Greeting. I'm new to this forum.
I presently have a 85 Honda Magna 1100, but thinking of downsizing. Something less complex.
Looking for an air cooled parallel twin. Standard riding position. Mostly 1 hour rides, but still capable of a 500 mile highway road trip.
I want something older that I can antique tag.
I don't mind doing some wrenching now and then.
I'm not comfortable with feet forward V twins.
Am I barking up the right tree considering an XS650?
Welcome ckahleer and nope - you're definitely at the right tree and in the right place to find out about them.
If people will forgive me some generalizations, I view XS650's as coming in four distinct variants:
- early Standards - 1970-1972 (these machines had a drum front brake and the first years had no electric starter);
- mid-year Standards - 1973-1976 (frame upgrades to improve handling, electric start and disk front brakes plus a few other minor electrical upgrades);
- later Standards - 1977-1979 (slightly stronger forks, a few more electrical upgrades);
- Specials - 1979-1983/4 - the final year depended on which market you are in. (these bikes came with "cruiser" styling with stepped seats and higher, more curvey handlebars);
The engines are virtually identical from 1974-on with electronic ignition systems commencing in 1980. The early 1970-72 bikes are fairly rare to find for sale nowadays and many people find the 1973-78
Standards to be somewhat more comfortable than the
Specials, but each type has its fans. Basically, the bikes are all good and the engines are
very robust and easy to keep running with few recognized weaknesses.
Getting an XS650 back on the road after a period of dormancy usually involves cleaning out the carburettors and sorting out some wiring issues (which almost invariably involve some corroded connectors). Fortunately, parts are readily available and this forum is chock-full of folks who likely know more about these machines than the people who built them nearly 50 years ago.
As for touring capabilities, I rode my 1976 XS650C more than 350 miles on Wednesday and it never missed a beat and in the last 2.5 years, I have put more than 8,000 miles on her. I absolutely love riding that thing - it is my favourite bike for general booting around.
Again, welcome and please ask lots of questions!
Pete