New to the XS650 and don't know where to start? Read and Learn.

It was a close race but, Retiredgentleman took the win in the November XS650 of the month contest. The contest was for XS650 Specials, Special IIs, and Heritage Specials, 1978 through 1983. They could be stock or have some mods, but needed to have the stock "Special" tank, forks, and have a twin shock rear suspension. Retiredgentleman actually tied with sseres during the voting, but won in one day "deathmatch" poll to take the win.

Retiredgentleman has had the bike for 6 years and has done a lot of work to it over that time to make it the bike it is today.  It has some modifications to make it safe and reliable such as a top-end rebuild, Pamco ignition, modern ignition coil, new solid-state regulator, and a new modern rectifier.  It also has Brembo calipers front and rear for better stopping power.  Last year the bike was professionally painted (it used to be bright red) and had a pristine OEM exhaust installed.  RG says it's "a fun bike to ride and very easy to work on... a real enjoyable hobby/sport."

See all of the entries for the November XSOTM contest.

See more pictures of RG's bike.

Our friends at Pandemonium Custom Choppers are giving away a Pandemonium Brake Kit to one lucky member! The giveaway includes a Brembo brake caliper, caliper mount, brake line, and Nissin master cylinder!

To enter the drawing, post a picture of the bike you would install the kit on in the giveaway thread by 11pm CST on December 17th, 2012. See the giveaway thread in the Shops section of the Forum for all of the details.

The October XS650 of the month contest was for XS650s with build threads on the site. Voting was for both the bike and the 'quality' of the build thread. Osteoderm took the win with his bike and build thread 'Good Heart, Bad Intentions: another build thread'.

Osteoderm's beautiful bike as pictured below isn't the finished product. Follow the build as he finishes it up.

See all of the October XSOTM 'build thread' bikes.

The August XSOTM contest was for bobbers with suspension and brakes. The bike called Wicked Soul that was built by Visual Impact (visimpact) and now owned by tidd1340 took first place! The bike has a custom one-piece rear fender and battery box, a Honda gas tank that was highly modified, shaved and dropped forks, a custom kick start lever, and a Visual Impact seat rail kit and seat.  The tank is candy red with 24 karat spun gold leaf and hand pinstriping.  Wicked Soul was featured in the October 2011 issue of Cycle Source magazine.

See the August XSOTM voting thread for all of the August entries!

The next XS650 of the Month contest has been posted. Get in on the action!

Click to enlarge:

Everything is right on track with the T-shirts. Additional updates will be posted in the T-Shirt Presale Announcement thread soon.

The t-shirt presale announced below (scheduled to end 9/15/12 at 11pm CST) has been extended by one full day! The presale will now end on 9/16/12 at 11pm CST. If you haven't placed your order yet, do it now before it's too late. The Daniel Peirce XS650 engine print and magnet giveaway will not be extended and will end at the normally scheduled time.

Many people have been asking about XS650.com shirts again after a successful shirt sale during the Spring of 2011. Well here they are! We have two designs this year. Daniel Peirce was nice enough to let us use his XS650 engine photo again for the same design as last year, and Hugh from Hugh's HandBuilt is allowing us to make shirts with his popular XS650 chopper on the front and back. Just like last year, a presale is being held to make sure everyone gets the exact garment, size, and color they want. The presale will go until 11pm CST on Saturday September 15th. After the presale, only a few extra shirts will be ordered, so colors and sizes will be extremely limited... To make sure you get the shirt(s) you want, order yours today! Check out the shirts!

Also during the presale, you can enter to win a Daniel Peirce XS650 engine print or magnet. The winner of the drawing will be announced on Monday September 17th! Good Luck!

View T-Shirt Presale Announcement and Comments

Tron's '77 takes first place in the daily rider XS650 of the month contest for July! Here's what he had to say about the bike:

"My xs650 is my second bike, first being a cbr 600 plastic toy. I brought the bike back to life after being dead, hidden away in a shed since the 80s. Back in its day, it had been toyed with a bit, butchered a bit, and given a god awful 80's airbrush job.

