nhsteve
XS650 Addict
My first thought on the whole thing was: Man!, is that guy LUCKY!!! Nice score, sounds like it has a good home!
Second thought about the front brake was: That is not even off a 650 at all. Drum is way too small for that engine capacity. Not even in 1968 would Japanese engineers/designers have put a brake that small on a 650cc bike. My guess is it may be from an early enduro, some of which had a low front fender, which would have bolted to the small tab on the fork leg. I think whoever built that up was going for the look of no-front-brake, but felt one was needed ( state inspection/DOT regs/ brain kicked in and said wtf are you doing without a front brake?? ), so found an enduro front end and swapped it over. Just guessing here!
Lastly, the 650 in the window (how much is that 650 in the window??? is very nice, but......................
That XT500 absolutely NAILS IT for me!
Second thought about the front brake was: That is not even off a 650 at all. Drum is way too small for that engine capacity. Not even in 1968 would Japanese engineers/designers have put a brake that small on a 650cc bike. My guess is it may be from an early enduro, some of which had a low front fender, which would have bolted to the small tab on the fork leg. I think whoever built that up was going for the look of no-front-brake, but felt one was needed ( state inspection/DOT regs/ brain kicked in and said wtf are you doing without a front brake?? ), so found an enduro front end and swapped it over. Just guessing here!
Lastly, the 650 in the window (how much is that 650 in the window??? is very nice, but......................
That XT500 absolutely NAILS IT for me!