Waking up dad's TX650 in Colorado

L

Leadville Bill

XS650 Member
Messages
23
Reaction score
73
Points
13
Location
Denver, Colorado
Hello everyone! New member joining; I'm looking for some help on a family bike I inherited that needs some love. The machine is a 1973 TX650 that my dad bought new or near new probably the same year. It's in reasonably good shape but I understand from my family that it hasn't been run in a few years. I saw it this week when I went out-of-state to my dad's service and other than a dead battery and a couple disconnected cables to the front brake (I understand he was starting to work on the brakes when he took ill) it appears intact. I'm working with my family members over there to locate the title and make arrangements to either ship it or pick it up myself (it will be a long haul as it's over a thousand miles away). I had some questions while I work through the logistics:
1. Does anyone have a preferred shipping outfit for motorcycles? There's a bunch online but I'd like to go with one that folks have had good experience with but are reasonably priced. I'm in no hurry to move the bike as it's safely in a garage and can stay there for awhile.
2. If I have it shipped, what kind of value should I put for insurance? (See appended photos for condition. Mileage is about 22K).
3. Is it OK to leave the battery in or should I have someone pull it?
4. When my dad and I rebuilt the engine one summer back in the mid '80's I vaguely remember there was a reference manual he had but I couldn't find it in the garage. If I can't locate it I'd like to get a good one for doing my own work on it. Is the Haynes 650 Twins books still the best reference or is there another one you guys recommend?
5. Given the age of the bike and the fact its been sitting idle for so long, what kind of repairs should I expect will be needed? I know that's a very difficult question to pose without seeing the bike up close and in person, but I figure there are probably some common issues for a 50+ year old Yamaha that you folks have experienced that would likely be on the "to-do" list as I trouble-shoot the issues once I get it to my home in the Denver metro area.

Thanks in advance. Looking forward to learning from your experience,

LVB
 

Attachments

  • IMG_7425.jpg
    IMG_7425.jpg
    418.7 KB · Views: 62
  • IMG_7427.jpg
    IMG_7427.jpg
    544.8 KB · Views: 54
  • IMG_7431.jpg
    IMG_7431.jpg
    471.7 KB · Views: 57
Welcome to the forum.
1. I'm in the UK so can't advise about shippers
2. As above
3. No, best remove the battery
4. Most of us use the Haynes book. A factory manual is best for your year / model (eBay etc). Or check the Tech part of this site for downloads.
5. First I would lube the bores (Diesel), and check all is free. Then its a plan of recommissioning the bike systematically looking to correct faults found.

I'll follow this; a good bike to start with. :thumbsup:
 
It's a great candidate for refurbishment. I'm also in the UK. I have been bringing a 1977 XS650D back from the dead since December 2023. I'm now probably 98% of the way there.

My bike is a few years younger than yours. But what I can say is that apart from taking the cylinder head off, everything else has required work.

Judging by others experience both locally and here on the forum, I think I have been a little unlucky in what I've had to deal with.

But if you start out with a mindset that a complete refurbishment of absolutely everything on the bike is potentially possible, that would be a good place to begin.
 
Welcome!

Somewhere on this site (can't find it at the moment) there is a thread on pre-checks and procedures for starting a bike that's been in storage. Hopefully someone will link it.

After that, the tech section has threads on about anything you'd ever need to do to it.
 
Hi Bill, welcome to the forum. You are absolutely correct - none of us can tell you what the bike will need done. If for personal reasons, it was your Dad's bike, make you want to bring it back then you have a great candidate for restoration.

I think you need to be honest about your own motivations. You will never make any money from restoring it. But if the idea of one day riding the bike appeals, then it can be a fun project. Will cost you in time and money, but there's a lot of help and advice right here. Good luck,.
 
Leadville Bill said:
Hello everyone! New member joining; I'm looking for some help on a family bike I inherited that needs some love. The machine is a 1973 TX650 that my dad bought new or near new probably the same year. It's in reasonably good shape but I understand from my family that it hasn't been run in a few years. I saw it this week when I went out-of-state to my dad's service and other than a dead battery and a couple disconnected cables to the front brake (I understand he was starting to work on the brakes when he took ill) it appears intact. I'm working with my family members over there to locate the title and make arrangements to either ship it or pick it up myself (it will be a long haul as it's over a thousand miles away). I had some questions while I work through the logistics:
1. Does anyone have a preferred shipping outfit for motorcycles? There's a bunch online but I'd like to go with one that folks have had good experience with but are reasonably priced. I'm in no hurry to move the bike as it's safely in a garage and can stay there for awhile.
2. If I have it shipped, what kind of value should I put for insurance? (See appended photos for condition. Mileage is about 22K).
3. Is it OK to leave the battery in or should I have someone pull it?
4. When my dad and I rebuilt the engine one summer back in the mid '80's I vaguely remember there was a reference manual he had but I couldn't find it in the garage. If I can't locate it I'd like to get a good one for doing my own work on it. Is the Haynes 650 Twins books still the best reference or is there another one you guys recommend?
5. Given the age of the bike and the fact its been sitting idle for so long, what kind of repairs should I expect will be needed? I know that's a very difficult question to pose without seeing the bike up close and in person, but I figure there are probably some common issues for a 50+ year old Yamaha that you folks have experienced that would likely be on the "to-do" list as I trouble-shoot the issues once I get it to my home in the Denver metro area.