I went in knowing nothing at all about the mechanics of motorcycles, and resurrected it from the dead, into a mean, havoc wreaking, daily smile creator.

I have documented the work absolutely horribly, and wish I took the time to take more photos and update the build better. I ride the bike daily, rain or shine, about 20 km's into work. On my days off, I hunt down the best forest roads and back roads I can find.

Yes, I ride the piss out of it dirt and pavement." .... Read More

Also see Tron's build thread for more details and pictures.

This month's contest was for daily riders and we have 5 great entries. The contest ends in a few days, so check out the entries and vote!

The winner for the Mike's XS rim giveaway has been announced!

Mike's XS has tons of rims back in stock and is giving a free set to one lucky XS650.com member! You choose the two you want and shipping is even covered to members located in the lower 48 states!

To enter into the drawing, all you need to do is post in the giveaway thread by 11pm CST on July 8, 2012. Yes it's that easy!

Check out this clean XS650 Cafe Racer by C-Los SD. Some of the major highlights include 700cc pistons, rephased crank and cam, permanent magnet alternator, PAMCO ignition, 4 piston brembo calipers, and much more! Have a look at C-Los SD build completion thread for lots of pictures and the full list of mods.

See the May XSOTM voting thread for all of this month's entries! There were some really great entries that are definitely worth a look!

Have a look at TeeCat's 1973 TX650 mild cafe-roadster, the winner of the April 2012 XS650 of the Month Contest. TeeCat brought the bike home in August 2007 as a forlorn non-runner, but he could see that the TX had the mechanical and cosmetic bones of a respectable resto-mod. So, with a vision and a huge assist from countless dedicated XS650.com members, TeeCat embarked on what would be a four-year stint at "Classic Bike University". Sporting the comfortable posture of a roadster and an understated but signature cafe bike personality, this '73 features host of electronic, mechanical and cosmetic updates that delight - and perhaps even confuse - the fond memories of classic Japanese bike lovers here at XS650.com, on the street, and at the pumps. Have a look at a detailed work list in the April XSOTM voting thread!

The March XSOTM contest was for restorations and survivors only. Yamasarus' XS1 received 65% of the votes! He took a year to gather parts and the build time was just 8 weeks! Everything mechanical was gone through and all parts were polished, painted, plated, or replaced, and yamasarus did all the work himself except for the chrome plating. It turned out beautiful! Check out the before and after photos!

See all of the entries for the March 2012 XSOTM contest.

Check out this futuristic XS650 chopper by Justin! This chop is the winner of the February 2012 XS650 of the month contest. There are tons of cool features on the bike like 18" street glide wheels front and rear, custom machine triple trees, clutch window, and so much more. Lots of fabrication work went into this bike so be sure to check out the build thread for more pictures and all of the details of the build: XS650 chopped & Raked Lots of pics!

The theme for this month's contest was XS650 choppers and bobbers. Check out all of the chopper and bobber entries for the February 2012 XSOTM contest.

Pregrid's Tracker takes the victory in the January 2012 XS650 of the month contest. Every aspect of creating the beautiful bike was documented in Pregrid's thread: buildin' me a tracker.

Check out all of the great entries for the January 2012 XSOTM contest.

Congratulations to Punkskalar (Hugh's Handbuilt) for winning the December 2011 XS650 of the month contest! This bike has caused quite a stir in the custom bike community in the last few years and has been an inspiration to many. People just love Hugh's bike and his enthusiasm for improving the XS650!

Check out all of the great entries for the December 2011 XSOTM contest.

Photo by Staton Carter

In the spirit of the holiday season, Pandemonium Custom Choppers is having a giveaway contest for their Ya Mama XS650 Exhaust System! (or a $210 credit toward any of the products they carry)

To enter into the contest, all you need to do is post in the giveaway thread with why you should win! Entries must be received by 11pm CST on January 1st, 2012 to qualify.

Congratulations to Bobber33 (Chappell Customs) for winning the first XS650 of the month contest! Beautiful Cafe! Check out the build for all of the juicy details and tons of pictures!

