If you've never owned a bike before...would you buy this?

[bghurc]

My dad's got his chrome yellow fatboy that he'd never let me ride, so I kinda want something completely different. Bobbers have always intrigued me, and I constantly look for something I can call my own. this guy near me has a 76' xs for sale for $500 with 17,900 miles. Not a lot of cosmetic damage or rust in the pictures, but according to him, the gas tank valves need to be replaced. My budget isn't huge, but this will fit.

I know little about bikes, but I have a lot of resources to help me. Would I be getting in over my head buying this bike? I would greatly appreciate input from you guys!

 

[xjwmx]

If it runs and appeals to you it's probably worth it. If it doesn't run or change gears it would be nice to know why, since you could be looking at rebuilding the motor. Is that over your head? I have no way to know. But know this - either way, you'll be working on it a lot.

 

[shotgunjoe]

Does your dad know how to work on bikes? How handy with a wrench are you?

I'd buy it... but I've been wrenching since I was 6yrs old. Got my first $100 barn find and did a full ground up restomod on my own at 17. Have built and sold well over 250 cars. Now I don't do cars... only bikes.

 

[carter724]

go for it man. i bought a running 79 for the same price last year. i didn't know much about bikes either, and i completely rebuilt mine w/o any issues. between the clymer manual and this forum/tech section you can learn anything you'll need.

 

[XSJoel]

If it runs and shifts good go for it.

 

[bghurc]

I'm gonna go check it out this week. He also has a 83' Virago 700 with only 284mi (supposedly). It's only $250, any experience with those?

My dad's a handy guy, but he's gonna stick his nose up at one of these bikes (Harley Snob). But I learn everything the hard way, so I'll figure it out.

-First time swimming dad threw me in the deep end (no b.s.) I was 4
-Learned to ride a bike without training wheels
-First day I learned to drive stick we got stuck in traffic

lol, this would be perfect for me. Not sure if the dam thing runs, but I'll assume the worst. Anyone in the Baltimore area? I may be able to exchange personal training for wrench time haha.

I really appreciate all the info guys.

 

[bghurc]

Does your dad know how to work on bikes? How handy with a wrench are you?

I'd buy it... but I've been wrenching since I was 6yrs old. Got my first $100 barn find and did a full ground up restomod on my own at 17. Have built and sold well over 250 cars. Now I don't do cars... only bikes.

I can do an oil change.

 

[jamesgs4]

get the xs, save the viragos for the mechanics.

 

[Nubster]

Not to hijack...but what would it cost to do a rebuild on one of these motors? Buying parts and doing the work yourself...as much as possible anyways. I am in the same boat as the OP...new to bikes...looking for a bike that will likely need work which is fine by me...will let me learn and I'm pretty mechanically inclined.

 

[xander18]

No offense to your Dad, but anything on two wheels is okay by most of us. I've had hardcore Harley bikers (patches) give me props for keeping a bike on the road by barely rubbing two nickels together. If I wouldn't ride an old Japanese twin I probably couldn't afford to ride anything.

XSs seem to fetch astonishing prices on ebay these days, $500 is a pretty solid deal. They're pretty simple bikes to work on and these forums are amazingly helpful. You'll be a regular grease monkey before you know it.

 

[bghurc]

No offense to your Dad, but anything on two wheels is okay by most of us. I've had hardcore Harley bikers (patches) give me props for keeping a bike on the road by barely rubbing two nickels together. If I wouldn't ride an old Japanese twin I probably couldn't afford to ride anything.

XSs seem to fetch astonishing prices on ebay these days, $500 is a pretty solid deal. They're pretty simple bikes to work on and these forums are amazingly helpful. You'll be a regular grease monkey before you know it.

Understood, i just wanna ride. I actually like these types of bikes better, more character, less conformity. Im the same way. My budget for an initial build is $1500. Any more and im sunk. Here goes nothin guys, lets hope he calls back, and my wife doesnt divorce me!

