Howdy WBacon:
Well, I guess I've got to put in my $0.02 in as well (that is about $0.0157 USD at the present rate of exchange I think). As noted by everyone else, it is of course your bike - but....
- so many people take a nice old XS650 like yours and start to chop it and then lose interest or run out of skill or money - but of course, only AFTER they've ruined it as a rideable bike and created a now nearly worthless and hard to sell pile of parts);
- some others do eventually complete their chopped bikes - but then the owners find that what they have built is too uncomfortable to ride more than a few miles, it handles like a wallowing lawn chair, it doesn't stop (because they've removed the front brake - duhhhhh....), it doesn't turn (because they have extended the forks - double-duhhhhh....), it is hard to start because they have removed the battery and installed some winky capacitor system (triple-duhhhh.....) and now, nobody else wants it for virtually any amount of money.
On the other hand, the XS650 is actually, in its own right, a
very nice motorcycle for riding - pretty much just as it came from the factory.
In comparison with modern bikes, it isn't very fast, the handling isn't all that sharp and the brakes are...to put it charitably, "quaint". But, it looks really cool, sounds awesome, its a total chick magnet and it is
very very comfortable in comparison to the modern crotch-rockets which require you to fold your legs into a pretzel, crank your neck past 90 degrees to see forward and provide passenger seating which no woman I've ever met could actually use (is that sexist - sorry). I have four bikes including two XS650s, a modern Suzuki SV650 and a big Honda ST1300 sport touring bike - and my first choice for a nice Sunday ride is always the XS650 Standard - my crusty, grumpy old 1976 C-model, "Lucille".
So, my advice is to give the old gal a chance to show you what she's got and if you really want to chop something, just watch the forum for a week or two and you will find several "projects" which someone else has already f@cked-up....errr, I mean
started on. There was a project bike/chopper for sale on this forum about 2-3 days ago - search and you'll find it.
Anyhow, you can usually get one of those for a bargain-basement price and complete it. Then, as pointed out above, sell
ME your nice running Standard XS-2. I'll give you a good buck for it and there won't even be any cross-border hassles because I live in the
semi-Democratic People's Republic of Ontario.
In the meantime, enjoy the forum, post lots of pictures and tell us how its going!
Cheers,
Pete
PS - much of what I wrote above is in jest. I am glad to note that you're leaning toward restoring it because wrecking an otherwise solid and historic old bike just seems wrong to most of us especially when there are so many
"previously enjoyed" alternatives available for nearly nothing.