77d barn find... rear disc?

[Sundie]

Very confusing... according to the (matching) serial, it's a 77d (which makes the Maxi Maroon tank make sense) with a small tank, dual petcocks, small mag rim on rear, and disc brakes... Oh, and it's a *standard*... What the hell?

Only missing the sidecovers - which i have a spare set of.

$320. MuhahaHAhahAHhHAhahAHahAHhahaha.

 

[hooktool]

Someone put a Special (or some other) wheel on the back. Does it run? Is it legal? We don't believe you anyway, because there's no pictures.

John

 

[gggGary]

Standard should have the big tank (Center not offset gas cap) I start looking REAL close when the wheels don't match. I always start thinking this thing musta got hit by a truck and patched back together. Don't trust that back brake till you are sure the bits were all welded on good and straight.

 

[Sundie]

Someone put a Special (or some other) wheel on the back. Does it run? Is it legal? We don't believe you anyway, because there's no pictures.

John

Pic added.

 

[Sundie]

Someone put a Special (or some other) wheel on the back. Does it run? Is it legal? We don't believe you anyway, because there's no pictures.

John

I dunno... It looks completely stock... And the colour matches for the year. The tank even still has that stupid chrome strip around the front that always goes away.

Engine and frame match numbers.... 477-900xxx

Standard should have the big tank (Center not offset gas cap) I start looking REAL close when the wheels don't match. I always start thinking this thing musta got hit by a truck and patched back together. Don't trust that back brake till you are sure the bits were all welded on good and straight.

I know - i checked that - all welds for the reservoir look stock (have an 80 to compare against). this is why it's really confusing me.

I'm going to post more detailed pics later.

 

[gggGary]

If it's a standard it 's got the wrong; tank, seat, mufflers, wheels, handlebars, Taillight and back fender. Oops master cylinder appears correct. I can't tell for sure on the tank but it should not have the bolt on YAMAHA badge. Oh and the passenger peg mount on the frame is wrong, I am fairly sure you have a special no matter what the numbers say.
The pic above is a USA spec 77 standard all stock except the mufflers which are a close match for stock.

 

[Sundie]

might be this?
XS650SE 2M1 447-900101 1978 Vintage Burgundy, New Midnight Black Canada & Others

But it's got the flat frame under the seat of a standard.

Also has a small square taillight.

Weird. Have to get the ownership recovered. Will do that next week and that should (might, if they have record) clear it up.

 

[gggGary]

http://www.xs650.com/forum/showthread.php?t=2036

 

[retiredgentleman]

Sundie;

What you have is a 78 Special.................a very desirable bike, just like mine

 

[bluebikerblan]

I believe that the first bike you're looking at is a 1978 SE made in late 77, frame, seat, fenders, instruments, headlight, tailight wheels all say 78' SE Special 2MO model with a VIN 2FO-100101 and up. Care to share the VIN #. I'll bet on it being a 78 Special model whether 1st sold in US or Canada. Blue

Typing over ya TRG sorry. Same opinion though and I have one also Cobalt Blue however.

 

[highspeedhamish]

Mine is a 79SF (Special) but the PO swapped out so many parts to make it a non special it was a bitch to decode what was what. He wanted spoked wheels so bad he changed the entire back end with a 73-75 drum brake wheel, swingarm, etc. The motor was changed also during its lifetime but was also a 79 model year. Front end was changed too due to a crash. The speedo is early 70s as well. (the tach wasnt!?!)

It now has the mag wheels it came with originally which are all disc brakes.

 

[retiredgentleman]

No worries blue...............I guess we just came upon this post at the same time.

 

[bluebikerblan]

Sorting through the PO retrofits and mish mosh, a good place to distinquish is with the frame. Especially if you have a matching VIN numbers situation. Check the real distinquishing charactistics of the Standards as compared to the Specials once you look closely. That loop section to which the passenger footpeg mounts is an obvious difference and tell. Rear shock angles are another. Center stand lift handle on Standards another. Blue

 

[Sundie]

yeah, the primary check (rear shock angle) says it's a special, which agrees with the CDN vin (447-900xxx) and colour. although it has gold (i think) mag rims. I think i was mostly confused because i didn't realize the early specials has bs38's or swing up sidecovers.

While it's mostly complete, there is a lot of damage to wiring, rear signals, missing one side air box cover, missing sidecovers, someone has gone at it with a spray paint can at some point, tank looks like it got mushed between the barn wall and the tractor at some point - i *think* i might hardtaill it. I've already got a magnificent 78 750 rephased standard with twin front rotors, and specials are not *that* rare up here - yet.

If it had been a standard (of which mine is the only one i've ever seen) i'd be restoring it.

 

[650Skull]

The 78/79 are a stand alone example of the xs. Mikes dosen't make the parts specific to these models so parts are going to get rare quicker.

differences to other Specials

Metal side-covers.
Hinged seat.
Chrome grab rail.
Carbs, some say are the best made.
Has an Alternator fail wired into the red brake/tail fail light.
Speedo does not have the red line plastered all over it.
Taco has the High beam light and the neutral light on the face.
Tailight/Numberplate is mounted on the rear of the guard, Taillight and numberplate light in the one lens.
Rear Guard, has extra strengthening where the taillight mounts.
Tank has twin petcocks.

The visual look of these models when put side by side with the later Specials makes for a vastly differently looking bike.

 

[Sundie]

Carbs, some say are the best made.

Yep. The engine/carb set up is identical to my standard - BS38's. Which is awesome.

Has an Alternator fail wired into the red brake/tail fail light.

pretty sure my Standard has that too. Hm.

Speedo does not have the red line plastered all over it.

The what? I've looked at the three examples of specials in my garage, and they all look the same...

Taco has the High beam light and the neutral light on the face.

Tailight/Numberplate is mounted on the rear of the guard, Taillight and numberplate light in the one lens.
Tank has twin petcocks.

Yeah, this threw me quite a bit.

The visual look of these models when put side by side with the later Specials makes for a vastly differently looking bike.

Yeah, i haven't *totally* disregarded retro-restore-modding it. It's just that it would make such a *nice* hard tail. And like i said, i've already got the standard.

 

[650Skull]

hey man not telling you what to do with your bike, if you want too hardtail that is your choice and from your description the bike is a bit of a mess.

I listed the differences because of your comment, "specials are not *that* rare up here - yet." There are 2 distinct Specials the way i see it

 

[Sundie]

differences to other Specials

.
Speedo does not have the red line plastered all over it.

Just figured this out - the reason i didn't know about it was that Cdn speedo's are in mixed km/mi for the specials, and none of them had the 50+ line. Standard had km only.

 

[650Skull]

Just figured this out - the reason i didn't know about it was that Cdn speedo's are in mixed km/mi for the specials, and none of them had the 50+ line. Standard had km only.

Here is a pic, not the best, of the US/Canadian 78/79 Special spreedo. the US 78/79 had the MPH on the outside 120MPH and KPH on the inside in yellow, 180KPH. The Canadian XS has the 220KPH on the outside and 140MPH in yellow on the inside.

Might have to download the pic and expand it to get a good reading. Hard to see but the US one is on top and the Canadian one on the bottem

 

[Sundie]

i don't see the red line in that pic... am i just blind?