 

[Purplezinger]

Your Dad has a Fatboy. He won't let you ride it? You want to buy a XS650? Something's not right here! What's the rest of the story...Are you a really bad rider? If you are, then maybe you should pass on the 650..

 

[bghurc]

Your Dad has a Fatboy. He won't let you ride it? You want to buy a XS650? Something's not right here! What's the rest of the story...Are you a really bad rider? If you are, then maybe you should pass on the 650..

haha, he doesnt trust me...with anything. He babies that damn bike. I rode it once and the last thing he said was "if you scratch it, you better keep going!". He claimed it made him so nervous he didnt want me to ride it again...what an a$$. I need some experience, are they more challenging than other bikes for some reason? I didnt plan on hardtailing it

 

[twinsarehot]

With old bikes like these, I found that no matter the purchase price, you'll end up spending 1500 bucks to get it running well and looking good. $500 bike, expect to drop some more duckets on it. I also wouldn't mod it before learning to ride it. Spend a year riding and getting to know it, tune the engine and carburetors and get it running factory +, performance, reliability and handling are most important. You'll find all the info here.

These bikes are amazingly simple. Will this be a city runner, country commuter, highway hero, adv rider? What type of riding do you plan on?

Posted via Mobile

 

[xander18]

No, they're not any more challenging. Of course it depends on how you set it up, I know a guy with a non road legal XS set up to vintage race that would probably kill a mere mortal but that's not inherent to the XS650.

I don't have an issue with Harleys, but I do have an issue with babied stock bikes with no character. That just happens to be 3/4 of the Harleys out there. I think you'll like your XS a lot more than one of them American Goldwings

 

[72XS2]

Hey, get the 76 XS and if it doesn't look too bad, you will probably get more attention then your dad and his Harley. Then, if he ask you to ride your bike, tell him no, it'll make you too nervous to see a Harley guy on a jap bike...

 

[Purplezinger]

Actually XS650's are quite easy to ride. They're light weight and narrow. The seat height is reasonable. There are a couple of ergonomic issues, "neutral" can sometimes be challenging to find. And I've always though the clutch pull was harder than it needed to be.
I'll comment here as a Dad: We have 6 children (she had 2, I had 2, we made 2). 5 girls, 1 boy. I taught all to ride correctly (this was before MSF riding classes) with helmets, riding gear, gloves, boots, etc. All but one became great riders, the one that didn't, never liked it and does not ride even today. On the first page of the "Responsibilities of Fatherhood" book in capital letters are the following instructions: You teach them to swim, ride a bicycle, play ball, etc. If motorcycles or football or baseball are involved then you damn well make sure they have every skill and equipment they need. If your Dad doesn't trust you with his Fatboy, then maybe he didn't do his job correctly.

 

[shotgunjoe]

With old bikes like these, I found that no matter the purchase price, you'll end up spending 1500 bucks to get it running well and looking good. $500 bike, expect to drop some more duckets on it. I also wouldn't mod it before learning to ride it. Spend a year riding and getting to know it, tune the engine and carburetors and get it running factory +, performance, reliability and handling are most important. You'll find all the info here.

These bikes are amazingly simple. Will this be a city runner, country commuter, highway hero, adv rider? What type of riding do you plan on?

Posted via Mobile

I'm well under 1500... People have nearly wrecked (everytime I take it out) trying to get a good look at this thing going down the road. People come up to me everytime I stop. My brother says it looks like a carnival ride... all rusty and scary.

 

[bghurc]

Id like to put some hwy miles on it for sure. My plan was to get the engine in order before any mods. @purplezinger I know where youre commin from. My 2y/o girl is taking swimming classes (hence my lack of funds). I just talked to the guy, he sounds like jes in a bad mood. Hope hell work wih me!

 

[shotgunjoe]

Show up with cash, people usually brighten up when they see greenbacks