sup?

[prlandry]

Hey guys... new guy here... this place seems like it has lots of good info.

Quite a few years ago I helped a friend of mine build a bobber and I ended up buying a parts bike for the ignition system... he ended up just using the 1980 electrics so the bike sat in an old van for IDK.... 5-6.... 7 years now.... I kinda forgot it there... I was thinking it would be a good base for a cafe or a street tracker.... it's a total basket case... the vin seems to tell me it's a 73... but from what I read they went away with front drum in 72.


Peter

 

[prlandry]

pic of the vin

 

[TwoManyXS1Bs]

Welcome to the forum, prlandry.

Whatcha got there is an early 1971 XS1B.

Serial number close to member Angus67's early XS1B.

http://www.xs650.com/threads/giddy-71-within-my-grasp.40322/

More info in here:

http://www.xs650.com/threads/yamaha-xs1-xs1b-xs2-tx650-tech-bulletins-service-data-brochures.31022/

Quite difficult to find parts for those.

 

[prlandry]

wow... alot of good info in those links.... thx

Is that xs1b a good base to build a project from?... or am I committing some kind of sacrilege...lol

 

[TwoManyXS1Bs]

From what I can see in your pics, there's an awful lot of difficult-to-find parts missing, and/or severely corroded. A full restoration would be near impossible for someone not flush with money and contacts.

Chatting with some of the builder guys that customized these things over the past 15 years or so, they pretty much told me that their gameplan was to get a good running, but unwanted (cheap) XS650, and have their way with it. The art of flipping. They didn't want to fool around with any engine or major mechanical problems.

What you have there is a serious challenge to a restorer, and a reject to the customizers.

What's left is the dedicated, commited dreamer/owner.

And the salvage yards...

 

[prlandry]

Well I was thinking of maybe a ratty looking cafe and keep the patina to give it that "I just pulled this bike out of a barn that's been sitting for over 30 years" kinda look...lol

That or shine up what I can and go for a tracker look...

these engines seem pretty simple and if I can get the engine going then the rest I can fab up.

I'm thinking of selling my shadow spirit to fund this project for this winter..... or the bike might just sit in the van another 5-6 years...lol

 

[prlandry]

oh wow.... I didn't realize it's been 10 years already since we built that bobber.... here is a pic of it while we were still building it.

This is my friend Louis by the way.... his bike but I helped alot with it.... he bought a 80 650 that came in 3 boxes.... all hand built.

 

[prlandry]

and this is my son sitting on it... bike was running and on the road.

 

[fredintoon]

Hi Peter,
like they all said, that poor neglected bike would cost a small fortune to resto.
OTOH, a few dollars and a deal of effort could turn it into a reliable rider.
Your basket case still has it's rear suspension and it's front brake, best you keep 'em.
I'd advise against copying your friend Louis's build concept.
Hardtail to wreck your spine, 2 into 1 un-baffled shorty exhaust so it's a bitch to tune
and no front brake in today's traffic?
As a show bike it looks tidy but not pretty enough to win prizes.
As a street bike it's a rolling deathtrap.

 

[prlandry]

yeah.... it wasn't the safest thing... but it was only ridden at 30-40mph around town... it was a fun project... and turned heads more than 30,000$ harley's. I'll see what I'll do this winter... I might go the cafe racer look.... although I'm digging the street tracker look also.

 

[TwoManyXS1Bs]

Here's TheDQG's '71 build thread:

http://www.xs650.com/threads/71-xs1b-conversion-to-cafe.45115/