Heritage Special Lower Side covers

https://www.xs650.com/threads/xs650-craigslist-postings-depository.895/reply?quote=834049
The first thing I noticed about this Heritage was the left lower cover.:yikes:
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" Free marketing ".... if I hadn't found one already... I would have hit the buy it now button for this ebay listing. I'm going to wire both sides in place.... I got one or two spare rights... why the lefts are few ... haven't a clue... 😎
 

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The $124 cover in the above link -- that was me. It just sold, 12 days after I listed it.
I sold another one August of last year, same price. It sold in just a couple of days.
Sold yet another one May of last year. It was in a little rougher condition, so the price was $10 less. It also sold almost immediately.
That's just what I charge for them and what people will pay. Simple case of supply and demand. If anything, I need to raise my price on them. When something you list on eBay sells in less than two weeks, it often means you set the price too low.

If I advertised my set, (both), for $150.00US + postage is there a good chance they would sell?
 
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If I advertised my set, (both), for $150.00US + postage is there a good chance they would sell?
Absolutely. If you're in a hurry, split them. The right will sell quicker that way. But I guarantee the two will sell together at $150 USD if you are patient.
Did you mean selling them on the Forum? That will require added patience, but I still guarantee they'll sell.
 
Don't know where they will b advertised, Facebook, on here??. My son has the bike, tried to get him to do a reversible build on the bike but he cut all the tabs off it now may as well get as much as they are worth to pay for the build/refurbish. An 83 Heritage Special, Canadian model, 5V5
 
Up front; no one is holding a gun to the buyer's head.

Opinions on used parts pricing vary.
IIRC "saint gggGary" sent off his last (not perfect) pair to a denizen for about the cost of shipping.
I've been on the receiving and of VERY generous parts offers also.
Flip side I've sold plenty of motorcycle parts at "going market rates".
But it's not ALL about the money.
There's plenty of others here that do similar if the buyer is documenting a worthy project.
That includes several good guys already in this discussion!
 
Seems as though a fella could make the moulds and lay up replica covers...for the right price. That said, my own aesthetic runs to brushed aluminum or stainless, provided the workmanship is beautiful to behold.
Back in the 80's I lost one somewhere on the levee road near Hood @ some very fast and very loaded 2 AM blast...never found another...it musta went to Kansas... Same bike many changes later has nice but not great aluminum covers. She's a bit dusty to-day...
 
Seems as though a fella could make the moulds and lay up replica covers...for the right price. That said, my own aesthetic runs to brushed aluminum or stainless, provided the workmanship is beautiful to behold.
Back in the 80's I lost one somewhere on the levee road near Hood @ some very fast and very loaded 2 AM blast...never found another...it musta went to Kansas... Same bike many changes later has nice but not great aluminum covers. She's a bit dusty to-day...
We went through that. $150 is a bargain compared to having them made. I’ll leave the details on that to @motormike .
 
The $124 cover in the above link -- that was me. It just sold, 12 days after I listed it.
I sold another one August of last year, same price. It sold in just a couple of days.
Sold yet another one May of last year. It was in a little rougher condition, so the price was $10 less. It also sold almost immediately.
That's just what I charge for them and what people will pay. Simple case of supply and demand. If anything, I need to raise my price on them. When something you list on eBay sells in less than two weeks, it often means you set the price too low.
Does that only apply to the left side?
Yes. Found a lot of right sides at $25 +/-. My issue with paying $125 or more for the left is not the initial cost, it's the fact that apparently they fly off and I'm gonna need more than one. Since I didn't realize it was even missing at first, the SMART thing might be to ignore it for now. But I'm really wanting to buy one and a 3D printer and experiment.

However this week I'm busy being a payroll accountant and reminding myself just how little time I have to make reproduction side covers, the learning curve and cost making practice pieces, and where the heck would I PUT the printer. And even if it's perfect, when the repro flys off I'd be the one getting the negative feedback because it does exactly what the original did.
 
Yes. Found a lot of right sides at $25 +/-. My issue with paying $125 or more for the left is not the initial cost, it's the fact that apparently they fly off and I'm gonna need more than one. Since I didn't realize it was even missing at first, the SMART thing might be to ignore it for now. But I'm really wanting to buy one and a 3D printer and experiment.

However this week I'm busy being a payroll accountant and reminding myself just how little time I have to make reproduction side covers, the learning curve and cost making practice pieces, and where the heck would I PUT the printer. And even if it's perfect, when the repro flys off I'd be the one getting the negative feedback because it does exactly what the original did.
There are people who can and will make them. The cost is far more bearable if you could come up with 100 people who would each pay for one.

The issue is there’s no response when this comes up. While there were a good number of Heritage Specials sold, they aren’t popular to restore. There’s more bashing them on here than admirers. Maybe the haters just make more noise.
 
There are people who can and will make them. The cost is far more bearable if you could come up with 100 people who would each pay for one.

The issue is there’s no response when this comes up. While there were a good number of Heritage Specials sold, they aren’t popular to restore. There’s more bashing them on here than admirers. Maybe the haters just make more noise.
125 sounds fair to me, and I am a cheap ol' azzwhole. However ah do reckon I'd make sure it never fell off again!

By my rough maths 125 now is 12.50 in 1970... Not trivial, but not bad... VW heads overhauls cost maybe 20...iirc.

Million years ago me an' my pals went together on resin and chemicals and borrowed a mould and made canoes. Some were very pretty, and I think one fella still has his in the garage in LA, if he's still alive.
 
:twocents: We did some looking, measuring, and the outside dimensions are the same, IE the covers are a mirror image so if you make ONE 3D print instruction, it's super easy to flip and print the other side too.
3D printing, just print as needed and you can offer different grades of quality, cost by varying the feed stock.
Would be a good cottage industry for @Downeaster :sneaky:
 
IIRC "saint gggGary" sent off his last (not perfect) pair to a denizen for about the cost of shipping.
I've been on the receiving and of VERY generous parts offers also.
Flip side I've sold plenty of motorcycle parts at "going market rates".
But it's not ALL about the money.
There's plenty of others here that do similar if the buyer is documenting a worthy project.

I want to echo Gary's remarks.

Firstly, I can happily say that I have been on the receiving end of his generosity (parts) on multiple occasions.
As for myself, the last pair of side covers I let go to a member (upper '78 Special) I gave away and felt good about it.

Like Gary said, "It's not ALL about the Money."
It's not all about squeezing every last possible buck from the buyer's pocket.
Rather, it is about building Community and friendships with others who are involved in XS650 build projects.

Let's not lose sight of our Values.





.
 
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I want to echo Gary's remarks.

Firstly, I can happily say that I have been on the receiving end of his generosity (parts) on multiple occasions.
As for myself, the last pair of side covers I let go to a member (upper '78 Special) I gave away and felt good about it.

Like Gary said, "It's not ALL about the Money."
It's not all about squeezing every last possible buck from the buyer's pocket.
Rather, it is about building Community and friendships with others who are involved in XS650 build projects.

Let's not lose sight of our Values.





.

That's all true. I suspect I've given away more parts than I've sold.
On the other hand though.... Williiam ...@DogBunny has a bona fide business selling parts. And when you're dealing in specialty stuff like XS650's, where do you go? To this forum of course. And when selling parts is part of your income, it's fair market value. I don't begrudge him his sales.... more power to him.

...and he's still a contributing member here.

Peace.
 
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