Newbie with a XS650 project

P

porge

XS650 Member
Messages
11
Reaction score
0
Points
1
Location
Launceston, TAS
Hi All,

Thought I'd join and introduce myself properly.

Have just bought a bike I've always wanted - an XS650. I've always been taken by the oft-used Japanese Bonneville moniker that follows them around, and remember fondly a trip on the back of one in the late 80's - a special, from memory. I also had a thrash around on an XS250 as a 15 year old. I loved it.

Had a triumph until recently - new house, baby on way, etc.

Picked up a project yesterday afternoon, about to clean up a spot on the garage to sneak it in....more so the missus doesn't get cranky. Well...crankier, anyway - she's 37 weeks pregnant. The "lot" comes with 2 engines, one of them apparently a runner. The second engine I think has no crank, and looking at the chain links in the spare sump, might have done a cam-chain (note to self: check out camchain on "good" motor) :).

Frame appears to be a B-D series frame - not sure of numbers yet - will report back. Tank is a blue one...has a neato-looking fuel gauge on the cap. Wheels are flanged spoke wheels - 18" rear. It's mostly there. Few smaller bits missing. We'll see.

Not looking to restore to concours, so to speak, more to get it up as a tidy runner. Maybe go a mild flat-tracker style? Not sure. Will do an inventory and see what's there...and what isn't!
 
Porge,

Great to see another Aussie member on here.

Join the XS650 club in Australia, great info & if you need bits/parts - contacts for that also, I have just joined & have sourced a good lot of parts for my street tracker build.

Sounds like it might be a longer term project..??

Cheers.
 
Cheers Hotdog - think I will.

Might be longer term. I need to finally bolt the Matchless together, and the SR needs a few tiny bits done. But, I think my eldest boy (10 in september) would like to help spanner away on this one.)
 
Based on frame number (447-8566***) a D series frame. Yet to grab engine number. Do Yamaha's match from the factory?

Missing so far a side cover, bars, seat, front brake calliper, front guard. But two of almost everything else ;)
 
On my list the 447-856xxx is a 79 F model. The engine and frame had matching numbers from the factory.
The 79 F models started at # 447-855101 So yours at 447-856xxx is between the 1000th and 2000th bike built that year.
 
Finding a bike with mismatched numbers is common. The engine goes bad some just swap in a different engine instead of rebuilding.
The engines didn't change much from 74 up. A few small changes, Cam chain adjuster, clutch, electronic ignition, carbs. These are the big things. And those were on the outside of the engine. Most internal specs stayed the same.
The early engines were the 256 series, 74 up were 447 series. The Europeans got the 533 series. the 533 had different rods and pistons than the 447. The 256 had several differences, Pods, pistons, Cam, heads.
 
My bike is a 79 special with matching frame and engine numbers.. Perhaps the 78 you speak of developed engine probs that warranted a heart transplant hence the mismatch of numbers...Or a frame change without informing dept of transport? who knows.. either of those explanations could fit..
 
Good to the other Aussie lads on here all bright eyed & bushy tailed, or is that bloodshot eyes & getting sleepy...?
Just think - Monday morning work in less than 12 hours....

Cheers.
 
Porge, What year does your frame number indicate. And does it match the paperwork?
I'm not sure where Launceston, TAS is. It could be Registered by date of manufacture. The manufacturing year doesn't coinside with the calender. The manufacturung year is from August to June. So a bike with a build date of from Aug 78 to june 79 is a 79. If your number indicates a Aug - Dec 78, it may have been registered as a 78 instead of a 79.
This mismatch usually happens the other way. Bikes not sold one year but sold the next often get the later year as the year on the title. I think thats why you occassionnally see an 84 Model year. They didn't make XS650's after 82. So leftovers got titled as the year they sold.
 

Similar threads

C
Project: Sexy Robot
Replies
10
Views
2K
cmj317
C
Back
Top