1979 Xs11 - $1200

[Shuriken]

I think I must be a bike addict.

I have a 1980g standard as my runner and a 1979 standard in the backyard for parts.

Yesterday I saw a 1979 XS in the ads and just called the guy on it. He said it runs, doesn't smoke or rattle, is in fair condition, good seat, etc., and he is asking $1200. I talked to him a little more on the phone and he said if I just showed up and started waiving $100 dollar bills in his face he'd probably cut a good deal. I'd wouldn't be able to justify spending more than $400-500 tops unless it was in great shape. Kelly Blue Book lists trade-in value of $780 (gc) or $1180 resale (gc). That sounds high to me. I payed $600 for my 80g and had to dump a lot into it.

I think when it comes to buying and selling bikes, I'm the kind of guy who doesn't haggle. Since it's not something I need, I just lay out the most I will pay and see if they will let it go for that.

The bike is 45 minutes away. I'm thinking of going tomorrow or Friday to check it out. While I'm there I can check out a 1982 Honda XR500 (I already have a 1982 XL500).

Is there any medicine for my illness?

I want to test ride his XS and perhaps take my compression guage to see. He said it only has 18k on it. My current XS has 40k+ as does the parts motor.

I think I'm sick....

Ben

[randy]

Ben,

Love hurts, doesn't it? Go for it!

Randy

[Shuriken]

Should I buy?

I checked it out today. The bike is running at an elevation of about 2,500 feet less than my '80g standard.
It has 18k miles.
It is a special, which surprised me. It doesn't have a slowmeter on it.
The guy painted the tank and coated it and replaced one petcock.
Original side panels are missing.
Seat is in good shape.
Forks are good and straight.
No leaky seals on either front or rear shocks.
Bike has some scuffs and scratches on both sides.
Exhaust is fair. Headers are good but rest is only fair.

I took it for a ride. Mistake. Now I know what an XS should feel like. This bike obviously has a tight motor. It felt like the clutch either slipped at about 6k or a dead spot in the throttle. Otherwise this bike felt like it wanted to pull up the front end. It has much more pull (probably %25-30) more than my XS with twice the mileage.

My bike is more reliable and looks better. I've put a lot of work into it. It looks great and runs reliably with smooth throttle. But the engine sucks. It has low compression and is obviously less strong.

I talked the guy down to $900. I'd have to replace both tires, exhaust header gaskets, go through the carbs, and probably work on the exhaust. Is $900 too much?

Ben

[ricoc]

I think you got a deal on a collectors item. Whats a slowmeter?

[Snow]

Originally posted by ricoc
Whats a slowmeter?

It stops at 85mph, not even enough to engage the flux-capacitor.

[ricoc]

Ah! Live long and prosfer

[ratbyk]

Special

Grab it. If the engine is as strong as you say it is you cannot even rebuild an xs engine for $900.
Ken/Sooke
78E Ratbyk
82 FT500 "lilRat"

[Shuriken]

He is a good guy too. He has about 6 or so bikes kicking around. He says he raced Triumphs or something in the old days - I believe him.

He is just trying to get this bike out for the space. If I give him $200 dollars he will hold it for me until I can sell my other XS. That's really the only way I could justify buying it.

My '80g standard looks fabulous and runs reliably, it just has a worn motor. I don't think I could get $900 out of it. I have a 1979 standard (parts bike) in the back yard. I would want to let them both go at once.

I'll see if he'll do a compression test and hold the bike for me longer than 2 weeks. If compression is good and he will hold it long enough for me to sell my XS, I should buy it.

I bought my bike originally for $600. I put at least another $600 into it for cosmetics, paint, fork seals, emblems, and carb parts. It would take $1000 to rebuild - I'd be into it $2200.

If I start from $900 and do the work it would eventually want to do, I would be into the bike about $1600 (new exhaust, tires, brakes, cosmetics) but would have a strong motor to work with.

I need to see a compression test to verify what I think about the motor.

Ben

[Shuriken]

May have to let this one slide. Not enough cash on hand.

Ben

[strom]

The clutch slip at 6000 rpm happened to me too once. Only a friend of mine that was riding behind me said the clutch is ok.... the back wheel was spinning. I didn't even notice that.
A sign of worn tires, slippery road, engine power and elevens stability.
Get it, swap engines with your 80G, sell the bike with 80G engine.

LP

[Pat Kelly]

I bought my XS for $60. $400 more got it on the road. I'm now into it for about $4000 (upgrades and 3 years maint.). I know I couldn't sell it for that and I wouldn't want to. How much is the fun you've gotten out of you current bike worth?
Priceless.

[Shuriken]

It very well could have been rear wheel slip. The tires on it suck. I couldn't really open her up too much because the owner lives in a boxed in culdesac area so I couldn't watch what the bike was doing, I had to ride by feel and watch the short roads.

I once rode on a very fast snowmobile. The fastest ones today can hit 60mph in around 3 seconds flat. I haven't ridden a motorcycle that will do that but this special I road when it hooked up kinda felt like it accelerated like a snowmobile.

I just think he adjusted the carbs screwy. Perhaps it had the pickup problem so the ign. cut out at rpms. Anyway, he told me his mercury sticks didn't work anymore so he just synched the carbs "by sound." I could zip through those carbs and check the electrical and I'll bet that bike would be a 135mph runner.

Ben