New member Considering an XS650

ckahleer

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Greeting. I'm new to this forum.
I presently have a 85 Honda Magna 1100, but thinking of downsizing. Something less complex.
Looking for an air cooled parallel twin. Standard riding position. Mostly 1 hour rides, but still capable of a 500 mile highway road trip.
I want something older that I can antique tag.
I don't mind doing some wrenching now and then.
I'm not comfortable with feet forward V twins.
Am I barking up the right tree considering an XS650?
 
Greeting. I'm new to this forum.
I presently have a 85 Honda Magna 1100, but thinking of downsizing. Something less complex.
Looking for an air cooled parallel twin. Standard riding position. Mostly 1 hour rides, but still capable of a 500 mile highway road trip.
I want something older that I can antique tag.
I don't mind doing some wrenching now and then.
I'm not comfortable with feet forward V twins.
Am I barking up the right tree considering an XS650?

Welcome ckahleer and nope - you're definitely at the right tree and in the right place to find out about them.

If people will forgive me some generalizations, I view XS650's as coming in four distinct variants:
  • early Standards - 1970-1972 (these machines had a drum front brake and the first years had no electric starter);
  • mid-year Standards - 1973-1976 (frame upgrades to improve handling, electric start and disk front brakes plus a few other minor electrical upgrades);
  • later Standards - 1977-1979 (slightly stronger forks, a few more electrical upgrades);
  • Specials - 1979-1983/4 - the final year depended on which market you are in. (these bikes came with "cruiser" styling with stepped seats and higher, more curvey handlebars);
The engines are virtually identical from 1974-on with electronic ignition systems commencing in 1980. The early 1970-72 bikes are fairly rare to find for sale nowadays and many people find the 1973-78 Standards to be somewhat more comfortable than the Specials, but each type has its fans. Basically, the bikes are all good and the engines are very robust and easy to keep running with few recognized weaknesses.

Getting an XS650 back on the road after a period of dormancy usually involves cleaning out the carburettors and sorting out some wiring issues (which almost invariably involve some corroded connectors). Fortunately, parts are readily available and this forum is chock-full of folks who likely know more about these machines than the people who built them nearly 50 years ago.

As for touring capabilities, I rode my 1976 XS650C more than 350 miles on Wednesday and it never missed a beat and in the last 2.5 years, I have put more than 8,000 miles on her. I absolutely love riding that thing - it is my favourite bike for general booting around.

Again, welcome and please ask lots of questions!

Pete
 
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Ditto with GLJ..........but the fame change was in 74............there can be some confusion around the TX model XS/TX650's.........Yamaha changed the XS prefix to TX in 73.....73TX.....In 74 the prefix was 74TXA then back to an XS prefix in 75, 75XSB.........

Here is a frame list
70-73............................................74-79 Standard..............................78-83Special
framexs-2.jpgframestandard.jpgframespecial.jpg

70-73 frames are totally different to the later 74-83 Standard and Specials........74-83 Standard and Specials are basically the same frame and have the same measurements overall, a couple of differences is in the rear foot-peg mount brackets and the top of the Rear shock mount positions

Here are a few pics of the different models from 70 -82...
http://www.xs650.com/threads/xs650-...workshop-manuals-and-other-information.30569/
 
Am I barking up the right tree considering an XS650
Yes I think you are. Buy something later than 73. It will have the 447 engine. Easier to get parts for. Keep in mind like anything built 40+ years ago they do require TLC. Plus being that age depending on the condition of the bike it could take quite a bit of time and effort to get it roadworthy. With that said the 650s are a very nice bike.
 
Welcome to the party, ckahleer! Right place? Yup. Less complex? Ya betcha! These motors are only slightly more complicated than a lawn mower engine. Short of something catastrophic, they can't not be made to run.
the engines are very robust
More like "bomb proof". Don't mind doing some wrenching now and then? Good. Unless you can find a real creampuff (good luck with that), you'll probably be doing a lot of wrenching, at the start, anyways. Don't let me dissuade you, though. These motorcycles are an absolute RIOT, and you'll have people flocking, wherever you go, to ask "what is it?" You'll find invaluable resources in this forum, pertaining to buying, "wake-up drill", even threads of total nut-and-bolt restorations. As a wise man once said "...the more homework you do, the fewer surprises you get..." Do your homework, and have fun with it! :bike: :rock:
 
Greeting. I'm new to this forum.
I presently have a 85 Honda Magna 1100, but thinking of downsizing. Something less complex.
Looking for an air cooled parallel twin. Standard riding position. Mostly 1 hour rides, but still capable of a 500 mile highway road trip.
I want something older that I can antique tag.
I don't mind doing some wrenching now and then.
I'm not comfortable with feet forward V twins.
Am I barking up the right tree considering an XS650?
Based on what you are asking for this would be an ideal bike for you. The bike shakes a lot because of the timing of the two cylinders, so they aren’t comfortable on long rides. Nor are they particularly fast. But they are peppy enough and great for bombing around on short trips. The engines are bullet proof. If the bike has been modestly looked after, you won’t have to do engine repairs. The alternator is a bit weak and barely puts out enough power to run the bike while idling, but there are fixes and workarounds for this. I would go for a later model, one with the TCI ignition. I think the earlier models had a bit of stability trouble. I am not sure why, possibly different frame layout or suspension components. There may be fixes for that as well. One thing I would caution about is the swing arm bushings. They used some cheap Teflon bushings in the swing arm. When they wear out, the ride gets a bit spooky. Try riding over a metal deck bridge with bad swing arm bushings. The back wheel seems to jump all over the place. This can be repaired as well. Good luck with your purchase.
 
