Why do you love your XS650?

[nj1639]

It reminds me of my old ' 67 Trump 500 that I had back in '73, but it doesn't mark its territory, has ease of mechanics and it's 150 cc bigger. Love my bike.

 

[pamcopete]

Simple and reliable. It always gets me home.

 

[Pure-Pork]

I got my first two xs650 from a friends dad who was sort of a tinkerer and they were under the shade tree. One was the 72 I still have and the other was a 70 that had a rusted out frame. Gave $200 for both. Sold the 70 motor to another friend who races vintage dirt track. He ran it for 2 1/2 years before he said it just "like broke in half". I already had built the 70 cb350 chopper from a basket case and had fun with it, but the motor was underpowered. These xs650 motors are big enough to get on the slab to ride safely. Easy to work on, sounds like a motorcycle should and fun to ride......

 

[Purplezinger]

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...

I always loved the look and sound of British twins, especially Triumph and Norton. But I never liked the oil leaks and the Lucas electrics. When the XS650 came along it had all of the first and none of the latter. I was hooked.

 

[ReycleBill]

All of the above plus the fact that whenever I park amongst a bunch of high dollar cruisers, all the old dudes like me look at it and dream of their days on real motorcycles.

If I could buy a brand new XS650 I'd buy a new motorcycle but since I can't I'll stick with my old XS.

 

[xjwmx]

Because I get on her and she vibrates. Like all my true loves.

 

[grepper]

I had never owned a motorcycle before, but always wanted one. All I knew is that I wanted somthing cheap over 500cc's. I picked up an almost running 80 xs650 from a co-worker for $400 in the fall of 2005. I had no idea what I had or what was getting into. That winter I fixed it up, started reading all the forums and the more I got into it, the more I fell in love. Since then I've restored a couple more xs650s, never owned anything else. I love it for all the reasons stated above and more. I'm totally hooked!

 

[gunsmith]

The XS650B was my first real big bike after passing my test at 17 years old. I bought it new in 1976 for £825. The repayments cost over half my £38 per week wage as an apprentice. I Loved its looks the way it delivered its power and the girls seemed to like the vibes! The only thing I didn't like was the lack of ground clearance and the handling, it spat me off twice. First time was a high sider out of a corner at about 50mph and the second was a real mother of a tank slapper at about 70mph on a down hill right hander after hitting a small pot hole. (horrendous damage to bike) In all fairness to the bike the shocks were pretty shagged and the forks were leaking. This was a common state of affairs back then as we Just didn't earn the money required to buy the decent after market kit. I patched it up but later completely rebuilt it, you know the deal, new paint on the frame(after checking it was still straight), rechroming and all the right bits, taper headstock bearings, home made needle roller swing arm bearings, hagon gas shocks and fork springs, heavy duty spokes, cambel silencers and so on. Looked and rode great and sounded like a Bonny.
But I never had the confidence in the handling and eventually sold it to a friend for £300!! I bought a Rickman Kawasaki with a Z1B yoshi motor and that was much better for the Isle of Man TT trips. Still, I never quite got over the ole 650 and am now the proud owner of a nice original B model like i bought in 1976. I have also aquired a 79 frame and engine which I, along with Harris Performance here in the UK, am going build into a cafe racer with a radically moded frame. I will post photos over the winter.

 

[oldbiker]

hi guys,,,, its the only thing i can get a ride out off without paying for,,, although i have noticed it does require maintaince like my ex wife and later female freinds did... regards oldbiker

 

[sgallaty]

Well, one of the reasons I love my NEW xs650 is that it has a VIN that everyone says is impossible.

And it's shiny, which I normally detest but somehow I like it on this bike.

 

[Maddog Marty]

When I was a kid the guy up the street would ride me on his BSA Lightning. These XS650s bring that great feeling back to me. Plus what everybody else says..good looks, great feeling power, durable and reliable.

 

[Robbo]

I have a 447 motor from a 79 special and a 256 motor from an earlier xs/tx650 I have placed them in a dark warm corner of the garage with some Barry White tunes softly playing in the background, scented candles and a privacy screen... Now if I can just get them to breed the little xs puppies are going to make me rich! Whats not to love!