'70 or '71 XS-1B?

Nick B

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Hello everyone!

This is my first post on the forum so please go easy!!

Following a lengthy frame-up restoration and engine rebuild, I am now in a position to take my XS-1B out on the roads once the British weather improves and enjoy some parallel-twin bike riding. What I would like to know, based on the frame stamped VIN S650-0093## and the photograph of my bike below, could anyone say if this machine was produced in 1970 or 1971 and roughly which month, if that is at all possible to deduce. The engine has a 4-bolt cam chain tensioner housing and the two alloy cast strengthening gussets behind cylinder 1's barrel base are present.

It has the Solex BS 38 carbs fitted which I believe to be correct (E3's I think) which have linked chokes but independant throttles. The bike has been restored to a decent level of accuracy, however the restoration emphasis was on riding it reliably rather than it becoming a purist example.

Thanks in advance,
Nick

20230205_150707.jpg
 
Hi, Nick, welcome to the forum, what a lovely bike, I am green - one of my favourite colours. I can't tell you which year, but try taking a look here:

https://www.xs650.com/threads/30569

There is loads of info on model/frame/engine numbers in the Tech section. And it is likely that somebody who knows will be along anyway. Look forward to seeing you around, Cheers, Raymond
 
Hi, Nick, welcome to the forum, what a lovely bike, I am green - one of my favourite colours. I can't tell you which year, but try taking a look here:

https://www.xs650.com/threads/30569

There is loads of info on model/frame/engine numbers in the Tech section. And it is likely that somebody who knows will be along anyway. Look forward to seeing you around, Cheers, Raymond
Good afternoon Raymond,

I've checked out as many links as I can find, including the one you refer. The general concensus is the XS-1B was produced from 1970-71 with VIN's ranging 0071## to 0253## and I'm hoping to narrow this range down to at least '70 or '71 and ideally which month too.

Cheers,
Nick
 
She's a beauty. And welcome to the forum.
The VIN # matches to an XS-1B. Beyond that.... hard to say. If you still have the white vinyl ID sticker on the neck, it'll have the year and month of manufacture. Other than that, I'm not aware of any way to tell.
 
Good afternoon Raymond,

I've checked out as many links as I can find, including the one you refer. The general concensus is the XS-1B was produced from 1970-71 with VIN's ranging 0071## to 0253## and I'm hoping to narrow this range down to at least '70 or '71 and ideally which month too.

Cheers,
Nick


If just looking at the range of numbers produced… everything indicates they are produced in order.

I’d bet on it being produced in 70 (Nov/dec).

Roughly 18,000 produced over a year. Oct 70- Oct 71 and I’d guess the last ones produce led were mixed parts with the xs2 and build from stuff that had already been on the shelf.

Evenly split is 1500 a month. You’re about 2000 deep???

That’s my take after watching a few episodes of Sherlock.
 
If just looking at the range of numbers produced… everything indicates they are produced in order.

I’d bet on it being produced in 70 (Nov/dec).

Roughly 18,000 produced over a year. Oct 70- Oct 71 and I’d guess the last ones produce led were mixed parts with the xs2 and build from stuff that had already been on the shelf.

Evenly split is 1500 a month. You’re about 2000 deep???

That’s my take after watching a few episodes of Sherlock.

WideAWAKE,

thanks for the info, that answers my question and is very helpful. The conformity label on my frame headstock was unreadable therefore nothing to physically display the production date.

Nov/Dec 70 is a safe bet, yes ~2000 deep at 0093##.

I'm wishing I was in SoCal right now, winter seems to drag here. Spent a bit of time on and off since '96 in Canyon Lake/Lake Elsinore and Thousand Oaks-Camarillo-Oxnard-Ventura.

Thanks again WideAWAKE, much appreciated.
 
WideAWAKE,

thanks for the info, that answers my question and is very helpful. The conformity label on my frame headstock was unreadable therefore nothing to physically display the production date.

Nov/Dec 70 is a safe bet, yes ~2000 deep at 0093##.

I'm wishing I was in SoCal right now, winter seems to drag here. Spent a bit of time on and off since '96 in Canyon Lake/Lake Elsinore and Thousand Oaks-Camarillo-Oxnard-Ventura.

Thanks again WideAWAKE, much appreciated.
Am currently in Ventura County. You might be able to slip in a ride on occasion but weather hasn't been all that cooperative lately. Lots of rain - snow in surrounding mountains. Local newspaper indicates over 24" thus far for the season. Easily twice "normal" rainfall level. Good news is local reservoirs are full or nearly so - first time in a number of years. Drought over? Maybe........................By the bye - beautiful scooter!..............
 
