Yamaha XS650 History 1970-1983

Here's an F that did belong to a couple of friends of mine. It is a US model.

2005_0509_054551AA.JPG
 
is that a standard headlamp bracket for an F ?
My 2F has a completely different shaped bracket :confused:
 
Yes that looks correct for a 79F

79xs 010.jpg

79xs 009.jpg

My F when I got it a few years ago. it had some non stock parts hung on it at that time.
 
were those ears just used for the standard 79 F model ? or did they use them on the 79 2F specials as well ?
 
I have a 2F and it is like every other Special in regards to the headlight brackets.
ok but that doesn't really answer my question does it ? I don't know what every other Special 2F bracket looked like or I wouldn't be asking the question :wink2:

Here is my 2F it was manufactured in 1978 registered 1979 Vin No 251-555
Are these non standard 'ears'?
 

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  • XS650 79 2F Ser 251555.jpg
    XS650 79 2F Ser 251555.jpg
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Those look like the standard normal "special" ears to me. I have a box full of that type of ear. (probably 90% are bent LOL)

Picture of a special II I found pics of specials with those ears too but this was the clearest shot of the ears.

JaysBike1.jpg


I think it's also the pic the "historian" is looking for of an SPII in blue.
 
excellent picture gary thanks :thumbsup:

The Hlamp bracket is the same as your picture so I wonder why they shipped different ears for the two models in the same year ? I've never seen a set like jetmarty's

The bars have definitely been changed on the illustrated Spll, I wonder what else might have been changed ?

My seat is nothing like that one so it looks like it was replaced with a later type at some point after it was imported.:confused:

Great picture for identification purposes

Does Skull have one of these for his collection I wonder ?
 
An 80? Special II
xs650-special.jpg


Ears like yours but you can see the BS34s and the lift off seat. It does not have the cast aluminum grab rail yet.
Yamaha+XS650+Special+II+seat.JPG


I am rather sure this is a 79 SPII with the "correct" seat

Several shots of that bike HERE

I think the only non stock item is the handle bars.
 
The Standard headlight ears differ from the Special headlight ears. All the 35mm forked Standards ('77, '78, '79) had chrome ears like the ones in Jet's post #21. My '78 Standard has those same ears. The different type on your '79 SPII are correct for a Special.
 
thanks all :thumbsup: thats my ears sorted:D i hadn't thought about the fork tubes being a different diameter

Gary that 80 seat is exactly the same pattern as mine but mine is side hinged ?:confused: It seems quite a rare pattern? there a few seats that look similar but I rarely see that 80 one.
Could the 80 be a 79 ?

My 79 has the circular frame reflectors not the rectangular ones in the pic.
 
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An 80? Special II
xs650-special.jpg


Ears like yours but you can see the BS34s and the lift off seat. It does not have the cast aluminum grab rail yet.
Yamaha+XS650+Special+II+seat.JPG


I am rather sure this is a 79 SPII with the "correct" seat

Several shots of that bike HERE

I think the only non stock item is the handle bars.

The top photo is an '81 Special II. The last Special II. Special II never got a cast seat grab bar. '80 Special II shares seats with the earlier Special. Have I caused enough confusion?

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The top photo is an '81 Special II. The last Special II. Special II never got a cast seat grab bar. '80 Special II shares seats with the earlier Special. Have I caused enough confusion?

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Your right. Just think of the 80Special II as being a replica of thew 78/79 Specials or a parts left over used up in the next year, budget model. Had the metal (78/78), side-covers and the lugs on the frame to carry them and the hinged seat but the rims were chromed not alloy
 
I have this picture of bike that I owned at one point marked as an 81

81xs650 012.jpg

I think that first pic is a red herring, the side cover Special II writing is not factory, I think that is someone's parts bin engineering
 
The cups are chrome, (first pic), If they changed them then the grab rail as well?

I think there is a lot of mixing and matching at the model/year at change over. Just like jetmechmarty's bike that has the numbers to suit an 82J, doesn't have the black chrome Of the 82, and is registered as an 8/83.
 
80xs650gbfrontleft%20(Small).jpg

1980 Special II

Yamaha%20XS650SP%2080.jpg

1980 Special. This is a one year only seat. Hear you can see the difference in the Special and Special II. '80 was the only year the difference was so drastic.
 
^Note the seat in the '80 Special compared to the ones in gggGary's posts. The '80 Special seat is one year and will fit on '81 and up. It's flatter and more comfortable and better looking. Speaking of switching parts around :)
 
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