TX650 Resto Project

luckynumber0

In Over His Head
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While barely out of the weeds on my first XS build, I spied a good deal on a '73 TX650 on craigslist and could not resist spending money I really shouldn't have been spending :)

My plan is to get the bike running and safe and then sell it as a resto. Out here in LA they're in pretty high demand, and I believe I stand to make quite a bit of money if I do a good job with it. I've seen them up on CL for $3,500 - $5,000, which would be quite the return on my investment and hopefully give me some money to buy some tools I desperately need. I wish I could sell my '82 and keep this one, but with the amount of crap done to it by either myself or the PO, it's almost unridable for anyone but me :)

Anyway, the TX was found in a storage locker that had been kept since the mid-70's. The owner decided it was time to let it all go I guess, and I nabbed the bike. I wrote him for the paperwork, and with the original Minnesota title he also included a picture of him sitting on the bike the day he got it new from the dealer:
3qC1nlK.jpg


I suppose the big bars and king/queen seat were dealer options? It came with the original seat as well.

Here she sits in webbed glory:
Vdbbbmr.jpg


When I got her home and dusted her off, I was delighted to find that the scuffing on the tank and what I thought was rust turned out to be ancient dirt! Tank is immaculate!
gpHlckr.jpg


10k miles on it.
eOD3YOA.jpg


I spent the last of my 'disposable income' on this, so it'll be a few weeks before I can get into buying things like carb rebuild kits, but I couldn't help myself and popped open the carbs to get started.
kL4nMSx.jpg


Yup - it's like that:
e6gNlMb.jpg


Looking forward to reviving it:
oZ1pb3b.jpg


Will post later with steps, progress, and - inevitably - questions!
 
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Great find! Believe it to be a '73 TX by color though. Good if you have the original seat to replace the king-'n-queen. Sissy bar should stay with the k-'n-q too. Handlebars have been changed and it looks like the rear wheel too? Original was 18" - yours appears to be 16"? Original paint appears to be in good shape - a good thing! Looks like the mufflers were lost in the shuffle too? Would be nice if they were sitting next to the original seat in whatever pile-o'-parts you might find.............Lots of help available from contributors on this board when it comes to early model peculiarities....... Best wishes with the project!........................Wesley
 
I have all the original parts except the mufflers and bars. Good eye with the wheel! I have that 18" rim as well, thankfully.

Not sure if (beyond the seat and wheel) I need to extend my budget to get the stock mufflers and bars...I'm thinking anyone who is looking to spend coin on one of these might be more concerned with the paint and engine. Probably won't get any museum buyers though ;)

As for the year - I believe it is indeed a US model TX '72 because the VIN starts with S650, correlating with the "production year: 1972" tag on the title. Info sourced from the "ID your Model" thread. I may be misunderstanding all this though - corrections are always welcome!
 
What many don't seem to "get" is that just like cars, bikes start production of the new model year in the fall of the previous year. That bike could very well have a late '72 build date - but that doesn't mean it is a '72 model.
 
650skull, gggGary, correct me if I'm wrong, but wouldn't his s/n S650-204xxx be for an early TX650, made late '72? And isn't his 'raised emblem' fuel tank one of those rare versions that were replaced with the later 'decal' tanks, due to a fuel leakage issue at the rear seam? Trouble is, that the gas cap doesn't look right?

Edit: Never mind about the gas cap. It matches 650skull's ID pics for the TX.

Edit2: Found the relevant thread:

http://www.xs650.com/forum/showthread.php?t=25924
 
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