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It's been over a decade since I sold my XS to my neighbor and good friend. I sold it for far, far less than what I had into it, and even less than blue book or what have you. I sold a strong running bike, with functional improvements. Some of those improvements were hard to accomplish due to the "high technology" of the XS. It works against those trying to make a running motorcycle. I refer primarily to the ignition system.
In 1978, the XS debuted with a fully electronic ignition. Vacuum advance. Slick.
Rivals had points and capacitors, which, frankly, suck. Mechanical advance. Suck.
But there were excellent bikes that had ****ty ancient ignition systems. The Kawasaki 1000, etc.
Over the years, multiple manufacturers have stepped up to the plate to provide a replacement for points and capacitors on these bikes. There's a market because the original systems sucked.
So, in 2021, the aftermarket solution is... a transistor based ignition module, a timing plate and Hall-effect "sensors".
The same technology the XS had in 1978.
But, since the XS already had this stuff and there aren't many XS's, nobody made an aftermarket kit. (?)
I was lucky to find NOS pickups from a dealer 170 miles away. I bought a couple extra ignition boxes to work with. Tested transistor outputs then replaced every single capacitor in the box.
Had a big fat spark at the right time through Accel coils.
I realized then if I had a KZ1000, I could have bought a kit off the shelf, swapped it, and be good-to-go.
So, cutting edge technology sold to a limited market has limited utility, and may actually hurt you in the long run.
I have 300 LaserDiscs that I've replaced with Blu-Ray. I can't bring myself to throw them away. Go figure.
Anyway...
In 1978, the XS debuted with a fully electronic ignition. Vacuum advance. Slick.
Rivals had points and capacitors, which, frankly, suck. Mechanical advance. Suck.
But there were excellent bikes that had ****ty ancient ignition systems. The Kawasaki 1000, etc.
Over the years, multiple manufacturers have stepped up to the plate to provide a replacement for points and capacitors on these bikes. There's a market because the original systems sucked.
So, in 2021, the aftermarket solution is... a transistor based ignition module, a timing plate and Hall-effect "sensors".
The same technology the XS had in 1978.
But, since the XS already had this stuff and there aren't many XS's, nobody made an aftermarket kit. (?)
I was lucky to find NOS pickups from a dealer 170 miles away. I bought a couple extra ignition boxes to work with. Tested transistor outputs then replaced every single capacitor in the box.
Had a big fat spark at the right time through Accel coils.
I realized then if I had a KZ1000, I could have bought a kit off the shelf, swapped it, and be good-to-go.
So, cutting edge technology sold to a limited market has limited utility, and may actually hurt you in the long run.
I have 300 LaserDiscs that I've replaced with Blu-Ray. I can't bring myself to throw them away. Go figure.
Anyway...
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