1978 XS 1100 E Still for Sale!

[MATTYL86]

I now have a FULL set of photos to send people. Can the people that emailed me prior please do so again? I had a major hard drive crash and lost all emails.

If you ever wanted a super clean SURVIVOR from the 70's, here it is. I bought this 1978 from my buddy's 70 year old original owner Dad. It's never spent a night outdoors, and has zero rust. It was sitting for 2 years before I got it, and I have had some recent service work done (over $800) to make this perfect. This has only 11, 300 miles. I just had the carbs rebuilt including all new jets and boots. I replaced the crappy fuse box and all of the wiring near there, and the vacuum advance. The petcocks were rebuilt, brakes and tires replaced(still had K291's from 20 years ago!) with new Dunlops and it had a full tune-up. This runs AS NEW and is scary fast, even for this experienced 44 yr. old adult rider with many toys... I have a ton of photos for this, and you can email me at MATTYL86@AOL.COM if you have any questions. I live in the Central Coast area of California. I can also arrange shipping from here at your expense. I'm asking $3850 or best offer and I believe this is one of the cleanest XS1100's in the country. Look at the pix when I send them to you and you decide. I'm also open to interesting trades. I'm a big RD350/400 fan...

[Jeff]

Best of luck selling it at that price. NADA lists the 78 XS1100 at a book value of only $2025 for Excellent condition. According to their guide...
"Excellent — A close to perfect original or a very well restored motorcycle. A motorcycle that is stunning to look at and any flaws are minor and not readily apparent. Everything works as new. All equipment is original, new old stock (NOS) factory replacements, or minimal use of excellent quality reproductions. An excellent condition bike may seem to most individuals as a perfect motorcycle but to the trained expert will have minor flaws or inaccuracies."

I bought my own 78E for $600.

[MATTYL86]

1978 XS1100E for sale

Hey Jeff, I guess because you're a pawnbroker you're afforded the opportunity that many of us do not have and that is buying something for practically nothing and then turning around and making huge profits. The rest of us buy and sell at PERCEIVED VALUE, and in your occupation especially, that is very important. While I respect your opinion, I heartily disagree. I wish you the best of luck in your business, but I'm willing to bet once people see my bike, it will command top dollar... I'm more than happy to send you a full set of pix so you can see for yourself the condition of my bike. Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year Jeff.

[Jerry]

Will have to agree with Jeff on this one. There have been several of these "what is it worth" threads over the past years....

You can buy a 1200 Bandit on ebay for less than $2,000. People who are looking for a performance bike with parts availability, better handling, and better brakes won't look at a $3,850.00, 24-year old Yamaha.

While its true that many on this list have more money tied up in our bikes than they are worth, the preference has been to buy a cheaper bike and build/restore it rather than buying a 'perfect' bike outright. Many would spend a couple grand to customize a stock bike, but are unwilling to spend that much on a platform to begin with.

This leaves the narrow market of nostalgia buffs, of which I am one. The reason I bought my XJ is that I wanted one when they first came out and I wasn't in a position to get one. No doubt, nostalgia has an effect on prices. You would need someone to pay pretty much double the going rate, though, and that person may be hard to find. Not impossible, but very difficult.

$3,850 is more than that bike sold for when new. It hasn't been restored. It sat idle for a few years. Granted you have spent money on it, but that was for maintenance, which tells me it had not received much for over 20 years. And somehow I don't get the feeling you are 'breaking even' at that price.....how much did you pay for it? I only ask since you brought up the subject of profit motive in you last post.

Since you posted to an open forum, I would not get upset when people disagree with your pricing rationale. As Jeff said, and I agree, you will have trouble selling that bike at that price.

[MATTYL86]

I guess I disagree with you too, Jerry... i actually paid $2300 for it and have put close to $1100 after adding up all of my receipts today, so I'm already into this for $3400. I figured by asking $3850, I'd be able to come down to my original investment if I had an offer. Also, you're incorrect in your assumption that this bike was not maintained properly. In fact, it was fanatically kept clean until my buddies Dad had a stroke in 1/03 and it sat until last month, so not too much had deteriorated at all. Once again, value is perceived. I'm willing to bet anyone I'll easily get over 3K. including you Jerry... Good Luck to all...

[Pat Kelly]

I bought my 78 for much less than $3800. It had 7,200 original miles on it. Still had the 79 sticker on the plate. Came with the original receipt and all paper work, payment receipts etc.
Still had the original tires. I figure I have $4,000 into the bike so far and I know that I'll never be able to sell it for that.

