Hi Thomas:
I feel (and share) your pain about kicking a bike. I had a "total knee" job done on my right side
totalled knee in Jan. 2019 and the new one works well - but I don't want to risk messing it up, so kicking is also out of bounds for me.
I agree with Jim on this issue - you have a
spectacularly nice bike there and so a trade for a newer XS650 should not be
at all difficult to arrange. Many people feel that the '77-'79
"Standards" are the nicest models, but for guys who are "less tall" a '79-83
Special might be just the ticket because they have a lower seat height. The engines and transmissions on all '74 and newer XS650s are the same - the only difference being that the 1
980+ bikes have an electronic ignition. The bikes 1973 and earlier had some detail differences in the engines and as you know, the earliest bikes did not have an electric starter.
Jim's beautiful bike is a
Special and my 1976 XS650C is a
Standard and they both
do have electric starts which work just fine (see below). Your bike is a
Standard and the frame size and riding position of all of them is essentially the same. The
Standard was the only model from 1970-78 and then in 1979 you could get a
Standard or a
Special and then only
Specials were available after 1979.
FYI, since you live in Florida, I need to tell you that the white crap on the ground is a form of frozen water that we call
"snow". 
One thing is certain, you cannot beat an XS650 for a f
un to ride, sounds like a bike-not-a-blender motorcycle and with an electric start, they are absolutely super machines. Now,
some people may try to tell you that the XS650 electric start is troublesome - and while the starter
can be a bit noisy on some bikes, the fix is not expensive or difficult and if the bike needs it, we can talk you through it - no sweat.
Anyhow - we are delighted to have you on the forum and so let's see about getting you onto a bike better suited to your capabilities.
Oh, and welcome - from Canada's sunny southern coast near Harrow, Ontario!
Pete
