2023 XS650 Calendar VOTE HERE!

Which XS650s would you like to see in the 2023 XS650 Calendar?

  • teamWicked

    Votes: 44 41.9%
  • Chrome_Pancakes

    Votes: 37 35.2%
  • jpdevol

    Votes: 54 51.4%
  • halfmile

    Votes: 43 41.0%
  • PupTruck

    Votes: 23 21.9%
  • MaxPete

    Votes: 26 24.8%
  • WideAWAKE (Knockoff)

    Votes: 34 32.4%
  • Bumblebee

    Votes: 26 24.8%
  • takehikes

    Votes: 15 14.3%
  • MarieKaramazov

    Votes: 24 22.9%
  • WideAWAKE (XS2)

    Votes: 35 33.3%
  • The Old Cult

    Votes: 42 40.0%
  • 1978 Tracker (Tracker)

    Votes: 14 13.3%
  • lakeview

    Votes: 41 39.0%
  • Chad McSpeed

    Votes: 13 12.4%
  • plowboy1

    Votes: 13 12.4%
  • geoffj66

    Votes: 13 12.4%
  • julienm94

    Votes: 9 8.6%
  • Wingedwheel

    Votes: 41 39.0%
  • epas

    Votes: 13 12.4%
  • Lucky Phil

    Votes: 13 12.4%
  • 1978 Tracker (Stock)

    Votes: 23 21.9%
  • JMJ

    Votes: 28 26.7%
  • Gee Tea

    Votes: 25 23.8%
  • Smorg

    Votes: 17 16.2%
  • magoo66

    Votes: 54 51.4%

  • Total voters
    105
  • Poll closed .

Travis

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Vote for the XS650s you'd like to see in the 2023 XS650 Calendar!

It's time to Vote!

This will be the eleventh year for the XS650 Calendars! As usual, Shawn (samoran1) is putting them together for us. The nomination stage is over and there are 26 bikes to vote for this year. Click here to see the nomination thread.

This is the voting thread. There will be 13 bikes in the calendar (the calendar will include January 2024). The bike with the most votes will be on the cover and also have its own month. As in past years, each member is only allowed one bike per calendar, so members with more than one bike in the voting stage will have their bike with the highest number of votes in the calendar. Voting will end in 5 days on October 4th. You can vote for as many bikes as you want (multiple selections allowed). You can only submit your votes once, and only existing members will be able to vote. Accounts created after the time of this post won't be able to vote.

Nominees, feel free to post more photos and details of your bike in this thread. If you want me to replace any of the photos in this post, let me know via private conversation. I used what was provided in the nomination thread. I will post up to two photos of each bike in this post. You can add more to this thread.

For the top 13: To get these calendars printed and shipped on time, samoran1 needs all of the pictures for the calendar by October 11th. Once the voting is underway, if you see you're doing well, get your pictures and information ready to send. You will need to send several high-quality photos of your bike (with no logos or watermarks), your name, location, bike year/model, and SHORT bike bio via email to Shawn. There is more information about photos and other details in the nomination thread. Please review the notes about taking photos. You need to be the owner of the photos or have permission to use the photos for the calendar. In the event that people are unable to supply photos in time, the next runner-up will be included instead. So the close runners-up (14, 15, and 16) may wish to have photos ready to send in.

After the voting is complete and the calendar is put together, a thread will be created with the final product and a link to order. There will be a limited time to order, so check back often for the ordering thread. A link to the ordering thread will be posted in this thread.

Thank you to everyone who has helped make this calendar happen so far!

Here are the nominations. Vote using the poll above.

