My advice is to first do your research... which it seems you are doing and have done... and look at as many bikes as you can

When you've found a good deal, you need to move fast. That is often the reason the sellers aren't responding... they've sold the bike. But it can't hurt to keep inquiring. Inexplicably I've run into more than one seller that lists a bike for sale the day before leaving for vacation! (WTH???)

And always be ready to buy on the spot. And never be afraid to offer less... even quite a bit less... than they are offering. Not so much to get a "deal"... but to honestly pay what the bike they are selling is worth to YOU.

I've bought bikes where I've paid exactly what the seller is asking... and probably overpaid... but maybe it had something important to me like it was completely original in decent shape... maybe even not running which I greatly prefer over one where some nitwit does damage by hacking stuff they don't understand. One of the DT175's I bought was mostly because the gas tank was perfect and original... wasn't running (top end was off and worn out) but otherwise decent.

There are bike flippers out there... they mostly just care about getting as much $$ as they can.

But many sellers actually do care a little about the bike going to a "good home". This is where your knowledge and research can be very helpful... and your story... When looking at the bike share your passion and excitement like you have here... if the bike or bikes seem too expensive TO YOU... and I mean genuinely... express your concerns about getting parts for such an old machine... the cost of those parts... (helpful if you know details... maybe something specific to the bike like the reliability of the DT360/400 CDI if that's what you're looking at.) Whatever you are feeling.

(You can share your passion and story on the phone before looking... WAIT UNTIL YOU ARE LOOKING AT THE BIKE to express concerns.)

If they are asking say $1500 and you like the price for what you're getting, I'd just buy it. (Can't hurt to ask what their best price is first... most sellers will be genuine with you if you have been with them)

If they are asking $1500 and you have concerns about condition or whatever... remember... it's what the bike is worth to YOU... and maybe you still want it but you're thinking it's worth a lot less... like $800 is your top price... what I would do is ask them if their price is firm. If they say "yes" (and might give you a lot of reasons why or whatever) or maybe they go down a little but not nearly enough... I thank them for their time and tell them it's just not worth that much to me.

Sometimes they say "okay" and I leave. Other times they come back and ask what I'd pay. I'll give a very brief general summary like "I'd like to have it but considering the condition and parts availability my top offer is $800."

It can go all kinds of ways from there. From a simple "okay" to anger. I always stand firm on my price. I tell them I'm not going to argue and I hope they get what they want for it but it's just not worth more than $800 (or whatever I truly feel it's worth to me). And if a deal isn't struck, I immediately start to leave.

For any of the above to have any chance of working you not only have to be a serious buyer, you have to act like one. This means a few things.

Make arrangements to look at it immediately. Not next Tuesday. Now.

Be ready to buy. This means showing up with a vehicle that can haul a bike or a trailer or having a solid plan you can tell the seller like your buddy has a truck and will drive right over if you strike a deal. Of course you need to be safe but having the cash with you is critical.

Leaving and coming back is generally a bad move... even if only for a few minutes. I've gone to look at bikes or cars with friends and they strike a deal... we run to the bank or to get the truck or whatever... get back less than an hour later in one case... and the bike is gone. Sold to someone else that showed up ready to buy on the spot. Twice the seller "thought it over" and decided to hold out for more money.

The above is certainly not the only way. And especially sometimes if a really good deal pops up you need to be ready to move. Go there immediately with cash and transportation. Good deals don't last long.

Final bit of advice is on the title. Ask if the seller has the title in hand. It's often critical that the title in in their name but not always. Do your research on that for your state. Check over the title before handing over the cash. Another thing I've had to walk away from more than once is seller saying something like "my uncle in Montana is mailing the title to me". I'll usually walk away at that point because chances are you'll never get the title.

(One time I started to walk away. I was annoyed because I had driven 200 miles and was told the title was available. The seller was apologetic. He was moving and title got misplaced or something. He let me take the bike without paying a dime. He said that he would mail me the title when he got it and I could send him the money after I received the title. He followed through and so did I. So anything can happen, you just have to trust your instincts)

All good advice!

If they have the title, I ask for it first thing to verify the numbers match and the title is not altered, signed over or has erasures.

Maybe think about putting some feelers out at local clubs, dealers and even your college - might prompt someone to dig out something that's been in their garage for a while.

Thank you for the great tips all.

I have certainly realized by now that the best and only bikes to really consider seriously unless possibly buying a parts bike are the ones that are as complete as possible. With such a low budget, I can't restore, and with less time than many it wouldn't be wise either.

Today I discovered what seems to be an AMAZING trick. I don't know if you guys scour Facebook Marketplace much, but it is a GOLDMINE for good old vintage bikes. I missed a restored but nonrunning AT3 on there which went for $1000. That was cause I didn't have money cause I had my rough AT3. Anyhow, I put out a want ad, which you are not supposed to do, but it has made a couple hours so far and yielded me 4 different private (not listed on marketplace so they shouldn't get sniped like all the others do) deals so far. No these are not Yamaha Enduros, I put out ads for old Honda XLs and got this offer for $1300:

It's a 1974 Honda XL175, close to home, all lights working, minimal rust, running with new gaskets bike for $1300!!!!
Plus a part bike and 2 boxes of parts... I think this will be the one. Given there is no huge turnoff or he sells it to that damn neighbor who'll give him 2000 before I can get there (happened with an amazing K5 Blazer my dad was getting), this seems like the ultimate unicorn deal.

