XS650 Road Test

Jim

Jim

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Yeah.... it's been a day or two since a motorcycle mag did one. :rolleyes: I still enjoy going back and reading the old road tests from time to time. I'm guessing I'm not alone. :er:
So, here's a thread where we can link to all those old articles.
And for something completely different, the pictures in this thread are the links. Enjoy. :)

First up... and in no particular order, the 77D... or 76C depending on whether you believe the pics or the text.
The Ye Olde Cycle Shoppe.
1977+Yamaha+XS650D+road+test+1 small.jpg


Next up, the granddaddy.
The mighty XS-1 This one is Cycle World looking back at the XS-1 from 2016
XS1 small.jpg


Here's the XS650B from Classic Motorbikes.net
Yamaha-XS650-B.jpg


From Curbside Classics, a little history of the beginnings.
1969-XS16.jpg


Here's a reprint of the XS650B from Cycle World in 1974.
650b1.jpg

As I run across others I'll add 'em to this collection. Got a link to more? Put it in the comments.
 
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Interesting.... just went through an old stash of magazines. Mostly airplane stuff, but I did find this... a one off publication by Motorcyclist Magazine titled Great Bikes of the Seventies. Published in 81, it looks to me to be the first article by Joe Minton on modifying the XS650.

minton6.jpg


mintin1.jpg


minton2.jpg


minton3.jpg


minton4.jpg


minton5.jpg


Not a road test I know.... but I though it interesting enough to include it here.
 
Here's a road test of a 79F by Cycle World.
An excerpt..."It’s the sound, as much as anything. Hit the starter button and the engine growls to life with a subdued roar, then settles into the loping gait of a large vertical Twin, the sound of an even series of cylinder explosions separated by flashes of silence.
It doesn’t purr or whine or mumble. It idles, the handlebars and front end moving with the engine pulsations, trembling in anticipation of the ride to come. It sounds like a motorcycle, not a two-wheeled Porsche; and feels like a motorcycle, not an electric golf cart. You can hear and feel the source of power, gasoline explosions encased in iron and aluminum and steel. The rider, like it or not, is involved in the reality of the machinery."
650f.jpg
 
Not an XS650, but this one hits close to home.
An R5C was the first and only bike I ever bought off the showroom floor.
As for what it feels like to ride one, Joe Zito and Common Tread nail it.

"I have ridden a lot of bikes over the years and none have put a stupid grin on my face like I had when I rode the R5 for the first time. Every time I revved it up over 5,000 rpm and let it sing, I would laugh like a schoolgirl. I was immediately hooked. My normal 10-minute test ride loop turned into an hour of giggles, blue smoke and power wheelies."​

Bikes that made me: The unexpected fun of a 1971 Yamaha R5​




1649183151243.png
 
Jim said:
Not an XS650, but this one hits close to home.
An R5C was the first and only bike I ever bought off the showroom floor.
Click to expand...

I grew up on dirt bikes, but the very first street bike I ever rode was a 1972 Yamaha R5, it belonged to a friend of mine in high school and he let me ride it, just once, but that was enough.
FD36B07E-6535-4DD0-AE2C-E72122D1039A.jpeg


I went out and bought a lightly used 1973 RD350 for myself and we became riding buddies. That was the first vehicle of any kind I ever owned.
FD696F9D-603B-446F-88ED-0E83C46DD5E0.jpeg
 
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Mailman said:
I grew up on dirt bikes, but the very first street bike I ever ride was a 1972 Yamaha R5, it belonged to a friend of mine in high school and he let me ride it, just once, but that was enough.
View attachment 211263

I went out and bought a lightly used 1973 RD350 for myself and we became riding buddies. That was the first vehicle of any kind I ever owned.
View attachment 211264
Click to expand...
A good friend of mine was a mechanic at the Yamaha dealer back in the 70's and he was servicing a new RD400 that an older gentleman had purchased. My friend was going over the bike with the new owner and felt compelled to warn him about the RD's sky happy front wheel to which the buyer informed him that he'd been riding Harley's for years and knew how to ride a motorcycle. That was on Friday, when they reopened on Tuesday, a pickup truck with a RD400 in the bed was waiting on them. Strangely enough, it was missing the tail light and the rear fender and several other parts were badly bent....hmmmmm. I wonder what happened? Those were great bikes.
 
Back in 1970 I travelled to Japan on a school trip. One evening a curious group of young Japanese guys came to visit the complex where the Canadian tourists were staying. I was interested in meeting with them because they all arrived on motorcycles. One guy let me ride his R5 around the parking lot. I’ll never forget that, as at that time, it was the most powerful bike I’d ever ridden. Cool bike to this day. Always wanted to get one but lately the pricing makes them untouchable (for a nice survivor or restored bike).
 
bosco659 said:
Always wanted to get one but lately the pricing makes them untouchable (for a nice survivor or restored bike).
Click to expand...
Hell, even a basket case is stupid expensive these days. Been lookin' for 2 yrs for one to restore. Still ain't found one that's reasonable.
Back in the day I owned more R5's and RD's than I can remember. As a guess.... prolly somewhere around 10-15 of 'em.
 
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bosco659 said:
Maybe I should go for it?

https://www.kijiji.ca/v-sport-bikes/brantford/1971-yamaha-r5-350cc-two-stroke-original/1607394830
Click to expand...
Wow!! Nice one... at a crazy price too. Prolly realistic nowadays... but still crazy.

This made me laugh..... "But - it runs great now and will need time for the new piston and rings to seat."

Here's the drill on those engines... Putter around town for about 20min... drive out to the nearest country road and let her have her head. If the engines tight, and you're a lightweight like me, you should see a ton. Turn around, do it again then putter back home and viola... the rings are seated. :laugh2:
 
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