I live in Central CA and was looking for another XS1100 but there's no way I'd pay that much. Chuck W. bought a mint XS1100 Midnite Special (still in the crate) for less than that.

A coworker bought an XS750 last year, replaces a few things on it then decided to sell it. He tried to get $1600 for it (what he paid plus parts he'd bought). After 6 mos he sold it for what he paid for it originally....$600.

For $3800 you'll have that bike for a long time, this is from a group that appreciates and loves XS1100's.

Sorry if it's not what you want to hear. Good luck on selling it, I hope you get what you want.

[MATTYL86]

Well, I'm hoping that it's NOT someone from this group as I'm getting tired of all the price bashing comments. If everyone here seems to be so called experts in pricing, let me pose the question to ALL: What do you think this bike is worth? Not that I'll believe any of you as I've bought and sold over 200 bikes since 1974, but opinions are like a-------holes, so everyone has one. Good Luck..

[Ken Talbot]

MATTYL86, I think that if you compare your bike to the fully restored units that Merriam Cycle is selling in the $8 to $9000 range, or $20000 range with a sidecar, you may not be all that far off at all. I would have join in and say I would not pay that much myself, but if there are buyers willing to pay Merriam's prices for full professional restorations, there must also be buyers out there looking for a bike in absolutely excellent condition at your price range. All you have to do is get your bike in front of the right person at the right time. Seeing what dealers up our way get for older bikes at the start of the riding season, I really wouldn't be that surprised to hear that you got your price.

[MATTYL86]

Ken,

Thanks... Finally someone to acknowledge what I've been saying. There's a bike at a premium price(like mine) out there for someone, and there's a market for the fully restored ones too. If I took everyone's advice who said I could not do something or sell something for a certain price, I'd be a total failure. I employ a large sales force in my company and the first thing I tell every newbie is "The sale starts when the customer says no." By the way, thanks for the great site you showed me---makes me want to paint my bike as a Kenny Roberts replica!

A healthy and happy new year to all on this board, even if we sometimes agree to disagree!

[scalded dog]

You do have a great find there, the price is not bad for what condition the bike is in, but I bought my 3rd xs 1100, about four months ago, the bike had not even been cranked for two years, had not been ridden for 4 yrs, Had only 12,900 miles on it, all I had to do was clean the tank and carbs, buy new battery, two new tires, clean the brake calipers, I have been riding it pretty regular, it has full faring, and saddle bags, now it has 18,000 miles on it, but I only paid $850 for it. Later 'Dog

[MATTYL86]

Hey Dog, you're a lucky guy! I appreciate the words of support.... I wish mine was that easy to dial in, but over $1000 later in repairs, it runs great!

[TonimusMaximus]

I'm sure you could sell the bike for more than 3 grand, but all the people here like the accomplishment of doing it themselves. On the open market, you could be able to get that. I don't see why not. As for why people have been saying that the price doesn't make any sense is because you've really got to dial into a specific buyer. And again, none of us are that buyer. They don't mean to bash you, they're just being wonderfully honest. I'd buy it for my father, but I'm poor. I bought my '78E for $150 and I'm about $250 in repairs. I love bargain hunting.

[MATTYL86]

I wasn't sure who I was dealing with on this board. After reading posts by "know it alls" Jerry and Jeff, i was really pissed off. Who makes them so called "experts"? I was simply tring to say that value is whatever people will pay, not that I'm trying to rip people off. Hell, I own over 100 motorcycles and I have a pretty good idea of value myself, but I too would pay top dollar on an emotional buy anytime, regardless of some bull**** NADA book value or whatever. Sorry, those two other guys pissed me off, especially the "pawnbroker" having the balls to quote NADA pricing. Let's see if he does not try to make money selling off what he's bought from other people for pennies on the dollar.. Right!

[mitch]

Hold up

Those two guys your talking about have been very helpful to just about everybody on this site!! They know more about these specific bikes than you will probley ever know, so i dont appreciate your attitude. If u have nothing that will help or better the site get lost..............MITCH
PS : seems like we got along fine before u wanted to sell your bike

[Jeff]

Whoa there!

