@retiredgentleman
In my very limited experience compared to all the rest of you I totally agree. But unless we can get OEM from a Yamaha dealer/ distributor our choices in Canada are extremely limited. Some companies south
of the border just won't ship to Canada. Man, where do we go?
Yes, if you are new to this hobby, you'll have to learn to shop around for better parts. Here are some examples:
I needed some replacement cam shaft oil seals a few years ago. I bought a pair from XS650Direct here in Canada and paid $33.75 CAD including shipping. These are the so called "XS Performance" Special triple lip oil seals, part # 01-9020, made in Japan.
Expensive, but us canadians are used to paying high prices. They only lasted 1 year before they started leaking
.
So, I ordered a pair of camshaft oil seals from
www.boats.net in the USA. Their part # 93101-25044-00, which is the Yamaha OEM
part # S-25-40-6. These are Yamaha OEM single lip seals, and I have no doubt they will last for many years, maybe decades. I only paid $16.95 USD including shipping, which was $23.69 CAD. Loonies just aren't worth much these days.
To summerize, I paid $33.75 from XS650Direct and got crap parts, and then paid $23.69 from
www.boats.net and got high quality OEM parts.
If anyone thinks those "XS Performance" seals were made in Japan as advertised, must also believe in the tooth fairy.
The clutch adjusting bolt (on the handlebars) broke into 2 pieces, and left me stranded 180 kms from home a few years back. I was able to jury rig the clutch cable with tape and nylon ties, and make it back home. I bought a replacement "clutch holder" as they call it from XS650Direct. When the part arrived, I was shocked by how poorly made it was. It was made of brass, and much less material in its thickness. Also the threaded part was shorter that the OEM bolt. I tossed it into the garbage and ordered the OEM part #
90123-08046 from my local Yamaha dealer. That part is still used on some models to-day. It is made from steel, not brass.
The clutch bolt from XS650Direct was cheap at $8.50, but was just junk. I paid $20.97 including shipping from Yamaha, and received a very strong clutch bolts that will last for likely 20 or 30 years.
You can buy XS650 parts on E-bay. My last Athena gasket set was bought from "kenosha kid" in Germany. Even with international shipping, it cost less than buying from XS650Direct.