What do you think XS650 are worth today?

[member3480]

I am not trying to break balls but I have seen some crazy prices on XS650 that are for sale and would like to know how someone justifies that price.
I built close to 50 XS 650 and the most I ever charged was $4000.00 for a build. Now that was 3 yrs ago so what makes a build worth $5000 or $6000 today
Now I am not talking about a total custom something like JD builds I mean a stock frame with a $200 hard tail. Yes the electronics have gotten better but add $800 and you got a PAMCO and PMA. I build for fun now not profit and I have seen some bikes on CL that just don't cut it to be worth $7,000 and would you pay that? There are bikes that I go after to build because I can double my money on a build because there is always a buyer.
So I want your thoughts on what you think makes a bike a $6000 XS650
Here is a bike JD built and its worth more than one with a hard tail welded on and here are some I sold for $4000 or less. Show me some pictures of what you think is worth $6000 or higher.

 

[CDNTX650]

6000......if its like the two on our local kijiji that look nice even for choppers they will sit forever until backyard bob realizes they are really worth 2k. Most it would appear would never pay that for a 40 year old bike...and judging by year one over with no sale...

 

[Uhlaf]

It really depends on the location, I know they are dirt cheap down in the states. Up here is a little different, XS650s are still on the "cheaper" side compared to Honda CBs which can reach up to 5-6k for a originalish running one. I picked up mine for 2k and am probably another 2k in the hole with carbs, tires, pamco, and mechanic charges.

All in all I could buy a ninja 250 or a CBR125 for that but then I wouldn't have my XS650.

I can't see people justify 6k for an XS though. Unless it had a gold tank or it would blow me when I ride or whatever.

 

[CoconutPete]

Are you talking about bikes listed on just Craigslist or somewhere else?

If the answer is Craigslist then I don't think it's something specific to the XS650.

Around 50% of the stuff I see on Craigslist are listed at "dream prices" .... An 8x8 shed from home depot which goes for $800 new is listed for .... $800 and it's 4 years old with rot on it and cracked shingles ... Harbor Freight set of Wrenches... $12 new - listed for $15 etc. Bikes are no different.

 

[txbluecollar]

This is true to craigslist. People want to double their money on cl. Charging outragious prices. I dont know if there getting the money or not but for the most part lots of those people dont know how to bargain what so ever and are hard to get the price down from my expeirence. I see tc bros bobbers going from 2-5k and nothing sets them apart so Im lost on what sets the price

 

[Higgy]

This is a good thread, and I have been formulating a thread of this nature to start myself, just haven't gotten around to it yet.

First of all, Canadian prices and NJ prices (OP) are apples and oranges. Prices between Stateside regions are different as well. What may be dirt cheap and plentiful in New England, may be rare and overpriced in the Midwest, etc etc.

I have collected nine (yes, 9) 1970's twins to bobberize-chopperize this winter. They range from XS650s, XS400s, KZ400s/440s, to CB350s. Newest ones are 1980, oldest is a 1970 CB350. My plan was to build a couple bikes this winter, sell them in the spring and maybe get a new lathe to replace my tired old obsolete LeBlond. Thing is, from what I've been seeing for sale on eBay and CL, there's not going to be a lot of profit - if any.

I'm thinking there will be a shit-ton of time invested, as well as some premium bucks, and I'm the type of guy who is meticulous as hell. I'm probably looking at 50 cents an hour by the time I am done.

I'd probably make more money parting these bikes out on eBay.

 

[member3480]

No its just not cragslist or ebay . I have been at some bike events and i can buy a sportster cheaper than some of these hard tail small bikes. If i had to build one today and i am doing two but they are not normal builds so i will have close to $5,000 in each but that's all i would ask if i sold them because i am building for me. Its just i see some bikes and i could put that bike together for $2500 and they are asking double. When i built bikes for customers there was a punch list of parts and that was what got built. It was there design. I did build one way crazy cafe that is well worth $8,000 but that's what was wanted. I just looked at two xs650 bikes because i need a motor but sometimes its easy just to buy a complete bike. Now if i pay $1200 for that bike and sell $400 worth of parts i still don't say the build starts at $800 and i think that is what people are doing. Well i paid $1200 cut it up and put $2500 more plus my time and lets call it $5,000.
Unless these bike have fresh motors with all the newest upgrades a simple chop with a weld on hard tail to me is worth $3000 tops with a good paint job.
Now from me that's funny because when i tell a drag race guy his motor is going to be over $15,000 for what he wants is oranges and apples. TWO DIFFERENT animals.
Now in the late 90's i use to build $45,000 Harleys and sell them. Now that's DEAD and been dead. Its just weird to me and that is why i started this thread to hear from others.