Thanks in advance. Looking forward to learning from your experience,

LVB
Click to expand...
Nice bike!
Generally, we start with a "wake up drill" or procedure to properly get the bike started. You will learn a lot about what it needs during that. gggGary and others have offerred their own take on that drill. Use the search bar to find it and many other threads on what you are doing.




.
 
Hey Bill. Sorry to hear about your dad. He obviously had good taste in motorcycles. Judging only from your pictures, I think some fairly simple "wake-up" procedures , a good wash and some tires
will leave you with a nice "survivor" rider. I'm a bit challenged and can't link a wake-up thread, but by all means, check that out. Haynes, Clymer and factory service manuals can be found on e-bay or in pdf form. Any manual is better than none.
I just had a couple of questions.
Was there gas in the tank?
If odometer reading is correct. 22k would be on the low side of need for a rebuild. If this work was done in the eighties, I would guess it was even lower. Curious about what was done at that time. Engine out of frame? Top end refresh?
Where is the bike located? Not the exact address but city or state. Another trusted member may be hauling your way. I'm getting long winded here and it looks like there have been new posts as I write this. One last tip. Get a new battery. The first step in verifying the state of your charging system. Have fun. Keep us posted.
 
Take a look through the tech menu in the header for info, threads about everything XS.
Lots of good reading while you wait for the bike to arrive.
here's one to start with
https://www.xs650.com/threads/guide...checklist-for-the-condition-of-your-find.367/
Use this thread as a build follow along thread like mine posted above?
A build thread makes for a great reference (Pictures, can't have too many pictures!) For you and having others following along helps encourage, "guide" you through hard spots and lulls in working on it. This thread is a great start. Maybe edit the thread name so it's easier to find and more descriptive of what's inside "Waking up dad's TX650 in Colorado". sump'n like dat.
 
I've towed my Dad's bike he gave me from Phoenix to halfway between Fresno CA and Los Angeles. About a 400 mile trip. I rented a motorcycle trailer from Uhaul and hooked it up to my MINI Cooper and somehow managed to not blow anything up going thru the steep grades of the Sierra Nevadas.

When I moved from (roughly) Los Angeles to (roughly) Chicago I did the same thing, but used a box truck to haul the rest of my crap.

I do remember parking the box truck right underneath the lights in the hotel parking lot, and I also ran a big ass chain between the frame of the bike and the uhaul trailer because I was paranoid someone was going to steal my Dad's former and now my bike.

So yeah, towing a bike a thousand miles is doable, easy.
 
Welcome to the group! The ‘73 TX650 is among the most desirable XS650s to collectors. It was nice of your dad to leave you such a fine specimen. I’d probably want to insure it for $3 to 5K.

You may find the factory service manual in the following link.
https://thexscafedotcom.wordpress.com/

Yours has a 256 engine. ‘73 was the last year for that.
 
Leadville Bill said:
5. Given the age of the bike and the fact its been sitting idle for so long, what kind of repairs should I expect will be needed? I know that's a very difficult question to pose without seeing the bike up close and in person, but I figure there are probably some common issues for a 50+ year old Yamaha that you folks have experienced that would likely be on the "to-do" list as I trouble-shoot the issues once I get it to my home in the Denver metro area.
Click to expand...
Condolences re your dad.

Re the bike: I'd begin by flushing the brake system with fresh fluid. Alternatively, you might consider rebuilding the brake cylinders to be sure the system's clean/clear and fully functional. Then, change oil, empty/refill the fuel tank with premium petrol, install a good battery and see if the engine runs. If yes, I'd perform a full Seafoam clean; follow Seafoam instructions—basically, add to fuel tank, crankcase oil and spray into carbs (with engine running) to clear as much of the inevitable muck out as possible. Run the engine for several minutes and change the oil.

Replace/gap spark plugs, control cables and all of the rubber bits—fuel hoses and tires that're likely no longer reliable.

Finally, perform a standard tune-up and the bike outta be good.
 
Wow- lot's of replies and great information! Since there's a lot of comments and I don't know the preferred response format I'll go back and try to respond to everyone's questions on their original replies.
 
Adamc said:
Welcome to the forum.
1. I'm in the UK so can't advise about shippers
2. As above
3. No, best remove the battery
4. Most of us use the Haynes book. A factory manual is best for your year / model (eBay etc). Or check the Tech part of this site for downloads.
5. First I would lube the bores (Diesel), and check all is free. Then its a plan of recommissioning the bike systematically looking to correct faults found.

I'll follow this; a good bike to start with. :thumbsup:
Click to expand...
Adamc- Thanks for the info. I actually learned to ride on a Kawasaki Ninja EX250 so I got spoiled with a small, liquid-cooled modern bike. But although this is about a hundred pounds heavier it seems like a good fit.
 
Its been a long time said:
It's a great candidate for refurbishment. I'm also in the UK. I have been bringing a 1977 XS650D back from the dead since December 2023. I'm now probably 98% of the way there.

