Where and how would your XS be if you hadn't bought it?

[Classic]

I'm sure you guys have had similar threads but I would like to find out what kinds of stories you guys have.

When it comes to mine:

I was over at a friend's house working on a car and saw a large pile of snow in the middle of the back yard. Went to take a look at it and it was an XS with 13,550mi. There wasn't much of a motorcycle though as it had been sitting there since 1988. One year before I was born. I asked what the plan was for the bike and my friend's father said it was going to the junk yard but he didn't want to pay to have them take it away. I said I wouldn't mind taking it off his hands so we threw it in the back of his truck and dropped it at my house.

Less than 24 hours and a lot of carb cleaner later I had it running on one cylinder at -10f.
If I hadn't taken the bike it would still be sitting in the back yard rotting instead of having another 4,000 miles on it.

 

[Sundie]

My Daytona had developed a holed piston, and i was looking around for something else to ride. A buddy happened to mention that he had a bike in his garage that he had bought 10 years previous, because he thought he'd like to start riding, but never did. Went and checked it, starter worked, it had compression. Looked very classic british though, so i liked it. Same thing, cleaned the carbs, rode it for 6 years without touching it other than changing the plugs and adding oil. This year i'm finally getting around to giving it some attention - mostly because it can't hold me to 120kph on the highway any more.

 

[tonyc]

I got my 2 xs's because a 92 year old lady made an illegal left turn in front of my 2006 KLR650. I had a broken clavicle and separated shoulder plus a totaled KLR. There is a guy in Bakersfield that had several. I bought a 1978 and 1976 Standard, both apart and 76 locked up. I am close to putting the 78 on the road. Thanks TC

 

[inxs]

- bought my first one back in the late 70s-a TXA-because the bp,hh and 61 lads kept trying to steal my nortons and triumphs...noone wanted the jap-crap so i could park it anywhere no problems...then i went offshore, came home on holiday 10 years later and the TX was the only machine that wanted to start without too much effort...and so another 20 years passed.......................................

 

[Visegrippe]

mine would probably still be sitting outside at the neighbour's too. parked since '93, bit more mileage than a lot of the finds you guys get (57k km, or so). i'd been looking for a project bike, mostly british, but any decent basket cases go for as much as a restored bike these days... everyone and his brother is into restoring bikes these days it seems. my dad remebered the yam sitting in his buddy's back yard, offered a couple hundred bucks, (seemed fair, and the guy's retired) and the next time i got down to my folk's it was sitting in the garage. it would most likely still be outside otherwise, since the guy had a much more interesting project sitting in his barn, a 1950 Panther M100. Huge single cylinder with dual exhaust, bolt on hard tail from the factory, means the frame can fit in our small powdercoating oven...

i'm rambling... it's too early in the morning...

 

[Tech7]

Found mine in a barn in southern Maine. 15K miles on it, with the original tires from 1979. The usual, old gas, dead battery, oil leaks. Hauled it away and started right up with a jump pack. Added bonus was that someone had installed a Boyer ignition in it a couple years previously. An hour and a half later, had it completely apart. Prepping for paint now.

 

[hamamatsu]

I found my 1981 XS650H at a garage sale back in 1995, if I hadn't bought it, most likely it would be in the bone yard. I happened to get there a minute before another guy who wanted it too, he walked away disgusted when I paid the man.

I found my 1977 XS650D sitting in a pattern shop all covered with saw dust. The owner who bought it new had passed away from a heart attack and the bike was left to the estate. It had 7,100 actual miles on the clock and 13 year old license plates. I spent one whole winter taking the bike apart and detailing everything and every nut and bolt. It had the original chain, tires and spark plugs when I brought it home.

 

[Teebs]

My current chop, a '79 Special, was stripped down to the bones when I picked it up. Frame, engine, forks, wheels, and dismantled carbs in a shoebox. Everything else was gone. Drove 200 miles in the middle of the night to pick it up after the dude listed it on CL as a "basket case". No basket. At least he kept it under a decent tarp.

I have two more, a '79 and an '80, as well as a bunch of other bikes, in similar condition. I love bringing the dead back to life.

 

[twinsarehot]

This is how I bought it.

