Where or how did you find your XS650 ?

[tonyc]

I picked up a 1978 standard running and a 1976 non-runner for $1000. In Bakersfield CA.

 

[Barb]

Ha! Wish I'd known you back in '80.

Did you get 60,000 on the motor before you needed engine work? I've been trying to get some handle on how long they last.

I've had to do a top end on her at about 30,000 miles, new rings, lapping the valves and measuring the springs. The guides seemed fine. Her usual engine was beginning to smoke a bit and use some oil at around 60,000, and just to get my attention, she threw a rod. Wakes ya right up, and I pulled that engine out and stuffed her spare one in. Now the original gets a new crank, already in place, and .10M over pistons and an overbore. She'll be pretty with her totally rebuilt engine, and lugging the chair, she can use it! (Gotta take care of Baby, so she'll take care of Momma.....)

 

[wideload]

A friend of mine had a 76 in the family since it was new. The original owner sold it to his brother in the 80's. I heard it was for sale in Kansas (I live in Colorado) and thought it could be a father-son project over the winter. We drove to Kansas right after a big snow storm about a year ago. We checked it out and I decided to ride it home - hardly got cold at all! Traveled 400 miles at 70mph or better. No problems except for poor MPG -turned out to be an overflowing carb (it ran alright though). As expected we had a great time going through all the systems of the bike last winter; now it is his.

 

[pumps]

I like vintage bikes. I've made some decent money flipping a few and when I saw the 77 on craigslist ten minutes from me I might have been thinking of flipping it. Previous owner had a new sportie in the garage he was needing to pay the sales tax on. Then I rode it home and I was hooked. Two years ago and still working on it this year but last year all summer it was fun! Oh and paid $550. The only real damage was the tach face was sort of bashed. I've learned a lot. Met some cool folks. Bought another cool bike. Haven't flipped one since. As I brought her home.

A little progress.

 

[Socopunk]

Long story a little bit shorter. Dad bought the 73 TX650 in Minnesota in '72. Rode it to Cali, rode it a little. Then it sat in the back yard for 20 years. I wrenched on it in high school. Never got it running. Dad gave it to uncle, uncle to cousin, cousin to some guy, sold it to another guy. Went to South Dakota, Minnesota, Nebraska, hauled to Alaska and back down to Colorado. 2 years ago I was remembering his TX650 and wanted one so bad. Cousin called me and said he saw a guy by his house with one and he asked the guy if it was for sale. He said yeah $120. I mailed him a check and my cousin hauled it out to Cali. When I got it here it wasn't running. I pulled it off the truck and opened the seat. In the the little stash there was the title . . . with my dads name on it. It now runs.

 

[BiffTirkle]

i traded a $2,700 fridge for a '79 xs650. that started it all. now i have 3 project bikes, and 4 or 5 parts bikes ive parted down and sorted. theyre my legos.

 

[YOURADHERE]

Long story a little bit shorter. Dad bought the 73 TX650 in Minnesota in '72. Rode it to Cali, rode it a little. Then it sat in the back yard for 20 years. I wrenched on it in high school. Never got it running. Dad gave it to uncle, uncle to cousin, cousin to some guy, sold it to another guy. Went to South Dakota, Minnesota, Nebraska, hauled to Alaska and back down to Colorado. 2 years ago I was remembering his TX650 and wanted one so bad. Cousin called me and said he saw a guy by his house with one and he asked the guy if it was for sale. He said yeah $120. I mailed him a check and my cousin hauled it out to Cali. When I got it here it wasn't running. I pulled it off the truck and opened the seat. In the the little stash there was the title . . . with my dads name on it. It now runs.

Now that's a cool story. To think that bike went through multiple hands and many homes thousands of miles away yet still ended up back in your family is really cool. That's one of the better stories in this thread.

 

[bpd106]

Bought mine from a co-worker. Looked exactly like the one in post #1, same color and all. Didn't run. Got it for $400. Knew it was a simple electric problem, and it was. Got the rotor rebuilt and fresh battery. Has 7300 on the clock. I'm in the customizing process of it now.

 

[PhatTony]

I built a couple Triumphs and liked the sound of them. Didn't much like the constant repair but I lived with it for a couple years. Found out I was having a baby. Sold my restored Triumph 500. A month later found out I was having twins. Sold my show bike, a 750 chopper. While doing research to restore my Triumphs I had learned that Yamaha ripped off the design and made it better. After I sold my Chopper I was looking for an XS to keep my sanity. Saw on CL a guy selling an XS 650 go-cart. Not that interested in it since he wanted $3000 for it but at the end of the listing it said it included a parts bike. Called him and got a 80 Special for $200 no title. Went through he hassle to get a bonded Nebraska title for $150. $350 for a 90% complete Special. Currently a hardtailed, raked, 277, efi, project. Also found a 77 D in great shape. Rode it for a while but now I have to pay for some surgeries I had this year so it is up for sale and the project gets to sit for a while.

