Buying my first xs650 and would some advice on the transaction. Please give me your input.

taymana337

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Hey there,
I found what I believe to be a good deal on a bike. However after speaking with the seller, he informed me that the bike has a clean out of state title in a previous owners name. And he can give me a bill of sale but doesn't remember if the title was filled out for the last buyer portion or not.

The add for the bike seems solid except the title part. I am not sure if the title in question makes or breaks this deal. This will be my first purchase ever on my own when dealing with a motorcycle, or any piece of equipment requiring me to title it.

I live in CA, and was wondering if this will be an easy transaction and I can go to the dmv and title it in my name without any hassle, get CA plates etc.....

After emailing the seller again, he stated that he has a ton of bikes and not all are under his name.
He also said "the best part about this bike is the out of state title, so no risk of increased fees or hassle from CA DMV since they only regulate CA vehicles. And that you wont have any issues registering it though."

Is the following true? Or am I being duped into believing something that will be very hard in the end? This will be my first ever purchase in my name on my own when dealing with a titled piece of transportation.

I've lived long enough to understand that people can and will get fucked over. And to never really take anything anyone says at face value when being involved in a expensive transaction. Always do your research.

What are your opinions on the title???

The add is as follows :

72 Yamaha XS650 project - $2,500
I picked this up probably several months ago as a finished and running bike, but wanted to change the tank and lost interest.

90% of the bike has been updated, upgraded, rebuilt and replaced.
Frame is stock, uncut and not modified.

700cc big bore kit and engine rebuilt (by a shop)
PMA and electronic ignition
New coils and spark plugs
New electrical everything
Updated new custom wiring
Kick start only. Batteryless setup
Dual disc front end
New bars, grips, levers
New seat
Custom exhaust
Single carb setup with Mikuni carb
Starts 1st kick if you have the leg for it

Hasn't been started in several months so probably needs a carb clean.....
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Now i can see the pics, it doesn't matter because he has put on a non XS front end on it..........

.A couple of things about the single carb.

They can be difficult to tune if the inlets are to long. Can't tell what type of carb is on the bike.......... If it is a CV carb, those pleated filters interfere with the air delivery, (pleats stop the even distribution of the air), causing the slides to flutter and not lift properly.........The last hing about the single carb is how it is positioned, is it interfering with the normal stance when on the bike.
 
My first impression is Walk away
The paperwork does not seem to be in order . I don't know the Conditions in USA but there is a risk and work
The law can confiscate the bike here if stolen or so
The Whole world is rebuilt ----has been told many times in Bike History
The price is high even for my European standards
The exterior does not seem to be fine
If the rebuild is done by someone not competent ..problems can come
Another fork can lead to poor handling
As I understand it - it has been up for sale several months .That is a sign in itself
I don't think I would pay $ 1200 for that bike And that is if I believed the paperwork could be fixed.
I Do believe better deals are out there.

Having said that ...people like different things and take different chances
The fact not sold during the season means that there is room for price reduction
 
I appreciate all the input. I've made an informed decision and decided to walk away. It is hard, but I would much rather do this right and not compromise my safety, money, and time on a bike that just isn't going to get me anywhere but a headache.

Special thanks to you guys. I've been flip flopping back and forth for a couple weeks about this. And it certainly helps to consult a community that knows their stuff.
 
I would not walk away from that bike. I`d run away as fast as I could. There are much better bikes for sale on this website then that one. $2,500 is a lot of money for a $800 bike. IMHO.
 
I would not walk away from that bike. I`d run away as fast as I could. There are much better bikes for sale on this website then that one. $2,500 is a lot of money for a $800 bike. IMHO.
That is good to hear. I don't really know the going rate of these bikes, but the more I am on here, the more things make sense. Probably the more money I save too.
 
What part of California are you in??

that bike will sell in southern/central California all day at that price. If he held out could get another 500+ for it.

