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[SteNZ]

Hi..
Grew up in NZ in the 70's and had a bit to do with big bikes of that era.. Mostly British until the 750/4 and the Z1 came along..
After a lot of years and lots of old cars, I really want to get my hands on a special, in fact two.
My youngest is 20 and is dead keen to get a bike. I really want him to get his hands dirty and understand the "feel"of bikes from the ground up.. So I am about to start looking for 2 bikes that are in need of complete resto or refurb.. We can sort them out together and end up with two great cruisers..
I have had nothing to do with the XS650 so this is a discovery.. I do believe this is the bike though. I get nostalgic every time I see one.. And the community and parts etc looks wide and accessible..
Any tips, finds or feedback along the way is welcome..
Cheers Rob

 

[Downeaster]

I think you're on the right track. I'm a "child of the 70's" myself. Dad bought me my first motorcycle in 1966. The first bike I bought on my own was in 1971. Between then and 1983 I went through more bikes than I can remember.

Of all of them, my favorite was my '74 TX650A. So much so that when my mid-life crisis hit me at 60 years of age, I spent a good deal of time finding another 650 Yamaha, my '79 Special.

This site is the absolute best resource on the planet for all things XS650, with links to several other sites and a wide variety of sources for parts, upgrades and technical assistance.

Welcome, and spend some time looking around here!