Good swap or not?

[EWAN]

Hi everyone, I've been offered to swap my xs650 for a 1000XLS harley(1981).
I know i'm kinda swearing in church here, but i wanted to check if anyone here has any advice on the matter. I'm really happy with my XS but a Harley still has that mythic thing about it i guess. Intriguing somehow.

Thanks for any advice you guys might have.

 

[EWAN]

This is my XS btw. Just about done with it after about a years worth of slowly rebuilding and restyling it. The sportster has had an enginge overhaul - although the owner says it's leaking oil due to a gasket he missed putting on...

 

[jamesgs4]

if you want the harley, trade for it. nothing "mythical?" about a bike, it has 2 wheels and an engine.

 

[EWAN]

Yeah of course you're right, maybe i chose the wrong word. I mean it has that status of being the bike you know. Anyways, i wondering if anybody has any experience with the pre evo enginge and if there's anything to beware of. Cheers, ewan

 

[jamesgs4]

since xs's and ironheads are about the same in value nowadays, it is not a bad trade. off the top of my head, the thing to look out for on ironheads is the transmission, make sure it shifts nicely and properly. maybe ask for cash on top of the deal since your bike is nicer and doesn't leak oil.
as far as status, sportsters are "women's" bikes. to be big hog, you need to ride a FXGWLTDXRIS.

*if I ever own a harley it is going to be a 64-72 kick start sportster.

 

[EWAN]

Ok, thanks for the advice! Maybe i'll be man enough to ride a woman's bike

 

[FLEA]

you built the xs so you know the relibilty but you might be taking on a new set of exspensive problems with the harley unless you know it well

 

[EWAN]

Yeah, i guess that's sort of what makes me hesitate a bit. it's a beatiful enginge and can be a really cool bike, but there are so many stories one hears about harley owners wrenching the bike for 3 days and riding it one day..

 

[nj1639]

Why does he want to trade?
Try looking at your XS through somebody elses' eyes......

 

[EWAN]

Well according to him, my xs looks just like what he wants a bike to look like.
He bought his Harley thinking it'd be ready to drive and encountered a few problems which meant he's had to go over everything - so having done that now, he says he's kinda fed up with the bike. In a way I can relate to the feeling of wanting a new project - but on the other hand if it's only a gasket for the oil pump I'd probably fix it and get on with the riding. Shit i'm terrible at making decisions

 

[wesleyonoel]

I have both ('73 TX, '71 XLH) and like both. Each has idiosyncracies. My suggestion, if you can't have both, would be to ride each to see which one suits you best. Might look good but if you're not comfortable riding it, what's the point? Yamaha can present charging and ignition issues, Sportsters can leak oil and transmissions can be troublesome. Overall reliability is dependent on individual motorcycle condition and maintenance. Hard to accurately assess which one is "better". Your call....but I'd lean toward "rideability" if you indeed intend to rack up some miles (or kilometers?)....Wesley

 

[EWAN]

yeah, i sure will. Luckily for me i suppose, he's gone through a lot of trouble to get it in good shape mechanically. New ignition and electrics, new bearings and gaskets. I'll certainly have a look.. and then we'll see. Just wanted to check here with my fellow xs'ers to see if anyone had any experience from the ironheads. Thanks for the reply

 

[weekendrider]

EWAN, you put together a nice bike, those knee pads are a good match for the tank.
As far as the trade goes if you can handle the extra expense and want a Harley.
The will be a big difference in parts pricing, be ready.
Recently had my Y pipe cracked to the point it was not repairable. That piece from the dealer is $400. Not the whole exhaust just 1/3rd. The Magneti Marelli ECM has gone whacky. The replacement costs a titch over $500 plus 2 hrs. shop time to set it up.
And the old one was reprogrammed just 18 months ago.

And what jamesgs4 said is correct. Sportsters are considered womens bikes amongst those that ride Harley. There are alot of those resold because the owner wants a REAL Harley. Having started with a sportster(76), then a Dyna and now the bagger (FLCHTUCI). I didn't notice when the attitude happened (don't ride with Harley riders much), but it is there.

 

[gggGary]

+3 on the Sportster snobbery thing. The only Harley I have ever owned was a hummer that never ran, but back in 1973 I advised a buddy to buy a "big twin" not a sporty, He thanked me for that advice years later, that snobbery thing goes WAY back! Iron head sporties with issues are $1200 to $1800 bikes (well in the US) what do you think your XS is worth? It's summer, riding time in Sweden is short do you want to lose your "rider" in July?

Your bike looks sharp I wouldn't trade it for a Sporty with "issues" and there's more than just one leaky gasket waiting for you.

 

[EWAN]

Thanks so much for both your answers! The snobbery I don't really care about to be honest, I mostly ride alone - and personally a cool bike is a cool bike you know.
The cost of having the bike though, is an important issue for sure. Living in Sweden it's likely to be even more expensive than in the states. I'd say an old sporty would go for around 5000 USD over here. So probably parts are way overpriced to.. Guess my fingers are just itchin for another project you know. Thanks again for the sobering advice.

 

[jamesgs4]

ironhead sportsters are 5K over there? how much would your xs sell for? if the harley is worth much more than the yamaha, you could always sell it and build another xs if you decide the harley isn't for you. I say go for the trade.

 

[EWAN]

Well the market for the XS is more for enthusiasts than the average biker i'd say.
I bought my XS, pretty worn down and distressed for around 2000 USD. Depends on the exchange rate of course but 15 000 Swedish Kronors. Might be able to sell it for 3-3500 USD to the right buyer. On the other hand the XS is pretty rare over here - and Sportsters are more common, usually newer ones though. I'll have a look at the bike either way, would be kinda dumb to make my mind up before I've seen it proper.

 

[ProSimex]

Id go for it if its something you want. I love ironheads and WILL own one soon as I can. Anyone gives you guff about it being a womans bike tell em they dont know anything about harleys. Sportsters are awesome. Pretty much a dirt track bike, outlaws always favored them cus they could outrun anything the cops had. Big twins are ok, but if you wanna go fast and have a time, then its sportster time baby!

 

[XSJoel]

No one can make your decision for you. Personally, an Ironhead to me is worth $2,000-3,000 in good rideable condition. That being said, a family member is a factory trained Harley mechanic who was trained in Milwaukee in either 1982 or 1983 and was the Harley tech at his shop before getting trained and you can't give him an Ironhead.

 

[EWAN]

He doesnt like them you mean?