woods tonight and I can't get enough. I need to act my age tho. I missed a gear and put plus 1k over redline. I still feel guilty about that. I am planning a trip to Seattle and Vancouver, but dog sitting my ex's pups (I love 'em too) and can't dissapear until she gets back at some undetermined date. An estate settling thing. Then I'm gonna pack this fun machine to the sky with stuff and vanish for a couple weeks!

[XS1100_OEM4ME]

Fun!

What price can you put on fun? No one goes into an XS1100 rebuild for $$$. If you pull up to your local pub and guy's say "nice bike". What is that worth? Got stopped at a light and heard "nice bike" last week. If it is not worth more then your bucks and hard labor, then STOP and save yourself!!! You can part her out on Ebay for $$$ but what fun is there in that???

[klrconcours]

AMEN!!! (tho I'm agnostic)