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cost of getting 850 on the road

R

ron bayless

Forum Mentor
Past Site Supporter
I found an 850 on cl for $450.hasnt run in 5 months, he said he thinks its an electrical problem.? I was thinking, when you find a bargain bike just how much of a bargain is it.new tires $250,electrical problems anything from 50 cent fuse to new coils,new harness,new cdi.I am just thinking out loud.What is a real bargain? I think a running bike with fairly good compression,at least minimum requirement is a must.You cant check that when you are buying a bargain though.I think its a bargain if it runs and it has been maintained, as in oil change,valve adjustments.Just sitting for a while doesnt undo regular maintainance before that point.I think 450 is not necesarily a good price for the unknown.What would you think is a good price for a running bike that sounds good which hopefully means the compression is at least minimal requirement and valves havent been allowed to run at 001.I think if its cosmetically challenged but otherwise ok $1000.00.Your opinions appreciated.I had a friend that owned a dealership.He has the cleanest bikes in the world come in for trade and upon inspection found cracked frames.I value any input given.I love the gs bikes but one in pristine condition is about 4k and I dont have that kind of money.
 
I paid $1000 for my '79 1000e, non-running. But it was the original owner and I did hear it turn over. Brought it home, had it running in about 10 minutes. Spent another $1000 getting it on the road. I'm very happy with it.
 
Here we go, my 'new old bike checklist':

  • Oil - $30 for 5 litres of 10W-40 diesel
  • Filters - $10 oil, $25 air (reusable Unifilter)
  • Fresh fuel ($20)
  • Lube cables ($5 can of lube, plus cable lube tool)
  • Budget another $100 for anything else.
So you want about $200 unless anything obvious is wrong, like tyres or battery... provided you do the work yourself.

- boingk
 
What ever you think it will take, double it, both in time and money. It is almost always more cost effective to buy a motorcycle in good condition, running, needing little maintenance. Especially this ime of year when buyers are scarce, sellers are willing to deal. Unless you have a lot of good parts laying around, like a parts bike of the same model, or unless you really enjoy getting into the restoring aspect, which is 99% fixing messed up stuff, you are better off buying a nice tight clean operable bike.

A lot depends on your free time and abilities, but getting a good deal on a good bike is great.
 
this is a rough cost on the bike that I rebuilt

Some quick math.....

tires - 250
battery - 125
tin painting - 400
decals - 60
header wrap - 120
SS nuts and bolts - 100
SS brake lines - 120
brake pads, engine gaskets, seals, etc - 250
R1 throttle tube and grips - 25
seat upholstery - 250
LED relay - 10
carb O ring kit - 25 ?
various spray cans, primer/paint, engine, frame, etc - 100
polishing compounds - 30
electrical tape - 7
rear tail - 35
and in case I forgot anything - 75

Total - 1982.00 give or take.....:eek:

my time and labor, blood, sweat, and tears and complete enjoyment and satisfaction - priceless...........

Overall not a bad price to pay for the end result, I figure it can give me back another 30 years of enjoyment, not sure if I can take and use that much.....

but since November to now it's been fun, and with it being spread out over the many months, it's not so bad on the pocket book, even the wife didn't mind, well most times she didn't.....:D

the bulk of the money was in the big things tires, battery, seat, not much one could have saved on, maybe the seat, the painting etc, but it would have looked no where near as good as she does right now.....

I figure I will have some good use out of the bike, and if and when my son wants to take over, he will have many miles ahead of him on the bike as well.
Click to expand...
 
The usual range in USD is around $700 - $900.

The expensive bits include:
- AGM Battery (Please, stop putting leaky crappy short-lived wet cell batteries in classic bikes. Please.)
- Tires
- Suspension (at minimum, Progressive or Hagon shocks, Progressive or Sonic fork springs)
- Caliper and master cylinder rebuild kits
- SS brake lines
- Upgraded R/R

If needed:
- Stator
- Coils & plug wires
- Brake pads
- Replace crappy points ignition with Dyna electronic ignition
- Petcock

I'm leaving out lots of lower-cost stuff, like fork seals, wheel bearings, a few beer's worth of time spent cleaning and inspecting wiring harness, general cleaning, cleaning/rebuilding carbs with new o-rings (do NOT waste money on rebuild kits), air filter, replace fluids, reline the tank if needed, etc. and so on.

Cosmetics, like paint, bodywork, and seat rebuilding/recovering, can also add a LOT of cost.
 
I paid $300 for the GS1000G I am building, another $100 for the GL parts bike, and as long as there aren't any surprises I am looking at around $1000 in parts, labor and incidentals to have a good running bike in decent shape. Here is a rough breakdown:

fork seals/oil- $40
fork cleaning/polishing supplies- $20
fork gaiters- $15
front tire- $100
brake pads- $30
brake fluid- $15
brake rebuild kits- $50
caliper paint- $10
SS brake lines- $120
oil/filter- $20
pods- $100
carb parts- $30-$100??
shaft boot- $30
battery- $60
misc labor/beer/food/etc for friends helping me with the build- $200??
gas- $120??

A few of these things I estimated but I'm sure when all is said and done it will take every bit of $1000 not including the labor that have put into it.

