Value of modified 1980 XJ650 Maxim

I'm just getting into motorcycles and I've been looking at listings on craigslist for my first bike. I really like cafe bikes and more agressive "standard" cruisers. I saw this post and it seems pretty good, hoping folks will weigh in for me:

Spoiler: Text of listing

I am selling my project bike 1980 XJ650 Maxim. It started its life as a Maxim, and really doesn't look like one anymore.

Work done includes:
Seca tank swap
Seca rear wheel swap
New brakes
new bars (also includes some cafe bars if you want them)
new headlight and turn signals
new fuse panel
new tires
new gauges off a different bike
rebuilt front forks
new rear suspension
custom rear subframe and tail light
custom seat pan
bar end mirrors
rebuilt starter
carbs rebuilt with new seals and ultrasonic cleaning
valve adjustment done
brand new clutch
recent oil change

I am sure I am forgetting something, a ton has been done to this bike. It handles and rides great, starts up every time with a little choke. Bike has about 25000 miles, but the cluster shows almost 50000.

The bad:
The tank paint is a little chipped, I recently painted it but i spilled gas and dropped it, eating some clear coat and chipping it a bit.
The seat pan is made, but the cover and padding is not great. I have been trying to get a quote from an upholstery shop to make a seat, but I have yet to hear back. Currently it is multipurpose foam with a clean black duct tape job, I have rode it for hours non-stop and it is bearable.
The carbs need to be balanced better, I do not have the tools to do it right. This causes it to very slowly die at red lights, so you just need to blip the throttle a little every now and then. I'm sure with a decent balance they will run much better.

I am willing to entertain offers, but no low balls. It is not a parts bike, it is definitely good and ready to go. Text me for more pictures or to ask questions, I can also deliver within reason.

This is a great bike that I have had a great time working on, I'm just looking at going to a liter sports bike.

I really like what I can see from the pictures and I'm planning on going to look at it this weekend. I don't have a truck, and I don't know anyone with one that's going to be available for the next couple weeks. The seller offered to potentially drive it back to my house for me.(about an hour each way)

Seller is asking $1500

I'm planning to print out an inspection checklist I found and go through it. If anyone has a strong suggestion about a checklist to use, that would be helpful.

If everything seems good I thought I would offer 1200 + 100 for delivery. Thoughts?

Thanks!

 

Do you have a link to the ad? Words are good, but pictures will allow us to see if anything is missing or whatever. As for value of the bike, custom work is very subjective, some value the work done, others say it lowers the bike's worth, essentially reducing it to the value of the parts. Has the frame been hacked? If so, do you trust the work of a complete stranger? Same for all the maintenance. Are there receipts? If not you're gonna have to take the word of the previous owner that it's been done. There are people here who can guide you through the carbs tuning process, along with all the maintenance and 30 yr old bike needs.

 

We need a link to the add.
Price depends on quality of the workmanship that went into building the bike. I have seen quite a few of them that were built on the cheap and they really show it. There have been some that I would not even ride . Its rare to find one that was built right.
You really need someone to go with you who is experenced with motorcycles to look it over before you buy.

 

It's not letting me post craigslist links, probably because I just joined the forum? Is there anyway around that?

 

Unfortunately, I really don't know anyone with a ton of experience with motorcycle mechanicals. I do have one friend who has ridden some and I asked him to come along with me. I will ask the seller for some more pictures of the rear end of the bike.

 

I dumped the pictures from the listing in my Google drive since I can't post the listing, but I still can't post them as linked images.

I asked the seller about the rear end. He said that the suspension mounts are stock and that the modification were limited to shortening the seat a bit. Hes going to send me some more pictures of it later on today.

