possible new bike

[Hartless]

so im checking this bad boy out on Saturday http://portland.craigslist.org/clc/mcy/2935427228.html. Guy said he will prob trade it for my 97 xr200 (i only paid $500 for it 4 years ago, and i have never taking it it out riding). said it was downed on the left side , and just needs the peg, bars, and hydraulic clutch cable repaired (in my case, bent back) here is the link to the craigslist post for my dirt bike http://portland.craigslist.org/mlt/mcy/2924011722.html. think its a god deal?( if everything is what is said to be)

[Rick G]

From 1500 miles away , all I can say is , go for it . I have a '82 XT200 I'm thinking of asking 600. for,

[Hartless]

From 1500 miles away , all I can say is , go for it . I have a '82 XT200 I'm thinking of asking 600. for,

thats funny.... i was trying to trade one of my boat motors for one of those yesterday for the same price....was it you? haha
im going to go check out the bike in person tomorrow if i can get half the day off of work...:)

[fret not]

Get on the internet and check out prices for missing parts.  That Honda doesn't look like a great deal to me, but then I'm not real fond of "cruisers".

I used to work in a parts dept. at a dealership, and wrote up many wreck estimates for the service dept.  It is amazing how much stuff used to cost and now is even more expensive to replace.  Check the frame around the steering head for any wrinkled paint, check the triple clamps at the pinch bolts to make sure the top surfaces are level with each other, and check to see if the wheels align.  This you can do with some string wrapped around the rear part of the back wheel and stretched past the front wheel on both sides.  It is not fool proof but if it is bad you can usually tell.

How about gauges?  Ignition lock and the rest of the locks?  Keys work and match?  Says title is a problem.  How many miles?  You really want this ?

[Rikugun]

I'm always leery of sales like this. If the middle picture is it's current condition, run away. Any flaws in the title makes me nervous too. I'm sure the price seems attractive to you but you have to ask yourself if you really need such a project. Fretnut makes a valid point - cost escalates faster than you imagine once you start adding this and that and the additional things you discover along the way. Did you question why he hasn't "repaired" the hydraulic clutch cable? It's not a cable but rather a hydraulic line akin to a brake line and prob can't be fixed. It's $131.48 from Honda.  :o Hopefully you can find one on E-bay cheaper.

Having said that, if you decide to move forward with this spend time researching and look at the bike very carefully. Look up prices of things you know it needs before you look at it. Once you get there make a list of everything else it needs. Is the frame bent? How about the forks and swingarm? Tires good? Do all the lights and switches work?

Since it needs a battery and clutch cable I'm guessing it doesn't start/run/move meaning no test ride. Even if you can get it jumped and running, with no centerstand you can't even run it through the gears and check the transmission, clutch, and driveshaft/rear, engine noises, etc. Also, with no centerstand it's harder to check the wheel runout and bearing play, swingarm and steering neck play, brake rotor runout, etc.

One last thing, if he can get it running for you, do yourself a favor and bring your VOM to check the charging system. The last thing you need is another bike with a faulty charging system.  ;D

[Hartless]

i asked about the frame and the forks and HE SAID that they are good and not bent. it does run and he sent a video, supposedly it just slid on its left side. i have looked up the parts HE SAID it needs and i would be into it for less then 60 bucks(not including the battery). i found clutch lines from 10-40 bucks...40 being the braided. i am also very weiry of sales like this, but then again, my vision was  sale kind of like this, and look where it got me!hopefully it is a good deal on my part... and hopefully im smart enough to know if it is not!
as far as mileage its got 30k and i guess the guy owns a shop......so who knows

[Lucky]

Then there are those of us who knowingly buy a pos because we like a challenge and hopefully learn along the way...

[supervision]

   Hartless, your xr looks more like a 87, white frame.  does it have adjustable knob on the rear shock res?

[Hartless]

   Hartless, your xr looks more like a 87, white frame.  does it have adjustable knob on the rear shock res?

you know, i have honestly never looked.....but i know for a fact that it is a 97, says on the vin card and the title. it looks a little more bad ass in person. i took it down the street a few times today and i will be pretty sad if i let it go

[Hartless]

oh , and that bike was good except the front forks were way bent, and he told me they werent. i sat on it and right away i notice how bad they were. i did not trade him, and he still wanted $800

[fret not]

One more salient piece of advice, NEVER BUY A BIKE AT NIGHT because you can't see if anything is bent, and the dark can cover a multitude of flaws. ;)

[Rick G]

I bought my VX for $500.00. Saw it in lost wages, Craig's list. I started it with a shot of  either, in the rear air cleaner. It ran for a few seconds and sounded OK mechanically. Tank was bashed in, gas cap broken , tyres were original (1990), I hated the seat, front brake lever was broken off, Left rider foot rest was from some other bike (Yamaha?) coolant recovery tank had hit the ground, right muffler was scraped , left one had acid damage, bars were painted black and were rusty,rear disk had been run metal to metal, battery was nearly toast.
All the same I wanted a VX800, A clean one was going for $2500.00 which I did not have. I liked the styling, the water cooled V twin and  the shaft drive. I needed something to back up the Vision which was getting tired.
I ended up putting $1100.00 in to it and lots of hours. Bought lots of parts on eBay and a few from on line Suzuki stores , even some from my local stealer. It  now has a Vision turn signal flasher!
I like the bike, even though  the Vision is faster and handles quicker in twisties.
i enjoyed the restoration process immensely , I had it rideable in one month, finished in a year.

Next will be the Vision top end rebuild , as soon as the doctor allows me to pick up some thing heavier than 5 lbs.!