 

[72XS2]

Got my XS2 from my dad in 1998. He bought it in 73 or 74 from one of his friend who bought it new in 72. When I was 12 years old, my dad wanted to sell it because he didn't use it since 1985. I asked him to keep it for me and he said he would give me the bike when I'm 18. I didn't work on it since last year because I had a 53 Chevy Belair but I decided to sell it and begin the restoration on the 72. I hope that it will be done for the next summer. I hope that I will find a 70 or 71 (or both). I also want to buy a V-Star 1100 and build a bobber with it and find an old Triumph, I just don't know which one will come first.

 

[XSLeo]

My first 650 was a 75, I got it from a friend in the service in 78, It seized a piston, bent a rod. $400
75 #2 I found at a used car place and traded a 12 aluminum boat and trailer for it. Thats the one thats a 750 now.
I picked up the 82 as a parts bike for $325 so I could have the engine for the 75 while the 75 engine became a 750.
The 81 I found in the local want ads. It runs fine, needs a few things, bad charging rotor, and some make pretty parts for the cobbed on fairing. $650.
The 82 may become a rephased 750 bare bones bike. Fast and fun.

 

[Teebs]

I just sold a '75 that I traded a Savage 30-06 for. I took the rifle in trade for a miniature steel sculpture of a Timber wolf I did about 10 years ago. I had 3 basket cases that I paid a total of $350 for. I just sold one of those for $400 and picked up a seized motor for $25. So, currently I have the XS I'm working on, another basket case and 2 extra motors.

Mostly, I find them in high grass or dirt. The one I'm building now was laying in the dirt with a tarp over it. The oil was old but clean and free of debris, the plugs were old but still in good shape. Perfect compression and shifts through all the gears. Pistons look great. No idea of the mileage but my guess is it's pretty low.

The guy I got it from was going to do a cheap chop but lost interest/got discouraged during disassembly (he shredded both carb diaphragms, then found out how much they cost etc) So, it sat in his back yard for a few years. I paid $200 for it.

 

[mikethedruid]

I found mine sitting on the showroom floor of a dealer who used to be here in RI, Bobby D's down in Warwick. Paid $1,000 for it. That was about 10 years ago. I've done major work on it over the years, replaced all the through seals, rebuilt the transmission, replaced the cam chain tensioner, and more. I miss Bobby D's, they were good about finding parts and helping folks.

 

[olddude13]

Found on craigs list 20 mi away yesterday both for $500

olddude

 

[DLD1]

One day at work I mentioned I was thinking about getting an older bike (I had recently sold my '97 Ducati), and a co-worker said he had an old XS650 that he'd sell me cheap. After some discussion, he said he just needed it gone, and if I would come get it right away, he'd sell it to me for $1.00! I picked it up, washed it, changed the oil, replaced a bad plug wire and installed a new battery. Started right up after sitting for several years. SCORE!
I've since replaced the seat cover, rebuilt the carbs, and replaced the ancient tires. I'm now in the process of putting a "standard" tank and new exhaust system on. Maybe some more mild cafe style mods in the future.

DLD

 

[Pure-Pork]

I bought 2 xs's from a friend's dad who had them sitting in the yard, in the early nineties, for $200. One was a XS-1 and the other an XS-2. I knew the XS-1's previous owner and knew it had possibly broke a cam chain. I got the XS-2 running and with parts from a local dealer, got a seat pan not so rusted that I could put new foam and cover on it, and got the motor unstuck. Rode it for quite a few years. Then in 1997, a friend had 2 XS's, a beautiful stock XS-2, and a 78 special. He gave me the 78 for getting the 72 running. I am still riding the Special. Then in 2004, my friend, Jim Hawk, who runs Hawks Tattoo's gave me a call and says, I got a bike for you. He gave me another 78 special, that some guy traded for a $65 tattoo. Said it died on him and wouldn't start. It was a short in the rotor. I cut this one in half and welded a duo-glide rear section on it. Now I have a dresser special with harley glass bags. Love my XS's.

 

[emzdogz]

well, this one ('80) I'm working on now I got about 12 years ago after (gulp) my Mom backed into it in a parking lot. No one hurt. But the bike owner's ins co was going to give him next to nothing for the bike and good stock used parts (which I tried to help him find, and which I still have) were costing an arm and a leg at the junkyards around here, so my Mom, who was really overcome with guilt, gave him $1200 for it, which he used to buy a much newer bike that he liked better.
Not sure what would have happened if I hadn't said "yeah I want it if you buy the bike".


I had another XS, a nearly stock '79, that I found about 75 miles away, either on Cycletrader.com or maybe it was Craigslist. That one cost $600 and I had to put quite a bit of work into it to get it running right. But it did run really nice and showed me what a great engine the XS has. Surprisingly quick acceleration once it was running well.

 

[dr mac]

I seen a garage sale on the way home about 50 yds out of the way and bought 3 xs650 ,ds6,r5, xs1100 for 1000.00

oh and all 3 xs650 woulf fire on spray . one now is being bobbed and running just need to wire etc now .

 

[anysnail]

wife's cousin was riding it until he 'upgraded' (pff) to a harley. i got it for $450.

 

[motorbreath]

Craigslist!!!!!