Just throwing this out there

Hi Bob, You are right, this bike is not for everyone:shrug: Most of us here have other bikes as well for commuting and long distance rides etc.... Compared to a modern bike it is slow and does buzz but for many here that is the charm :) You are probably a young guy and this probably is just not the bike for you. I bet you would like it later in life after some years in the saddle and get the "need for speed" or "look at me" out of your system:D I had a lot of "look at me" when I was young I must admit :laugh: I don't think you are wrong to ask us old geezers what we like about these bikes, like I said they are not for everyone and there is nothing wrong with that. Get another bike, and another, ride for years and then come back to the old girl, you might find a new attraction you missed the first time around :bike: Good luck mate and just keep on riding no matter what it is as long as it's what you like and not for what others think, enjoyment, thats the reason we :bike:


hey man, I'm 27 (many years away from being a geezer) and would rather have an early 70's xs650 than any other bike out there! And i get more looks on my '73 than some 450 lb. dude on his equally overweight late model cruiser. :D
 
It vibrates like a 360 degree twin. If you knew what it was why are you complaining?

I disagree about the 5th gear. If anything the XS650 would be improved by having only four speeds. With the flat torque curve on these bikes it's not necessary to keep it in a certain rev-range.
 
I have an HD Superglide too, it is fun and much more comfortable. I like having both.

Threadjack!

Hey man, have you been able to make it to any more trackdays with the bike? Love that build and I'm sure it garners a lot of attention at the track.

I need updates! :bike:
 
I have a xs650 that is being upgraded in area's that I feel need work.

I also have other bikes that are in need of upgrades as well.
At some point in time you will want to do some changes to the bike. The gearing is a easy fix by changing the sprocket's .This will also help reduce the vibes as well.
Charging system is a easy fix as well as installing a better ignition system.

None of these mods have to be done at the same time. Pick one item you want to change and complete that task. Ride the bike for a bit and see what other item you may want to change.
Gentlemen that is why we own these old bikes . Not that we are cheap . But because we are brave and not afraid of change .

It is hard to find a motorcycle that you will not find a fault with .
 
It is hard to find a motorcycle that you will not find a fault with .

AMEN! I've only owned 6 bikes in my life, but none of them suited me till I found the XS. A YSR50 when I was kid (it was awesome but a little small for me now),
a Honda 919 (turned into a street fighter, underpowered for its weight, boring, too much attention from law enforcement),
a Sportster Nightster (great engine, vibrated too much even with rubber mounts, suspension and chassis sucked),
a Buell Firebolt (even better engine than a sportster, great chassis, great suspension, looked great, but never ran right since new, and the harley dealer couldn't fix it, after buell went out of business I contacted eric buell racing and they WOULD NOT HELP),
a cb750 dohc (great bike, good power, decent chassis, crazy sound with exhaust, suspension was decent, I actually liked this bike but sold it to get the XS650 I have been lusting over... I'd own another someday... but they are much more expensive and harder to get parts for, unlike the sohc model),

and now my xs650.... LOVE it. It actually vibrates less than the sportster, my bell would ring while the sportster was idling, not so with the XS. The forks were crap when I bought it, but what do you expect from a near 40 year old bike? I have since fixed that. Anything that doesn't do what I want, I will fix, and its WAY more satisfying to build a bike that suits my needs than to buy a new bike for too much money and still not have my needs met, and have a warranty tell me how I can or cant modify it.
 
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Trentbob, why did you even post this? You knew what kind of response you'd get, was it really so crucial to get this off your chest that you walked into the online epicenter of XS650 love and detonated a bomb?

I agree with the general sentiment on here, that it's not for everyone, but I'm honestly surprised that people have been as polite as they have.
 
hey putz, if you're looking to sell it, make it happen - i'm sure tons of us are looking for a spare lol.

yeah, you deserve a glide.

and fyi, i get more looks on my bike than anyone i know, plain and simple. i love these bikes because they're simple, light, easy to work on, and sound insane with the right set of pipes.

plus, kick-start bikes are the shit.
 
Yeah... they are not for everyone .... neither is a Harley.... or a BMW... or a Honda... or a damn Triumph for that matter... I've had them all.... must be your first bike. I am sure you can find someone out here that will take it off your hands. This is a great bike to ride in any of it many iterations.... but... not all are cut out to ride an XS. I am building mine to ride the "Stampede". Last I heard it was 3000 miles in 3 days with no windshield, hard bags, chase vehicle and must be a hard tail. I'll be there next year at the starting line with a huge grin on my face.
 
Trentbob-

If you havn't already givin up on the xs then there's still hope to convert you.

You opened up a proverbial can a worms when you started this thread, but what did you

expect? You got somethin like fifteen or twenty guys tellin you, "If it's not to your liking

FIX IT" So get off your butt and either pick up a wrench and make it something you want,

Or sell it on the classifieds here and get it gone. (I will bet you'll miss it though,when it is

gone) There are hundreds of threads and pics here showing you what you could have

with some elbow grease and initiative to make it shine. And if moneys the prob, the xs

can be a great bike to ride for cheap money. Need Horse Power? Try a Big Bore , Need a

face lift? Try a cafe seat and clubman bars. If you have a serious problem with the bike

post a question and we can show how to answer it and make the bike to your liking.


So the balls in your court, what are you gonna do? :shrug:
 
Speaking for myself of course :laugh: And I'm glad to see young guys and gals finding this great bike even after so many years since production :thumbsup:

Just a wee lil 20 here. But if I won the lottery tomorrow I still don't think I'd buy something new. I'd just build a good shop. Anything vintage, funky, and customizable is good for me.

When I was shopping motorcycles I asked one of my dad's old biker friends. Now this guy is hardcore. He ran with the MCs, got old Harleys in every shape and size, he lived the dream before anyone else was dreaming it. He liked Harleys back when the average income of a Harley rider was $38k a year (and average age was in the low 30s, now it's $85k/yr and in the 50s). He told me to get an old Jap twin, something cheap and reliable so I bought an XS. When he saw that thing he was ecstatic; he had one as his first bike and it was bringing back all the old memories.

So there's no such thing as 'upgrading' only different schools of thought.
 
I ran into a group of young guys today on crotch rockets, all of them newer, faster, better handling and superior to my '83 XS in every way and was amazed at all the attention they gave my bike. They respected me and my 30 plus years of riding. They said a few little oil leaks on such an old bike was to be expected. (Try as I might I've always got a small leak somewhere.)

They asked question after question, everything from horsepower to gas mileage, top speed-- you name it, they wanted to know all about it. Most of them were younger than my XS and kept calling it old school, cool and great looking. My XS doesn't begin to compare to many I've seen on this forum but it was the first XS most of them have ever seen. A couple of them even tried to buy it and didn't even flinch when I said I might let it go for $6 Grand.

Someone brought up Harleys. I've owned 4 and loved 2 of them. I told them all that mattered was that it has 2 wheels and all agreed.

No, the XS isn't a modern motorcycle but I was very proud to be riding an XS today.
 
an XS is a sweet old school wrencher's ride. Its for the folk who take pride in the bare essence of motorcycling. Can't wait to bomb down my local backroads in the fading summer sun, while bumblebees bounce off my head.

I love all motorcycles; I'd jump on a Harley in a flash, but the XS is all other bikes distilled into something more pure.

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Hell, I'd probably buy that old turd from you Trent. I'm 30 min from St. Paul. What do you want for it?
 
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