Hello, I found a 1996 300ex for $500 but it needs some work. Is it worth buying??

positives:
It has mud shark tires on rear 75% tread and two sets of front tires atleast 75% tread on both sets. The frame is not tweaked, control arms tight, brakes work great, engine pulls good, and trans shifts well. Also, the seat is in good shape.

negatives:
The rear plastic is in poor condition and there is no other plastic on it. (no headlight, front fender brackets, gas tank cover, etc..)
It needs a new chain, sprockets, starter solenoid, and a new battery.

other things:
It appears to be a stock 300ex but it runs strong. It has a toggle switch to start it. ...???

Anything else I should check..???

Thanks

 

All that stuff is minor, except for the plastics. The starter button probably went bad and he bought a cheap toggle switch from an auto parts store instead of putting the original push button on. Check the rear axle bearings and swingarm bearings. Ride it down a hill in a low gear with no throttle and check for smoke. But all in all, if those things are good, I'd say it's worth $500. You can get all new plastics for around $400 - $500.