New forum member

[falken]

I didn't really see a specific area for member introductions, this looked like the best place.

I'm Dustin, from Milwaukee. Just bought a 1980 Yamaha XS 650 yesterday. I ride a Suzuki Vstrom currently and wanted to pick up something else a little different; something i could customize.

Anyway, it runs. I rode it 30 miles home; but it needs a lot. Still don't know exactly which route I'm going to take - probably the easiest way to make something that is unique. Either some kind of bobber/rat (minus the hard tail) or cafe.

It sat for a while without really being used or ran (odo says 6700 miles) - PO had it stored for a year and only got it running last week to sell it.

Brakes are not totally safe, tires are old, it leaks some oil, and it was smoking pretty good when I got home (Probably an oil leak hitting the exhaust). Seems to run pretty strong tho and has all the gears - and even shifts pretty well. The controls are a bit oxidized, and the blinks just come on without blinking, and the headlight doesn't work.

Had been dreaming of a custom project for a while and stumbled on the ad and went and got it. Probably paid too much but thats how things go.

 

[falken]

 

[650Skull]

Welcome, may find the headlight fuse has been removed because it isn't charging properly. The non blinking indicators is another point to a low battery through a lack of charging.

Before you strip and build, learn about the whys and whatnot's, use the bike and learn about it and get it running well. This will save a lot of grief in the long run.

"Tech Menu" has everything that is required to fix and learn. Use Google search, (top left), as well.

Congrats on the buy. The bike looks like it is a marriage of a couple of models. The 80SG has the rear mag with disk brakes but the seat and front forks and other black chrome is from a later 82 model. Check the frame and engine no's, factory XS650's had matching no's, only important to purists and as a build it doesn't matter as the engines are basically the same, from 74-83 except the 74-79 had points ignition and 80 and later had a factory TCI ignition.

 

[falken]

Some of the black chrome may have come from a rattle can by the looks of it.