$1600 81 maxim 650 - insane?

Personally I think this guy's insane if he thinks he's getting $1600.

http://halifax.kijiji.ca/c-ViewAd?AdId= ... ail_alerts

 

Well it seems to be an ongoing trend

http://phoenix.craigslist.org/evl/mcy/2552740455.html

http://phoenix.craigslist.org/nph/mcy/2609473966.html

Sucks doesn't it? Its like if it is running, they ask whatever they want without realistic expectations. Oh well, feel better knowing your bike may sell quite a bit higher than what you would ever expect

 

I like when I bike has had a "frame off" restoration and they use low res cell phone pictures.

 

but are they actually getting that price?

 

There's a sucker born every minute.

I saw a truck advertised the other day for $21,000 which was almost identical but higher mileage to the one I bought a year ago for $9,000.

 

$1600 to $2000 is the M/C dealer price here in Ontario. Of course that is safetied and ready to go. So I suspect thats where he got the price from. You will find lots of Maxim's and XS's and Secca's in that price range if all the work is done. Yes they do get that for them. I find that the fixer uppers are listed a lot longer and can be picked up really cheap if you wait on them.

 

Boys, boys...

The seat alone is worth 1000 . Bikes always are more expensive out East (Maritimes) for some reason, although you could probably knock that down to around 1000 if you looked hard enough. Ground hugger is right, 1600-2000 bucks...

The only ones advertised for less are usually non runners . There was a Seca for sale a couple of towns over going for 500 bucks (non-runner, electrical). I'm sure it would have been a simple fix :/...

 

It would really depend on how much work he actually put into it. I have around $5,500 into restoring mine so far, so...... ?
Guess what I am saying is I wouldn't be able to sell mine for less without loosing money.

 

I spent $800 here out East a year ago. And mine ran ok from the start. Had to replace the exhaust and brake lines since then. Carbs need rebuilding still.

 

you should HOPE they get their asking price instead of putting the guy down for trying. By supporting others selling their bikes on the high end of the scale you artificially raise the value of your own.

 

Or it means your dollars are worth 1/2 or 1/3 as much. Two sides to the coin.

 

well most of us already own at least one, or we wouldnt be actively posting here, right?


There will always be barains for people looking to put sweat equity into their bikes. Its nice to be able to see SOME return on that when you go to sell it.

Its tough when there is no demand for a niche bike that doesnt fit the current trending in the bike world (L4's are just not as popular as they used to be).

My bike is about as nice an example as you will find short of a full frame off resto and I cant GIVE the bike away for $1200. Its a good thing I enjoy riding it and have room to store it for the winter. I can always hope that next spring in the PNW is better than it was this year.

 

Bought my 82 XJ650J for $500 & have at least $700 into it & hundreds of hours scouring the forums to find out what to do to fix it properly. If my time & labor is worth zero then the bike has cost me $1200.

The XJ1100 cost me $1000 even and I have at least $900 into it & easily hundreds of hours restoring all the crap the PO did to it & never told me about. so if my labor and research is worth zero then I have $1,900 into it.

Now both of them work great.

So what are the bikes worth?

 

They are worth precisely what someone is willing to pay for them, no more, no less.


or as we say in the used car business, "There is an asshole for every seat"

 

By the time I finish Pumba (at least another 8 months, but probably 2 years) I would have spent at least $8,000 This is a scary figure but I have spent at least $200 per month for the last 2 years on it, and currently limit myself to $300 per month maximum (which I have exceeded this month yet again!)

If I sold it I would expect to get maybe $2,500 from someone who wanted a Fuel injected 820cc fully rebuilt bike with R1 front brakes, electronic cruise control, Koso dash, rewired with sealed connectors and stunning paint. But more likely I would remove the expensive bits to keep them for the next project. (not all these mods are done yet!)

More likely I will just keep it and find some other mods to do, and I have some weird mods in mind too.

 

I put nearly $2000 into mine when i got it back on th road after 15 years and it's basically stock. On a good day i might be able to sell it for that, but probably not.

 

When I sold my restored '81 Suzuki 650 I thought I was going to at least break even at $1800, but missed that mark by $300 after almost a month of sitting. The biggest problem with selling these old bikes? The newer "old" ones in the '90s are now in the $2000-$3000 range. Thats only a little bit more for a 15 year newer bike. Personally, I dont think most of the newer bikes have the same charm that these old ones have. That's why I wanted to save one from Mother Nature.

 

Yep.

I bought mine for $450, not running and needing a new rack of carbs, tires and a bunch of other things. It is hacked together in some respects as it has new handle bars (I have the originals) and jerry rigged front turn signals.

But it runs like a scalded dog, shifts great, and runs right up to redline like it should.

I want a measly $1200 for mine. But I haven't even put it on craigslist yet.

Paul

 

....and sometimes its not about the money. It's more about taking a bike, whatever condition it was when you got it, taking it as far as you can an then being able to look at it and say "Dang, that sure is Purty!

I lost count of how much I ended up putting into my 650 Maxim, but it added up over the years. I got it to a second place trophy and was happy with that. I ended up selling to a friend, and he's changed the color, stripped it down a bit, added a different windscreen, etc...... does that make it better or worse? Well, I did what I wanted with it.....and now he's doing what he wants with it. I was the third owner.....now the bike is making the fourth person to own it just as happy as the rest of us were.

Dave

 

As far as these bikes go you can get upside down and inside out real quick.
And thats if you do most of the work yourself. Fitz uses the term Re - Commissioning. I would say is a real accurate term if you are doing it right.

Fork seals
Tires front & Rear
Brakes Pads and shoes (rear)
Brake Lines
Caliper & MC Rebuild
Valve Shims & gaskets
Carb Overhaul
Battery & Charging System (Brushes)
Fuse Box Upgrade (xj4ever style)
And any other issues
Well there is about 600 to 1000 right there.
Plus whatever you paid for the bike from the PO

MN

 

The thing I find with these older bikes is you have to have a Love for them to properly appreciate them. With mine I have already put to much into it $$$ to where I will never make money off of it but then who cares if you end up with what you want. Now this winter hopefully I can finally start restoring the old gal. Hate to think how much more money it will take??? I guess you either love them or you end up hating them. Sort of a Passion thing I guess. My wife sees things entirely differently but then every so often I have to remind her that it's my bike and therefore what I do with it is my decision. Life is full of have to do things but when it comes to motorcycles it's our time to do what we want to do-a sense of freedom which in this day and age is hard to explain. But on the flip side, there is nothing that gives an owner a greater feeling then when the bike is done, it's not looking like every other bike on the road and he feels a certain PRIDE that he did it )))) grunt007, 81' 750 SecaR, Mi.

 

grunt you are right to do whatever your bike needs. I feel the same way about my "keepers"

MN

 

Haven't you all gotten the message from "Wall Street"? GREED, GREED AND MORE GREED!!!! Carl's Junior has the $6 burger, in I Robot they had a beer for $42 and in Soylent Green a jar of strawberry jam went for $150! "Stay GREEDY my friend"

 

Old bikes are just like old people. Constantly needing attention and if ignored things will begin to fall off, break or otherwise begin to leak! Somebody should talk congress into XJ medicare! I know I could use some matching funds. Seriously you can't even touch a new car anymore, engines are too complicated, many bikes are becoming that way too. These mechanical beauties are a nostalgic addiction and probably still cheaper than therapy.

 

You are absolutely right MercuryMan. I find working on them keeps me young in my old age, 61. I cringe when I hear of guys my age saying they are getting to old to ride or look after them. I plan on riding past 80 and when I can no longer ride I'll still be wrenching on them .