Months and months later, after meeting lots of bikes that didn’t have titles, bikes that had been badly crashed, bikes who’s owners overvalued them, I found a new friend. Seemed mostly stock, 19k is a good amount of miles for some R&R before someone totally tanks the thing or maintenance gets too-far-gone. She was a little far away, but my girlfriend (who's been studying the book to get her permit and "really likes" my blue XJ) agreed to spend the day doing a little road-trip to see what's up.
I ended up paying $1150 which is just about bluebook, but at least I didn’t pay $2Much like the owner before me did. It’s got a bad respray, a leaky & JB weld'd petcock, rust shavings in the tank, totally blown suspension, and some title issues (but it does have a title and in my hands, we'll sort problems out - the DMV here likes me because I flirt with them).
Here halfway through the tow ride from San Diego to LA.
Plans for her are to keep her the way she came and do “The San Diego Diet” - anything that makes her a quiet, comfy, fun, happy bike, she’ll get. That includes a firmer but still comfy suspension (new rear shock, modded fronts?), probably a rear rack, new sprockets & chain, a nice shiny paint job for all the plastics, and some restoration for her tank and fuel-related bits.
This will be a companion to my blue “canyon” bike, which is on the harsher “Los Angeles Diet” of being loud and attractive and constantly changing and shedding pounds in an effort to get people to like her better, even though she’s well liked enough as-is. My general hopes is that when my girlfriend gets her permit/M1, she can take the red bike should we go riding together. In the meantime I can use it for commuting on days when I’d rather not vibrate my testicles off, since they’re a pain to R&R.