cafe

Hello, I just picked up an 81 650 special last night, and I love it already, plan to go through the basics and ride it this summer, maybe some minor cafe mods, and on to a more serious cafe style build this winter. The po installed the current seat setup and looks like he cleaned the bike up...

Anybody checked out Kott Motorcycles website in California. They build some nice looking XS cafe style bikes. Todd

I am about 95% complete with my first café build and took it out for the first ride this weekend. Bought it from a salvage yard and pieced it back together/ restored / modified it with some help from posts on this site. Last time it was ridden was in 1992. Very rewarding to have a mostly trouble...

Hi, I've posted a few messages since I joined XS650.com but I've not yet posted anything about my bikes. I've only had XSs for about 3 yrs now. My first purchase was a red 79 SE, sight unseen, off Ebay that needs so much doing to it that I ended up buying a second 'cos I was hooked! I never...

Where can I find the half road half off-road tires that I see some cafe bikes with? Can anyone help with that? Just like in the one attached

Hi, Here's my YamaNinja xs 650 ! Seat and some more work to be done… :banghead: After : Before :

Hey guys. Thought I'd share my first xs build. I'm new to the forum, but I've found a ton of good tech info on these bikes, so thanks! This has been somewhat of a budged build, but I bought this thing about 3 months ago stock and since I've added the clip ons from mikes, pandemonium exhaust...

:thumbsup: a blast to ride!!!!!!!!

I'm going to have a fab shop bend me a new seat hoop. Locally no one can bend 7/8" tubing to the correct radius, so I'm going to use 3/4" and just smooth it out. I thought I'd see if there was any interest here. If so, maybe I can get a better price on a batch of them. Not sure what cost would...

I picked up a 72 last year. It had been sitting a garage for years. The engine was seized up and overall just needed tlc. I got it running, tuned up, cleaned up and new tires. It is a blast to ride......but. I have always wanted a cafe style bike. I have decided to just jump in and do it. I just...

Hi Forum, Here is my 77D. It's not done yet but it's getting very close. I parked it in 1989 and then started this restoration project in 2009. Well, it's 2014 so that makes FIVE YEARS of working on it in the winter. This year has been the big push to finish and get it on the road. Still to...

Wow there is some real talent on this site . So many beautiful XS650's on here. I wanted to share with the group my first build and first motorcycle. I got my 1981 Special bone stock with 7,100 miles. I am the second owner. She should be able to ride shortly. Still waiting on my ceramic coated...

Hi guys i am so close to being done my street tracker build. its my first bike and i have learned a Lot!!! What should I use for wiring covering and what website to get it from? canada site would be great.

Greetings! I picked up a bike about three weeks ago in Vermont. $250 got me the engine in the bike, which is frozen, and a second engine which turns. No tank, seat, sidecovers, etc. Here's a few pictures to get started. I'm planning on learning as I go, doing as much work myself as...

So picked up a 83 heritage special a couple of weeks ago, going for a cafe style build. Bike hadn't run in a while guy I bought it from had no idea, so I ran through all the baby steps (this site and everyone is awesome and a ton of help). So after I got all of that done and replaced all the...

Hi Everyone, I've been lurking for a while as I was considering buying an XS650 for a cafe project. Seems like a great community of people here so far...lots of helpful people/info. I just picked up a 1979 XS650 last week in great condition - full motor rebuild & new tires 500 miles ago...

Hi guys! Been a member for a while now. I started wrenching about two years ago and this is my first proper build. I drove out to Modesto, CA from Los Angeles to pick up this 1982 XS650 from a father and son who had given up the bike for dead. They couldn't get spark so they started tearing...

Finally got around to putting on the exhaust Scott made for me last fall. It sounds great and looks even better! We exchanged numerous emails to ensure the that unit was the right length and was laid out the way I wanted and he nailed it. the 2-1 sounds fantastic and gives the bike a much...

While working on my XS, I have noticed quite a few small steel parts, that easily could be substituted with alloy replacements. Like rear wheel spacers, chain adjuster blocks, bearing spacers in the wheels, the center swingarm spacer, exhaust pipe flanges, and surely a lot of other smallish...

Hi all! I was just browsing through Mikes' and had a quick look at the small mechanical tachometers they offer, 48 and 60mm. I could consider using 60 mm tacho and speedometer, but with a 12000 rpm scale, one would at best use a little more than half on an XS. Sort of stupid, and makes the...