Unrealistic Expectations

I often peruse the Craigslist ads in my area for motorcycles, not that I'm looking to buy one, but just to see what people have for sale. Of course, I found my current bike while searching the lists, but the fact remains there are a lot of motorcycles out there for sale...

...at unrealistic prices.

Yesterday, I took a quick ride up to a local used/new motorcycle retail business that specializes in Kawasaki's and Honda's, but their used bikes include Yamaha's and Harley's as well. What I find shocking is the price being asked for a used bike.

Example: A Suzuki Intruder 1400 with 46,000 miles, seat is in pretty rough shape, pipes rusty, paint faded and who knows what mysteries await in the engine: $2495.00

Example: A 1987 Honda 250 Rebel, 7017 miles, $1800.00. Granted, there are very few miles on the bike, but still, it is only a 250.

Example: A 2002 Honda 1800 VTX in terrible shape, gas tank will need replacing, was obviously down and down hard (aftermarket accessories are toast) $5995.00

Craigslist isn't much better. There are literally dozens of motorcycles for sale everyday, many of them Harley's but used bikes should not be sold at new, retail prices. I often think that the asking price is a starting point. Now, no one can blame anyone for wanting to get the most money they can for their ride, but there has to be some room for bartering, especially in this economy.

There usually isn't.

People get sentimentally attached to their bikes, and foster unrealistic expectations when it comes time to sell it. Once in a great while you run into a deal, usually someone looking to unload their old bike because they just bought a new one and don't have room for both. It's usually these kinds of bikes that need the most work. Poor maintenance, rust on pipes, fading or scratched paint, dents in the tank. These are all things that can be repaired, but the bike usually ends up nickle and diming the new owner to the poorhouse.

Perfect example, my bike. While it is currently a paragon of what all bikes should aspire to be, it started out as a money pit. I paid 800.00 for it. $150.00 for new coils, throttle cable, screws to replace those that were stripped and accessories (including a YICS tool) 130.00. Pilot jet: $15.00 (that one hurt) spark plugs (6 sets) $66.00 Fuel line $19.00 (a rip off.. don't ever buy the blue inner core fuel line. It disintegrates). Paint and wax/bike cleaner: 45.00.

Total? 1210.00 plus I still need new tires (you should never buy those used.. :) that will run close to $300 when all is said and done. That puts me at 1510.00. Count in all the hours I have worked on this bike, alot has been invested, let me tell you, I wouldn't take less than 1800.00.

Unrealistic? Yes. That's why I never plan to sell this bike. I'll run it until it no longer runs, then part it out, passing on the parts to needy xj700 owners everywhere.

Be on the lookout for good deals.

Caveat emptor.

Questionable squeak

I posted a question on xjbikes about this squeak that's been plaguing my bike for the past week or so.

If you listen carefully, you can hear the squeak-squeak-squeak slow down as the engine slows down, which leads me to believe it's not the carbs, but then, that's just a guess.

The engine itself sounds terrible this close up... please excuse the grinding of gears. I'm more concerned about that damnable squeak! :)

I must admit, I am completely stumped. I've checked all my screws, they all seem to be tight.

How much is too much?

Okay... I'm starting to wonder if maybe I'm overdoing it with the polishing. When will enough be enough? I guess when it's done, or I wear a hole in the plastic/aluminum. :) I admit that's not the best pic of me, but it does show, in detail how much work has gone into parts on this bike.

I wonder if I can clean up that hook on the helmet holder?






This side is coming along nicely, although it's not quite the mirror finish I'd like to have, it is much better than it was now that I've gotten the majority of the old clearcoat off.

It's weird, but in pictures, you can really see the spots that you missed. I guess that'll be a job for another time.

Weather is pretty wet today, which negates any riding. I don't like riding when it's wet, though I must admit, I'd like to see how the coils handle being wet. I suppose I could just throw some water on there while it's running...


Some interesting designs on that Yamaha cover...

All Right RT!

My friend RT got his Maxim running! He re-installed the carbs and fired it up. Other than a few oil issues, it sounds like he's on his way! Congrats!

I made another contact with yet another xj700 owner, this one out of Detroit. Nice fellow, beginner biker but it sounds like he's doing great!

Weird small world we live in. :)

I worked a bit on polishing up my side covers yesterday. Still have a long way to go before I get them mirror smooth, but it's getting there. I'd love for the both of them to match my tank. Also took it for a short ride. Plugs look pretty good! Still a bit lean, but I am supposed to do a color tune. Not sure why I keep putting it off. I'm sure part of it is I am leery of burning my hands again. You need the bike at it's normal operating temperature in order to tune it correctly, and the way the plugs are set up make it difficult to NOT get burned. But, I consider it a necessary sacrifice.