It was never my intention to come off as some sort of "expert" or ruffle anyones feathers. ALL I did was wish you luck in selling it.
Being a pawnbroker.... I HAVE to have a good grasp on the concept of "percieved value" being that something is only worth what a buyer is willing to pay for it. Since most of the people on this board purchased their bikes for a rather small sum of cash and prefer to "wrench" them back into good shape..... it IS true that you would be hard pressed to find a buyer amongst them.
I never said that there isn't a market for your bike. There ARE people out there who are willing to pay nearly anything asked for a vehicle (especially a classic) in tip top shape just to have the instant gratification of having a "cherry". I've done some dealing in classic cars and have sold rusting, undrivable hulks for unbelievable amounts.... let alone what a fully restored classic will fetch. The XS1100 is indeed a classic bike but does not have the draw, appeal and instant recognition that maybe a vintage Indian, Norton or Harley Davidson might have to the general public (though I doubt you could convince many people who frequent this forum of that). I mentioned NADA since a vehicles value IS "percieved" and beyond finding a buyer for whom money is of little concern in the matter.... most average folk gain their perception of value from NADA (or similar sources) which is the most widely accessible measure of accessed value. The American public is for the most part..... very highly bargain driven. Why else do icons of bargain buying such as eBay and other websites who offer comparison price shopping thrive? Its getting so bad that companies such as FAO Schwartz, famous for its "designer" toys.... has been driven to bankruptcy by market manipulators such as WalMart. With this said..... I think we can all agree that it will not be the "average joe" that will buy your bike at the price you are asking..... and once again..... I wish you the best of luck finding your niche market buyer.


Now.... just as a matter of personal pride.... I would like to address your comments on pawnbrokers. I will conceed that a pawnshop maintains a profit margin on sales that is higher than standard retail and that the interest rate charged on loans is higher than that found in a bank or other conventional loan institution. Standard retail markup is approximately 40%.... and the average markup at a "reputable" pawnshop such as mine is only 50-60%. The markup on.... lets say... jewelry can be a bit higher..... but that is all back to percieved value..... in that only about 25% of the prices charged in a jewelry store reflect the actual material value of the jewelry and in most cases is the actual cost to the jewelry store. If you want to investigate a market that DOES gouge the consumer then look into the diamond market. A pawnshops average markup and therefore profit per sale is higher because it has to be. Most of a pawnshops income is NOT from the sale of items... but from interest on secured loans or "pawns". Only about 5% of my inventory is purchased initially and ready for immediate resale. The other 95% sits for over 2 months before I can sell it. Imagine what mess that would cause a conventional retailer if they had to store their stock for 2 months or more before they could sell it. In a good pawnshop.... more than 50% of the items taken in pawn are redeemed.... at a profit of only 20% of the initial investment. A pawnshop MUST maintain a relatively high profit margin on sales due to the amount of time that investments are tied up. Any good retailer knows that turnover is the key to success and that the longer product sits stagnant.... the higher its effective cost becomes. Since a pawnshop is neither a bank nor a retail outlet.... but a careful balance of the two.... its dynamics are a juggling act. When it comes to retail sales..... a pawnshop does NOT do anywhere near the volume of a conventional retailer. At the end of an average day.... the difference between money earned from sales and redeemed pawns and the money given out in loans is actually quite small. By the time everything is factored in..... it is MUCH more profitable NOT to end up having to sell items purchased or defaulted on. To a GOOD pawn customer who regularly redeems his merchandise..... it is not uncommon for me to loan more than what I would sell the item for. A reputable pawnshop will often loan considerably LESS than what a particular item is worth... NOT to guarantee a high profit upon its possible sale.... but to help ensure that the person can afford to pay back the loan and retrieve their property. Why? Simply because when the bottom line is drawn..... more stands to be gained by NOT having to sell the item.

I've found that the common misconception that pawnbrokers get rich buying for pennies on the dollar and selling high is often held by those who have never had to seek the services of a pawnbroker. They tend to see a pawnbroker as someone who lines his pockets via the misfortunes of others. To the droves of people who live their lives from paycheck to paycheck.... we provide loans to people that no other financial institution would touch with the proverbial "10 foot pole". We are the "poor mans bank". A reputable pawnshop is NOT just another name for a "fence" for stolen property. Every item purchased or pawned is reported electronically daily to the local police department and then forwarded to a national database. Any customer who has been caught pawning stolen property is flagged as DO NOT PAWN in our client database.

Yes.... BEING a pawnbroker does have its "perks" but no moreso than owning a retail outlet or being a wholesaler. I didn't buy my bike for only $600 simply because I could.... but mainly because it was the only way I could afford one.

Sorry about the lengthy dissertation on pawnshop dynamics but it really gets to me when people try to give pawnbrokers a bum rap. And for the record.... not once did I ever imply that you were trying to "rip people off" by your pricing. I have no doubt that you will eventually sell your bike for your asking price. I only meant to state that to the average joe that frequents these message forums.... the price was..... well.... lets say it was just a bit XSive. LOL