Looking at buying a this XJ650, advice and opinions please

So i currently have a Suzuki TU250 and looking for my next bike. There is a 81 XJ650 for sale near to me on the Gold Coast, Australia and it has already had quite a bit of work done to it (see photo). The guy wants $3500AUD ($2650USD, £1985GBP) for the bike but he is negationable on the price he says. He says the previous owner rebuilt the bike so the speedo only reads 1800kms

I had a ride on it the other day and it was ok but it needs a tidy up, battery was flat as he hasnt rode it in a long time so i have to keep the revs up to start so it didnt cut out, speedo is not working correctly, rear brake needs a tighten, clutch cable needs a lube as it is stiff, left rear indicator does not work, exhaust needs a clean and wrapping. All minor stuff really. I did notice an slight oil leak where the bike has been sitting in the garage though.

I will keep my TU250 as i love it and have this as a project to tidy it up so i can have a bigger bike for getting my partner on the back and going longer distance.

All i want to know if do you think it is a good price and also it would be good to know the history of the XJ650. How was it perceived when it came out and how is it seen now? A reliable bike, expensive, solid bike to ride etc?

 

If it were in showroom, bone-stock condition I'd say that's almost a fair asking price.
It's not an uncommon model where you are, and it's been "customized" (thought nicely) and that rarely adds value.
That is one of the bikes that motojournalists keep saying they wished they had never sold. It was among the best motorcycles of its time, and is still a good machine for everyday use.

 

Thanks for your input. Yes i must admit the reason it is custermised drew me to it in the first place because a lot of the work has already been done that i would have wanted to do myself. They are rarer than you think in australia or at least not too many in fair condition anyway. Saying that i do feel the price is a little high, 2500aud and i would probably be more inclined to go for it.

Great info on the history and opinion of the bike. I’m fairly young so im still learning a lot about bikes.

 

Difficult to tell from that one pic but the work doesn't look to be of a particularly high standard. I would also worry about ground clearance with that exhaust. Finally how are you going to take a passenger with that 'race' seat? Chance are the fram has been hacked about and so to re-fit a proper seat might be tricky. My advice would be to try and view a few others - even non-Yamahas - from the era..

 

Appreciate the replies. I think the general consensus is that the price is too high but here in Aus the price of everything is a little higher so that is to be expected i suppose. That being said i understand that the people that put money into modding their bikes don’t realise that they won’t get their money back.


I have been looking at alternative bikes of that era and that style that i like, Yamaha XS/TX, Kawasaki Z series etc but the price are always higher than the XJ anyway so it makes you wonder.


The seller has now said he will put a road worthy on the bike before he sells it so all those minor issues will have to be sorted for it to pass anyway. I had lost interest in the bike but searching for alternative bikes that are more expensive anyway makes me wonder.

 

Without knowing exactly what work, and the quality of the work, that has been done, I would say the price is high. I have a well running, never been stored, good cosmetic, XJ550 that I've owned until new. I can therefore verify exactly what has been, and not been done! Even though basically running well, I have had to put about $1200 US in parts in the last 3 years just because of its age (old rubber parts , valve shims, new brakes, ignition caps, etc.) to get it to a reliable and safe operation.

So, unless you can verify what has been done, expect to put some money into any bike of that era, and I recommend you factor that into the price!.

 

Yuck

 

Added a lot to the discussion. Well done

 

Y0u asked for opinions. That's mine. Straight to the point. Glad it helped

 

My 2 cents...
Price is too high.
I believe it was received warmly when it was first released.
It is embraced and coveted these days on the WWW and in person. Often when people see mine I hear “that was my first bike, wish I never sold it!”.
They are very reliable, solid and safe with an investment into them to insure the 30+ year old components are fool proof.

That being said the picture above may look cool but I would caution that the modifications to it disqualify many of the statements that were just made. That bike is no longer stock, the position of the rear brake pedal and the apparently altered angle of the rear drum indicates that the ‘looseness’ you felt in it may never be fixed. There are other custom items that may or may not be reliable as they were done by someone else.

I would walk away from it. If you like that look, find a stock bike and do the mods yourself. (Admittedly I am a fan of stock XJ’s).

 

Agreed that it's too expensive for a home-brewed hack job, even taking into account Australia's higher prices for all such items. Take a month or two off and look at the market.
If you can't find anything else you like and the guy still has this bike (he probably will) then offer him half the asking price. The fact that he is willing to spend money on it to pass it
on to you should tell you something...

 

Unfortunately, this is true. The bike is only worth what others are willing to pay for it. I would have to agree that the asking price seems too high. I paid less than half in US dollars for mine and as near as I can tell, it's stock except for normal worn out replacement parts. Good luck with your search.