My First Yamaha / 74 TXa650?

[mrmach5]

Greetings,
Had Motorcycles up until I was 24 or so, Hodaka, then three Kawasaki's a 72 H-1 500,
a KZ400 twin, and KZ650 4Cyl. Got married and so went the bikes, and eventually so did the wife. 34 years later, I found Motorcycles again, and realized how much I enjoy them, riding them , working on them etc. The bike that brought me back to it (I had lusted over for some time before acting) 2007 Triumph Bonneville, black and white tuxedo paint. I love that bike!!! Bought it in spring 2013,,, since then, I have been buying Motorcycles, that I have admired but never owned, including the 74 TXa 650 I picked up this past weekend, I will really enjoy disassembling it this winter and bring it back to its original beauty. My current inventory,
2007 Triumph Bonneville T-100 Black
1975 Honda CB550K Four Cyl Orange
1979 Honda Trail CT90 Red (only 197 miles on it )
2007 Moto Guzzi Norge 1200GT Red
1974 Yamaha TXa 650 Cinnamon Brown (9k miles)
I think I'm really gonna like this Yamaha, love the way it sounds, and love the Britsh bike styling influence. Rode it a little yesterday,, feels so different from my other bikes!

 

[weekendrider]

Welcome to the forum mrmach5,
You will enjoy the "old school" feel and sound of your "new" bike.
Fun bikes for zipping round on.
Explore the site especially the tech section and most if not all of the questions you have will be addressed. Take a look at the picture albums to see the various ways the bikes are transformed and tidbits, tricks and informative pictures and tech notices.
BUT first learn how to post up some pictures of your bike.
We love looking at what you got!

 

[mrmach5]

OK here goes,
I think it was a great find, low miles, runs super, shifts good, everything in working order and everything is there. Just needs some clean up, and TLC.

 

[nj1639]

Very nice!
I like to think of them as German design, Japanese production.

 

[CDNTX650]

Nice. Dont see alot of clean 74. Mine isnt original color, but stock looking. I love the feel of the bike too. Far different than other bikes of the era.

 

[weekendrider]

Just needs some clean up

Say what?
It looks showroom new. Congrats on such a nice find.
When are you going to chop it up?
These don't run with the added weight of shocks, fenders and comfortable seats

 

[CDNTX650]

I always wonder why they choose that color. Every color combo till 74 pops....

 

[mrmach5]

One thing on this bike is, although the inside of the gas tank is perfect, it appears that the tank may have been repainted, cause lots of orange peel, and I'm sure Yamaha's quality control would not have accepted that. So probably get it repainted.
Not sure what Colors were available in 74 other than the Cinnamon Brown.
Hopefully find out, thru this forum.

 

[650Skull]

Cinnamon Brown and Vegas Green.

 

[weaselbeak]

Cinnamon Brown and Vegas Green.

I always thought there was only one color each year back then, until 77 or so. 73 had a beautiful medium blue, 74 was brown, 75, black, 76 light blue, so forth.

 

[lakeview]

This year also had red lenses in the rear direction lights - did they light up with the brakes? Very nice looking machine, it cleaned up really nice.

 

[650Skull]

US had one color usually but other countries had different colors as well as the US color as often as not.

Check out my Sticky ID thread in the Garage. Also go to my album, it has some brochures that arn't posted in the IDS tread and also an album of Non US XS650's, (not complete yet).

 

[Downeaster]

Oooooooooooooooooooooooooo...NICE!

I had a brand new one EXACTLY like that. Loved that bike, kicked myself for years for selling it.

I love that color too, but apparently I'm in the minority.

 

[mrmach5]

Oooooooooooooooooooooooooo...NICE!

I had a brand new one EXACTLY like that. Loved that bike, kicked myself for years for selling it.

I love that color too, but apparently I'm in the minority.

I'm warming up to the color, as it is different, not something you see everyday.
Love your Pic! way cool. What did that bike cost when new????

 

[Downeaster]

Danged if I can remember mrmach5. Less than $2,000 certainly.

I'd just come into an insurance settlement and bought that and a Yamaha SC500 dirt bike on the same day.

That 500 was plumb evil. Fast as heck in a straight line, but handled like a hog on ice.

 

[Pat D]

Very nice! All my paint was already painted over(counted 8 layers on the tank), so I went with rattle can black, and left the bike slightly generic. It could be made right with not much effort if I ever decide to. My rear signals do not light up with brake application, only the tail light.

 

[mrmach5]

Looks great in Black! Nice bike. What exhaust is that?

 

[battlecat]

To me that is the prettiest XS ever...it always bums me out when I hear people chop 'em up...but that's just me. I had a chance to buy one just like that several years ago and I was hurtin' for money so I passed it up. I could kick myself. I love the color.

 

[650Skull]

Talking to our club secretary, (650 Club of Australia), about the TX650A and he made the comment about how rare these 74 TXA's are. Checking out the ID chart i go off, it has the actual production no's of how many were produced for that year. The 74TXA is the second lest produced model behind the XS1.

6,586 70 XS-1's were produced world wide and 12,150 74 TX-A's produced.

To keep it in context 25,283 71 XS-1B's. No numbers for the 71 XS-1F's and 33,800 72 XS-2's

 

[Pat D]

Looks great in Black! Nice bike. What exhaust is that?

As near as I can tell, the headpipes are stock, but the mufflers appear to be these ...http://www.ebay.com/itm/Emgo-Dunsta...-Muffler-/350999824653?_trksid=p2054897.l4275

I had to fab up some brackets for 'em, the PO had 'em hanging with plumbers tape and universal auto exhaust hangers.