Wordman
XS650 Addict
Hello fellow XSers!
First, a bit about me...
I was born and raised in the Wheaton, Maryland area, and have been into cars and motorcycles since I was a child (longer ago than I like to think about).
My first memories of childhood are of me, seated between my father and the tank of his 1969 Triumph Bonneville, being shuttled around the back yard, and of visiting him at Congressional Oldsmobile in Rockville.
In 1979 or 1980, my father decided it was time to start looking for a car that we could fix up to be my first car. He ended up purchasing a 1961 Impala hardtop and restoring that to match his first new car (348, 3X2s, 3 on the tree, Roman Red and Ermine White), and thus I was exposed to everything from paint to upholstery.
A 1961 Corvette followed, and then a 1966 Chevelle convertible. The Chevelle was my car, and we built it with a then new LS6 454 crate engine, a posi 12-bolt, and a few other "goodies" (including air conditioning). This was my first car, and I drove it to school daily, and to 75 & 80 Dragway quite frequently, where it ran a best E.T. of 12.01 at, if I remember correctly, 119mph. I later "traded" in my Chevelle to him on the '61 Impala, into which I stuffed a 409 (bored and stroked to 482) with 2X4s backed by a Muncie 4-speed).
Around 18 or 19 years of age, I started getting the bug for a motorcycle. To this end, I left strategic "hints" around the house, in the form of motorcycle magazines. This got my uncle interested in bikes, and he and my father purchased a matching pair of Yamaha V-Max motorcycles. I took my test on one of these, then purchased my own first bike, a 1981 Honda CB750K.
I had actually wanted a new Radian, but, being only 19, the wouldn't finance me. Instead, after taking a ride with a gentleman on a nice oil-in-frame Bonneville, caused me to build my first bike, a 1969 Triumph Bonneville.
Since then, I have had a good number of interesting cars and bikes, including:
-1979 Pontiac Trans Am
-1986 Oldsmobile 442 (w/T-tops)
-1979 Suzuki GS1000E
-1991 Suzuki VX800
-2001 Harley Davidson Dyna Glide T-Sport
-2006 Honda Shadow 750 Spirit
-1981 Yamaha 550 Seca
Currently, I have a project car (a 1972 Olds "442" convertible "pro-grand touring style"), a 1989 Jeep Grand Wagoneer (LY5/4L60E swap), and a 1995 BMW 540i/6, plus the XS650 that will be the subject of this thread.
My 1969 Bonneville
I still have the Bonnie, though it is currently in "project" status.
The XS
First, a bit about me...
I was born and raised in the Wheaton, Maryland area, and have been into cars and motorcycles since I was a child (longer ago than I like to think about).
My first memories of childhood are of me, seated between my father and the tank of his 1969 Triumph Bonneville, being shuttled around the back yard, and of visiting him at Congressional Oldsmobile in Rockville.
In 1979 or 1980, my father decided it was time to start looking for a car that we could fix up to be my first car. He ended up purchasing a 1961 Impala hardtop and restoring that to match his first new car (348, 3X2s, 3 on the tree, Roman Red and Ermine White), and thus I was exposed to everything from paint to upholstery.
A 1961 Corvette followed, and then a 1966 Chevelle convertible. The Chevelle was my car, and we built it with a then new LS6 454 crate engine, a posi 12-bolt, and a few other "goodies" (including air conditioning). This was my first car, and I drove it to school daily, and to 75 & 80 Dragway quite frequently, where it ran a best E.T. of 12.01 at, if I remember correctly, 119mph. I later "traded" in my Chevelle to him on the '61 Impala, into which I stuffed a 409 (bored and stroked to 482) with 2X4s backed by a Muncie 4-speed).
Around 18 or 19 years of age, I started getting the bug for a motorcycle. To this end, I left strategic "hints" around the house, in the form of motorcycle magazines. This got my uncle interested in bikes, and he and my father purchased a matching pair of Yamaha V-Max motorcycles. I took my test on one of these, then purchased my own first bike, a 1981 Honda CB750K.
I had actually wanted a new Radian, but, being only 19, the wouldn't finance me. Instead, after taking a ride with a gentleman on a nice oil-in-frame Bonneville, caused me to build my first bike, a 1969 Triumph Bonneville.
Since then, I have had a good number of interesting cars and bikes, including:
-1979 Pontiac Trans Am
-1986 Oldsmobile 442 (w/T-tops)
-1979 Suzuki GS1000E
-1991 Suzuki VX800
-2001 Harley Davidson Dyna Glide T-Sport
-2006 Honda Shadow 750 Spirit
-1981 Yamaha 550 Seca
Currently, I have a project car (a 1972 Olds "442" convertible "pro-grand touring style"), a 1989 Jeep Grand Wagoneer (LY5/4L60E swap), and a 1995 BMW 540i/6, plus the XS650 that will be the subject of this thread.
My 1969 Bonneville
I still have the Bonnie, though it is currently in "project" status.
The XS