Why do you love your XS650?

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buffaloborn

XS650 Enthusiast
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I love my XS. This is my first motorcycle. It's an 83 Heritage Special that I bought last year for 400 bucks. The guy who i got it from said that the stator was not working. I did some puttering with the electrical and found that the fuses/block was to blame and switched it out, teaching myself how to solder.

I really feel that digging into this bike and figuring things out myself has really helped me in becoming a more self suficient person. I'm even getting into doing more complex maintenance on my truck now thanks to my bike. To get something running with my own hands, to continue in figuring things out, and to get automatic results is such a rewarding experience.

Being my first bike, I don't really have any experience with any other motorcycles other than the POS Kymco I had during MSF class. I want to know why you have chosen the XS as your bike of choice. Is it the motor? Is it the character of the bike itself? Is it because it's the perfect customization platform? Why do you love your XS650?

As I sit in my office, and look outside at my bike in the parking lot, I can't help but think about what kind of adventures we could be on right now... :bike: :D
 
I really feel that digging into this bike and figuring things out myself has really helped me in becoming a more self suficient person. I'm even getting into doing more complex maintenance on my truck now thanks to my bike. To get something running with my own hands, to continue in figuring things out, and to get automatic results is such a rewarding experience.
Click to expand...

Greets! :)

Well, I share this sentiment. Though I have always loved cars and bikes - but only owned bikes more recently - I have found that getting your hands dirty while overcoming a challenge rights more than a machine; it rights and undergirds the spirit.

As to why I selected this particular bike, it was a non-runner, but cosmetically and otherwise mostly intact and fairly (at least obviously) unmolested, and was a good platform for the cafe roadster that I envisioned; I can't weld and didn't want to do a frame-off, etc.. I found out only after getting the bike home and joining this forum's predecessor (650rider.com) that these bikes are like a religion. There have been times when I wanted to quit in frustration, but lately I have been seeing more return on my "investment" than I was earlier on.

TC
 
TeeCat said:
Greets! :)

Well, I share this sentiment. Though I have always loved cars and bikes - but only owned bikes more recently - I have found that getting your hands dirty while overcoming a challenge rights more than a machine; it rights and undergirds the spirit.

As to why I selected this particular bike, it was a non-runner, but cosmetically and otherwise mostly intact and fairly (at least obviously) unmolested, and was a good platform for the cafe roadster that I envisioned; I can't weld and didn't want to do a frame-off, etc.. I found out only after getting the bike home and joining this forum's predecessor (650rider.com) that these bikes are like a religion. There have been times when I wanted to quit in frustration, but lately I have been seeing more return on my "investment" than I was earlier on.

TC
Click to expand...

Your work is paying off. The bike looks great man.
 
Thank you, sir. :)

Come to think of it, this bike is about as close as I have ever been to a "religion" without wanting to run away, screaming. :p

TC
 
There are quite a few things that make these bikes lovable.

Size..............some bikes are too small and some are too large, this bike is just right.

Sound...............they sound like a motorcycle should sound.

Ease of maintenance..................its almost like Yamaha sat down and said, "How can we build a bike that will be extremely easy for the owner to do his own maintenance". This bike has simplicity in spades................valve adjustments, timing, camchain adjustments, brake servicing all so simple. Contrast that to the modern bikes, that are made as complicated as possible so that you need to go back to the dealer for $90.00/hour service work.

Personality..................some of the modern bikes (my son has a CBR600RR) you can hardly tell if they are running or not. I like when my bike starts you can tell its running.........just gotta love those good vibes.

Appearance...................I get lots of people come over to look at the bike, just because it has that certain classic look, hard to describe, but you know it when you see it.