Am currently in Ventura County. You might be able to slip in a ride on occasion but weather hasn't been all that cooperative lately. Lots of rain - snow in surrounding mountains. Local newspaper indicates over 24" thus far for the season. Easily twice "normal" rainfall level. Good news is local reservoirs are full or nearly so - first time in a number of years. Drought over? Maybe........................By the bye - beautiful scooter!..............
Been to the Ventura County Fair at the showground adjacent to the railroad a good number of years now. Usually held first week of August in beautiful weather. At least you're getting the reservoirs full. Just before the pandemic we drove to Lake Cachuma towing my friends pontoon boat with a view to fishing on there but we never launched. The water level was seriously low, it was during September..
Hoping for the weather to improve over here now in the UK, hopefully the worst of the winter is behind us. Seems to take an age to get into decent springtime weather though.
Thanks for your help with my XS-1B query.
Nick

20230205_153911.jpg
 
My xs650b was built in mid-late 74, I suppose they prebuilt a load ready to for the new registration year.

Model year and calendar year don’t always meet up.

Usually a new model year starts being sold the end of the previous calendar year.
 
Been to the Ventura County Fair at the showground adjacent to the railroad a good number of years now. Usually held first week of August in beautiful weather. At least you're getting the reservoirs full. Just before the pandemic we drove to Lake Cachuma towing my friends pontoon boat with a view to fishing on there but we never launched. The water level was seriously low, it was during September..
Hoping for the weather to improve over here now in the UK, hopefully the worst of the winter is behind us. Seems to take an age to get into decent springtime weather though.
Thanks for your help with my XS-1B query.
Nick

View attachment 238441

I’m a couple hours north of Ventura, anything south of the Gaviota tunnel is LA in my mind (I’m not making any friends haha).
 
My take.. it's 71' Xs1b. Never seen one with the early Xs1 tail light which was dropped during the Xs1 production run and replaced with the standard round tail light. Xs1 units had fork gathers... no seat strap.... no t-signals. again, all changed during the production run. This explains why you see period ads of the Xs1 with and without these components.... I had a 71' Xs1b and under the candy yellow white was the Xs1 green and white .... I believe Xs1F (First) was pacific rim units... Aussies, New Zealand... ? 😎
 
My take.. it's 71' Xs1b. Never seen one with the early Xs1 tail light which was dropped during the Xs1 production run and replaced with the standard round tail light. Xs1 units had fork gathers... no seat strap.... no t-signals. again, all changed during the production run. This explains why you see period ads of the Xs1 with and without these components.... I had a 71' Xs1b and under the candy yellow white was the Xs1 green and white .... I believe Xs1F (First) was pacific rim units... Aussies, New Zealand... ? 😎

motormike - thankyou for your input on this. I'm convinced it is indeed an XS-1B as you mention.

What's your take on its VIN being 0093## ? That's around 2200 machines into production.

From the info furnished so far on this thread, would this not put the production year at last quarter of 1970? Since the first XS-1B's were 1970 VIN 007101 through to the last (in 1971) being 025383.

It's a great shame the conformance label was unreadable prior to the tear down.

Nick
 
What's the engine number... ? it should match the frame number. Since the data tag is in question... the engine numbers should confirm.. 1970 or 1971.... the frame number seems to have been stamped with the matching data tag .... if the engine number and frame numbers match... I'd paint it candy green.... My unit is S65000637.... a early production model... also known for con-rod bearing failures. One possibility... it could be a 1970... I have a 1970 Ducati 450 Jupiter.. but it's titled as a 1971.. because when it was sold and registered with the state it was spring 1971... The Xs1 were all 1970 models.... they came out with production-build dates of 1969 ... just like Ford rushed the 1965 Mustang out in 1964 for the Worlds Fair... .... Ford never acknowledged a 1964 Mustang.. they were all 1965. The early 65's... had minor differences...they were all a Ford Falcon under the new sheet metal.... I had a base coupe 65' with the four lug nut wheels ... one of the differences besides trim and dash knobs.... Collectors point out " 1964 and a half ! ".... at car shows.... magazines... but it's a 65'.
 
In the early, through mid, '70's, year model wasn't really a thing; bikes just got a model designation regardless of when produced or sold. In the US, registrations would often reflect the date of first sale: one could have an XS1-B (F) that was first sold in '72 and the title would bear '72 model (but not an XS2).

If IIRC, model year standardization didn't start until '75-'76 and 17 digit VIN's began early '80's (varies per OEM)
 
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