Should I buy this XS? No electrical..

ccanady

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So I am seriously thinking about buying an xs400 from a guy down the road who has converted it into a bobber. It looks and sounds really good..but the downside is that there are no electrics (ie lights, speedo) i'm attaching a picture of it but essentially wanted to know how hard it would be to fix all this stuff myself. I am pretty electronically inclined but not really with engines. It also doesn't have front brake cable..

He wants $2500 for the bike...what you think?
 

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You can find excellent examples of unaltered xs400s - both sohc and dohc models, with everything working and nothing missing for less than $1,000.

It may be worth this much to him because he is valuing his own labour. If by chance he has created exactly the finished product that you want and would have created yourself, then it might be worth paying him for all the work.
But, if not, why pay his labour for the things you will have to work to undo, re-do, or replace?

I don't know the local bike market in your area, but here are a couple of examples from around here:

http://ontario.kijiji.ca/c-cars-veh...choppers-1980-Yamaha-XS400-W0QQAdIdZ517212982

http://ontario.kijiji.ca/c-cars-veh...pers-1984-Yamaha-Maxim-400-W0QQAdIdZ509563522
 
Thats the hard thing about it. There is NO bike market around here for classic bikes. I have looked for the longest time for a 650 but i came across this one and I love the way it looks. But like you, I dont think its feasible to pay that much for the bike and have to rewire the entire thing. Maybe I can talk him down some.
 
That would depend on what the previous owner did the the original harness. If everything is chopped you might be better off building a new harness from scratch. But how that turns out also depends on your electrical know how...

IMHO I would skip on the bike unless you have experience with electrical rewiring. If you look through our forums many people have issues with basic things such as turn signals and old fuse boxes. Electrical rewiring isnt for everyone. Not saying its impossible...I mean there are many diagrams here on the forum. Many user made diagrams for basic rewire too. Just really depends you and your skill level.

oh yea and 2500 is a LOT for something that isnt complete.
 
As eletrical goes these bikes are pretty simple. If you can read a diagram well, and make connections according to it, it is completely doable! $2500 is rediculous for any xs 400 in my opinion, but look fir drewpy's rewire thread. If you can follow it, you can build a harness from scratch. All it takes is time and effort...:thumbsup:

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I think 2500$ is really high for a bike that needs work. For 2500$ you should be able to do MUCH better IMHO. I would wait.

Also look at that bike in terms of parts, if you added up the value of all of its parts (as if to sell them individually) would you get 2500$? If not, then certainly don't buy it lol

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A bike like that is a 800-$1200 deal if it has low miles and everything works ( lights also) :wink2:Does the bike have papers or title? With no lights or gauges it will be very hard to get it legal for the road. Have you ever rode a hard tail with apes? Not easy or comfortable:) Buy a stock bike and make it the way you want.
 
Chris makes a good point. You have to think 'why is it for sale?' A lot of times the owner doesn't like it lol it's almost useless if you can't ride on the road, and without an odometer how many miles are on it and what kind if life is left in it.

It's also not much of a 'classic' if its been modded chopped and painted to look nothing like the original, I would just call that an 'old parts bike' :(

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Thanks guys..I've decided to hold off until I find something a little more "Stock". I called the guy and he couldn't tell me much about the bike. He said he was getting rid of it because he wanted a new project..that sounded funny to me. (mainly because he didn't finish his first one..why is he looking for another one?) Anyway..thanks!
 
Looks good, but most certainly not $2500 good. I paid $700 for my '81 and $300 for my wifes '81. Thats 2 XS400s (not to mention hers came with a box full of spare parts, including like 5 ignitions, 4 air filters, coils, etc) for $1000.
 
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