Well, I put this off long enough,,,
Hello folks, my name is Steve, and I am an XS650.COM addict.
After discharge in 1970, I bought a new Honda CB-350. After several thousand miles and x-countrys, was wondering how to make it more comfortable, more powerful. Attending U-Texas, fall of 1970, cruising around S. Austin, I glanced over to the showroom window of the local Yamaha dealer (you know who you are...). And THERE IT WAS! A brand-new 1970 XS1 in british racing green (my favorite).
Screeech, clatter, clunk, I hopped-off, and spent the next 2 hours oogling that thing. (Sound familiar?)
That image is still burned-in.
I worked as a Honda/Triumph/Harley/Bultaco mechanic 1971-1977. Those were the days, gas shortages, gas lines, troops returning from `nam. Everybody wanted a motorcycle, and you could'nt help but make good money in this business. But you had to be fast, diagnose quickly, or you'd starve. If any of my advise seems unorthodox, please excuse, it comes from that era. Late `70s, the bottom fell out, the beancounters took over, and I moved on to Computers/Electronics/Cad/Cam, etc. I know nothing of motorcycles after 1978.
Jan 2000, I was diagnosed with stage-3 cancer (Evidently,I'm not Y2K compliant). 1 1/2 years of major surgery, chemo, 2 bone marrow transplants, they disabled me, booted me out the door, and gave me 5 years. Studied homeopathics, it works, I'm still here.
3 years ago, I dragged the (2) XS1Bs out of storage, and wondered what to do.
Yamaha shops would give me that 1000 yard stare: You can't get parts for that!
So starts the search, then I stumbled upon:
XS650.COM!
OMG! This is a MASSIVE forum site, chocked full of folks with unbelievable expertice, love and enthuiasm for the rarely-seen XS650. I am seriously impressed, you folks are keeping this thing alive, creating demand for parts, creating cottage businesses, collecting/maintaining tech data, helping others in a very friendly and informative format. I would be honored to join your crowd.
Attached are (2) pictures of the `71 XS1Bs needing attention. 1st is the stocker acquired 20 years ago, as a parts bike, now a daily rider. 2nd is the neglected chopper, built in `75, disassembled and boxed/crated in 1978.
Thanx, ---Steve
Hello folks, my name is Steve, and I am an XS650.COM addict.
After discharge in 1970, I bought a new Honda CB-350. After several thousand miles and x-countrys, was wondering how to make it more comfortable, more powerful. Attending U-Texas, fall of 1970, cruising around S. Austin, I glanced over to the showroom window of the local Yamaha dealer (you know who you are...). And THERE IT WAS! A brand-new 1970 XS1 in british racing green (my favorite).
Screeech, clatter, clunk, I hopped-off, and spent the next 2 hours oogling that thing. (Sound familiar?)
That image is still burned-in.
I worked as a Honda/Triumph/Harley/Bultaco mechanic 1971-1977. Those were the days, gas shortages, gas lines, troops returning from `nam. Everybody wanted a motorcycle, and you could'nt help but make good money in this business. But you had to be fast, diagnose quickly, or you'd starve. If any of my advise seems unorthodox, please excuse, it comes from that era. Late `70s, the bottom fell out, the beancounters took over, and I moved on to Computers/Electronics/Cad/Cam, etc. I know nothing of motorcycles after 1978.
Jan 2000, I was diagnosed with stage-3 cancer (Evidently,I'm not Y2K compliant). 1 1/2 years of major surgery, chemo, 2 bone marrow transplants, they disabled me, booted me out the door, and gave me 5 years. Studied homeopathics, it works, I'm still here.
3 years ago, I dragged the (2) XS1Bs out of storage, and wondered what to do.
Yamaha shops would give me that 1000 yard stare: You can't get parts for that!
So starts the search, then I stumbled upon:
XS650.COM!
OMG! This is a MASSIVE forum site, chocked full of folks with unbelievable expertice, love and enthuiasm for the rarely-seen XS650. I am seriously impressed, you folks are keeping this thing alive, creating demand for parts, creating cottage businesses, collecting/maintaining tech data, helping others in a very friendly and informative format. I would be honored to join your crowd.
Attached are (2) pictures of the `71 XS1Bs needing attention. 1st is the stocker acquired 20 years ago, as a parts bike, now a daily rider. 2nd is the neglected chopper, built in `75, disassembled and boxed/crated in 1978.
Thanx, ---Steve