It will be a bit of a pain to register but not too bad unless COVID shuts it all down again, then getting the vins verified will be a pain. Since it’s an out of state title you won’t have to have a CHP check but dmv may send you there anyways. Which could be a 4 day wait or a 4 month wait depending on where in the state your located. LA/OC? Plan on the 4 month wait.

if you have a AAA membership, the DMV service is a much better option than going to the dmv. Their goal is to get your bike registered, not shut it down like most dmv offices. If you don’t have a membership, get one. Worth every penny.

As long as the numbers are clean and you have traceable paperwork, it’ll get back on the road, you’ll just have to jump through some hoops to get it done.

that being said, I would pay the price for it and then have to jump through the hoops. If he wanted 500-1000 for it, to me it would be well worth the efforts because if you didn’t like it you could turn around and sell it for 3-4 times what you paid for it. Also, if it’s a first bike I’d keep lookin.

regardless, the bike will sell though.
 
What part of California are you in??

that bike will sell in southern/central California all day at that price. If he held out could get another 500+ for it.

It will be a bit of a pain to register but not too bad unless COVID shuts it all down again, then getting the vins verified will be a pain. Since it’s an out of state title you won’t have to have a CHP check but dmv may send you there anyways. Which could be a 4 day wait or a 4 month wait depending on where in the state your located. LA/OC? Plan on the 4 month wait.

if you have a AAA membership, the DMV service is a much better option than going to the dmv. Their goal is to get your bike registered, not shut it down like most dmv offices. If you don’t have a membership, get one. Worth every penny.

As long as the numbers are clean and you have traceable paperwork, it’ll get back on the road, you’ll just have to jump through some hoops to get it done.

that being said, I would pay the price for it and then have to jump through the hoops. If he wanted 500-1000 for it, to me it would be well worth the efforts because if you didn’t like it you could turn around and sell it for 3-4 times what you paid for it. Also, if it’s a first bike I’d keep lookin.

regardless, the bike will sell though.
I am over here in east LA. I've been hunting for a couple months, and this is actually more on the cheaper side of bikes I have seen! Guess it is the going rate in southern california???
 
Bikes here are incredibly expensive.

Of the 2 dozen or so vintage motorcycles I’ve owned in the past 15 years 75% were purchased off eBay from out of state and shipped in. Shipping from just about anywhere in the us is about 500 bucks. If they got a clean tire registration is straight forward.

most of the purchases I’ve been after are clean original riders but out of state is always my go to, unless I stumble across a deal local which happens from time to time.

check the Ventura/Santa Barbara/San Luis CL listing often. A 2-3 hour drive could save you a good chunk of change as these are a little less populated areas but prices are still high.
 
Bikes here are incredibly expensive.

Of the 2 dozen or so vintage motorcycles I’ve owned in the past 15 years 75% were purchased off eBay from out of state and shipped in. Shipping from just about anywhere in the us is about 500 bucks. If they got a clean tire registration is straight forward.

most of the purchases I’ve been after are clean original riders but out of state is always my go to, unless I stumble across a deal local which happens from time to time.

check the Ventura/Santa Barbara/San Luis CL listing often. A 2-3 hour drive could save you a good chunk of change as these are a little less populated areas but prices are still high.
What's your thoughts on purchasing a bike WITH a clean title in hand from the seller vs purchasing a bike with no title and bill of sale?
Most bikes I have seen have a mix of no title, bill of sale, or title but from previous previous owner, blah blah blah.
Just trying to get a quality bike, with a title that has sellers name on it. Seems too risky, complicated otherwise. I've never titled anything, so I am pretty uneducated on the grey area of all that.
 
Then get a bike with a title in the current owner name.

no title and bill or sale will mean that you’ll have to take it to CHP which is just a hoop you gotta jump through and I’ve had it be a breeze and had it be a pain. I’ve done it with a frame and a bucket of parts and it wasn’t a problem, next time they wanted a running bike (or at least one that looked like it). LA will probably have a long wait. Like months. Add in COVID and fun fun fun haha. Also with a bill or sale make sure it isn’t in the system or you’ll need a bill or sale from each person who has owned it since it was last registered which can be a real pain to track down if you don’t know who all the owners were.




ease your pain, get a titled bike.
 