E000ABCE-0555-4CEC-A7DF-462B317685E3.jpeg

Looking for an air cooled parallel twin. Standard riding position. Mostly 1 hour rides, but still capable of a 500 mile highway road trip.
I want something older that I can antique tag.
Always encouraging to hear of a possible new XS enthusiast. Many replies by members to a thread such as this show this.
Realize it does take effort and time nowadays to even find what variation of these XS’s you like in suitable condition.
A site such as XS650.com can and should be help in both deciding and finding XS650’s as well .
And , perhaps it would be inspirational as members do write very informative posts , to also include pics
Everybody likes pics !
 
I looked at an 81 yesterday. Running, but showed its age and a lot of rust.
Looked at a non-running 79 today, but title issues.
The search continues.
During my bike search I came across a Frankenbike. One made up of parts from a lot of different bikes. Not surprising, it was not in running condition. I was tempted to buy it, but the title search was murky. The registered serial number did not match the production year. You might want to check that the engine serial number matches up with the bike serial number on any prospect. I believe they should be the same, maybe someone else knows this. I think you can find a list of serial numbers and the years they were produced on the internet. Ask the seller for the bike serial number before viewing the bike. With the serial number you can do a little research ahead of time and have a reasonable expectation of what the bike should look like. Keep searching!
 
From the factory the frame and engine numbers matched.
As easy as parts swap around on these bikes, some refer to them as Lego's, Matching numbers isn't a big deal. Know the numbers can help when buying parts. Some parts don't swap as easy as others.
As far as title and registration they go by the frame number or the VIN which is on the white sticker on the neck. They started requiring the 17 digit VIN in 81. Before they used the frame number as the VIN.
There was some overlap on the change so some 81 bikes might have been titled with the frame number as the VIN. My 81 is that way.
I don't agree with sleddog83, with proper tuning of the ignition and carbs these bikes do not vibrate that much. For comfort they are not as easy to ride as other bikes. Mostly from less than ideal suspension. That can be improved greatly with new rear shocks and a few tuning tricks on the front forks.
I greatly enjoy riding My XS650's. The 82 is mostly stock, change of bars and added a second disc up front.
The ride is very comfortable with the change of bars.
The 75 is very modified. It has a ride not so plush. With the suspension mods it like the twisties much better than a stock version.
I still rode it from my place in upstate New York. to Baltimore Maryland for an XS650 gathering. I took my time and wandered around on the way down and rode about 11 hours to get there. Ok I got mixed up and went way out of my way, but saw places I liked and would have missed if I stayed on course.
On the way back I cruised at around 85 to 90 mph to try to outrun the rain. It took 5 hours to get home.
The bike performed better than I could have hoped for. It didn't miss a beat the whole ride.
It was after that ride I decided to go for the 750 kit. That just made the bike so much better. Yamaha should have built it as a 750. What few vibes it has as a 650 practically disappear as a 750.
Leo
 
I finally got one. It shows a manufacture date of 5/80 but title says 81.
Have not got it to run yet, not even a pop.
Previous owner says it was running fine, than one day it just died and would not restart.
It has compression and spark. All 4 valve gaps check good.
Next I'll clean and rebuild carbs. I doubt that will get it running since I removed the air cleaners and sprayed starter fluid into the carbs, and still no go.
The battery is dead, so I have been cranking it with a jump starter.
Not sounding well. sometime cranks, other time starter spins free.
With spark plugs removed, it won't crank at all. Starter just spins.
Maybe I should take care of the starter first.
 

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Awright! Way to go! A "mega-spoke" beauty! :rock: (repeat) Check the "wake-up" drill, and check/diagnose one thing at a time, and you'll have a runner before you know it! :bike: Good luck, and keep us posted (we're nosy!).
 
Next I'll clean and rebuild carbs. I doubt that will get it running since I removed the air cleaners and sprayed starter fluid into the carbs, and still no go.
The battery is dead, so I have been cranking it with a jump starter.
Great news to be an XS owner ! :thumbsup:
Now, I’m not a fan of starter fluid in these old carbs. There are old rubber seals and o rings that could be more damaged by this.
Have you drained the carb bowls yet ?
That’s a great place to start. You can confirm tank petcock function there at the same time.
As for the “jump starting” na, wouldn’t suggest that either. If your bike is close to running then a few healthy kicks with the choke on and no throttle ought to bring it to life.
Then be ready to give it a little throttle until you can take the choke off.
Good Luck and get back with more good news !
-RT
 
The battery is dead, so I have been cranking it with a jump starter.
Not sounding well. sometime cranks, other time starter spins free.
With spark plugs removed, it won't crank at all. Starter just spins.
Maybe I should take care of the starter first.
My current battery is a Walmart. This time around, the little caps are screw in. I think that's great and don't know of any other like that.
I guess you know the drill...see if you have spark, then see if you have fuel...if still no joy then see if you have compression :D Not necessarily in that order.
You'll be looking at the starter gears soon. Do a little research here, then remove the clutch and near the center bottom you'll probably see a "#4 gear" ground to pieces. Replace it, do some "wishbone spring" replacement or tweaking, and you'll be good to go. For the clutch you'll need a hand impact driver with a large #3 phillips bit. The Harbor Freight one is the one I use and I think it's great. I think it was like $6 when I go it. Prob up to $7 by now. You can reuse the right cover gasket many times unless you tear it.
 
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