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XS 650 Screwturner
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Hey Guys And Gals
I just want to pass along some of lifes experience which I have lived to tell.
I owned a 1978 XS650 Special for over 10 years and it was a easy resto which I enjoyed every minite of. In Sept 2011 I sold it to a good home about 350 miles away.
Since then I bought a 2003 Yamaha V-Star 650 Classic which was used as a donor bike for a newer model,it required a whole front end from the triple tree down.
Finding parts was a night mare...took 4 month to collect all that was needed. There were a couple of sites dedicated to the V-Star 650's....which I joined...and was never so unwelcomed by a group of people who supposidly shared the same intrest...ignorrant,snotty and not a very hands on group at all.....It was frusturating to say the least.
The bike itself was nice and comfortable to ride....but lacked the mistique of the paraell twin...too much cookie cutter for my likings
What my point is, is that if you have a old peice of machinery that you have poured blood,sweat and tears into.....don't sell it...Not only did I build my self a beautiful bike,but I made so many friends on this very site who would give good straight advice to me who actually worked on thier own bikes......the other sites I mentioned were a bunch of wannabees to the folks you all are....
Retired Gentleman....a fellow Canadian...was one of my favorite go to guys for advice....always quick to chime in and help....with advice you can count on.....RG...I am glad your still here....checked out the pictures....your 78 is awesome.
In closing...I just wasnted to pass along my story to save someone else from making a rash decision.
 
I have a major case of the hots for a Suzuki V-Strom. I may even put together the scratch to get one, but it will NOT be at the expense of my 650.

I spent a lot of time looking for that bike, it has a home in my garage until I assume room temperature.
 
My bike is a 1977 xs650d. My brother had it for about 5 to 7 years. Left it sit uncovered on his carport. Tank rusted up and surface rust elsewhere. I told him I would buy it from him for $300. I got it and put about $400 into it and had it really nice. Then I bought my dream bike a Heritage Softail Classic in 2002. At that time, I gave the Yamaha back to my brother since he had nothing to ride. About a year later, he bought a Harley and the Yamaha sat in an unheated shed. Tires flat, carbs gummed up and looking very sad. Much different that when I gave it to him. I told him that if he was just going to let it sit like that, he should give it back to me. He did and I went through the process of cleaning it up again and putting kits in the carbs. I bought about $300 of items from MikeXS (no complaints). Finally got it looking good again. I love to ride it. It is just a complete different experience than my Harley. I was looking at it in the garage and thought about selling it for a minute. But no way. I said when I got it back that it would not be leaving me again. I had another 1972 xs650 that I rode from 1976 to 1986. I let it go, gave it away to a relative. But, I'll keep the '77 till, well along as I am alive.
I know if I ever sold it I would regret it.
Tnicean:bike:
 
Got my first XS in '93 ('78 Standard) for a few hundred...and spent the next few months getting it to run well, and rode it all over (but it looked like crap). I then moved to the East Coast, and it sat for 4 years in my mom's garage... when I moved back home, I decided to bring it back from the mess of bike it looked like. I had done a good amount of work, brought it to an almost stock look--after a few years, the charging started to go...instead of dealing with it, I decided I wanted a modern/reliable bike so I sold in the Fall of 2000 and bought a 2001 FZ1 (First year)...still have it to this day, but MAN did I miss that '78. I kicked myself almost instantly, but I had the FZ1 to keep my mind off of it. :)

I told myself that if I ever got one again, I would build the bike I always envisioned...and not get rid of it...and that's what happened this summer. Happy to be back with an XS.
 
I bought my XS650 in 1983. It was new. It still looks cared for. I have three more in the garage now. I have an XS1100 since 2003, and another just like it not running. Plus a couple other broken bikes. I need more space!
 
I got my SG in 2010. It was kept in a garage for 10 yrs or so(so I was told by the po). Looked pretty decent for being a 30 yr old bike. Got it going and found it needed a Intake valve. Replaced said valve and ran even better. Been making it my vision of my bike ever since. It's going not going to a new owner until I can't swing a leg over it.
Back in the 90's I had a '75 or so XS650 and traded it for a VW bug. I always regretted that decision. I'm not going to make that mistake a second time.
 
I concur. I had an '80 SG from 1989 to 2013. It had BUB pipes and got comments everywhere I rode it. I should have kept it.
whynot2 is down to 1 (650).
 
Yup the old stuff is cool. It has a soul that no amount of chrome plated plastic slathered on a metric v-twin can match. Forums really do run the gamut, from like this one to amazingly obnoxious. Oddly a BMW forum I found has a bunch of hands on cool guys. I told them I was kind of shocked, wasn't what I was expecting from BMW owners, and they all laughed.
 
I have way too many bikes now, in the fall I came across too many good deals to pass up:

- complete 1970 CB450 for $250
- '76 CB750 for $450 delivered, needs work, missing one side cover and carbs are toast, luckily I got a set for free
- '81 SR500 for $400, 17k miles, missing airbox and rear wheel chain tensioner, otherwise runs (last find, really excited about this one)

On top of the bikes I already have as daily riders: cb550 mutt, '78 cb750 mostly stock, NT650 stock, and finally '78 XS650.

I need to thin the herd, '78 750 is top of the list but only has VT registration. Need proper registration first. Next is the XS650.

The problem is, after about a month and a half of not starting the XS, and in 25 degree weather I figured let's take it out so carbs don't gum up.

Sputtered first 2 kicks, but started 3rd kick with great idle. It's so cold the motor barely turns over (has great compression in the summer too), it only cranks partially with all my weight but that is enough to fire up. So for the past days I've been riding it to work, This morning it fired up first kick. It handles great on the slippery roads, no wonder it's a great flat tracker platform :)

So now I don't want to sell it anymore...
 
I was just at the Calgary Motorcycle Show. There was plastic fantastics everwhere on display. The plastic parts just don't seem right to me. I real bike has steel parts.................my bike has steel side covers and steel chain guard, and of course steel fenders.

And while I'm on this rant, what's with these guys that are always complaining about the small amout of vibration these engines have. I say "Get over it"..............the vibes on these 360 degree bikes is what makes them unique! Once you rephase (marketing gimmick, for the closet H-D lovers, looking for that H-D sound) these engines , they're no longer a classic XS650 anymore.

And what's the deal with installing these "fake oil tanks" to hide the electrics. I guess the pretend oil tank will convince some people that your bike is a dry sump engine like that other manufacturer (closet H-D envy again).

Once you hack up these bikes, hard tails and or rephasing, you create a contraption of some type, but its no longer a classic XS650. Instead of a thoroughbred, you end up with a mutt.

End of rant:D
 
If you look at my bike you know I am not a purist. I do believe in making the bike more efficient,electronic ignition,sealed battery,Spax alternator and better flowing exhaust. But, I did keep the look and feel of the XS650. I think R.G. is spot on.

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Rant on, Retired Gentleman. Count me in for maintaining the original character and personality of the classic. Building choppers when I was a kid was a fun time, but my dedication now is to keeping it real. The Edd China orientation, you might call it.
 
Hey Downeaster, don't worry I can tell you from experience there is plenty of room for the V-Strom and an XS in the garage (plus a DR 650 and some others). I think you'll like the Strom, it is a good complement to the XS.

Downeaster said:
I have a major case of the hots for a Suzuki V-Strom. I may even put together the scratch to get one, but it will NOT be at the expense of my 650.

I spent a lot of time looking for that bike, it has a home in my garage until I assume room temperature.
Click to expand...
 

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