'81 XS400 near mint condition, should I purchase?

J

jaydouble

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New here. I currently have a near mint condition 1981 XS400 on hold for purchase at a dealership for the weekend.

It's marked at $2995. Only 5K on the engine. Claims to have never been ridden in the rain. Completely stock. Virtually no visible ware one it. Still has the factory tires on it! Even the shop owner couldn't believe it. Apparently it's just been sitting in the previous owner's garage for 30+ yrs.

Any case, I currently own a '79 XS400 w/ 18K and a lot of custom work (still needs a lot of work). I'm seriously considering purchasing this rare relic and selling my old one.

Your thoughts on any of the following would be much appreciated:

1) What questions would you ask the dealer before following through with the purchase?

2) What concerns would you have about purchasing this near mint bike w/ those specs and a history of sitting in a garage for the past 30+ yrs?

3) Would it be considered outright treason to modify the style of this rare artifact of preservation? (shop owner had no doubt that it would win 1st place in a show coming up...)

4) Do you have any other suggestions for me as I embark on my vintage motorcycle journey?

Cheers.
JJ
 
Waaaaaay too much!!!! If it has sat that long it will need new tires. A lot of the rubber parts on the bike will most likely need replacing. 5k miles is not that low and not very rare for the later bikes as they made a lot more of them. If it was a 76-77xs360 or a 77-78 xs400 with 5k miles and needed nothing it would still be a $1800 bike or so. I have seen a 77 xs400 with 1800 miles sell for under 2k. Remember it's a dealer so expect a large mark up on it. They probably only payed $300 for it on trade in:wink2:
 
Chris, thanks for the response man. I thought I'd be paying way too much but how often does one come across something like this again (in Washington)? Also to note - I'm kind of an idiot and said I'd pay full price (which I guess I'm cool with...). Are you suggesting I should not go for it and wait for a better opportunity?
 
$3k for that bike is a LOT of money. When I bought my 82 XS400 (Maxim) it had under 5000KM on it (so about 3000 miles) and still original tires. I replaced the tires immediately, even though the shop said they were in good condition. I only paid $1200 for the bike, and generally bikes cost a bit more up here than what you can get in the states.

If you really like the thing and are willing to pay $3000 for it then go for it. But you shouldn't have to look very long to find something comparable at a lower price. Low mileage is great, but I still wouldn't pay that much for it.
 
I wouldn't fall for it from a dealer.They pull tricks like the odometer could have been rolled back to look like the bike has low miles.
For that kind of $ if it was me NO I wouldn't do it!
In the end its your choice and we all have opinions on what we would do and not do.
 
$3K ! Holy crap. My '79 xs isn't the pettiest thing (needs a bath and a new tank), but it was bone stock with just under 8k miles and "might-as-well-have-been-running" condition, and I found that for $50. Others have found similar deals recently. If I were that hard-up for a clean xs, I might walk in there and offer the dealer $1500 cash-in-hand and see what happens. Otherwise, I'd hunt around.
 
I would ask him who the previous owner is and what his address is. Then go talk to the PO.
On those tires, being that old are dangerous. They may look good but you can't see the rot inside. You can't see if the belts are ready to seperate.
At that price the dealer should put on new tires for free.
Even if what the dealer says is true, the brakes need to be torn down, and cleaned out. Brake fluid goes bad. This plugs up the calipers and master cylinders. The brake lines should be replaced. They rot from the inside. Bits of this rot float around in the fluid and plug things up.
Again at that price the dealer should do these things free.
On the fuel system, the tank should be cleaned out, The carbs cleaned out. Old gas is worse than old brake fluid.
Again at that price it should be done for free.
Leo
 

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