 

Here's the link: https://seattle.craigslist.org/kit/mcy/5589005327.html
A key thing to look at is the front brake lines. Are they the original 36 year old rubber lines, which Yamaha says should be replaced every 4 years? From the photo it looks like they are. That tells you that the person who did the customizing cared a lot more about the look than about safety. And looking at the tank tells us that he wasn't the most careful workman in the world and didn't use the best quality materials. A fuel spill should NOT damage the clear coat if the painting was done right.
My 2 cents is that it is a decent start for a project if that's the kind of look you are going for, but expect to put a lot of work and several hundred dollars into it to get it safe. As others have mentioned, folks on this list will be happy to help you get there.

 

Thanks Quixote! Good to know about the paint. I hadn't heard that about gas dissolving it before, but didn't know to contradict it. I will definitely mention the brake lines when I talk to him and will post the pictures of the rear end for you kind folk to look over once I get them. I'm not horribly worried about putting some time and money into it, but I don't currently have access to welding equipment so I definitely wouldn't want to be in the position of needing to reenforce something that had too much removed.

 

And the question of how much time and how much money obviously effects the value. I did pretty much assume that all the fluids and probably the plugs and wires should be replaced before I did anything else. And I did have the idea of needing to replace break lines if they were looking at all old or cracked.

 

Here are the pictures of the rear end the seller sent me. It looks pretty clean. I'm not sure what the maxim looks like back there when stock. The wiring that's exposed doesn't look too horrible either.

 

Seller confirmed that he did not replace brake lines or rotor so pretty much all the brake maintenance would need doing. Lines, fluid, maybe new rotor and pads depending on wear and scoring on rotor. Possibly rebuild master cylinder. According to the stickied thread that's what you do anyway!

 

Get it cheaper or stay away from it. From the few pics I can several things wrong.
Tires, they look like dirt bike tires
Old fuse box still there
old brake lines
side covers missing
holes drilled in mufflers
that seat will make your backside sore real quick.
Some of those things tell me he got it cheap . painted over the dirt and wants to sell it. I would bet it has old brake pads and shoes that need replacing.

Price still depends if normal maintenance was ever done. Valves adjusted, brake shoes and pads in good shape. If he can't prove its been done you are going to have to do it. Its vital for a safe reliable bike.

 

Yeah, from what you folks have pointed out and the reading I've been doing I totally agree. The whole brake system needs to be gone through for sure. Possibly the carbs cleaned and rebuilt again as well.

So where would you start the offer? $800 and don't pay more than $1000?

 

800 is a good starting point, I personally would not go much more that that for the reasons in posted above.
I think this one is a better starting point.
https://bellingham.craigslist.org/mcy/5594592136.html
You will have to put the same amount of time and money to get is to a safe and reliable bike. This one will be worth more when finished.

 

Huh! I hadn't even seen that one... thanks for the suggestion! Are you talking about a restored seca being worth more than a modified maxim? A full-on restoraton wasn't really the path I was planning on for it. Or is it just because it's a 750?

 

That's a $500 bike, at most. If the rear of the frame was cut, then it's worth less. The workmanship is not bad, but it's not very good either. It looks unfinished, and an unfinished bike should not cost as much as a finished one does.

 

Most of the time a stock bike is worth more than a modified one. Not all the time but most. The first bike(silver 650 seca) is not worth much, too much wrong with it. Like Moe said 500$ maybe a little more. The second seca 750 in the condition its in is worth more than the first. Engine size has nothing to do with it. A stock bike always sells for more and faster than a modified one. Modifications add a personal touch that may or may not appeal to some, plus those mods may take away from the functionality of the bike.
It really all comes down to your personal preference, which one do you like and how much can you spend? Either one will need a couple hundred bucks invested. .

 

The first bike you showed us is a 650 Seca and not a Maxim. Unless they changed the gas tank. the tank in the pics is a Seca tank.
The one I found is a 750 Seca, basicle the same just slightly bigger.

 

Yeah, they swapped the tank.

 

Sorry that first bike is a maxim single disc megaphone style mufflers no oil cooler . Leading axle fork with 750 seca gas tank that doesn't look like it has been fitted correctly !