Then get a bike with a title in the current owner name.

no title and bill or sale will mean that you’ll have to take it to CHP which is just a hoop you gotta jump through and I’ve had it be a breeze and had it be a pain. I’ve done it with a frame and a bucket of parts and it wasn’t a problem, next time they wanted a running bike (or at least one that looked like it). LA will probably have a long wait. Like months. Add in COVID and fun fun fun haha. Also with a bill or sale make sure it isn’t in the system or you’ll need a bill or sale from each person who has owned it since it was last registered which can be a real pain to track down if you don’t know who all the owners were.




ease your pain, get a titled bike.
mandy.jpg
 
Everything is more expensive in your region. It was recently said that the state doesn't want to even sell gasoline cars by 2030. True? Who knows. Something is going on, there's been car and bike builders flee the state of California. In Ohio I can run straight pipes on anything and get tags. Is this the right thing to do? Probably not but I like it. I sound like an ignorant hillbilly but the things going on in your state scare the shit out of me, Trends start in the west and take ten years to become a trend in Ohio. Like heroin. We all know how that story goes. Anyway, the questions you should ask yourself.. Am I a mechanic? Do I want to be a mechanic? Do I have all the tools and lifts? For $2500 should I just drive 2500 miles east with a trailor and buy a more reliable daily rider? Where is my knowledge of motorcycles? Do I have the patience to research all the issues? Do I feel like putting money in something without a margin for profit? Four wheels with a mechanical failure, you're way more likely to come to a rolling stop. On two wheels with a mechanical failure, you die. (Let's just say 80mph) If I insulted your intelligence, apologies. If I sounded abrasive, apologies. This is a hobby, a passion. Taking something worthless and bringing it back to life. I'm weird about paperwork. I don't care. I just spent a good chunk on a bike with a custom build title. None of the numbers match and I don't care. The parts add up to more than what I paid.
 
Everything is more expensive in your region. It was recently said that the state doesn't want to even sell gasoline cars by 2030. True? Who knows. Something is going on, there's been car and bike builders flee the state of California. In Ohio I can run straight pipes on anything and get tags. Is this the right thing to do? Probably not but I like it. I sound like an ignorant hillbilly but the things going on in your state scare the shit out of me, Trends start in the west and take ten years to become a trend in Ohio. Like heroin. We all know how that story goes. Anyway, the questions you should ask yourself.. Am I a mechanic? Do I want to be a mechanic? Do I have all the tools and lifts? For $2500 should I just drive 2500 miles east with a trailor and buy a more reliable daily rider? Where is my knowledge of motorcycles? Do I have the patience to research all the issues? Do I feel like putting money in something without a margin for profit? Four wheels with a mechanical failure, you're way more likely to come to a rolling stop. On two wheels with a mechanical failure, you die. (Let's just say 80mph) If I insulted your intelligence, apologies. If I sounded abrasive, apologies. This is a hobby, a passion. Taking something worthless and bringing it back to life. I'm weird about paperwork. I don't care. I just spent a good chunk on a bike with a custom build title. None of the numbers match and I don't care. The parts add up to more than what I paid.
Safety is the number one priority here. Finding a bike that is mechanically in excellent condition is the top priority. I've worked on cars before and find myself fixing most things myself. However I refuse to work on my own brakes, and most heavy engine work. I don't really have experience working on gas engines, but is has become more appealing because of the small size of these xs650 engines. Brakes I still probably will not work on because if done wrong the possibility of killing someone else or myself is just too great to put the job in untrained hands.

The thought of cruising down the highway and something going wrong on my motorcycle scares the shit out of me. But finding a bike that is in 100% mechanical working order is a must at my level right now.
 
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