@teamWicked
full


@Chrome_Pancakes
full


@jpdevol
full

full


@halfmile
full


@PupTruck
full

full


@MaxPete
full


@WideAWAKE (Knockoff)
full


@Bumblebee
full

full


@takehikes
full

full


@MarieKaramazov
full


@WideAWAKE (xs2)
full


@The Old Cult
full

full


@1978 Tracker (Tracker)
full


@lakeview
full

full


@Chad McSpeed
full


@plowboy1
full

full


@geoffj66
full

full


@julienm94
full


@Wingedwheel
full

full


@epas
full

full


@Lucky Phil
full

full


@1978 Tracker (Stock)
full


@JMJ
full

full


@Gee Tea
full


@Smorg
full

full


@magoo66
full

full


 
Well It`s down off the lift and fully functional. I called this one my "Last Tracker Build". It might be my last tracker but it`s certainly not my last XS650 build.:thumbsup: Anyway, here are a few pics and I have more that are calendar worthy. Many Thanks to Tom for the nomination and good luck to everyone competing for the 2023 calendar.
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I’m adding a few photos for the voters to look at and consider my 75b with Sidecar for the 2023 calendar.Thank you Mikey for the nomination.
 

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Thanks to all the guys that appreciate a survivor. This project was one that I did in two places. I started it at my Dad’s place because he’s 88 and it will probably be the last project we do together as his sight is failing. The tear down and most of the paint and rebuild was done in Texas with the final tweaks done back home. It started out as a total grimy rust bucket and was stripped down to a bare frame to begin the journey. It was quite the learning process and I couldn’t be happier with the result. The original paint and Patina is a head turner and I get plenty of people wanting to just talk about a 46 yo bike. E002448B-E974-4A79-8D21-697A259004B6.jpegA76E9D04-EBF3-491B-8B37-6727DD72EEF6.jpeg91A9B894-36A0-4219-B32C-1CDE7A9ECAAB.jpegA236C9EE-EAE3-48A0-AA82-E85793B07BC8.jpegE1E73B97-B0B4-4525-BA1E-6081DC44D2F5.jpeg97B87009-D986-4819-BC22-5AAE954BE056.jpeg7D0A72CD-ECE5-4C9A-A6AF-CE67D1020875.jpeg0A69A1AF-BE38-4738-8EE6-FB8E30A88568.jpeg
 
I’m adding a few more photos that illustrate more closely the stripes I painted on the sidecar to contrast the 75b paint scheme after I restored and painted it.My intent was to accent the motorcycle not overtake its original appeal.Having an original 14,000 mile now preserved correctly,75b survivor to attach a sidecar to and keep in the family has been a long time goal. I feel this motorcycle now represents the 75b XS650 extremely well. The sidecar seemingly has taken it to a new level of enjoyment.Again,thank-you Mikey for the nomination and ask for your voting consideration for my outfit to be in the 2023 XS650.COM 2023 calendar.Its quite a rewarding honor to have been nominated.
 

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Just for fun this is a picture of a picture taken long ago , the kid on the back is the one who nominated the bike & is now 50 just like the bike , he can’t remember a time without it.
 

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Hello sorry to just post this now
My parents are in SW Florida 😬
Im just getting back on track w/ stuff
Bike runs great just get it dialed in a couple weeks ago
 

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Hi All:

Please forgive my late post on the nomination of Betty (1978 XS650E) for the 2023 calendar. As some may know, I started a new job a few weeks ago and I simply forgot <dammit>.

Anyhow, here is some information on Betty....

Betty
is a 1978 “Standard” model which was rescued as a rusty wreck from under a porch by the late RobinC of London, ON. Like most 1978s she was originally black (Robin called her Black Betty). He did much of the polishing and general clean-up on Betty. She now has a new fuel tank and has been repainted in Dark Forest Jade, which was an optional colour in '78. She has her original breaker points ignition and excited-rotor charging system with the original voltage regulator and rectifier units – all of which work perfectly. Her Michelin Pilot Activ tires are mounted on her original Ariya aluminium “rain-catcher” rims with stainless steel spokes. She has an original 1978 exhaust system and her electrical system in unmodified except for the addition of a Signal Dynamics headlight modulator to make riding safer. She is ridden daily and has proven to be a safe and reliable bike for me.

Besides RobinC, I am grateful to the following people and suppliers who have helped me restore “Betty” and bring her to the CVMG National Rally:

PAINT: Jim Dent (@Jim) of Kansas City MO (an incredibly thorough and talented painter and mechanic) Jim also provided an original 1978 fuel tank from his stock of parts to replace Betty’s rusty original.