I brought an old battery and some starter fluid with me, fired this thing up for the first time in 5 years and rode 5 miles home (yep that baffle is indeed gone). Even though it was practically still in a coma, it was one of the best rides ever. The previous owner bought the bike from the original owner and had a bunch of work/maintenance done on the engine. But after that, he let it sit in his studio shed; a project bike that never happened. I purchased it from my friends grandfather who was in the process of moving to Holland. It would've probably been sold with the property he owned and left to deteriorate even more, until I gave it a second chance =]]].

 

[curt698]

My bike was repo-ed by the PO in 1974 (it's a 71). He decided he liked the bike so he bought from the bank. He then pulled the motor bored it out to a 750 and "did a few other tricks". He put oil in it and kept it in his heated garage but never even put the tank back on. In around 84 he had all the tin proffesionally painted. After that it sat until I called him (he's a friend of my Dads) looking for a bike to do a cafe with. My folks knew I was interested so they got it as a Christmas present for me. The bike has 3400 original miles and a brand new motor. Hope to hear it run for the first time since 74 in a few weeks.

 

[MN_TX650]

Both of mine would probably still be burried in the garages I rescued them from!! The '73 was in decent shape, and I paid $300 for it (what the previous owner had into it). Hauled some junk to the land fill to get the '78.

 

[Ironsled77]

I got one of my 83's due to a buddy calling me saying hey! Is this the bike u like? Its in a garage, the kids about to have a baby and needs it gone yesterday. A battery, clutch cable,and clean carbs she fired right up. The 80 I got over the weekend looks like it belongs in the junkyard! Last plated in 1990 in Wisconsin. Haven't even looked at it yet

 

[Trex]

Craigs list ad led me deep into the Alaskan woods to find my 80 rotting under a tarp.had a title and with a jump box it fired up.he was asking a thousand..i offered 750. It was complete and in fair shape...so I cut into lil pieces and built my XSIV.

 

[angus67]

as I bought it for 50$,

heres the piston that died in it,

here it is rebuilt 6th over, johns needles.

bought it in 05 as a extra credit project in welding college, had no Idea the popularity of this bike. I never intendd to get this far-and it sat covered from 07 to 09 while re-establishing my new career, and by ing a house....etc.
I have no idea if it was in a barn, onder a house, stashed somewhere, bought it from a guy, who knew a guy, who knew a guy........clean title though. all this was mine for 50 bucks!!

 

[Gordon]

I rescued mine from the scrap heap. The PO, a friend of mine, got fed up with the charging system going south on him everytime he road it. I then let it sit outside, uncovered for 3 years. Then I got another one that was picked up by the city for being abandoned in a park. Took what I wanted off that one & recycled the rest. How little did I know that the one I threw in the dumpster could have been a nice machine. Opp's. Glad I found the charging problem, & of course it was by dumb luck. The 650 will fit in the forecastle on my boat,so she will be coming with me when I go to Indonesia.

On a different note, my first ex keeps ragging me to go to Florida for a while, so I am looking at purchasing an Ultima GTR from England. Had built one awhile ago & made a very handsome profit from it. Priced it all up, & minus the engine & with the Getrag 6 speed , just shy of $100 grand. I got a deal in the works for a 6.3 litre chevy for it. HMM.

 

[inxs]

- those ultima's are pretty interesting...990kg with frames rated to 1000bhp...check them out having fun on top gears test track, their comparative lap times were better than both the caparo t1 and ferrari fxx

 

[twinsarehot]

Gordon, you should let us know if you do get it. I would ride out to CT to check it out for surrre. Those things are so bad ass, I've only seen them in car shows but they seem FAST.

 

[gentlemanjim]

Shivering in a cold and lonely garage in Lockport, NY until I rescued it.

 

[Xumi]

I put an ad out on Craigslist, looking for something to wrench on - I wanted something to work on that wouldn't require me to risk my daily driver. Someone responded, asked me if I wanted a '79 XS650 special II. I said sure - he delivered it from the other side of the state, helped me and a buddy load it onto a flatbed where we met him, and refused even gas money for the delivery.

It had been sitting outside for 13 years, and at least 5 of those were laying on it's side uncovered. Just about everything has needed work, but amazingly the seat was in great condition - as in it sat in the closet instead of on the bike.

So... I am guessing it would still be sitting on it's side in the guy's yard. Now it's about to cross it's first 100 mile mark after getting back on the road.

 

[Classic]

heres the piston that died in it,

Holy smokes! How did that happen?