Newcomer asking for advice on finding a xs650 in India. Advice for touring also welcome.

joebgd said:
I'm over 200lbs and cary loaded saddle bags. I'd suggest an xs 650, look into sprocket changes cause they can use a higher gear on cruise, I have a 30t rear and still have no problem taking off or on hills. I ride some steep inclines in the country of upstate Ny. I believe my 1980 came with a 34t rear. The front can also be brought up from 17-18 which will also lower revs. I'm okay right now with the smaller rear.
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Thank You Joe

I'm about 176lbs myself and I think I can persuade my old lady to ride with me. Will the xs carry 2?

Your thoughts would be highly regarded.

Best wishes

Fred
 
Fred_the_Finn said:
Thank You Joe
I'm about 176lbs myself and I think I can persuade my old lady to ride with me. Will the xs carry 2?
Your thoughts would be highly regarded.
Best wishes
Fred
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Hi Fred,
An XS650 will certainly carry two people.
Whether your old lady wants to ride behind you is up to her.
My old lady said if she wanted to sit like that she'd see her gynecologist.
So I bought a sidecar.
 
Most of us do change sprocket sizes, but only slightly. A 30T rear is about at the limit of what the 50HP 650 will handle, and it will be quite the slug off the line with it. Most of us only go one or two teeth down on the rear, and don't touch the front. The 650 is no high speed interstate cruiser, wasn't designed to be and never will be no matter what sprockets you put on it. All you end up doing is killing the bike's "fun factor" if you gear it too high. If you want to cruise the interstates at 90 all day long, get a BMW, the 650 isn't the bike for that.
 
Paul Sutton said:
Fred_the _Finn, you misunderstand. It needs to be a local old lady. Check if your lady is happier with that arrangement. Also, four kids and half a dozen chickens in boxes will definitely help.
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Oh that's right, I forgot about the local traditions. Come to think of it, I remember seeing someone in Cambodia, riding in the back of a scooter, holding his own in-vein pouch on his way out/in from a hospital. Hmm... maybe I'll just get the 72 red/white color xs and set up an ambulance service. .)
 
Apropos, from my reading Pirsig's ZMM, i glimpsed on the world of adjusting the valves of an older motorcycle. He (Pirsig) seemed to be doing it as a ritual every now and then on his Superhawk. Therefore, I wonder how often would you advise on adjusting them on the road? I found this (
) video by Lanny Mobley on valve adjustment and was wandering if there's any downside to using this method? And what would be the first thing to break on an earlier model XS.

I appreciate anyone's investment of time into reading these posts and pitching in.

Many thanks,

Fred
 
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fredintoon said:
Hi Fred,
An XS650 will certainly carry two people.
Whether your old lady wants to ride behind you is up to her.
My old lady said if she wanted to sit like that she'd see her gynecologist.
So I bought a sidecar.
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That is good knews. She wasn't too keen on being on the sportster so we shall see how we go. Maybe I'll need to seat her on a small innertube of a wheelbarrow or something to cushion the shaking. Speaking of which, what's this talk about the "Good Vibrations" of the xs? Myth, or is it true Yamaha resonance magic?
 
My experience is this methods works, but I stick to the method in the manual. I use the spec. with exhaust 6 thou and intake 3 thou - actually I use metric with exhaust 0.15mm and intake 0.08mm. After tightening the lock nut the gap always seems a little larger so after some playing I find that setting exhaust at 0.13mm gives approx. 0.15mm once locked in place. I do not worry about the slight change to the intake gap when locked.

As to how fussy you are with gap measurement, just remember that the original gap recommendation was double so to overshoot by a little is not an issue but may give you more noise. I am fussy with the bit about 0.13mm giving 0.15mm when locked, but that is just to give me a known referencing point when checking the gap at a later date

Also, after setting the gap I rotate the engine twice to get back to where I was and then check the gap again to make sure all is well.
 
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Paul Sutton said:
My experience is this methods works, but I stick to the method in the manual. I use the spec. with exhaust 6 thou and intake 3 thou - actually I use metric with exhaust 0.15mm and intake 0.08mm. After tightening the lock nut the gap always seems a little larger so after some playing I find that setting exhaust at 0.13mm gives approx. 0.15mm once locked in place. I do not worry about the slight change to the intake gap when locked.

As to how fussy you are with gap measurement, just remember that the original gap recommendation was double so to overshoot by a little is not an issue but may give you more noise. I am fussy with the bit about 0.13mm giving 0.15mm when locked, but that is just to give me a known referencing point when checking the gap at a later date

Also, after setting the gap I rotate the engine twice to get back to where I was and then check the gap again to make sure all is well.
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Thank You Paul for your detailed reply, truly.
 
To whom it may consern;
Me and my Old lady will be flying out to India within the week and get accustomed to the traffic and atmosphere of the place.

I have gotten word of the Royal Enfield Interceptor 650 and am about to hire one when I get the chance and take it out for a spin. If anyone is interested in that particular bike, I will be more than happy to answer questions about the riding experience(If I live to tell the story that is...).

Thereafter I intend to purchase a used RE 500 Bullet or Classic and tour around India. The trip onward is still a bit of a questionmark as my research revealed that taking a motorcycle outside India would require quite a hefty payment to attain a permit for it(and then returning it to India for the refund). I can post pictures of the trip in India.

Best wishes,

Fred
 
Found that "India" article I mentioned. Guy takes an organised tour cross country on an RE Bullet - apparently the go to bike there. Travelled with a mob called "Nevermind Adventures". Good vibes, looks like a great experience and having an Indian guide certainly seemed to take a few of the lumps out of a trip like that. It is in the November 2016 edition of Just Bikes - you might get it online.
Good luck with your trip. Safety and security please.
Cheers
 
there is a story of a guy who rode an sr250 (xs650 little cousin) from florida to panama. when i first read that 15 yrs ago it was already via the wayback, so it's long gone from search engines now. corresponded with him for a bit, he was living in thailand then. another story, on that adventurerider (?) site, of an asian teenager who rode from california to new york on a 50cc moped... lots of interesting rebuilding of everything along the way :) lots of riding on shoulders too
 
David Toll said:
Found that "India" article I mentioned. Guy takes an organised tour cross country on an RE Bullet - apparently the go to bike there. Travelled with a mob called "Nevermind Adventures". Good vibes, looks like a great experience and having an Indian guide certainly seemed to take a few of the lumps out of a trip like that. It is in the November 2016 edition of Just Bikes - you might get it online.
Good luck with your trip. Safety and security please.
Cheers
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Thanks David, I had a look at that Nevermind website, looks like they have a good thing going. We will take our time in acclimatizing and consult a trustworthy experienced guide before setting off on the road.

Cheers

Fred
 
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