How many of you guys would spend $1800 on the listed bike. Has been sitting 20 years. Tank drained and very clean 24,000 miles. Everything is there but need cleaning.
Im tempted
Im tempted
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79 XS650 special 2
- Thread starter cra-z1
- Start date
?? Need more details and pics
What are you lookin' at? Link? BTW, I think the '79 XS6502F is my favorite 650 Special.
Maybe $800 if I was lookin for one…
Has an 83 Heritage rear wheel... so it might be a bit of a bitsa....
'80 has chrome wheels, 85 mph speedometer, and TCI ignition. The '79 has aluminum wheels, points iggy, and I think the speedo indicates to 120. Otherwise, it's the same bike.
Some time ago, an NOS '80 Special II brought stupid money on eBay. I think it was in the $7K neighborhood.
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'80 also used the chrome top BS-34's which this one has.
I suspect it's like my bike... it's an '80 but it's titled as a '79.... 'cause I guess DMV's were stupid back then?
If I titled an '80 Mustang in Oct of '79, they'd still title it as an '80 model... but I've seen of and heard of plenty of bikes being mis-titled as the year they were bought and not the model year. Never quiet figured that one out....
If I titled an '80 Mustang in Oct of '79, they'd still title it as an '80 model... but I've seen of and heard of plenty of bikes being mis-titled as the year they were bought and not the model year. Never quiet figured that one out....
I think I’ll keep my eye open for one of these (‘79 Special 2) or a ‘77 to add to the garage. Not looking for a resto project so might be a long search.
Ok thanks! think ill wait and see if it sells.
I thought that the '80 models went to the lift off seat and the unloved cast alloy grab rail ?
Or at least that's what we got here in the UK.
We were only allowed the standard 650 Specials, no Special 2 was ever sold here by Yamaha, and we never got the Heritage either.
I'm still on a learning curve about the US market models.
I know that your Specials had BS38 carbs for 78 and 79, we got the chrome top 34's right from the start.
The Special (SG) got those... the Special II was the same as the '79 with the exceptions noted above.
@650Skull has an excellent thread in Tech that lays out the model differences... and he's continually updating/adding to it.
https://www.xs650.com/threads/xs650...workshop-manuals-and-other-information.30569/
The more deluxe Special model got the lift-off seat, cast alloy grab bar, mag wheels, and a rear disc brake in 1980. The budget Special II had a hinged seat, chrome steel grab bar, drum rear brake, and spoke wheels.
What makes the '79 SPII so desirable is the wheels it came with. It was the only Special model to ever come with alloy spoked wheels.
What makes the '79 SPII so desirable is the wheels it came with. It was the only Special model to ever come with alloy spoked wheels.
Thankyou both!
Unlike the British twins of the '60's and '70's, there's very little been writen about the XS in comparision.
Most of my knowledge of the American market bikes has been either from owning them (called grey imports over here by some people), or from looking at the photos of the stuff from parted out bikes on eBay.
Of course, after 40 odd years lots of bikes have had parts swapped about (like the bike in the OP), it's easy to get confused.
To my mind the side hinge seat bikes are the best looking Specials, and that 50BHP engine never really did need a rear disc brake, it's just unnecessary complication in my opinion.
On the other hand I'm not a fan of spoke wheels.
Too much cleaning and polishing required for my liking.
So my ideal XS650 would be a Special 2 fitted with the cast wheels (rear drum) from an '81 bike.
Unlike the British twins of the '60's and '70's, there's very little been writen about the XS in comparision.
Most of my knowledge of the American market bikes has been either from owning them (called grey imports over here by some people), or from looking at the photos of the stuff from parted out bikes on eBay.
Of course, after 40 odd years lots of bikes have had parts swapped about (like the bike in the OP), it's easy to get confused.
To my mind the side hinge seat bikes are the best looking Specials, and that 50BHP engine never really did need a rear disc brake, it's just unnecessary complication in my opinion.
On the other hand I'm not a fan of spoke wheels.
Too much cleaning and polishing required for my liking.
So my ideal XS650 would be a Special 2 fitted with the cast wheels (rear drum) from an '81 bike.
I happen to like that one enough, if I hadn't already bought a 1980 Special II for 2 grand, I would buy this one. I don't know where the low-ball prices are coming from with respectably kept motorcycles, but I haven't come upon one, and if I did, it would be beyond my set-up to clean up and fix. I am happy with my purchase and that is what truly matters!
'TT'
There was a 79SF US custom sold in Europe. here is a brochure from Holland. The bike has BS38's, hinged seat mag wheels, basically the same as the US and other countries got.
Here is another close by
https://kalispell.craigslist.org/mcy/d/polson-79-xs650/7463895647.html
https://kalispell.craigslist.org/mcy/d/polson-79-xs650/7463895647.html
