Is it me or our xjs begining to spike in price

I have been noticing in the last month or 2 that xjs in general in running condition are getting expensive. Not sure if they are selling but prices are getting up there. Had to pick my jaw off the floor i have seen a few just in the last week. Saw a 550 maxim with 25k miles looks like the paint came right out of a spray can and i don't mean a nice paint job either 2k saw a nice original 650 maxim for 1800 pretty clean with 20k miles.

 

just saw this maxim 400 looks nice no title tach is broke for $1400 maybe they are just really popular in the ATL area
http://atlanta.craigslist.org/nat/mcy/3379231297.html

 

I'll balance the trend out and brag bit; I got my 750 Seca for $100. Condition was much better than both me and the seller expected; he hadn't expected it to start, but I actually got to test ride it. However, its one of the bikes that never made it to CL, I got it from a stranger on another forum.

I'd say CL prices for ALL motorcycles tend to be a bit inflated, especially if they have good cosmetics.

 

I see your 100 bucks and raise you FREE.

You can't look at craigslist to determine real world value. Most bikes on craigs are overpriced and don't sell for near asking price.

Anyone asking over 1-1.5K for ANY pre-85ish bike that isn't in absolutely stellar condition is smokin' dat shit.

The guys I just love to laugh at are the ones that expect to buy a 4-500 dollar bike, chop off the rear framerails, hardtail it, put a bag of shop rags on it for a seat, bomb-can it black and expect 3500 dollars.

I got mine for nothing, it's a runner, and I'll still have more money than it's worth in tires/maintenance/light restoration. These bikes aren't about profit, they're about the fact that they still exist and are still relevant.

 

Check the Canadian prices on Kijiji.ca You'll have a good laugh

 

I just can't see some of the prices they are asking. But they are about 30 y.o now. Heck in 1986 i bought my 82 seca 750 right off the showroom floor for about $1800. Thats back when they had made so many 81-82 that were not selling and yamaha was just about giving them away. In 84 i traded in my 750 maxim on a seca 900 that had 1500 miles for like 2200. In 87 i bought the 1st in our area fzr1000 for 5600 Prices have doubled since then. In 91 i bought my zx11 with 500 miles for 6k.
I always get a kick out of the guys that hack them up and turn them into bobbers and such then think they are worth so much money. No offense to anyone to their owners they might be worth a lot. There is a local shop in the atl area that advertises $100 motorcycles for about 1k and they don't run and are really rough and in the same add they show a pic of a bobber and write after they say how much the junker is or we can make it into this for 5k.

 

Well, eventually every XJ owner will be on here, and then the bikes will be slightly more valuable due to getting decent maintenance for the first time

But really, there are too many newer bikes selling for cheap to ever convince people to buy these bikes for more than $1,000 or so. I'm way more into that on my bike, and I know I'll probably sell it for what I bought it for. Even though I put a tank on it, etc.

I mean, would you buy a 1982 car for the same price as a newer one? I wouldn't. That's the attitude a lot of bikers, especially new ones buying their first bike, have. So a $2,000 XJ is always gonna be a hard sell next to, say, a 1996 Shadow or whatever. (If there had been a Magna on craigslist for a grand when I bought my Maxim, I wouldn't be on here. Not that I regret it, I just didn't know at the time what a great bike it was)

Edit: Just looked at that craigslist post above. It says it's a private owner selling it, but that sounds like sleazy dealer talk. I never heard anybody but a used car dealer say "runs out well." Humans say "runs well."

 

I looked at the ad, too. Nice 400 Max--- for about $800.00.

Not only is the tach broken, it has the original brake lines so the brakes haven't been rebuilt; and at that mileage I'll bet any money nobody's ever touched the valves. Plus it will probably need tires as well as a new chain and sprockets. Throw in retrofitting the fusebox, and any carb tuning that might have been needed for the 2-1 pipe but not done, and guess what?

We're looking at around $600 in parts to get it safe and reliable. What a surprise.

 

they still sell for 1-2k over here as runners. Fairly clean at that price.
I paid 1300 for mine but it is also a reasonably rare model.
But as some have noticed, some people are dreamers too....

 

Condition. Condition. Condition.

Sort of like Real Estate.

 

Just sold my 900 on 'the bay' for $2600.00 & the guy has got to pay another $450.00 to ship it inter-state.

 

I feel like this site and others like it are making it easier for people to restore old bikes, which drives up demand, which makes the prices go up...

 

Or the economy is tough, people need money and are trying to get more than it's worth.

Wizard it's unfair to not post a picture of that 900 as we all know that Rick's post applies in spades to your resto's.

What I love are the CL posts that go something like, 'great bike! It ran when I took it apart, complete bike would make nice project, oh yea don't have the title, needs this..and that...and that...only asking $2000, would trade for running bike....' <---Say what!!! Yea right.

Someone had a CB350 four for sale locally for $1600 and I think it would have fallen to bits on the trailer ride home-not a decent unrusted part on it anywhere! But there are still some decent priced XJ's out there-you just have to weed through the BS.

 

What you are seeing is the after effects from the depression, and the cash for cars program. The overall effect was to reduce the supply which basically pushed the prices skyward.

A rusted out death trap on wheels that you could have picked up for $500 or less in 2006. Will go for double to triple that in price now. This inflation has carried over to bikes also. Helped along by ever increasing fuel prices.

The big problem with what is happening now is most of the older bikes are getting flipped for that quick grab cash. Once that runs its course. Prices will stabilize. Then the market will finally start developing decent value.

Ghost

 

There ya go Ghost..........

 

See that's what I'm talking about!! Dang I would have payed $3000.00 for that any day and walk away feeling like I stole it from you.

 

I'd pay three grand for that...

 

Well, I sold my XJ650 that looked 'fair' for $50 more than my original asking price at $1500 within 36 hours of posting it. Then again, I've always felt like Austin prices are over-inflated... Bought one for $800 before this one, down from asking price of a grand... Bought the one I sold for $650 3 hours out of town in the sticks, down from asking price of $1200.

Friend bought a 750 that was VERY clean cosmetically but had a totally dysfunctional front brake for $600 in Portland.

Prices vary, but in the right market you can get a decent price for these bikes.

 

Well I'm glad to hear it, I bought my 750 Maxim for $400 and after I'm done with the restoration I just may recoup what I'm going to spend on her, or I'll just enjoy my prize until I can't ride any more.