Maintenance for a bike you're selling?

[Guest]

When my '79 1000 L broke down a few weeks ago, I went out and bought my '78 because it's in much better shape overall.

The '79 has new Suzuki clutch discs, stainless steel brake lines, rebuilt calipers, rebuilt master cylinders, new brake pads, new Avons and tubes, new bearings, new carb boots and new 530 X-ring chain and sprockets.

The '78 came with Dyna ignition. Nice.

So far I have transferred the wheels (with tires, tubes, and bearings left installed), and the carb boots. I am still going to transfer the chain and sprokets and all of the brake stuff. I am undecided on the clutch.

After that's done, I want to get rid of the '79 L. But I'm not sure if I want to 1) just throw it on craigslist as a pile of parts, 2) Put it all back together and sell it as a non-running bike, or 3) Put money and into it to fix whatever caused it to break down in the first place and sell it as a running, rideable bike.

I don't see the '79 bringing more than about $800 even if it's running and rideable. It would need new condensers, new carb boot o-rings, valves checked (they were adjusted last summer, they're probably fine), new valve cover gasket, and probably a whole tear down and rebuild of the carbs with new o-rings. It would also need a clutch cover gasket, if I do swap the clutch out. I'm not sure I want to do all that work! What's it worth as a pile of parts? $300?

[Steve]

What's it worth as a pile of parts? $300?

As a "pile of parts" ... with a title, it might be worth that.

What caused the breakdown? I would think that if you got it running, you shoud probably get $1000 or so out of it, maybe more, if the right person saw your ad.

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[eil]

It depends greatly on location and cosmetic condition. For me, a project bike is almost always less than $500, but I would pay more for a desireable bike in great cosmetic shape.

Bikes typically (but not always) sell for a higher amount in the spring. But I have to be honest, you're not going to get top dollar for a GS1000L in any condition.

What's wrong with the broken down one? The other maintenance items you listed are not expensive in terms of money. A turn-key ride-away bike will typically sell for at least a few hundred more than project bike, more than the expense of the parts you've listed so far.

Another option is to part the bike out. You'll get good money from it, but there's a non-trivial investment in terms of time and effort to unload the parts.

[lemonshindig]

It depends greatly on location and cosmetic condition. For me, a project bike is almost always less than $500, but I would pay more for a desireable bike in great cosmetic shape.

Bikes typically (but not always) sell for a higher amount in the spring. But I have to be honest, you're not going to get top dollar for a GS1000L in any condition.

What's wrong with the broken down one? The other maintenance items you listed are not expensive in terms of money. A turn-key ride-away bike will typically sell for at least a few hundred more than project bike, more than the expense of the parts you've listed so far.

Another option is to part the bike out. You'll get good money from it, but there's a non-trivial investment in terms of time and effort to unload the parts.

I don't want to part it out. I might consider throwing it in the back and keeping it for my own parts, but... probably not. Once I get all of my new parts off of it, plus miscellanious parts that I need for the '78 such as the tach cable, I'd rather just be rid of it.

The '79 broke down by misfiring bad enough it can't be ridden. I'm fairly certain it's clogged carbs or a shorted condenser. A fresh carb build, new condensors with the points cleaned off and set, and it *should* fire right up.

I might also have to take the starter clutch off of the '79 for the '78. I haven't torn my '78s apart yet, but I highly suspect it is the source of the rattle noise that I have at all RPMs, cold and warm. In addition to the ever-present rattle, there is a distinct *klank!* when you shut the engine off.

I've rebuilt a bank of VM carbs 4 or 5 times now. But now I work full time... it took me an entire week of evenings to do a full tear down and rebuild of the carbs on the '78.

[Steve]

... it took me an entire week of evenings to do a full tear down and rebuild of the carbs on the '78.

Don't apologize for that. If you have one can of "dip", it will take at least four days to do a rack of carbs, one per day.

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[lemonshindig]

Don't apologize for that. If you have one can of "dip", it will take at least four days to do a rack of carbs, one per day.

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I dipped them all at the same time. It took me one evening just to get them torn apart and in the dip, the next to clean all of the bodies out with aerosol cans and re-assemble one, another evening to re-assemble the other three, and another night to get them back on and transfer the carb boots. I did cut my own gaskets, which slowed me down.

My point is, I don't want to go through that all again if my bike will only be worth an extra $200 running.