TIRES: Bruce Durfy of Windsor, ON (another talented mechanic who mounted Betty’s tires)

DECALS: Diablo Cycle of London, ON (Diablo sells decal sets and emblems and badges for most vintage bikes)

PARTS & ASSISTANCE:
Gordon Gray
of North Wilkesboro, NC (@Gordon-in-NC of XS650.com: who loaned me an NOS green sidecover that I could colour-match for Betty’s tins)

Gary Goetz of Baraboo, WI (@gggGary – moderator of the XS650.com: Gary is an amazing repository of XS650 knowhow and parts who provided Betty’s RH muffler to replace the rusty original)

Angus Sinclair of Chatham, ON (@Lakeview of XS650.com: Angus is another incredible source of knowledge and parts, who provided several bits and pieces to complete Betty)

John Bray of London, ON (@TotalFool of XS650.com: an engineering buddy who is a highly experienced vintage car restorer provided help and encouragement along the way)

Many thanks for your consideration!

Pete
 

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DECALS: Diablo Cycle of London, ON (Diablo sells decal sets and emblems and badges for most vintage bikes)
Just to add some flavor to that...
Our good friend Robin wanted to spiffy up the controls on "Black Betty" and his other XS. Since Diable Cycles was local to him, he contacted them and worked through the details of making the decals for the left and right handlebar switches for our XS'. The set they eventually made is first class. Here's a shot of my right switch housing.
Next time you order a set, look up and give Robin a big grin. He'd like that.



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Diablo Cycle.

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Just to add some flavor to that...
Our good friend Robin wanted to spiffy up the controls on "Black Betty" and his other XS. Since Diable Cycles was local to him, he contacted them and worked through the details of making the decals for the left and right handlebar switches for our XS'. The set they eventually made is first class. Here's a shot of my right switch housing.
Next time you order a set, look up and give Robin a big grin. He'd like that.



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Diablo Cycle.

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Yup - Jim is right-on there. Robin was really proud to have contributed to the XS650 community by fostering the production of that control switch decal set. He truly was a good guy - gone far too soon.

BTW - in addition to full and partial decal sets, the Daiblo guys have a lot of repro tank and sidecover badges too - including lots for the Suzuki and Kawasaki triples and other brands. They are good people and well worth dealing with. Lots of eye-candy on their website - which is here.

Pete
 
Last day of voting! Good luck to all! Some seriously great bikes in the running!
Thought I'd drop a couple more pics, with a little more description...
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The first pic highlights the Suzuki GSXR1000 front forks and custom wheel wrapped in a flat track race/street tire, fabricated headlight mount and 1/2 mile style exhaust.
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The next two pics, show off the custom pearl yellow paint and polished aluminum gas tank. Custom rear wheel with added disc brake setup. This bike was originally fitted with a rear drum so, a bit of fabrication was required. Note the removal of the battery box and stock airbox.
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The last 2 shots highlight the pearl yellow paint and pinstriping. The striping was done by Jim Carnafax, who is known throughout the southwest and did the striping on ZZ Topps guitars for the "Sharp Dressed Man" music video.
There's more details but I've got to build suspense! Ha ha
 
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Congratulations to our top 13! Shawn will post soon with the next steps.

@jpdevol
@magoo66
@teamWicked
@halfmile
@The Old Cult
@lakeview
@Wingedwheel
@Chrome_Pancakes
@WideAWAKE (Knockoff)
@JMJ
@MaxPete
@Bumblebee
@Gee Tea

Both of WideAWAKE's bikes had enough votes, but he is choosing Knockoff to be in the calendar.

@MarieKaramazov you're the next runner-up, so you may want to have photos ready if someone above you drops out.

Everyone else, I encourage you to try again next year.

Thank you to everyone for nominating and voting on these great bikes. It's a fun process every year that always makes for a good calendar.
 
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Is the October 11 deadline to send pictures and description still in effect and if so where and who do you send the pics too??
 
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