First Bike - 1981 XS400 Special - Advice Needed

shosh86

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Hi folks,

I've got a strong itch to buy my first motorcycle. I am taking my state's motorcycle training course soon, and have been eyeing a 1981 XS400 Special. It is offered for $1,100.

I would love your thoughts, including any red flags, and what might be a good opening offer (ad says "make me an offer"...). I am going to see it this Saturday.

Below is the description and a few photos:

Sweet old motorcycle.
Runs and rides
Kick start and electric start work perfectly.
Carbs rebuilt and jetted with Mikuni jets.
Fresh oil and filter.
New battery and tires.
New carb intake boots.
Small dent in tank from falling over in the garage.
Would be a great candidate to make a cafe racer.
Only issue is headlight does not work.
I recommend replacing the front master cylinder as well.
Paint is not the best
Make me an offer!
Currently registered as of this month - no title but it is not needed. Will provide a bill of sale. Had the sheriffs office come out to do a VIN check (all came back good) and I was able to get a tag and registration. You should not need to go through that process since the bike is now in the state’s database. Cash only

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Looks pretty good, though I noticed the center stand is missing. You can find a replacement on ebay though make sure it includes the bolts and spring. I would have suggested putting it on the center stand to check the head bearing and swing arm bushings play, but bring a jack now to check. You'll need someone to steady the bike (like the seller) now too. The title missing is the only red flag and I'd contact your states dmv about it and not just take the sellers word about its road legal status.
 
I think the bike is on the center stand in the photo of the right side, but it is hard to tell if it is there in the first photo. The bike has a MAC 2 into 1 exhaust, and people seem to removed the center stand when they install those. The exhaust may also explain the note that the carb has Mikuni jets - the owner may have re-jetted the carbs.

Red flags:
- The missing title. I don't deal with no title situations myself as if I can't apply for and get a title in my name, I don't want the hassle of owning the bike as it is basically a parts bike for most of the population living in the USA. But, your state laws may allow this. Just realize that it will reduce the pool of folks you can potentially sell the bike to when you are ready to let it go. It is also a good reason to knock a significant amount off of your offer if you decide you still want to proceed (as in offering parts bike value for it).
- Carb jetting. Make sure the bike starts from cold. Make sure the rpms don't hang when you blip the throttle (indication that the bike is lean). Ask a lot of questions about what was done to the carb - what size jets are in it?, where did the jets came from (real Mikuni reseller or Taiwanese generic rebuild kit)?, how was the carb was tuned after the rebuild (synch done?, idle mixture setting redone? where are the idle mix screws set at? were the butterfly shaft seals replaced as part of the rebuild?) Any waffling on the questions would be an opportunity to knock cash off of your offer and an indication that you are probably going to have to do some work to fix things. I would ask to pull the plugs and look at their color as those can tell you a lot about the how the bike is running.

Lastly, it is a buyers market. Keep as much cash in your pocket as you can because you will need it for the bike after the excitement wears off and you find out it is not a turn-key purchase.
 
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