G'day,
http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/Yamaha-XJR1200-Engine-28K-EXC-Compressions-FJ1200-XJR1300-motor-/271918871066?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_15&hash=item3f4fa0b21a (http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/Yamaha-XJR1200-Engine-28K-EXC-Compressions-FJ1200-XJR1300-motor-/271918871066?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_15&hash=item3f4fa0b21a)
I have been watching this engine for sale in Melbourne, but I am suspicious of the mileage claimed, only 28K, and yet the photos of the engine seem to belong to a much older engine. Is this sort of wear common for such a young engine, or is this one realistically 120K?
I imagine the seller is only able to go off the speedo in this case...
Cheers, Gareth
Gareth, this is a curly one.
Verifying mileage against cosmetic condition is difficult, much easier to gauge from the whole bike rather than just the engine.
On average I would say it has done more than the claimed mileage looking at it. However, even at 120k there is no reason it wouldn't be in excellent condition.
A chat with the seller is going to reveal far more than the photos. Is it his bike or did he buy it as a wreck to part out. If it is his, does his ownership of it sound legit. Does he have the bike it came from. How did he get the compression numbers. Why would he sell the covers of an otherwise complete motor. Does he sound shifty and vague on detail. Does he brush you off when you start asking questions. If it is his own bike he will want to tell you the back story. If he is a business, I would ignore anything he tells you about its condition. That doesn't mean the engine is not in good nick though, it just means you are taking a bigger punt.
Then, go with the gut feel.
Just remember, buying any motor off the floor is a risk, It's just a matter of how big a risk you are prepared to take for a given amount of money. The odds however are in your favour as these engines are known for doing high mileages without issue, you would have to be unlucky to get a dud.
My current engine was bought site unseen. The owner had removed it thinking it needed to be split to replace the output shaft seal and delivered it to his mechanic 100kms away in the county. The bike showed 45k which was very obviously 145k. I spoke to his mechanic on the phone and was satisfied he had serviced it for some years and it was in good condition. The whole bike, in pieces, was only $500 and could live with that risk. I have put about 60k (for a total of about 200k) on it since fitting it to my good bike and it still runs like a train.
I originally fitted this "spare" for just a few weeks while I reco'd the original. That was years ago and original engine is somewhere in the garage still waiting for the reco.
I also considered this particular eBay engine as it's not a bad price. I like the idea of a spare sitting in the corner of the shed. It's much cheaper than a top end overhaul (if you re-bore) and a lot less mucking around.
Speaking of appearances being deceptive, my 200k old motor looks like it just came out of the crate!
Good luck.
Noel