 

[EvenmoreXS]

I have too much in my bike. I don't think I could sell it for what I have in it... maybe close, but that would be to someone who really wants the bike. Honesty, its worth what someone would be willing to pay for it. Make me an offer... . As far as posting it for sale... Id take a hit. I know that. But I built it for me. It has sentimental value..just because its my first build.. so Im partial to it and wouldn't sell it for " What its worth " . Its no good to be underwater in value but if your gonna be you might as well be happy with what you have. I love my bike whether its worth $3,500 or 35,000. Id be much more concerned with value if I Knew I was buying it to sell it. Of course. For me, personally, the knowledge I've gotten from doing the work myself and the connections I've made with you guys here has off set the value Im missing. Nothing I cant do to this bike and I can keep it running as long as I want to. That has value to me.



You guys rock.

 

[racerdave]

DGG I'm not into the chop brat whaterver bikes so I would not pay a dime for them, but I ask you, how many of those $4g and up XS605's do you see actually selling? When I see that stuff on ebay i never see a sale?

 

[gggGary]

Couple of thoughts. Now that the fuel injected later model bikes are plentiful on the market the pool of buyers who are willing to mess with older "hammer and chisel" type bikes will decline. The bubble of Harleys has finally burst and there are a shlitz-ton of cruisers of every stripe going unsold. I thought it was a rough year for bike sales in general around here but my sample is small. But really well built customs tend to float below the radar being passed on to friends and friends of friends on reputation of the builder. It's kind of like CL mechanics ads, How bad of a mechanic do you have to be to need to advertise?

 

[Higgy]

The market is saturated now. if you are looking for a nice XS - or whatever flavor you want, really - all you have to do is bide your time and the one you want at the price you want will run across the road in front of you. All you got to do then is step on the gas.

I surmise that the $4k+ jap twins that I have seen on CL for sale all summer, and they keep getting refreshed weekly, are from people who are holdouts. They will hold out for a sucker, or someone who desperately just gotta have that bike, and they are willing to give away anything they own or fess up shitloads of cash to make it happen.

 

[fredintoon]

I am not trying to break balls but I have seen some crazy prices on XS650 that are for sale and would like to know how someone justifies that price.
I built close to 50 XS 650 and the most I ever charged was $4000.00 for a build. - - -

Hi DaddyG,
well, I wouldn't pay $6K for any of those bikes in your photos, or even $4K.
If I wanted a bike with no rear suspension and pathetic brakes I'd have kept my 1937 KSS Velocette.
Now there's a bike that will fetch $6K in today's market.
Alas that I sold it for the price of a 24pack back in 1957.
Oh! For a time machine and a telephone!

 

[the Norwegian]

Here in Norway prices on these bikes are totally out of control.(All the 50', 60' and 70' bikes for that matter)
Today there are 3 (three) XS650's for sale on the largest marketplace for cars and motorcycles.
This marketplace cover about 80 percent of the trade here.

One bobber'ish at $ 5250
http://www.finn.no/finn/mc/used/object?finnkode=63703108&searchclickthrough=true

One Cafe'ish at $ 8150
http://www.finn.no/finn/mc/used/object?finnkode=63152749&searchclickthrough=true

And one stock'ish XS2 at $ 3500
http://www.finn.no/finn/mc/used/object?finnkode=62832012&searchclickthrough=true

For the record there is aprox. 5400 bikes for sale today and we are aprox 5,000 000. citizens here in Norway.
1 $ = 8 Norwegian Krones.

So what do you think about that.

Maybe you should arrange for shipping to Norway when you are selling you'r bikes?

 

[Higgy]

Alas that I sold it for the price of a 24pack back in 1957.

Holy Cow, Fred. That was the year before I was born. You must be OLD!

...and here I'm thinking what an old fart I have become.

 

[member3480]

I agree with you guys and that's the point are they selling or not.
Fred I agree . One of my bikes (not a XS650) was in the Peterson museum for years and I new how much it was worth but to them it was worth more and it was a 305 Honda Café factory racer. So now my old bone tell me what I can and cannot ride. I am buying up my bikes from my past that changed me to who I am now and they are a CB450 CB750 650 Triumph 650 BSA 1956 Sportster just to have for my grandson's . I have built so many street bikes Choppers Drag Bikes that I think I did my share of wild bikes. Do I love HARD TAIL sure do and maybe that's the outlaw years In me. I look at a stock bike and don't see a stock bike I see what it could be. That's the builder in me
So I agree with you guys its what you like and what someone will pay for it.

 

[racerdave]

Here in Norway prices on these bikes are totally out of control.(All the 50', 60' and 70' bikes for that matter)
Today there are 3 (three) XS650's for sale on the largest marketplace for cars and motorcycles.
This marketplace cover about 80 percent of the trade here.

