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Interesting! Was this the only motorcycle “stored” there? If it’s a lifelong friend, he’s likely to be old as well. This will definitely test their friendship. Have you had a conversation with the motorcycle owner yet?
 
Interesting! Was this the only motorcycle “stored” there? If it’s a lifelong friend, he’s likely to be old as well. This will definitely test their friendship. Have you had a conversation with the motorcycle owner yet?
From the standpoint of the gentleman I’ve befriended, the friendship with owner is likely at risk. He wants these bikes, as well as numerous junk cars and assorted other crap…gone. There are a handful of other bikes in this shed, all in a pretty advanced state of disrepair. I’ve been encouraged to contact the owner, but cautioned that he has become crotchety and has rebuffed others’ efforts to purchase any of this stuff. I believe that in the next few months, my friend will benefit from a judgement regarding possession of abandoned property. At that time, I’ll be able to deal directly with him, and he has indicated that he would contact me. Fingers crossed…
 
From the standpoint of the gentleman I’ve befriended, the friendship with owner is likely at risk. He wants these bikes, as well as numerous junk cars and assorted other crap…gone. There are a handful of other bikes in this shed, all in a pretty advanced state of disrepair. I’ve been encouraged to contact the owner, but cautioned that he has become crotchety and has rebuffed others’ efforts to purchase any of this stuff. I believe that in the next few months, my friend will benefit from a judgement regarding possession of abandoned property. At that time, I’ll be able to deal directly with him, and he has indicated that he would contact me. Fingers crossed…
Likely outcome. Let us know what happens.
 
It's worth what you are willing to pay, or what he's willing to take for it. It's not possible to judge the value of a barn find since you don't know how deep the river of cash is going to be restoring it. True story, I had a coworker tell me he had a 74 Suzuki GT 550 Indy in his barn and it had been there for 25 years. I said I could restore it if he was willing to pay for the restoration. I acquired the bike and after going over it I gave him my estimate for getting it road ready. He handed me the title, signed.

Finished product: (NOTE: Paint was applied in 1977 and still good) Left side panel was replaced after it was lost on a 30 mile test ride.

View attachment 56534
I have been looking for a running GT550 for years.
 
I have been looking for a running GT550 for years.
Too bad you missed on that one, it ran like a striped ape after I got the jetting sorted. It had torque off the bottom that surprised me for a blue smoker. Check out Proxibid, they have classic bike auctions a couple times a year. You can find running 2-strokes and prices for the project bikes are reasonable.
 
Too bad you missed on that one, it ran like a striped ape after I got the jetting sorted. It had torque off the bottom that surprised me for a blue smoker. Check out Proxibid, they have classic bike auctions a couple times a year. You can find running 2-strokes and prices for the project bikes are reasonable.
Barrett Jackson action had one, super clean my year and color but it was in Iowa. With shipping it would have been overpriced.
 
there is no price on something like this, except what you are willing to pay for it.

its not original, so the high priced rivet-counter range is out.

it seems to be mostly there, so the lower basket-case price is out too,

where does that fall in the middle? i dont know anything about preunits,

it seems to me that the machine is worth two or three thousand dollars, depending on what you abnd the seller are willing to negotiate.

a lot depends on what you want to do. do you want to make it a perfect restoration? lots of money there, so less of an offering price for a machine missing parts, like th eside covers and headlight nacelle.

do you want to ride it right away? ignore missing original things and ride it around.

you wont get a tight price range on anything this old.
 
You have matching frame and engine numbers and there must be a number on the gearbox somewhere which I’ve already told what it should be as OE. The other feature that you should consider is the Pie Crust front brake hub which had a very limited run so there is a rarity factor with it.
 

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