More later.

Is this fair?

Well, I finally decided to get proper insurance for the bike.

$387.00!!! For one year!

That is completely outrageous! I have a perfect driving record! No tickets in the past 7 years! No accidents in the past 15 years! Yet, because I had a "lapse" in coverage (I sold my Kawasaki Vulcan and was bike-less for a while) they are penalizing me for not being covered during the time I didn't have a bike. My previous insurance was about $230.00.

Does this even make sense? This is wrong, on so many levels.

Yet, what can I do? If I want to ride in MI, I have to pay the price. Believe me, I understand the need for insurance, but this seems a bit excessive to me. Why should I be penalized for not having coverage when I didn't even own a bike during that period?

..sigh.. Rant over. Guess I'll pick up 3 extra days at work to cover it.

The bike is looking better and better. I have to pull the plate behind the gearshift off and get that all buffed up, replace the ignition cover screws and possibly paint the carb hats. I have been considering this because the chrome on my bike isn't looking too good after 24 years.

A glossy black might look good.

Took it out for a ride last night, just around the neighborhood and stopped by a friends vacation house. They asked me if I got a new gas tank! That's a high compliment as far as I'm concerned. The tank is looking very shiny. I've been thinking about blinging it up though. There are lots of very cool graphics that you can apply easily. I was thinking something skull-like. Here are a couple of ideas:

I want to do something different than just flames, or some kitschy design. (tribal art is cool, but just doesn't look right for a bike). This design is from Weston Signs, Inc. right here in MI (Webberville, to be exact). Only $10 with free shipping. I'm also looking for some skull hand levers to match the theme. Something like this:


In other news... Hey Eric! You wrote a comment on my blog a couple of days ago and I sent you an email in response. I'm not sure if you got it or not, but I'd be happy to help you out with your bike (even cleaning and polishing!) or repair. I'm also looking for riding partners. If you're interested, just email me!

Lots of rain expected in the next couple of days. Might put a damper on my riding, but will give me a chance to paint those carb hats. I'll post some pics of the progress.

Talking 'bout bikes...

Joined another website dedicated to bikers last night, called beginnerbikers.org, lots of members, lots of discussions there. Not that I need another distraction. :). It has all sorts of bikes, not just specifically the xj/xs series.

You never can tell what the weather is going to do here in MI. I swore it was going to rain the past few days, huge thunderheads forming but only a light drizzle of the stuff. Good for riding but tends to make it a little chilly first thing in the morning. I'm still planning a road trip of some sort just not sure where or when. Sometime this week I am going to start hitting small town America (in MI anyway) and snap some pics, maybe try out the local cuisine.

I'm kind of wondering what happened to viragoking. I haven't heard from him in quite a while. I wonder if he ever got that virago up and running right. I know he was having some issues with fouling of plugs, I hope he got it all worked out.

I may take a small ride today before work tonight, if the weather holds. It's easy to put rides off when you think the weather is going to turn bad, then kick yourself when you realize you missed out.

Amazing! I can now blog on the go from anywhere thanks to the power of the iPhone! Expect to see lots more from me! Soon pictures will be an option too!

Love that bike...

I love being able to come right out to the bike and hit the starter button and get a response from it. I rode the bike to work tonight and it had cooled off a bit when I was leaving, so I feared the worst (these bikes are known for being cold blooded.) Just to be on the safe side, I eased the choke up just a tad, hit the starter button and VRooooMMM!! The bike took off without me! I chased the sucker all over the garage, but it was sprightly and nimble, and I could hear it laughing as it easily outran me. Sometimes it would slow down and I would get close, but then it would speed right back up again!

I finally shouted MaTTE! (stop in Japanese) And the bike rolled to a stop.

The bike starts up great! Needs just a bit of choke (too much and it stalls out) and I am still learning where to put the lever. I'm still going to carbtune and colortune it here one of these days, but it seems a shame to do that when it is running so well. Why mess with perfection?

Perhaps that attention to detail is what makes the difference. I took the bike on a short ride before work tonight and get this rush of excitement when I roll the throttle and the bike takes off like a rocket. I've read that you should let the bike hit 6-7k rpms because that's where the power band lays. However, I'm not big into speed, but I do like to know if the bike can take off in a hurry if I need it.

I found the ignition decal. 7.95 (plus an exorbitant amount for shipping!) but at least I'll have a brand new sticker to fit on the bike. That guy chacal has everything you need to keep your bike in tip top shape. I'm thinking of buying one of those special screwdrivers too ($20!)

Making progress on the shining of parts. I have considered taking certain parts off the bike to shine them up (mainly the piece where the gear shift is, and both the ignition and oil pump cover) but so far it is looking pretty good. Eventually, I'll get it done.