AndersJ
XS650 Addict
Bike absolutely rips. After sitting with a dry tank for years, it fired up with gas and a battery. Went
Slip sliding down my rainy street. Too fun!
Slip sliding down my rainy street. Too fun!
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Other Bikes and Workshop Woes
Me too! I just like the look, even the big LTD if early enough to maintain the duckbill.
A friend of mine is restoring one.
AndersJ
XS650 Addict
Sadly no duckbill 
minus one front disk and apparently de tuned for this year too? Still scoots though
minus one front disk and apparently de tuned for this year too? Still scoots though
Possibly my cleanest acquisition to date. 1980 kz650 ltd.
Not even the headers have a scratch on them…was gonna sell but
View attachment 199399 View attachment 199398 View attachment 199397
Really nice find! Back in the 70’s when I had my XS750, my friend had a KZ650 and it was every bit as nice as my bike and it just ran so good! I’ve always liked them. It’s rare you ever see them come up for sale here.
AndersJ
XS650 Addict
I have a boxed aluminum gs1100 swingarm laying around. Maybe it’s meant to be. The fenders aren’t supposed to be chrome and airbox was removed so it doesn’t feel like butchery.
AndersJ
XS650 Addict
So…keep the zephyr 750 with 40,000 miles or the kz650 with 20,000? I figure I don’t need two bikes that fill the same spot essentially.
KZ would be my choice, more of a genuine classic.
AndersJ
XS650 Addict
I’m inclined to agree
Michaelo
650Mick
Good to hear from you Mick.
Hey Mick! It’s great to hear from you!
Love your new BMW, that motor is a beast! And I think it looks great too!
Michaelo
650Mick
Hey Skull, still about, keep those bastards honest mate…. managed to bring a 750 73 Tiger with me to Tas, man I miss the parallel twin….miss the 650 b way to much…
but the boxer gives me the smile I need indeed 
Michaelo
650Mick
Hi Bob, Still bashing away the miles…..checkout the link, I found this after I signed the contract, so it didn’t sway me at all, but, I was kinda keen on the design of the bike……he is a bit of a wanker but get the message across….Hey Mick! It’s great to hear from you!
Love your new BMW, that motor is a beast! And I think it looks great too!
View attachment 259982
900cc each side….nuts, the inertia when the engine is under load then gear changing in a corner is really interesting but fun…..
Some of my bikes over the years. Unfortunately I wasn't big on pictures until the XS650, which I'm still playing with. A very old Moto Guzzi, think it had girder forks and 90cc engine? 63 BSA Thunderbolt -no pics, 71 Triumph 650 cafe racer - no pics (best bike I ever had. Won a bike show with this aroumd the late 70s.), Bol D'or heap of crap (worst bike I ever had, wouldn't waste film on this POS), GS750, great bike (best Jap bike I ever had), YB100 cafe racer great little gwo stroke screamer, LS2 Yamaha 100cc piston port two stroke ( a very interesting bike, only made for one year) no pics, couple of hotted up mopeds - no pics, Triumph 750 Bonneville custom (won a bike show in 99), and that's about all I can remember.
Attachments
Last Year's Project Bike.
1983 Yamaha XJ650
My friend (same one that sold me the the '78 XS650) sold me this bike last year. He expected it to be a simple carb rebuild but I expected it to be more than that.
Things I did to it:
Total carb strip down and rebuild
Valve clearances (this uses disks in baskets, DOHC)
Oil & Filter change
Rear Brake Pads
Rebuilt Front Master Cylinder, Caliper, new front pads, put in Steel braded brake line in front.
Rust remediation in tank
Replaced Petcock
Removed and oiled Speedo cable.
Cleaned up contacts in starter button, kill switch & Turn Signals
Replaced starter solenoid
Sanded down grab rail.
Disassembled Speed and re oiled (had scream of death)
Installed crash bars and Highway pegs
Installed inexpensive Bags (Spent less than $100 on bags and hardware).
New Battery
New Filter
New Plugs
I have about $2K into this bike which is about double its likely worth. Don't have any designs to get rid of it anytime soon but if I did, I'd not get my money back out if it but the experience of it will remain with me and is what it was all about.
When I got it running, we first experienced the scream of death on the speedo and fixed that. I also had fuel flow issues related to a very fine mesh flat screens on the carbs, then pulled those and put stock screens in. 300 miles later the rock filter I put on it was reducing flow and pulled that out. Running good now. (except to get it warmed up in the cold)
Its a bit of a pig to start in the cold, but it will start. Once warmed up the bike is VERY smooth running. It had only 3 year old tires and were in great shape.
Not a big fan of the bars and I had designs to put standard Euro bars on it like I put on the '78 XS650 but with the aquisition of a 2nd XJ650 that was already hacked up, Im going to leave this stock for now. I still have to drain the oil back out and pull some side panels and clean/polish them up.
I don't take it on long rides. Usually an hour after work on the back roads near my home.
1983 Yamaha XJ650
My friend (same one that sold me the the '78 XS650) sold me this bike last year. He expected it to be a simple carb rebuild but I expected it to be more than that.
Things I did to it:
Total carb strip down and rebuild
Valve clearances (this uses disks in baskets, DOHC)
Oil & Filter change
Rear Brake Pads
Rebuilt Front Master Cylinder, Caliper, new front pads, put in Steel braded brake line in front.
Rust remediation in tank
Replaced Petcock
Removed and oiled Speedo cable.
Cleaned up contacts in starter button, kill switch & Turn Signals
Replaced starter solenoid
Sanded down grab rail.
Disassembled Speed and re oiled (had scream of death)
Installed crash bars and Highway pegs
Installed inexpensive Bags (Spent less than $100 on bags and hardware).
New Battery
New Filter
New Plugs
I have about $2K into this bike which is about double its likely worth. Don't have any designs to get rid of it anytime soon but if I did, I'd not get my money back out if it but the experience of it will remain with me and is what it was all about.
When I got it running, we first experienced the scream of death on the speedo and fixed that. I also had fuel flow issues related to a very fine mesh flat screens on the carbs, then pulled those and put stock screens in. 300 miles later the rock filter I put on it was reducing flow and pulled that out. Running good now. (except to get it warmed up in the cold)
Its a bit of a pig to start in the cold, but it will start. Once warmed up the bike is VERY smooth running. It had only 3 year old tires and were in great shape.
Not a big fan of the bars and I had designs to put standard Euro bars on it like I put on the '78 XS650 but with the aquisition of a 2nd XJ650 that was already hacked up, Im going to leave this stock for now. I still have to drain the oil back out and pull some side panels and clean/polish them up.
I don't take it on long rides. Usually an hour after work on the back roads near my home.
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