Here's the new project. (And yes, I am still very slowly working on my "XS1B Texas Resurrection" project.)
Looks pretty good in this pic, doesn't it?
But maybe not so much when you get a little closer...
So, here's the story: The bike came up on Craigslist a few days ago, and a guy I know immediately jumped on it. He traveled 50 miles to pick it up. When he got there, he saw that it was in way worse condition then he thought it was. But he was already there, he had told the seller he would buy it, and it was only $460, so he said what the heck, and he bought it.
After bringing it home, he developed buyer's remorse, so he texted me a pic and asked if I wanted for $400 (a loss of $60 for him). I immediately jumped on it. I traveled 35 miles to pick it up. When I got there, I saw that it was in way worse condition then I thought it was. But I was already there, I had told the guy I would buy it, and it was only $400, so I said what the heck, and I bought it.
$400 might seem outrageous for this bike to many of you, but in Austin it's really not a bad deal, especially for a 1973, and especially for an engine that has good compression. The original seller claims the bike ran a few years ago, and I totally believe it. I have complete confidence that after the usual drill this bike will run.
I've said before that Austin is the XS650 capital of the world. I truly believe that we have more XS650s per capita than any other city. In Austin, you can get $300 easy for an XS650 motor with good compression. Get that motor running, and you can get $500 for it, easy -- that's a bare engine, no carbs, intake, exhaust...
In fact, just a few weeks ago, I sold a bare 1974 engine for $500. Here's a 4-minute video that I made of it to help sell it:
This rust bucket is pretty much 100% complete and correct. The one thing it's missing is the title. I have the original owner's info, and there's a chance I can persuade him to file for a lost title. Otherwise, I'll be doing a bonded title, which in Texas adds about $125 to the cost of registration.
My plan for the bike is to get it running, make it street legal, and license and insure it. And otherwise do absolute zero aesthetic-wise. Keep the patina exactly as is. Have fun with the comments I get riding the rustiest bike in Austin around town. Then, next summer, I'll put it in some shows, COVID-allowing. At the big ROT rally, there is a "Rat Bike" category -- this bike is way rattier than many previous-years winners I have seen there. The local East Side Classic show also has a Rat Bike category. And, in October, there is the big Harvest Classic show in Luckenbach. I think it would be pretty funny to line up this rustbucket alongside all of the flawless restorations there.
Interestingly, except for the dumb pin-striping, all of the tins are in surprisingly good condition. This tank is completely dent-free, and has pretty good paint. Use rubbing compound to take the pin-stripes off, and clear-coat it, and you'd have a pretty valuable original paint tank.
Somehow, those gauges in the previous picture are also pretty nice. The chrome gauge holders are a wreck, but the gauge faces and mechanisms aren't bad. Not sure how that happens...