NorazDad,
I'm kinda a new feller here and I probably should just listen sometimes rather than start yapping. ( Ya'll shake your head yes) But I believe if you do your best, put your money and work into something, then ride it like granny going to church on Sunday, it should hold up for you. Saying it's 40 something years old and you can expect it to break...Ok, I can see that if it's old electronics, old cracked enamel on the stator, corroded terminals and such. But when you tell me the rods or gears are just old and get embrittled sitting there, expect them to break, crack or snap off, no, I don't buy it. When I got my bike with 14 K, I attributed it swallowing a valve to a brother in laws heavy hand and small brain. When someone riding like you evidently do, have these same problems, that's exactly why I keep it under 4 k if at all possible. Performance modifications, yeah expect parts to break. But the way these things shake, the engine is hardly precision. If I remember right, this was a budget machine at the time. This bike was a 70's era machine. It was a time of 440 magnums and 454 Chevys, Z1's, H2's and 750 Hondas. I don't think the XS really placed except for a cheap, good-looking ride for around town? As I said before, my buddy bought one. All I remember it was yellow and white. I love my XS. I'd rather ride it than the CB750. But I know from everybody's hard work and failures here, it's already a love / hate relationship for a lot of people. If I do my part, I expect it to stay under me and so far it has always brought me home. My ledger mark is someone like Mailman. Outstanding work, and except for a stray drill bit, I expect NOT to hear of him having "engine mechanical" problems on the road. Back in the day, if you kept getting stranded,someone would offer you a match!