Thank you to everyone who participated in the first XSOTM contest! In a few days, it will be time for your nominations for the next XSOTM.

The bikes have been nominated and the voting is well under way in our first XS650 of the month contest! Check out the entries and vote for your favorite!

XS650.com decals are now available! Order a couple today and help support XS650.com! These are quality vinyl cut decals that measure 1.187" tall by 5.1" wide. The picture below is the actual decal applied to a black surface. Order XS650.com decals here.

Knowing how to adjust your cam chain tensioner and valve clearances are things everyone who owns an XS650 must know how to do. littlebill31 has put together a few videos tutorials to show how it's done. Be sure to check them out.

Yamaha XS650 Cam Chain Tensioner Adjustment Video

Yamaha XS650 Valve Adjustment Video

We're kicking off October with two giveaways! You could win brass mid mount foot pegs from Monstercraftsman or handlebars from Zombie Performance. You must enter the drawings by 11pm CST on October 16th, 2011 to qualify. Don't miss out!

Sign up for the Monstercraftsman Giveaway

Sign up for the Zombie Performance Giveaway

Here's a great step-by-step guide on how to bleed motorcycle brakes put together by littlebill31. There are a lot of pictures and plenty of helpful hints in this great article!

Monstercraftsman is giving away one of their new clamp-on chain tensioners to one lucky XS650.com member! They are available for 1", 1-1/8", and 1-1/4" tube sizes. See all the details on the new tensioners at monstercraftsman.com

Entries must be received by 11pm CST on August 7th, 2011 to qualify. To enter into the drawing, all you need to do is post in the giveaway thread.

Check out this 8-plate clutch modification by Hugh (Punkskalar) for his latest XS650 build. The 760cc engine this clutch is going in will be heavily ported, rephased to 277 degrees, and have 11:1 compression. The stock 6-plate clutch was modified to accept 8 plates using hand files, a lathe, and Hugh's precision eyecrometers.

See more details on Hugh's 8-pack clutch mod.

Congratulations to member pregrid who has won the PAMCO ignition! The shirt sales were a great success. Thanks to all who participated. I'll keep everyone posted on the status of the shirts in the presale announcement thread.

After many requests for XS650.com shirts, the design is finalized and a presale is being held to make sure everyone gets the exact garment, size, and color they want. The presale will go until 11pm CST on Thursday April 14th. After the presale, only select garments, colors, and sizes will be available. To make sure you get what you want, order yours today! Check out the shirts!

Every shirt you buy (during the presale only) will enter you into a drawing to win a free PAMCO ignition courtesy of Pete! A $98.95 value and one of the best ignitions made for the XS650! See www.yamahaxs650.com for more details on the PAMCO ignition. The winner of the drawing will be announced on Saturday April 16th! Good Luck!

View Presale Announcement and Comments

Frank Rutigliano's XS650 took second place in the Freestyle Class at the 2011 Ultimate Builder Custom Bike Show in Washington DC! Congratulations Frank! This was his third XS650 build and they just keeps getting better and better.

Interview with Frank at the show:

More videos from the show featuring Two Wheel Mafia:

• Frank Rutigliano Custom Bobber @ 2011 Ultimate Builder Custom Bike Show in Washington DC
• Two Wheel Mafia Washington DC
• Joe Manol @ 2011 Ultimate Builder in Washington DC

Check out the progress on Sky's XS650 turbo / fuel injection project! Outstanding work! Keep the updates coming!

Winter is just around the corner (or already here!) for many of us in the North. If you plan to store your motorcycle over the winter or for any extended period of time, take a look at this article Gentlemanjim put together on how to properly store your motorcycle.

We had several great submissions but the "The Wicked One" wins!

Thanks to everyone who participated and voted!

See all the contest entries.

In the spirit of Halloween, XS650.com is having a pumpkin carving contest! The winner will receive $75 toward any order from Mikes XS or 650 Central. Get creative, start carving, and you could have $75 worth of free parts! Hurry, submissions must be received by midnight (CST) on October 31st.

Find out more!