My bike is a few years younger than yours. But what I can say is that apart from taking the cylinder head off, everything else has required work.

Judging by others experience both locally and here on the forum, I think I have been a little unlucky in what I've had to deal with.

But if you start out with a mindset that a complete refurbishment of absolutely everything on the bike is potentially possible, that would be a good place to begin.
Click to expand...
Hopefully it doesn't come to that as I'm looking to do just enough to get her running without changing her character, but I'm open to possibilities.
 
Raymond said:
Hi Bill, welcome to the forum. You are absolutely correct - none of us can tell you what the bike will need done. If for personal reasons, it was your Dad's bike, make you want to bring it back then you have a great candidate for restoration.

I think you need to be honest about your own motivations. You will never make any money from restoring it. But if the idea of one day riding the bike appeals, then it can be a fun project. Will cost you in time and money, but there's a lot of help and advice right here. Good luck,.
Click to expand...
Raymond, you make a good point. I don't have any illusions about doing a restoration and making bank on it. In a former life I was a counter monkey at a gun store and a great piece of advice that I overheard from a coworker was: "A custom rifle is one of the worst investments you can make." I would assume the same is true for restorations on all but the rarest of machines by an experienced restoration specialist. I'm approaching this project for the sole reason of having my Dad's favorite bike back up and running so that I can occasionally take it out and ride, plus I'm excited at the challenge of getting this antique back in working order as a survivor, not a full restoration (at least for now). I know this is going to be a learning curve but it's good to know I have you guys as a resource when I hit the inevitable snag.
 
Welcome LVB.
Take a good look at the tech section,
especially properly storing a bike.
Go forwards then backwards, they're fairly easy bikes to work on
with standard tools if you don't have to get crazy with it.
You Tube has videos on what to look for purchasing a 650.
that will show you more things to look over.
New / really good battery, fresh gas, full oil, clean gas tank, open the petcocks and drain the carbs, new or cleaned plugs,
kick her over easy or use the electric for a bit to get the oil flowing,
compression check.
If she goes run her easy till fully up to temp, if you ride oil the chain, fill the tires,
up to temp then home, drain the oil and look for any contaminates, check plugs.
Post you're results
Everyone here loves to see a bike brought back to life. Plenty of support here.
I'm sure I've missed things and others will chime in but waking up a bike is a
gentle thing and done correctly can save you a lot time cash and grief.
She's pretty. Best of luck! :thumbsup:
 
JJames said:
Hey Bill. Sorry to hear about your dad. He obviously had good taste in motorcycles. Judging only from your pictures, I think some fairly simple "wake-up" procedures , a good wash and some tires
will leave you with a nice "survivor" rider. I'm a bit challenged and can't link a wake-up thread, but by all means, check that out. Haynes, Clymer and factory service manuals can be found on e-bay or in pdf form. Any manual is better than none.
I just had a couple of questions.
Was there gas in the tank?
If odometer reading is correct. 22k would be on the low side of need for a rebuild. If this work was done in the eighties, I would guess it was even lower. Curious about what was done at that time. Engine out of frame? Top end refresh?
Where is the bike located? Not the exact address but city or state. Another trusted member may be hauling your way. I'm getting long winded here and it looks like there have been new posts as I write this. One last tip. Get a new battery. The first step in verifying the state of your charging system. Have fun. Keep us posted.
Click to expand...
JJames- 1. Gas in the tank? Unfortunately, it was bone dry when I checked it out and the tank is rusted (see photo). I believe it had been rusted years ago but a tank flush/reline kit will be on the menu.
2. I was surprised to see the miles as low as they were given that we did at least a partial rebuild in the '80's. It's been so many years I don't remember why he took it apart, but I distinctly remember removing the camshaft chain (because he was irritated at having to buy a replacement coupling link when he made a mistake during reassembly on the timing). I think we replaced the piston rings and I seem to remember scraping crud off the valves so we had quite a bit removed. I don't remember if we pulled the entire engine out or just took it down to the bottom half of the crankcase. Given how far we were into it I wouldn't be surprised if he pulled the engine. I don't remember us messing with the electrical system or the forks or anything else at the time.
3. The bike is about 20 minutes outside of Lansing, Michigan. I've got family in western Nebraska so even if someone was only going as far west as central Nebraska we could probably work something out.
4. I don't know if the battery is dead or just needs charging, but I think there's a charger there so I'll see if my brother can give it an overnight and check it out.
 

Attachments

  • IMG_7433.jpg
    IMG_7433.jpg
    408.9 KB · Views: 19

Similar threads

RPO 579C
1973 TX650 project
2
Replies
31
Views
2K
BowlingSS
BowlingSS
P
Introductions
Replies
8
Views
477
Jim
Jim
GaryInVA
1979 IT400 rebuild - Two steps forward, one step back
2
Replies
26
Views
1K
Charles13
C
gggGary
Home market tx650 going to SOIR
7 8 9
Replies
164
Views
9K
gggGary
gggGary
T
First ride, 74 TX650.
Replies
8
Views
1K
Halftwist
Halftwist
Back
Top