What am I missing here?

"If only EssExTee could be so grossly incandescent" (essextee) 05/11/2020 at 18:42 • Filed to: two wheels good

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1981 Honda CB650C

An unmolested UJM that runs and drives and comes with a spare engine and parts bike for $1,500? Is this one of those things where you show up and the seller murders you?

Decay buys too many beaters > If only EssExTee could be so grossly incandescent 05/11/2020 at 18:53

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I’ll decode

Good tires = I haven’t ridden the bike since the mid 80s, but the tires have tread

New Mirrors = The original mirrors were too damaged to save

Larger Gas tank = The original one was too damaged to save

N ew carb parts = I am literally at my wit’ s end with tuning this thing

glemon > If only EssExTee could be so grossly incandescent 05/11/2020 at 18:54

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I don’t know if I would call that unmolested, not bad, but, different tank, header, so not original, I would call this the lower end but in the price range for similar UJM around here. One of my regular CL searches is motorcycles 85 or older, include nearby areas.

Also replaced "bowel" gaskets.

XJDano > Decay buys too many beaters 05/11/2020 at 19:18

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My bike had good tread tires... date code was like xx9 8 or something. I got new tires last year. 

XJDano > If only EssExTee could be so grossly incandescent 05/11/2020 at 19:20

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That could be this....

!!! UNKNOWN CONTENT TYPE !!!

It just ........ needs some work. 

glemon > Decay buys too many beaters 05/11/2020 at 19:37

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Apparently tuning motorcycle carbs is a dark art, I have never tried it.

Decay buys too many beaters > glemon 05/11/2020 at 19:40

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It’s not terrible, when they work they work, but when they don’t  you can spend a LOT of time tracking down the issue and you’ll throw a lot of parts at it while you go.

glemon > Decay buys too many beaters 05/11/2020 at 19:55

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New Mirrors-Dropped, but not too bad

Nom De Plume > Decay buys too many beaters 05/11/2020 at 20:01

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Ad = I’m hoping the hipsters are sick of dealing with points so I can pick up something unreliable that leaves my garage.

jimz > If only EssExTee could be so grossly incandescent 05/11/2020 at 20:32

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You’re missing “all of the rubber/plastic parts are cracked, it leaks gas, the needles are bad so the oil is full of gas, the charging system doesn’t work and good luck getting parts, and none of the parts in the box I’m throwing in will do you any good.  If this bike was worth saving I’d have done it myself, so I’m trying to make it Someone Else’s Problem. ”

I’ve tried helping someone keep a UJM running (1981 XJ650 Maxim.) Don’t. There are numerous other bikes out there.

If only EssExTee could be so grossly incandescent > jimz 05/11/2020 at 21:21

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There aren’t really any other bikes. I live in an area that people retire to, so the bike classifieds for fifty miles around is just HARLEY HARLEY HARLEY JAPANESE HARLEY CLONE HARLEY

jimz > If only EssExTee could be so grossly incandescent 05/11/2020 at 21:44

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then wait it out and find a good new or newer used bike to buy. you’re not going to find satisfaction in a decrepit 40 year old piece of shit.

If only EssExTee could be so grossly incandescent > jimz 05/11/2020 at 21:48

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I’ve already rescued a 50yo decrepit piece of shit and it was pretty rewarding

DipodomysDeserti > If only EssExTee could be so grossly incandescent 05/11/2020 at 21:53

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$1,500 is generally what I shoot for when looking at classic Hondas, but I’m in the land of motos and no rust. And yeah, that guy is throwing in a lot of stuff. They have to be running and complete for me to pay more than $1k for an old bike. It still is tough, as I remember buying running bikes for $200 not that long ago.

I don’t really like most of the ‘80s UJM’s as they aren’t interesting enough to justify the hassle of keeping an old bike running.

bob and john > If only EssExTee could be so grossly incandescent 05/11/2020 at 22:53

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I’m with Decay here. 

oldmxer > If only EssExTee could be so grossly incandescent 05/12/2020 at 12:56

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if you like working on, and fiddling with, and the satisfaction of riding vintage i couldn’t pick any better example unless you’re expecting this to be reliable daily driver or any thing. I have a 79 cb 650 and it’s in my top 2 favorites riding wise. i have a loop that i ride it on where the farthest from the house is 30 miles. it has never been restored so every time out is a crap shoot but that’s part of the fun if you have trailer service available and cell coverage

If only EssExTee could be so grossly incandescent > oldmxer 05/12/2020 at 13:21

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I have a car to meet my transpo needs . Any bike I pick up is purely a toy.