Anyway I know patience is largely the biggest thing. I was not patient in buying that rough AT3 and could have a restored bike currently if I had been. Seems that impatience nearly always ends in unhappiness, whether through overspending or through missing something FAR better. Lucky me that I have you guys who can probably offer great experience on how much is too much, and when I should go for something. Absolutely I have seen great deals go ridiculously fast, the annoying thing is people can't be responsible enough to remove ads so I always seem to reply to sold stuff. Definitely want ads are the way, I got 400 views on my XL ad after posting it in the middle of last night.

My dad has been doing flipping for about 30 years and Craigslist for as long as I can remember, so I certainly have access to amazing help. Also I have access to someone who will drive and pick up deals for a fee, that way I don't have to deal with those 250 mile away bikes if that happened. Probably wouldn't/shouldn't do that though, its a big fee for my tiny budget. Also that is so much harder to organize and make work well, so it might end up like a forced deal.

Do you think the title is a dealbreaker? My AT3 only had lineage by bill of sale, but that isn't important to me personally. My dad has applied for lost titles many times, and it seems to work out well, even if the DMV takes forever.

MarkT, thanks for all the knowledge.

Since I have my dad to look out for me, I shouldn't make a rash financial decision and I have a very good idea of what almost any bike is worth now, or at least what will keep me from going negative when I sell. I have acted extremely seriously with people so far on both the buying and selling end, so it seems to give me a huge advantage, especially when I'm in my own want ad territory.

We are absolutely good on trailering and that stuff, we own multiple trailers and vehicles. I could trailer almost any machine if I wanted. Basically for deals I try to express a lot of interest early on to get them engaged, but I definitely start with a price in mind and will not let an emotional attachment pull me into a bad deal. I understand that is slightly different for you guys when collecting/restoring, but as you know I am strongly bound by money.

My only weakness is that I cannot simply leave and go get something at every hour of every day. I have school which is 2 days a week (online school is what Oregon does due to coronavirus and its weird) and I am busy on other days too. Still, I try to get there the absolute fastest I can.

Also when selling I have an extremely firm bottom dollar, on my AT3 what I did was price slightly above what I actually wanted and then I got my exact price which I was going for.

I'd do two visits if it got me a better deal, but I cannot be driving super far many times, so that might not work. I do know that sometimes multiple "visits" over phone sometimes works, my dad got his forklift for about a 75% discount a long time ago because he was persistent.

I will be sure to be looking when I go to college provided that I can find a better bike than what I might own then. Or maybe I'll have to start a collection... My dad bought bikes from his friends when he was a kid, he would get insane deals that would be equivalent to $800 dollars today for a completely working and great condition bike just because they were too lazy to find a way to sell and get their money back.

I'm not against you buying a Honda... your choice... They are not bad bikes.

The XL175 was not one of their best. Rick Sieman almost got fired from a magazine back in the early 70's for his honest opinion... which promptly had Honda threatening to pull all advertising from the magazine and the sister publications. (If you ever wondered why many "reviews" in motorcycle magazines never say anything bad, this may be where that started.)

Here's what Rick says more recently.

articles.superhunky.com/4/235

HONDA

Quite possibly the worst four-stroke ever built was built by the best builders of four-strokes, Honda. They produced the XL175 in 1973 and have prayed the world would forget them. Ditto for the XL350. However, a Champion-framed XL350 of that era might be worth considering.



You can probably find the original reviews someplace... but the little XL just didn't do anything well.

Wow. Thanks for the warning, as long as it is reliable and doesn't blow up on me I'm fine... If those are worries, then I'll be much more wary of this bike. I don't care much about speed or power, I wouldn't be going above probably 50 on it ever. It certainly isn't a highway bike no matter what.

Also to add to that as long as a bike is good and has a style I like, I'm not against buying it no matter what brand it's from. I'm not really a loyalist at all, if it's a good bike it's worth saving to me.

Ok, so the Rick Sieman verdict is "Still, a lot of folks loved the XL175. I hated it. Not only was it hopelessly slow, it was also the only four-stroke we ever tested that fouled plugs regularly. The regular testers were unable to climb even moderate hills. Some say that we got the legendary lemon, but we rode others and remained in the full yawn mode."

I should be able to lean it out a bit if it fouls plugs, at least I would think. The slowness I can accept... As long as this covers all the problems with it.

I have a 75 XL125 and a 73 XL250. I would not buy an XL without doing a compression test. Honda does list a warm engine compression value as well as a service limit (like 175 psi with 155 as a minimum) . The engine should not noticeably smoke. The Honda 4 stroke engines are more complex and expensive to repair. Check the exhaust for rust holes underneath, on low spots and on the back side.

The plug fowling back in the day was probably from leaded fuels. Should not be a problem if the engine is not smoking badly.

The Honda XLs seem a little slower and slightly more top heavy than the Yamaha enduros. On tight trails the difference is noticeable. Both (especially reed valve Yamahas) have a good broad power band. The Yamahas seem to rev more freely.

I hope you enjoy whatever you end up with!

Buying advice? Buy low, sell high, although for me it’s usually reversed. DOH.....

Thanks, gonna bring a compression tester then. I was told this bike is running and also that the kickstarter spline has been replaced, apparently they are quite fragile actually and are a unique part that is no longer available (not even on ebay really). No joke, 2 of the 4 I have found online near me have broken splines, and those are both somewhat of parts bikes. That's a bit scary to me. Not particularly worried about fouled plugs. Will check the exhaust, guy hasn't really confirmed or denied its existence... I know the dang things are incredibly rare, all the Honda exhausts appear to be. I've had better luck finding AT3 exhausts surprisingly. Might be a deal killer...