prue1
XS650 Addict
I recently purchased a 76 XS650. I have owned a 72 XS650 for approximately 10 years. Upon taking possession of the 76, I noticed that the exposed fork tubes on the 76 were 1/2 inch shorter then my 72. I am a smaller guy and whenever I back my bikes out of the garage, I always use the side stand as a third contact with the ground, making the bike more stable and therefore minimizing the chance of the bike falling to the high side. When I apply this technique to the 76, the side stand has minimal clearance to the ground and therefore wants to fall to the high side. I am thinking that since the bike was stored for many years (on the side stand?) that the front fork springs have colapsed and are not as long as they should be, which is 19.488 inches. I wonder if this is a plausible answer? If I do need new springs, are there any after market springs that are an upgrade to the stock springs? As always, thanks for any assistance.
