What makes the xs650 engine so special?

[ron bayless]

I have a question.Goes along with this thread sort of.In 1972 I rode the first electric start 650 in san diego.Home of crowded freeways.Once i got out of town it seemed quite comfortable at 70 and I did not have to downshift to go uphill or pass cars.Are they still that way?

 

[wrenchjohns]

I have a question.Goes along with this thread sort of.In 1972 I rode the first electric start 650 in san diego.Home of crowded freeways.Once i got out of town it seemed quite comfortable at 70 and I did not have to downshift to go uphill or pass cars.Are they still that way?

Mine hauls about 120 lbs more now, but I think in proper tune and a 45 year younger me it would run exactly the same as it did 45 years ago. The biggest concern about comfortable ride goes to the oldass body doing the riding , now nothing is comfortable just ride with discomfort and enjoy the ride. john

 

[ron bayless]

me too.I seldom ride more than 75 miles.

 

[MaxPete]

Yup, the 650 can go much faster but it feels more comfortable at between 55 and about 70 mph. Going faster doesn't seem to hurt it - but it feels....rushed.

Pete

 

[ron bayless]

there is a road here texas highway 455.About 95 miles in all.All through countryside.A magazine called Ride texas rated in the top 5 in this part of texas.I live 23 miles from one end of it.No way to ride much above 50 miles an hour due to curves and twists.my kind of riding.

 

[angus67]

Take 1 aleve and keep the rubber side down......dr.s orders!
When i took a spill a month ago, i just rode it home and parked it and licked my wounds. 30 years ago i used to crash all the time. Just jumped back on, and never gave it a thought.
But remember, cars back then most only had manual drum brakes, and were bug and lumbered along. Cars were easily taken over by most bikes. Today...... not as easy.

 

[wrenchjohns]

As an addendum to my earlier post, I don't remember so many parts cracking and falling off back in the day. To that, I think replacement parts are not of the quality of originals. The right mirror broke off it's post yesterday and said bye-bye, the rest of the ride I had no vision to the rt/rear. Now that's uncomfortable!

 

[ron bayless]

I have an opinion and a question in regard to riding longer distances.I have owned bikes since 1972. Some bikes vibrate too much,like old sportsters.Some make my right hand go numb.Several of those by all manufacturers.I even owned 3 goldwings 1500s and one valkyrie that had the same number one ride killer for me. The seat.Thankfully the po of my 95 magna had installed a mustang seat.For some reason the most comfortable seats in motorcycling,stock seats, was my old 1980 suzuki gs 1000.plus no hand numbing tingles.I also owned 2 c50s.Their stock seats were comfortable.I have had old comfortable seats and old uncomfortable seats reupholstered.To my eyes i could see no differences in the material, an unusual seatpan shape,or anything to reveal why certain seats are comfortable and others are not.Some of it is ergonomics.My magna has absolute comdortable ergonomics for me.My 1600 meanstreak even with its mustang seat had terrible ergonomics.Just the seat was good. I have not ridden a xs since the new one in 1972.I sure hope when i get this one going it is comfortable.I doubt a mustang is made for it.

 

[MaxPete]

BINGO - right-on Ron!

The best stock seat ever put on a bike was the late-70s/early-80s Suzuki GS bike seat (not their Special, cruiser / custom "L" version - the standard model bike). I had a 1979 GS850G Suzuki - virtually the same as your GS1000 - and that thing was as close to perfect for me (and particularly, for my butt) as anything has ever come. It had dual-density foam and was long, wide and flat, with a tasteful embossed pattern which kept me from sliding around. All of the magazine testers of those days agreed that it truly was a great seat design.

I absolutely cannot understand why more mfrs didn't simply copy that design.

In comparison, the seat on my 2007 Honda ST1300 is oddly shaped, hard as a rock and the worst thing is that there is no embossed pattern so every time I hit the brakes, my boys get squashed into the back end of the tank. It is a truly stupid design on an otherwise remarkably good motorcycle - and just about everyone on the ST Owners website agrees - Big H didn't change it one iota over the entire 9 year production run of the ST1300.

 

[ron bayless]

I agree max pete.The gs seats were the best.I also owned 2 850s besides the gs 1000. All had perfect seats. I think seats not designed that way is planned obsolesence. They want the seats to be replaced.All in the industries' personal business coffers.

Your eval of the st1300 is one of the reasons they failed.probably the best sportourer design ever.But the word tourer does not apply. I think sporttourers could be the best of both worlds. But their sales have always been dismal. The fjr 1300 sells for its raw performance. The bmw 1600 for performance and 2,000 electrical gadgets. I cant imagine ever working on one of those. i have passed on st1100 and 1300s for the reason of which you spoke.

 

[mrtwowheel]

Engine so special............Well, it's bigger than a Briggs & Stratton, and it comes with a 5 speed transmission.

 

[weaselbeak]

I ride my 1981 GS850G, that is not the cruiser but the straight bike. It was the most comfortable factory seat, period. Followed closely, I might add, by my old Moto Guzzi California from 1984.

 

[mrtwowheel]

Ron, I've heard so many stories about how uncomfortable the GL 1500s are, never had one. I don't care for most seats that put your butt in one place without any other choices but my GL1200 is soooo comfortable and most people that have had both the 1200 and 1500 say the same thing. But then, I've had seats without much foam that weren't too bad. Testing must be more important than design when it comes to seats.

Scott

 

[ron bayless]

Ron, I've heard so many stories about how uncomfortable the GL 1500s are, never had one. I don't care for most seats that put your butt in one place without any other choices but my GL1200 is soooo comfortable and most people that have had both the 1200 and 1500 say the same thing. But then, I've had seats without much foam that weren't too bad. Testing must be more important than design when it comes to seats.

Scott

i can vouch for your comment.I owned 3 gw 1500s.Then I got an 82 aspencade.Stock seat.All day comfortable.Honda really screwed up somewhere down the line.Wow, we realltystrayed off the theme of this thread didnt we? Oh well.its all fun here.