Fix it or part it out and sell

[oud31]

I recently bought a 96 Xr 600 on an E-bay auction for $1100, the general apperance was a little rough but I thought it would be a good fixer upper so I have put several hundred inti sprockets and chain, brake linings, levers and tank decals, not to mention the $120 in gas to go and pick the thing up. On closer inspection after riding it, I noticed some valve cover bolts that were loose, tried to tighten, and surprise they are stripped out. So of to the Honda dealer I go, after disasembly they find that only three of the bolts remaining are'nt stripped the valve cover is shot head is shot, the guy just beat it together good enough to make it run and caulked in some dummy bolts to make it all look like it was there. The estimate I get from the dealer is $1200 with new parts, or I can take my chances with used to save a few bucks. After all is said and done what else is lurking in there. I'm in to deep to just haul it to the dump but hate to have $2500 into a $1500 dollar bike. What do you guys think? Any idea's or insight would be appreciated.

Steve

[Roll_it_on]

First of all I feel for you. If the seller knew all about the condition of the bike and did not disclose it I would wonder how he/she could sleep at night. Anyway what to do depends on if you are able to do a majority of the work yourself and if you think you would be happy with the bike once it was gone through and could get your money out of it from an enjoyment standpoint. If so it may be worth it. You won't get much for it as it is but if you are not into working on bikes then perhaps taking your loss and walking away is best. Once again sorry to hear about your situation and by the way welcome to the forum.

[Fredda]

Uhhh... Talk about bad seller. Unfortionate you're not alone. The XR I've bought lock alright and so. A bit long milage, 34000 km, but nothing bad I thought. But then the camchain ****ed it self up and when I tore it apart, much of it was in bad shape.

But wat can you do. Either sell it in parts, look for cheap used parts or buy expensive new parts. But the thing is that I havn't found all parts yet. What I'm looking for is a goodshape cam and rear suspension. If you decide to part your bike out and could send the items across the Atlantic ocean, post a PM to me!

[justicedone]

Man thats some whack shit !!! ?

If I were a mean mother beating his ass wicked would be the proper fix to start...maybe you could part it on ebay to recover most costs. Buying used is always a gamble, but we all cant afford new toyz.

I got pretty lucky buying my 03 XR650L from the original owner with 600mi in jan. for 4k cash.

loving it so far...

MAN..I hope you get things straight and find some serious trail riding fun. I think it will be even more enjoyable after the pain you have suffered.

Best wishes thumper bruddah ?

[pb1963]

Why don't you look for an entire engine off of a bike that someone else is parting out. I was in your shoes with an old XR250 I bought. I was patient and found a rebuilt engine on ebay for $330 bucks. I'm sure somebody has an engine for sale. A '96 really isn't that old. How is the rest of the bike, is it worth keeping it alive? Good luck man.

[michaeln]

If it's just that the valve cover threads in the head are stripped, you can put helicoils in them and you're in business.

[ttr125lerider]

i dont under stand how some people do that... i would feel horrible if i were to sell something on ebay, or anywhere else that i knew didn't function properly.. either i would fix it up right, or i just wouldn't sell it, unless the person knew what they were really getting..

[don87xr600]

All the parts you need are for sale on ebay right now.

[oud31]

Thanx for all of your responses, I have been thinking alot about this and have decided that I will try and get the parts together second hand and give it a try. The parts on E-bay look like they might fit the bill if they go for a reasonable price, so thanks for that lead. Just for a little personal satisfaction I called the guy and told him what a raw deal that I think I got and of course he played dumb. I know without a doubt that he knows what he has done tho bacause he told me that he had himself fixed the leak on the head, but now he has to live with his conscience. Some people will do anything for a couple of bucks. At least I'll know what I have when it's finished. Thanx Steve