My friend said he would sell me his 1979 Honda CB650 motorcycle for $500. It has around 20,000 miles on it and it has been sitting around for a while. It has a few things wrong with it and he said he could fix for $200. So basically l would give him $700 and he would have the motorcycle fixed and l would own it. l trust him so l do not think he would screw me, but l just wanted some other opinions on this deal. Maybe you could suggest other questions l might ask him, if the price for the motorcycle is a good deal or not, and just any other general comments. Thank you!

$700 is not a high price for a bike like that in good running condition. Now l would have told him that l would buy it for that price after it was fixed. Let him repair it with his money, not yours. But you are doing it the other way, so please protect yourself. Get him to sign the title over as soon as you give him the money, and write the agreement for the repairs, which you both sign. Be specific on it.
Good luck.

Will it really work?

How much do you think it will cost to register it in your state?

==
How old are those tires? [If they're too old, you're going to have to replace them, and that is more than $200 right there].

A question to ask yourself is: Are you in good enough physical shape to work the kickstarter a half dozen times?

The Kelly Blue Book retail is $1045 for one in good condition.

If it were me I'd give him the $500 and do the work myself. Then I'd know the job had been done properly. Even if he is your friend, a fella might not take as much care working on a bike he is not gonna ride himself.

It is hard to say if it is a good price or not without seeing the bike.

Have him fix it, then buy it for $700.
That is a reasonable price for a bike of that age. l do not go by any of the books, l go by what they actually sell for in my area.
The problem I've found with fixing old bikes is that the cost is usually more than first quoted. Does he know the actual cost of the parts? And is he certain he does not need any more later?
Tires? Chain & sprockets?
l get decent performance from cheap tires, yet they still run about $150 a set + tubes + my labor.

One more thing. If u do buy this bike, do not expect the handling & performance of a new bike. You wo not be getting that.

Have him clean the carbs too if he knows what he is doing. If he does everything and gets it running for $700 that is a great deal. If there is still some problems with it, even small problems with as much as mechanics cost you will be spending several hundred more dollars so make sure it is all good. Also, many shops wo not work on anything odler than like a 99 that is a problem l am running into trying to get work done on my 94.

Watch out for rust. Check the fuel tank, has it been pookied (JB-Welded) to stop leaks around the petcock. This will leave you stranded.

in a heartbeat. think cafe racers
http://youtube.com/watch?v=1azg78QeMAA&feature=related
http://youtube.com/watch?v=RHd6B1xQzA8&feature=related
http://youtube.com/watch?v=2zEfDtz7CcI&feature=related