Topic: Weepy head gasket, worth a buy?

[normalguy]

I looked at a bike today, the guy is asking for a grand.  It's in pretty much perfect shape, no rust anywhere, but the head gasket was weeping after a twenty-minute test drive.  Worth a purchase?

[Noel]

A "perfect" bike with nothing wrong other than a weeping head gasket is absolutely worth a grand.

[puppytrax]

If I was paying a grand for a pefect bike with a weepy head gasket, I'd at least want to know what it was... 

[normalguy]

I hesitate because it's not necessarily a SOHC 4.  ;-)  '76 Kaw KZ400.

[Tim.]

Well why didn't you saw it was a Kawasaki - then it's CRAP!    Just kidding - like others have said, if it runs like a top, doesn't burn oil and isn't rusty, it's worth $1K.  A weepy head gasket could easily just require torquing the head, or worst case, replace it (or wipe the oil off the cylinders when you've finished your ride.  Could be worse!).

[Noel]

I assumed that a guy asking a question on an SOHC board would be asking a question about an SOHC.   

A thousand bucks will get you halfway to a good SOHC. I'd keep saving.

[chung]

IMHO those bike aren't worth "much" 

I wouldn't give more than $500 for anything as small and "generic" as a KZ400, even the LTD. I'm sure to raise a few eyebrows and I may be out of line?

But I guess if it were cherry and you could drive it for a year w/o probs, it would be well indeed worth a $K. (not including the laundry and oil bill  Oh, and the carb cleaner spray to keep the motor clean

[dusterdude]

chung,i agree,there are too many of them out there and noel,anyone paying 2000 dollars for a "good" cb has lost their mind.i paid 75.00 for mine(i know i got a hell of a deal),but you can find very good cb`s for less than a grand.

[Noel]

Show me.

[comcrx]

I got my 750 for 500

and the guy that did my seat for me has a pretty sweet kz400 chop, bought it already chopped for 350. anything over a $/cc is too much, if you ask me, but I enjoy working on bikes

[rt]

Far too much! Tintin's right - if she was in 100% mint condition - maybe 1k would be ok.

I bought my 78 CB550k for 320 bucks through eBay. Apart from one iffy piston and a queer cat's head airbrush on the tank she was in brilliant overall condition. I fixed the engine with used parts courtesy of eBay Motors, threw in a new gasket-set and gave her a quick respray (riding a "Pussy bike" doesn't do a lot for your street cred).

Total cost for a SOHC in a nice usable condition: 480 bucks.   

[Noel]

We may have different ideas of "good". Bikes that need a top end rebuild right off the bat do not qualify, IMO. 

Now, I am open to the idea that SOHCs in "good" -- ie. running well with no need of real mechanical attention, and no major cosmetic faults like serious rust, etc. -- condition are available for a thousand bucks. I just can't recall having seen any, at least not in the last 10 years or so.

So if one of you guys will do me the service of showing me where these bikes are located, I would be obliged.

[Duck]

If it's a KZ400 FOUR, IMO it's worth $1K if really nice and for a person wanting a 400 four.
Ask over on the kzrider.com forums. You'll get all sorts of answers ;-)

[normalguy]

Thanks for the insight.  It's springtime, prices are all jacked up.  ;-)

[Jarkko68]

A grand for stolen kawasaki doesn't sound bad..It's up to how much gas in it..

[smashme33]

 Well, most of us SOHC4 guys are no strangers to weepy head gaskets. If it was really, REALLY losing oil, then I would rethink it. But just a l'il weep? Not a big deal.


 Yes, 'tis the season for high priced bikes, but you can still find a great buy in your searches...good luck.

[VitaminCB550]

I'm suprised no one came up with this one - haggling?  Much can come from it.