Thing is though, when all is said and done this should end up being free or very close to it when I factor in the extra parts I have sold.

The vetter rooster fairing alone from the parts bike sold for $150, and I have netted another $500-$700+ from the rest of the parts I have sold so far. And I still have half the bike.
 
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I always start with getting it running. Which costs almost nothing. I just need to make sure the engine is not wasted, and worth spending money on. Then I work on getting it running WELL. Oil/filter change, carb rebuild, valve adjustment, new battery, fixing leaks and replacing/adjusting/lubing cables as I go. Check the stator about now. Then new tires/tubes. Maybe wheel and neck bearings while I have the wheels off. Cosmetic stuff comes after I have ridden the bike for a while and decided I want to keep it.
 
A few years ago, I got an 850 for free. :eek:

Including the cost of gas and a couple of meals for the three of us that went to go get it, I had it on the road for about $900. Cosmetics still left a bit to be desired, but mechanically, it was near-perfect.

.
 
There's already some solid advice here from far more experienced wrenches than I, but here's my USD0.02 anyway.

ron bayless said:
I found an 850 on cl for $450.hasnt run in 5 months, he said he thinks its an electrical problem.?
Click to expand...

Unless you know him, do not believe him about when it last ran. Or about anything that he can't prove, really. PO of my bike said it was running a year ago. Upon teardown, it was obvious it hadn't run in at least a decade. (Possibly two.) He also promised to call me when he located a can of bolts that matched up to the bike, and of course he never did. (Not that I was actually expecting him to, but still.)

I was thinking, when you find a bargain bike just how much of a bargain is it.new tires $250,electrical problems anything from 50 cent fuse to new coils,new harness,new cdi.I am just thinking out loud.What is a real bargain?
Click to expand...
Really depends on the bike and the person buying it. You pretty much have to see it in person and decide how much it needs and how much you want to put into it. As mentioned above, the rule of thumb is that it is more cost-effective to buy a maintained bike in good condition than it is to bring a non-runner back up to snuff. Also, it follows that when you go to sell it, you'll almost never get back what you put into it.

To me, a non-runner is always priced as a parts bike unless it's very impressive cosmetically. Any bike without a title is also priced as a parts bike to me as well.

I think a running bike with fairly good compression,at least minimum requirement is a must.You cant check that when you are buying a bargain though.
Click to expand...
Sure you can, just bring your compression tester, spark plug sockets, and a good battery. The downside to this is that if it tests good, the seller may be less flexible on the price.

I think its a bargain if it runs and it has been maintained, as in oil change,valve adjustments.Just sitting for a while doesnt undo regular maintainance before that point.
Click to expand...
But if it doesn't run, that implies it hasn't had regular maintenance? And honestly, the point is moot since any vintage bike you buy needs to be gone through top to bottom at any rate.

I think 450 is not necesarily a good price for the unknown.What would you think is a good price for a running bike that sounds good which hopefully means the compression is at least minimal requirement and valves havent been allowed to run at 001.
Click to expand...
I think $450 could be a good price if the compression is proven to be good and the bike is otherwise fairly complete. Then at the very least, you know you can part out the bike and make you money back plus some extra for your time. Subtract dollars (in $50-$100 increments) for an unknown engine and below-average condition.

I think if its cosmetically challenged but otherwise ok $1000.00.Your opinions appreciated.I had a friend that owned a dealership.He has the cleanest bikes in the world come in for trade and upon inspection found cracked frames.I value any input given.
Click to expand...
I've noticed that running vintage bikes are usually priced according to their cosmetic condition and rarity. Cosmetically challenged GSes (like my own!) are all over the place and are not worth much. Even the nice ones can be had for a song. I've seen some very pretty machines sit for sale on this forum and on craigslist for weeks even when bargain-priced at just north of $1000.

I love the gs bikes but one in pristine condition is about 4k and I dont have that kind of money.
Click to expand...
Well, I guess if you're looking for pristine, you might have to pay $4k. But most of us GS owners like to actually ride our bikes.
 
I am buying it.I know how to fix it up.I expect i will have about $1000 in it when i am done.My last one needed the speedometer sensor, head gasket replaced, petcock replaced,tires,battery,seat cover.i did all that and was happy.Then i screwed up the wiring and sold it.i have a friend who was raised by a millwright to help me if I need him this time.
 
picture.he has the sidecovers and tail piece.Look at thread my 850 if you can.It wont let me post same picture here for some reason.
 
I only had about 1100-1200 in this.:D(sold)

395019739.jpg


Same thing here, maybe a bit less.

376522463.jpg
 
I have a GK that I have been working on for a little over a year. Originally, I paid $800 for it. Have it registered & am riding it with a smile (most of the time). It is looking & running good! I figure that I am about half done with it.
A few times in the last year I had to remind myself of the advice I drove into my sons as they were growing up. It goes, "Know that anything you set your sights on will take twice as long, be twice as expensive as you thought, & will be half as satisfying as you expected, when you attain it. So, be careful about what you choose to go after. Then, once you do decide, go & do it! Do not just try. Do it!"
That guidance has served them & me well.
Boy, do I love my GS!
 
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