Picture journal of xs400rj crankshaft replacement

[lhaolpa]

We will be praying for you to come out of this with your health.I was already in my 50s when I underwent my medical problems,and almost died[sometimes wishing I would],but my wife and kids helped me through the ordeal.I went through 11-1/2 months of shots and 14 pills per day,and finally came out alive.Keep on one day at a time and keep busy on good days and you'll be OK.Hopefully I'm not the only one that will be praying for you. lha

 

[drewpy]

Glad you are inspired but don't let me fool you, its not an easy job but it is satisfying. I'm still waiting on the crank shaft, I'm also going to hone the cylinders and replace the rings.....just because. I have a lot of stress in my life so i've been polishing everything on the bike, its a great stress reliever. To think back on how much I've put into this bike and I'm not even done is kind of a stresser of mine. But I know once its all done I'm going to be very satisfied and someone is going to get a great bike that will give them many years of pleasure.

just think of it as a bit of you in the bike. that's how I look at things. We all leave our mark, intentional or otherwise, even if you don't finish it!

I think it goes without saying we will be all thinking and praying for you at this difficult time.

Hopefully in the future you will be able to get online somehow and let us know hows things are progressing with you

 

[cmoore352010]

I think the more work you put into it and leaving no detail out is better than just getting it up and running. I wouldn't stress over it not being done yet because you are leaving your mark on that bike. If you sold it to someone that person will be able to sit back and say "Wow, that guy is really talented." You leave a footprint of your workmanship that will last for years to come. If you don't sell it and decide to keep it, whenever you ride it around people can see your workmanship and admire it wherever you go. That is the way i see it anyways.
Go ahead and take your time and put all your stresses into working on that bike but don't stress if you don't get it done on time. When you get well you can come back to it and finish it up.

 

[OnePhate]

Thanks guys, I really appreciate all the support. I'm still waiting on the crankshaft. I ordered it like two weeks ago?
I'm waiting for this cold snap to crack to get back to working on the bike itself. Hopefully I can convince my buddy to buy it off me when it gets running so he can have a solid bike to ride and when next winter hits I can finish the doing the full restoration on it that it deserves, frame off and everything in his nice heated garage I decided to keep the second identical bike I just bought for $200 as it only has 4,800 miles. Its just got a little carb issue and some rust. The real reason I want to get it done so fast and sell it is that I need to pay my parents back the 3,000 they loaned me for medical bills and it will be about 3-5 months before I start getting disability payments. They told me not to worry about paying them back but its not in my nature, especially after all they have done for me.

 

[OnePhate]

Oh and btw, what would you pay for a 1982 xs400RJ Seca with a rebuilt engine, 12,000 miles? Obviously the bike is worth a lot more in my eyes because of all the work I put in to it so I need an unbiased opinion. I'd like to get 1,200 or so for it to cover all my expenses. Is that reasonable?
I purchased the bike for 600 and put about 300 into it and it needs a new set of tires before it gets sold, I couldn't have someone else's safety on my conscious.

 

[bcware]

What I have heard from experienced salesmen is that an old bike in good condition is worth, and I quote, "about a grand." Sinking money into maintenance or aftermarket parts does not usually increase the value very much. I think a lot of the appeal in bikes like these is not performance, but rather cosmetics and looks. That being said, I think your bike looks good.

 

[lhaolpa]

Oh and btw, what would you pay for a 1982 xs400RJ Seca with a rebuilt engine, 12,000 miles? Obviously the bike is worth a lot more in my eyes because of all the work I put in to it so I need an unbiased opinion. I'd like to get 1,200 or so for it to cover all my expenses. Is that reasonable?
I purchased the bike for 600 and put about 300 into it and it needs a new set of tires before it gets sold, I couldn't have someone else's safety on my conscious.

Having been around the block a few times,I learned that on any given day,you'll find people that will pay high prices for junk,and others who wouldn't pay anything for a mint condition vehicle.It all depends,not on what you have invested in it,but rather what the potential buyer will pay.I've looked at cars and bikes that had all the bells and whistles,but ran like crap,and I wouldn't give $50.00 for them,and I've looked at others that ran like a top,but weren't fancied up and ended up being great buys.I have them in my driveway.To sum it up:it all depends on the right buyer coming to look at it and knowing what to look for.Good luck. By the way,spring for some new tires,it will go a long way to sell your bike, Kenda makes some good looking tires for reasonable tires,as do others. Look on Motorcycle Superstore's site. lha

 

[cmoore352010]

In my area i have seen bikes like mine go for 300 not running for parts on up to bobbers and cafe`s going up to 5 grand. The exact bike i have (78 xs400) fully restored with very few modifications and aftermarket parts recently sold for 3 grand (I believe that was a little high), but on average i see them advertised between 800 and 1200 for the ones that supposedly run decent.