Quality.................the reason these bikes have survived so long is because Yamaha used quality parts. The electrical (Hitachi) parts are extremely well built. As many are aware the replacement parts from places such as Mikexs are often of poor quality ( not all, but some). Several times I have had to remove Mikesxs parts and re-install the OEM parts.
 
i bought my 650 cuz my father had one back in 1975 and hasn't stopped talking about it since. i used to think they were pretty ugly, but the more i looked at the bike the more the looks grew on me - i like a motorcycle you come to appreciate.

you can't beat the ease of maintenance and parts availability. try doing half of this stuff with a cb750. i love the fact that i have to rely on as little electrical accessories as possible, felt so good to drop the starter completely. hell you can even buy a magneto if you got deep pockets.

i also love when you get around 4000 rpms the vibes come together real nice, a pleasant reminder you're on a motorcycle. i had a roadstar before this bike and you had to remind yourself you were on a motorcycle and not in a Cadillac.

these bikes make 55 mph seem fast enough and 70 mph almost seems too fast - new bikes are to smooth, have to ramp em up over 100 to get a thrill.

my 650 gets a lot of looks, not the kind that get you worried your bike is bout to get stolen, but its usually the older crowd that's checking the bike out remembering when they had a triumph, BSA, or even a XS
 
I love mine for the charecter of a sohc air cooled twin.
It sounds like a bike should.
Its a great size
They dont make em like they used to
Park it next to a $20,000 cruiser and laugh at the other guys misfortune.
Never fails to get a compliment at any bike shop (or anywhere else for that matter)
Love pulling out the whenches and getting my hands dirty on it.
can fix with a multi tool if wrenches unavailable.
Its a XS man! (TX)
Love feeling it shake its way all over the lane at stop lights.:thumbsup:
Tuck down behind the bars on a smooth backroad and feel that twin roar!:bike:
Its an XS man, pretty much as close to religion as most of us will come!
 
hi guys,,, back in 2000 ,,armed with my tax return cheque,,, ,,cashed it ,,went hunting for a motorcycle,,,,most of the garbage i looked at they wanted $5000 for,,, then i ended in healsville in victoria australia,,, a small bike shop you couldn,t trust,,, and he was similar 5000 bucks for a 10 year old cbr250rr,,, no thanks,,, then he said lets look at this ,, up the back under a tarp,,, a xs650...... so 1350 bucks later ,,,road worthy with a cert,,, and delivery to my back door ...and i,ve never regretted it at all ...regards oldbiker
 
I've ridden and built a lot of bikes.

I like :

The styling and posture
cheap parts
simple engineering
ease of maintenance
customization options

probably a few more things
 
I wanted one while I was at San Diego State in 1971-73. I just could not afford the 1200 plus dollars. I got my 78 and 76 standard models when a 92 year old lady made an illegal and unsafe turn in front of my 2006 KLR. It was totaled and with some of my money I bought two non runners.
 
What's not to love? You want to build a certain style of bike? Be it dirt, trail, Highway burner, cafe or what ever, this bike can be made that style and more. Easily maintained once running. Parts? Fairly easy to find. Size? Big enough to get into trouble, small enough to be able to be picked up by yourself and not take up the whole garage. It looks and sounds like a motorcycle should. It can be a bar to bar bike, errand runner or a serious milage maker for the not faint of heart. Screw this. Let's wrench or ride! LOL!
 
Like the others have said before,....easy to maintain, the sound, and the engine looks killer!!! I rode out to a Harley swap meet the other day just for the hell of it. I must of had atleast 4 or 5 dudes standing around my bike at all times! Not to mention it was parked in and amongst about 200 Harleys!! Made me love my XS just a little more on the ride home!!! Needless to say, Ya I cant get enough of these old XS's!!

XsC
 
I love mine because it's my first bike and nobody else has one where I live. My area is mostly cookie cutter Harleys and crotch rockets.
 
Gives me the "British" look and feel without the cost and grief .
Insurance is low cost as it's considered a "classic"
Engine is a nice departure from the inline 4 and V 4 engines on my other bikes.
 
best looking bike engine youll find & durable & rebuildable most bikes run the cam shaft strait in the head once that wears out its scrap metal,because the whole engine is roller/ballbearing it will run hard & long if maint.properly. We all winge about the price of parts etc & a few bagging Mikes,if it wasnt for mikes I wonder how many would stil be on the road now,I bought mine back in 92,before mikes, Yamaha wanted $1000 bottom end & another $1000 for top end, now they have bugger all,they certnly grow on you & seem to multiply as well ride safe Steve
 

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