Clutch spring screws can be a pain in the ass to remove. An impact screwdriver is usually necessary and sometimes they don't even work when the Phillips head strips or the screw snaps. Notice the thin threads on the screw on the left. The one on the right was modified by member kent_in_kc so they should never be a problem again. Upgraded spring screw kits can be purchased for about $30, but if you need it done now or are short on cash, this is a good alternative.

Read Kent's thread on how to modify your clutch spring screws so they will never be a problem again!

Happy Birthday to XS650.com! Thank you to all of the members for making this place great!

Two Wheel Mafia comes through again with more pictures of gorgeous women on XS650s. Check them out in the Babes and XS650s thread. (Warning! Some pictures contain nudity)

There a several ways you can clean out a rusty motorcycle gas tank. Electrolysis a good method if you have the time.

Find out how to clean a rusty fuel tank using a battery charger, scrap steel, and washing soda.

The animations below show the difference between a normal XS650 engine where both pistons rise and fall at the same time, and a rephased XS650 engine where one piston is mid-stroke when the other is at the end of its stroke. Learn more about rephased XS650 engines.

Normal XS650 Engine		Rephased XS650 Engine

This beautiful mono-shock XS650 was built by Chad Goings and his father Bill Goings. They are from Wichita, Kansas and spent two years working on this project. They designed the bike around the mono-shock and careful thought was put into every aspect of the design to keep it simple and clean. Great work guys!  Check out more photos of the finished bike. View the build thread on 650 Rider.

Several XS650.com members have posted wiring diagrams for the XS650 in the Forum.  Maybe one of the diagrams will be just what you’re looking for.

Full wiring diagrams

Simplified wiring diagrams (several ignition systems covered)

Sure it looks decent and should clean up just fine, but it's running a little rough or maybe not at all, and you don't know where to start. Well you've come to the right place! This should be a good starting point: Bike won't start? Running rough?

There are also some good tips on buying a used bike or evaluating the condition of an old motorcycle under Buying Guide - Getting to know your bike.

Also check out the Technical References by clicking 'Tech' on the top navigation bar, or by clicking a specific category under 'Technical References' on the right side of this page.

On the left, a stock XS650 clutch modified by Peter von Sphinx to accept 8 friction plates. inxs is planning an 8-plate clutch of his own using a billet clutch basket. Check out his 8-plate billet clutch project thread.

This is Ian's latest build he calls XS650RR. This project was a four year build process and now he uses it to race in Ontario with the Vintage Road Racing Association (VRRA). Ian plans to upgrade the rear wheel to a disc setup this year and is looking forward to building his tracker project this winter. Beautiful bike Ian!

Andy Carter of Pangea Speed sent in these great shots of Jessica and him during their trip a few months ago to the salt flats. Andy used to build hot rods and now is focusing on motorcycles. He likes to ride what he builds and isn't afraid to open them up or get them a little dirty. Thanks for the shots Andy!

"My name is Robert, and I am a motorcycle-aholic." This is Rob's (MN_TX650) '73 TX650 he rebuilt using the Norton Manx as inspiration. "Basically everything was cleaned, rebuilt, or replaced!". Check out the thread for more pictures and a video.

You don't see too many pictures of xs650s with beautiful women on them. Maybe we should start a thread. This bike was built by Jason Richardson and that's his wife Megan. The unique frame was fabricated by Jason and his uncle and has 38 degrees of rake. The tank is off an old Honda CB. Nice work Jason!

Welcome to XS650.com. Dedicated to the Yamaha 650 twin motorcycles and the owners who love to ride, restore, and customize them. For the rider who isn't afraid to get greasy, the guy in his garage wrenching all night, and the shops building kick-ass customs, this site's for you. We're just getting things going here so Register on the Forum and help kick this off in the right direction.

• Engine and Transmission
• Clutch
• Carburetors, Fuel, Intake, and Air Filters
• Exhaust
• Electrical
• Frame
• Suspension
• Wheels and Drive
• Brakes
• Controls
• Maintenance and General Troubleshooting
• Miscellaneous
• Tools
• Fabricating
• Identifying your XS650, VIN Numbers