1973 TX650 project

[jetmechmarty]

That's good advice. A bike is only original once. There's so many XSs been lost to the angle grinder enthusiasts. They're still pretty findable at the moment but every one that's cut up is one less survivor. I have recently acquired a 1977 XS650D most of which is original. I am not obsessive about it but I want to retain as much of the 47 year patina as possible. Whilst at the same time getting as close as I can to feeling like riding a new bike.

I’ve been living with mine for 40 years. 65,000 miles. It looks pretty good, but no show bike. I put it in the Vicksburg show anyway, after I spent a full day riding it down there. Currently, it’s on the lift, apart for a repair. It probably does operate as well or better than when it was new. It has been continuously current with tag and insurance for all 40 years. It’s not a difficult machine to live with.

 

[magoo66]

Hi @RPO 579C, welcome aboard. Cannot answer your question - the value can only be measured in terms of what is it worth to you. You need to know that you will not make money on the project, unless you get the bike free or very cheap and it needs nuffin much done to get it running. But if you want an XS650 as a hobby and to ride then that bike looks like a good candidate for bringing back to life. Looks like it's all there,in good nick and probably looked after before it was stored.

Nicely said Raymond.

 

[RPO 579C]

That's good advice. A bike is only original once.

With my Corvettes I like to make them run, brake and roll right and leave alone what I can; especially if it's original. So my '57 ex-racer is far from perfect, but many things on it (even some paint) are original. That's one of the things I really like about this '73. It's a time capsule, and I'll leave alone everything that I can.

I don't understand what happened to all of the old motorcycles, though. I know some are still sitting in garages like this one. And some were destroyed in crashes. But when I bought my DT175 and DT250 new in 1976 ($599 and $699) they were '75 models that didn't sell in the previous year. The dealer had a long line of many more available. Wish I had bought them all! Anyway I was young and foolish and I sold my bikes after hitting the pavement twice. In recent years I started missing them more and more, so I started looking but I have only found one '75 DT250. Then when this '73 came up I searched to see what one that was running was worth and they're just not there. Unless there's some site that you guys know about that I don't. So I'll try to fix this one up for a while. Not to make money... mostly the challenge and for fun. I just wanted to check values so I would know if I could get back any money that I spend on it.

 

[jetmechmarty]

Unless there's some site that you guys know about that I don't.

Not everyone is internet friendly, especially when it comes to getting rid of stuff. Estate sales can turn up motorcycle treasures. Sometimes, owners die and the treasures all go to the dump. This is especially true after hoarders pass away. Shovel it all into a dumpster.

 

[jetmechmarty]

Someone showed me a picture of a collapsed barn last night. He said, “There’s a 1973 Superglide in that mess.”

 

[Raymond]

There's a number of companies in Britain - maybe other European countries as well - that seem to make a good living from going to the USA and Canada and buying up any and all older motorbikes they can snap up. They want barn finds but more especially bikes sitting at the backs of garages and sheds, forgotten, cloth flung over 'em. Having done the legwork, they fill a 40' container, build a floor above the bikes and fill the container again, ship it over here and sell 'em off as restoration projects. For about the same sort of wonga you lucky N Americans would balk at for a good honest runner. £000s for a knackered old pile of questionable heritage and no UK registration. I know coz I bought one . . .

Just saying that might partly account for what happened to all of the old motorcycles?

 

[RC4MAN]

There's a number of companies in Britain - maybe other European countries as well - that seem to make a good living from going to the USA and Canada and buying up any and all older motorbikes they can snap up. They want barn finds but more especially bikes sitting at the backs of garages and sheds, forgotten, cloth flung over 'em. Having done the legwork, they fill a 40' container, build a floor above the bikes and fill the container again, ship it over here and sell 'em off as restoration projects. For about the same sort of wonga you lucky N Americans would balk at for a good honest runner. £000s for a knackered old pile of questionable heritage and no UK registration. I know coz I bought one . . .

Just saying that might partly account for what happened to all of the old motorcycles?

Yeah, they did that in the 80's with old Brit bikes and sent them to Japan

 

[JOHNDADDY]

There's a number of companies in Britain - maybe other European countries as well - that seem to make a good living from going to the USA and Canada and buying up any and all older motorbikes they can snap up. They want barn finds but more especially bikes sitting at the backs of garages and sheds, forgotten, cloth flung over 'em. Having done the legwork, they fill a 40' container, build a floor above the bikes and fill the container again, ship it over here and sell 'em off as restoration projects. For about the same sort of wonga you lucky N Americans would balk at for a good honest runner. £000s for a knackered old pile of questionable heritage and no UK registration. I know coz I bought one . . .

Just saying that might partly account for what happened to all of the old motorcycles?

I ran into a gentlemen going through the boneyard at a dealership in Bearsville NY doing exactly that. Late 80s, I was looking for a timing advance unit and he was just pointing "I''ll take that one, that one that one etc.." Not even complete bikes by any means. I asked him what he was doing and he explained he had to fill two containers to ship to Great Brittan. I asked why would an English man want a Japanize copy of a Brit bike? He said they just love them. Still kinda I'd love a Triumph, Norton, Enfeild etc but could never afford one. Don't get me wrong I love Thumper but always wanted a bigger stable.

 

[Melnic]

Bikes are easier to store than cars and boats and people will hang on to them hoping a kid/grandkid will get it running again or just to say "I have a bike" I have a neighbor who has a boat and its last registration was 2002. Just sitting there and likely his kids will have to trash it. He's 94 years old. Even if the engines were bad in 2002, it had value. it no longer has value unlike a MC that can be $300-$500 on average.

I went to see an XJ650 last night and the guy is getting rid of it cause his wife is 2 weeks away from first kid being born. He debated holding onto it but needs the $ and the space in garage. I plan to pick it up with a whole bunch of extras that alone are worth what I'll be paying for it. If he kept it for 5 more years it would deteriorate even more. It idled for 3 seconds w/ carb start and he admitted to doing a bad job of rebuildling carb. I imagine that many bikes were purchased cheap as a "project" that someone "hopes" to finish. I have a friend with 2 bikes (BMW and Dad's Electri glide?). I'll be nagging him about getting them running again this spring. He says they ran when he put him away and I explained the evils of Ethanol fuel that we have around here.

 

[RPO 579C]

I'd love a Triumph,

There's a '72 Triumph Bonneville for sale for $2900 not too far from me. I have no idea if that's a good deal or not.

 

[JOHNDADDY]

There's a '72 Triumph Bonneville for sale for $2900 not too far from me. I have no idea if that's a good deal or not.

cash for now has to go into Thumper, along with the rest of life's needs, always something more important. Ain't it the way.

 

[BowlingSS]

I bought a 73 a couple of years ago and it had a 70-72 gas tank.