I bought a 1981 XS850LH Midnight Special in late 2002 for $1000. It had 14,700 miles on it and was in excellent shape. I changed the handlebars from the stock pullback bars to a more forward type, and did minor maintenance on the front forks for a leaky seal. The bike now has 54,700 miles on it, having given me 10,000 miles per year for the past 4 years. I change the oil regularly, adjust the valves occasionally, and keep up with the routine maintenance items like brake pads and tires. The triple sounds great and I have never had trouble with the middle cylinder overheating. I drive 35 miles to work on roads where I can maintain 70 mph. Most days, the bike only does 70 miles, but it does it rain or shine, summer or winter, and is always a kick in the pants to ride. It gets 38 mpg. The speedometer pegs at 85, but that is curiosity of history, not an indication of the bike´s capacity. It is still accelerating long after the needle pegs, although I resist the urge to do that often, since I can´t afford the tickets. I don´t race and am not cruising for attention, but for the way I use a motorcycle, this one is hard to beat.
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