Junkball Rally - PA to CA on a $500 bike.... wtf....

[Roadracer_Al]

Heck yeah, I'd forgotten about the CX. Great choice.

[hondahawkrider]

well hello

http://richmond.craigslist.org/mcy/1685196574.html

1979 CX 500 Honda Motorcycle - $500 (Colonial Heights, Va)

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Date: 2010-04-10, 8:21AM EDT
Reply to: sale-puvuw-1685196574@craigslist.org [Errors when replying to ads?]

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1979 CX 500 Honda Motorcycle, water cooled & driveshaft driven, runs fair & needs rear tire and rear brake shoes. Will only show the item on weekends by appointment only. Do not call any other time except on weekends if interested, our number is 804-909-7029. $500 firm no haggle. No images available.


•Location: Colonial Heights, Va
•it's NOT ok to contact this poster with services or other commercial interests



PostingID: 1685196574

[Roadracer_Al]

BAM! it's fate, now you have to do the rally.

a

[webmost]

Twenty years ago, I bought a CX500 from a dealer for $1200, and he threw in two helmets and a bike cover to make the deal. From a dealer, mind you. Just now, I saw one advertised on craigslist for $2 in Philly. Called the guy up, and turns out he's asking $2k. Some people are just clueless. Just flat out clueless.

A neighbor kid got one for free out of a friend's Dad's back yard three or four years ago. Parked in the weeds. Squirted WD40 in the cylinders, gassed it, jumped it, and started right up. Rode it around all summer.

Somewhere in between there is one in good running shape for 350 I bet. I sold mine after ten years hard use parked in the weather for five. Ran like a top.

Q: If you spend less than five, can you spend the diff on tires and a carb dip and such?

Q: Can you borrow your farkles off another ride, e.g. your AirHawk, tank bag, panniers and such? Or does the whole outfitting have to come out of the two fifty?

Q: Does this thing have a web site where we can see the rules and such? Want one? (I can put one together for ya quick and free)

[OnOff]

The 650 maxims are great bikes and I put almost 90,000 on mine. If you go the Maxim route, get an 82 or later as that was the first year they offered the greatly improved YICS (Yamaha induction control system) LOL
Here is my old 1982 maxim pig.

And my dad had a 1980 Maxim. Eldest brother had a 750 Maxim and another bike to consider are the old Nighthawk 650s. Good luck finding one for $500 though. here is sisters nighthawk...


And a couple of old VF1100S Sabres from 84 and 85. I put about 168K on mine before I sold it to a guy who rode it a lot before wrecking it! Pretty sure you could coast across the USA on one of these!
After I bought my Sabre and 2 of my brothers rode them they BOTH had to have one

better yet, how bout getting somebody to do this on a 2 smoker! Here is my old 75 RD350 and I had over 80K on her before she T-boned an F150 at highway speed. Can you say broken wrists, ribs, collarbone, shoulder AND ankles?

[hondahawkrider]

Twenty years ago, I bought a CX500 from a dealer for $1200, and he threw in two helmets and a bike cover to make the deal. From a dealer, mind you. Just now, I saw one advertised on craigslist for $2 in Philly. Called the guy up, and turns out he's asking $2k. Some people are just clueless. Just flat out clueless.

A neighbor kid got one for free out of a friend's Dad's back yard three or four years ago. Parked in the weeds. Squirted WD40 in the cylinders, gassed it, jumped it, and started right up. Rode it around all summer.

Somewhere in between there is one in good running shape for 350 I bet. I sold mine after ten years hard use parked in the weather for five. Ran like a top.

Q: If you spend less than five, can you spend the diff on tires and a carb dip and such?

Q: Can you borrow your farkles off another ride, e.g. your AirHawk, tank bag, panniers and such? Or does the whole outfitting have to come out of the two fifty?

Q: Does this thing have a web site where we can see the rules and such? Want one? (I can put one together for ya quick and free)

yeah.. the folks in richmond seem to think they are giving away a prize for $500 - and it may need some work... Im gonna keep looking

As for your questions - it's $500 to be used for the bike and $250 more for parts and such... if the bike costs less - more $ for fix stuff... Yeah - you can use stuff you allready have in the garage for the trip - ie planning on using my dirt saddlebags to hold my stuff...

no website need - but thanks

[webmost]

Problem with the Maxim and Nighthawk and such is they are still in demand. For a 500 limit, you have to think up a model nobody wants.

Handball partner just bought an old Honda CB450 UJM. I bought one of those out of a barn for 50, maybe 25 years ago. All it needed was a new ground wire for the rectifier and away I went. Rode it for years. Be great to find some old UJM in a barn for peanuts and put the diff between peanuts and 500 into tires, chain, carby bits, and such.

I like this project a lot.

[hondahawkrider]

Problem with the Maxim and Nighthawk and such is they are still in demand. For a 500 limit, you have to think up a model nobody wants.

Handball partner just bought an old Honda CB450 UJM. I bought one of those out of a barn for 50, maybe 25 years ago. All it needed was a new ground wire for the rectifier and away I went. Rode it for years. Be great to find some old UJM in a barn for peanuts and put the diff between peanuts and 500 into tires, chain, carby bits, and such.

I like this project a lot.

One guy just picked up a early 2000's vulcan that has been sitting in a garage - guy rode it a few times and had a tip over and parked it - $300 ... It's got minor issue from sitting - but the new owner isn't figuring on taking now for the JB... He's gonna put some $$ into it and flip it for an easy $2000 over what he will have into it..... I am not alone in being jealous..

There are multiple schools of thought... Some are finding deals (like above) others are going with solid reliable bikes, and some are going for fixer uppers...

The vulcan I mentioned above is really too nice - especially if it's not something that someone would bring back... I don't have the skills to pull something outta a barn and go thru it (some are doing this) - Not talking heaps - but there are a fair bit of 70's Honda CB's, Suzuki GS's, Kawaski KZ's, and Yamaha XS UJM's out there for sub $500.. These are usually parked for a time bikes, which if you know what to look for to make em run, you can get cheap. I am not this kind of person, I can't really start with a NON running bike... For me I need to find a running bike - I can fix, improve, clean up , and make better - but rebuilding isn't something I want to do... The problem there is that semi decent CB/GS/KZ/XS go for a bit more than $500 - especially in the spring..... It may be possible to get a waaay better deal in the fall - we''ll see.. However, for right now - I am looking a bit off the "cool" list of UJM's and going with more of the blander but solid bikes like the CX - I listed earlier.. A fellow JB is in NY and is checking this out..

1983 Honda Silverwing - $400 (Paramus)
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Date: 2010-04-28, 2:49PM EDT
Reply to: sale-3bssy-1714779062@craigslist.org [Errors when replying to ads?]
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Well-maintained 1983 Honda Silverwing for sale. 36k miles, some wear and tear, but in good shape for an older bike. Needs new battery and tune-up. Had the bike for 9 years and love it, but a new baby is on the way so I won't be able to ride. Looking for $400 or best offer.

decisions decisions....

[Roadracer_Al]

Zina bought an '83 Maxim a couple years back. I thought we overpaid @ $900. It had a bunch of nagging little issues, mostly revolving around age - the tank was rusty, it had charging problems (corrosion in the connector from the reg/rect to the battery), and it needed all new fluids, tires & brakes. The rusty tank was really the biggest problem because it leaked, and because the rust would get into the carb and clog it. IMHO, that's one big thing to look at on a $500 bike -- the tank.

So, after I got the bastidge PO MFing S running, stopping, not leaking, and not setting the wiring harness on fire, we moved and she sold it for $650. That was just plain demoralizing, to realize my wife put negative value on my labors...