One bobber'ish at $ 5250
http://www.finn.no/finn/mc/used/object?finnkode=63703108&searchclickthrough=true

One Cafe'ish at $ 8150
http://www.finn.no/finn/mc/used/object?finnkode=63152749&searchclickthrough=true

And one stock'ish XS2 at $ 3500
http://www.finn.no/finn/mc/used/object?finnkode=62832012&searchclickthrough=true

For the record there is aprox. 5400 bikes for sale today and we are aprox 5,000 000. citizens here in Norway.
1 $ = 8 Norwegian Krones.

So what do you think about that.

Maybe you should arrange for shipping to Norway when you are selling you'r bikes?

The price's are nuts, but the Cafe and stocker are nice looking bikes.

 

[Iowa Mark]

It's all about what gets your juices flowing. Some get all twitterpated over a beautiful bone stock example of what they drove years ago. Some want just what everyone else is into 'at this moment'. Some want a piece of artwork. There are even those that only think of these bikes as investments. Everything cycles (pun unintended) in value. Look at the whole idea of rat-rods, and fake patina. Or orange shag carpet. How is your "MY SPACE" account doing? Very good examples of any of the incantations of an xs650 will bring a good price, just like An original Van Gogh will remain in demand while the copy in a chrome frame you got at Walmart will fall off in value over time. The automotive hobby is littered with stuff that won't sell for the price of the parts were put into them. We're no different. All of us need to have our eye wide open when it comes to this hobby. It, for the most part, is about the love of the hobby and the people we come in contact while we are here. My bike is worth a million dollars to me and I'd have to pay some people to take it off my hands. Unless what's for sale is EXACTY what you want, they are all just a pile of parts.

 

[lakeview]

I have been watching Kijiji Toronto area, and I hate to say it, but these bikes are hard to sell.
A perennial ad here has a 71 Cafe at $4500.00; an 83 pretty much stock and refreshed advertised all summer from $2400 down to $2250, now down to $1900; a 71 cafe project, "stripped down" unfinished, $1400.00; decent looking stock 79 as is for $900, which has been on for almost a month; a nice looking stock 80 at at $2000.00 on for a month. Plus you see "bobbers" and "hardtails", some not even done for $4000 - $6000 which get pulled after months.
The takeaway is that no one wants to pay for anything or for any work you put in it, and if you deviate from stock, you narrow your market way down, an unfinished project might be worth $250 for a titled frame plus extra for desirable year plus uninstalled new parts at substantial discount.
Given gggary's comments about the quantity of modern bikes for sale and my view of the diminishing, aging cohort of riders who buy for nostalgia, the bubble for the 650 around here may be over for a few years until the leftovers are all picked over and the unfinished projects consigned to the bin, then complete unmolested examples may see an uptick in value. I hope my view turns out wrong and maybe it's the wrong time of year to be selling a bike, I'll find out next spring.

 

[DIRTY DOG]

well Rich most of the ones I build are around $2500, but the last one I'm asking $4800 prob won't get that but I'll try lol.I have a lot in it, add up the voodo hardtail,mikuni vm34's,680cc pistons and boring gaskets,xs2 cam and rephase crank and cam, new coils pamco( 277*) new plugs and wires new cam chain and guids,new clutch, steering head bearings, nut and bolts custom handle bars new tires front and rear,new wheel bearings front and rear.new 21 hoop s/s spokes,new custom tank,good leather solo seat and springs,custom exhaust paint,powder coating, with a good title it adds up fast,I just went back and added it all up hell I have right $4000 in it not including my labor so I guess I'd take $4000 for it lol haha

 

[Higgy]

well Rich most of the ones I build are around $2500, but the last one I'm asking $4800 prob won't get that but I'll try lol.I have a lot in it, add up the voodo hardtail,mikuni vm34's,680cc pistons and boring gaskets,xs2 cam and rephase crank and cam, new coils pamco( 277*) new plugs and wires new cam chain and guids,new clutch, steering head bearings, nut and bolts custom handle bars new tires front and rear,new wheel bearings front and rear.new 21 hoop s/s spokes,new custom tank, paint,powder coating, with a good title it adds up fast,

I can totally relate to how you feel. I used to make custom knives for a living.

I'd spend a whole day hammering out a billet to make damascus, and another day shaping it. I'd spend a day on the handle, and a day just finishing it to perfection. I'd then spend a day on the sheath. Some of the materials is out of sight expensive, especially when a customer wanted fossil mammoth ivory, or giraffe bone. So many knives I made took 80-100 hours by the time I was done with the assembly, and the customer relations, I got sick of it and stopped doing it. I especially got sick of doing it when people would balk at the price, when you got to pay the bills and shop upkeep on $20,000-worth of shop equipment, let alone resupply six different grits of sandpaper and other stuff.

I think we can say that shit gets old when you aint makin' no munny!