New French (blue) member

[650Skull]

welcome to the XS world............Nice bike, ironic the rest of the world got the 650C in French Blue and France doesn't..........

Caution on buying parts in Europe for your US import bike...........Especially the front forks and rotors............Euro models came out with twin disk front brakes and Us models had a single front disk brake..............Euro model front disks are smaller than the US model disk and this means the caliper is mounted lower on the front forks.......lower caliper mount bracket on the front fork means the early, 75-76 front guard stay mounts are also lower on the fork making the stays for the euro models longer than the US models...........Euro 75-76 guard stays are to long for your bike.



Compare the axle clamp position, direction of the axle, axle clamp on the bottom of the fork and nut and guard stays, between the Euro, (pic), and the US model.

76C brochure

These are later models but show how the caliper is mounted lower o the forks to accommodate the smaller rotor

 

[MaxPete]

Welcome from Canada's sunny southern coast in Windsor, Ontario!

BTW - the 1976 XS650C also came in a very smart looking red colour scheme. This is my C-model - Lucille:

 

[WideAWAKE]

Nice work!!

here is my French Blue, next to its little buddy.

 

[AleXS]

Thanks to all for your so interesting posts.
To 650Skull : I guess the XS650 I bought is what we call a "sausage" in French... i.e. an assembly of different parts that do not particulary fit together.
I will pay attention as I will have to order any other parts and probably let the front fender as it is.
For example, the DOT tank is not round on my bike, although it should be.
I will check the details as soon as possible, as the bike is not at home and is quite naked at the time.

 

[5twins]

You may have a whole later 35mm fork swapped on there. We would need to see better, closer up pics of it, the disc, and the caliper to tell you. Your master cylinder is definitely the '77 and later unit.

 

[AleXS]

OK, maybe in 10 days.
Here is a vid, made the day I bought the bike, in which you will be able to see the fork, disc and brake caliper
A kind of before, before the after.
By the way, what do you think about this used brake master cylinder ?
https://www.google.com/url?q=https:...DhkQ5RMIBDAA&usg=AOvVaw0vi4zvyrMspfGPtIyAQajO

 

[5twins]

You have a whole later front end swapped on there (disc, caliper, fender, fork) including the instrument set. That '72-'76 MC you're looking at won't work too well because it's sized to work with the earlier 2 piston caliper. You have the later one piston caliper.

 

[AleXS]

Thanks 5twins.
You confirm that my beautiful bike is a 'sausage'.
I checked the serial number that is 447-706190.
So it seems, according to the list I found on this forum, that the bike is a US D instead of a C.
I'm a bit confused!

 

[650Skull]

Yes, the Vin no is for a US 77D............
Gauges, Speedo, (220klh), and rev-counter are from a 79F

if you haven't already looked. I have reworked and I am adding to this all the time............
http://www.xs650.com/threads/xs650-...uals-and-other-information.30569/#post-307256

 

[650Skull]

Confusion comes in due to production date.......production date is Aug one year to July the next.......76C, is from Aug 75 to July 76......77D, from Aug 76 to July 77.

Bikes when getting re-registered are often identified and registered from the production date and not the vin no/model..........you vin no is quite low on the 77D run so could have been produced in 76.........date should be on the vin sticker

 

[AleXS]

Unfortunately, the manufacturing date is not visible on the picture I took, instead of the huge welding on the frame.
I shall have a look 'above' to see if there is something engraved.

 

[650Skull]

Date isn't important, the vin no states a 77. if its registered as a 76 it only matters to a purest........where that weld is concerning.......what was welded?????

 

[AleXS]

I just would like to ride a coherent bike
My technical English is too poor to describe, so here is an other pic.
Maybe this welding is normal, or is it a repair due to an accident?
I guess that Japanese workers take care!

 

[650Skull]

Not normal........Can't tell from that pic.........

Just below where that weld is on the factory neck.......there is a steering stop welded to the frame head......Pic coming

 

[650Skull]

The lugs on the bottom of the triple tree hit this piece to stop the forks from hitting the Tank when turning

was your tank damaged in the front, behind the forks

 

[AleXS]

No, the tank has only been damaged on the right side... If it's the original tank, that is absolutely not sure.
I will probably get other pictures tomorrow.

 

[Hudriwudri]

Alex,
You basically have the somewhat later front end, as I do on my 1982, thus you can without any problems use the sr500 front fender.
I personally like the older tz-style brake calipers more but with some tlc the later ones also work decent.
As far as I can tell, the welds look stock, they have never been any prettier, always been some slabs of iron chunks spat on the tubes

Kind regards

Christian

 

[5twins]

Yes, the factory welds aren't works of art, but they're better than that, lol. Besides, the factory wouldn't be welding after that sticker was applied and burning it up like that.

 

[Norton7d]

Yes, the Vin no is for a US 77D............
Gauges, Speedo, (220klh), and rev-counter are from a 79F

if you haven't already looked. I have reworked and I am adding to this all the time............
http://www.xs650.com/threads/xs650-...uals-and-other-information.30569/#post-307256

Based on the build numbers for a 76 C, my bike is near the end of the run, within the final 15 bikes.
447-21188X

 

[AleXS]

Alex,
You basically have the somewhat later front end, as I do on my 1982, thus you can without any problems use the sr500 front fender.
I personally like the older tz-style brake calipers more but with some tlc the later ones also work decent.
As far as I can tell, the welds look stock, they have never been any prettier, always been some slabs of iron chunks spat on the tubes

Kind regards

Christian

Thanks to you all who help me to be smarter about my bike.
Christian, as I wrote, my technical English is not so good, so could you develop what "tlc" is ?