1990 Transalp for $3300 - Good Deal or Not?

[NorCalDave]

Hey All

Am looking to get back into riding after a 20 year hiatus and have a chance at a 1990 Transalp XL600V with 24K miles for the asking price of $3300. Intend to use the bike to re-learn my riding skills and then possibly move up to a BMW 800GS.

As this is a 18year old bike, is there anything in particular I should be looking for when checking the bike over problem-wise?

Here are the details on the TA I'm looking at - bike has had 3 owners with current having put 14K on using it as a short distance street commuter (50 miles a day).

Corbin Seat (Stock seat too)
Givi windscreen (Stock windshield too)
Givi Wing Rack and 2 - 36L Side Cases
Givi Top Rack only - no top case but I use a side case as a top case
LoobMan oiler for chain maintenance
New front Gripster tire
New tubes in both front and rear
Rear tire is street - not for dirt
New chain and sprockets 5k miles ago
New spark plugs
Recent Valve Adjustment

Here are a couple of pics

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2

[sproggy]

Dave, I think the lack of a response to your question about value is because this is primarily a UK forum and no-one here knows what bikes are worth in the US. But here in the UK $3,300 (around £1,600) would be A LOT of money for an 18 year old TA, even with such a low mileage - you could get a 7/8 year old one here for that!

Some of the things to check here would also be different - wheel rims for corrosion, spokes for rust, rusty muffler (none of which are so likely in California....), oil leaks from the front sprocket area, unusual noises etc.

You may be on your own a bit in terms of judging whether it's a good buy but come back here if you buy it because this is THE place to come for all other TA/AT knowledge!

[BIG D]

Hi Dave,

The Bike in question sure looks good and has a fair list of desirable extras
I too have one of these bikes and I think it is true what Sproggy has previously said you will not have the same issues as we in the uk,
I was out on Detachment to Arizona myself this year and all the bikes look good in your hot climes but us lads took the opportunity to stock up on bike bits because it was a lot cheeper out there and again Sproggy is correct in his advice on the price I too feel it is a rather lot to pay I paid half that two years ago for a 89 with 26 thou and a bike in good condition
that is the bike was serviced and maintained with no mechanical problems
or anything which could cost you big bucks in the near future.
Again nice bike but a lot of money at the end of the day its a battle between your head and your heart but keep in touch and let us know
BIG D.

[gravelrash]

tell him to sell it elsewhere mate hes takin the urine,i bought mine from a BIKE SHOP 91 model very tidy on my avatar had 35 000 miles on mind but thats nowty and i paid 900 english pounds mate [thats honest ],i got a good buy but thers good buys about if you look enough mate ,

[NorCalDave]

Well, I'm going to have a look at and ride the bike tomorrow. If it looks and rides well I plan to offer $2500 and see what happens. I've done quite a bit of searching to see what 89-90 TA's have sold for here in the US and feel since this bike is clean, has supposedly been well maintained and has fairly low miles, if I can get it for under $3000 it will be a good deal.

[fw750x]

Hi Dave to me it is a lot of money for an old bike. You will need to listen to the engine for Cam chain Rattle " I needed my T/A done at 35,000 miles" Also check the Rear brake very carefully , It is a drum brake and the inside of the brake drum are prone to oval .You will feel and see your foot going up and down as you brake .Very expensive to replace IF you can get one. The C.D.I. UNITS under the seat have the wires exiting from the top of them which push on the bottom of the seat , Resulting in the C.D.I. breaking the insides AGAIN very expensive to replace if you can get them. The rims on the front and back ROT away from the inside " maybe not as much in your climate " but They all do that. The exhaust is another part that rots from the inside out AGAIN very expensive to replace .Dont get me wrong i owned a Transalp for 13 years and used it all year round it had over 75,000 miles on it and apart from what i have pointed out it was a fantastic bike. The price this bike is going for would need to be in showroom condition with less than 10,000 miles on it .I think about 1200 dollars would be a more realistic price. fw750x

[NorCalDave]

I'm not trying to talk myself into buying this bike but one thing you blokes across the pond have to remember is that the Transalp was only sold here for two years in 89 and 90 and therefore there are relatively few left in very good condition and with somewhat low miles. The same thing applies to Yamaha and the Tenere models that were briefly sold over here.

I guess what I'm saying is you all have a lot more TA's to choose from in your geographical market and correspondingly can find better deals because of that fact. Sure, the bike that I'm looking at sold for something like $4300 USD back in the day here but because of their relative rarity in the States they are still a sought after model and command a higher price.

I do appreciate the responses I've received regarding the bike - we'll see how the test ride goes tomorrow.

[alpslapper]

Money isnt everything and is after all, only relative in value.

ride the bike - if you like it, and it ticks all your boxes, and its mechanically sound - go for it.

And enjoy.

[NorCalDave]

Well, she will be mine when I hand the owner the other half of $3000 sometime in the next month or so. She's in awesome condition for an 18 year old.

Clutch felt great during a 15 mile test ride but I thought I detected a bit of head-shake coming up to a stop a little hot - steering head bearings maybe, that Gripster front tire, or me not being used to riding?

Also found out the owner had replaced both CDI's and changed to the updated mount last year so I shouldn't have to worry about those buggers for a while.

A couple of better pics

[BIG D]

Hi Dave,
Well you got it and she still looks good the main thing is that you are happy enjoy it and get to see some of the breath taking scenery you have over there keep us updated how you get on cheers.
BIG DON