XS650 - Twisties and Highway Speeds

Hagon, YSS, Bitubo, Ikon, Progressive Suspension are all upgrades from stock. Best you buy from someone who can fix you up with the proper spring rate for you weight and riding style. Michael Morse at 650 Central can probably help you with Progressive Suspension shocks.
And roughly it could set me back by ?
 
And roughly it could set me back by ?
$300 to $700. That said, I don't think I'd buy them until the issues are worked out.

I recommended 650 Central. He can get you Progressive Suspension shocks. I also can recommend Traxxion Dynamics in Woodstock, GA. They deal in Bitubo. YSS may be the most economical, but if you just go online and click to purchase, it isn't likely that you'll get the right shocks. As far as my recommendations, you call them on the telephone like in the old days.
 
An easy way to get nearly any bike on the center stand is to back the rear wheel up onto a piece of 2x6 then deploy the stand.
I've been known to get out the big torch and heat, bend, adjust the tangs to better conform, snug to the muffler so they don't stick down/out so far.
We had a member take a ditch detour trying to keep up with @jetmechmarty cuz his center stand was from a different XS650 and not designed to fit around his year's low muffler.
 
Generally about 12 1/2" (320mm) shocks.
Rode a special with Honda rebel 250 rear shocks ONCE! Length and springs were short of XS650 needs. Took right right back off.
 
The side-stand snugs nice and tight on the factory Specials. These pics have the factory mufflers on them.

Gotta be a reason other than the shocks to make it sit so low. I would be looking at the bracket as mentioned or some other reason

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Tyres and wheels have nothing to do with how the side stand sits against the exhaust.

And yes these bikes are exactly the same as your bike but with some different trims.

Need some better shots of your side-stand. Looks like it has been altered............compare yours with the 3rd/4th/5th pic



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Don’t even worry about suspension right now, although yes, you should upgrade. Something’s up with your stand. Either it’s not seating fully or it’s bent to hell, but I’m guessing not seating right. Do that before anything else
 
Down the line I am looking Progressive Shocks and maybe Mikuni Carbs. This should hopefully reduce some vibes at high cruising speeds and soak the bumps better . Is there anything I can add. ?
 
Down the line I am looking Progressive Shocks and maybe Mikuni Carbs. This should hopefully reduce some vibes at high cruising speeds and soak the bumps better . Is there anything I can add. ?
New carburetors are not likely to remove vibration. I run my XS650SK at 3500 to 4000 rpm and I can do that all day. I don’t drive it on the interstate because trying to keep up with traffic is miserable. That’s how I roll!
 
No not interstate. I pushed the bike yesterday at 65 on city highway and it felt like it still had plenty of power ..so that where I am going to stay. Its a urban city cafe racer with an upright positioning for me. I considered the Ducatis and Triumph they are too damn heavy for city cruising. The Interceptor 650 is nice but the sound of the yamaha and its character still won me over plus feels so maneuverable.
 
I've found Hagon's midgrade dual shocks with single damping adjustment to be very good value at ~$400 US/pr. I don't have the gear for real quantitative measurement, but in the seat of the pants it feels as though the damper control is set up to maintain the classic rule-of-thumb ratio: 70% rebound damping to 30% compression.

If you want decent customer support, you might think twice before you buy Hagons from Michael Selman's Bella Corse Racing. He informed me once that he adjusted suspension sag to control ride height. 'Nuff said; if you know what's wrong with that you don't need an explanation, and if you don't know, you need experience more than my blathering .

Selman refused to exchange a pair of too heavy springs that Hagon got wrong. Maybe Hagon's tech paid attention only to the weight spec listed for a stock D and ignored the weight numbers Hagon requested and received from me in reference to my significantly lightened machine. Said Selman,"I won't rob Hagon!"HUH? I won't belabor the point with any value judgements on the character, ethics, and impulse behind that behavior. It speaks for itself. Never again.

Progressive? Most of their stuff lies in the range of lowest priced decent shock absorbers. They are probably a notch up from Hagon's cheapest shocks that have no damping adjustment. Too bad Ikon cheapened the build of their shocks. Their original Koni repops were damn good. YSS? Installed one on a Zook GS500E behind forks with Race Tech emulators once. Fiddled with sag, fiddled with damping, shock didn't do more for compliance and general ride quality than the cheap OE takeoff had done. Others' experiences on other bikes have obviously been better or YSS wouldn't have stayed in business, but apart from the bad taste left in my mouth by that purchase, it doesn't look to me as though the features of their midrange dual shocks justify the price.

Peace.
 
Forget the Mikuni carbs. If you decide to upgrade the rear shocks, take that mikuni money and upgrade the front forks as well with minimum springs, ideally with emulators as well. Suspension is a system. Making one better just accentuates the flaws in the other. 13-14” seems to be Goldilocks for rear.
 
I am having to use choke at even 100 degrees to start my bike occasionally with not more than 10 hrs of gap. Normal

I usually pull the knob until it starts and then leave it - Right way ?
 
If the motor is "room temperature" - even 100* - it will want some choke on first start. Choke can remain on briefly until it takes throttle smoothly without - time varies - perhaps 15 - 30 seconds, depending on jetting, etc.
 
I am just getting thru teething problems with my newly acquired XS650 and totally loving it so much I pull my bike out every other hr to take it for a spin.

I like sleeping a little bit on the turns but the side stand hits the ground - any workarounds for this ?

For a bike thats this old (81 model) , whats the expected highway cruising speed without running in to problems ?


You can fix the suspension all you like and should if your really fussy. It wont sort the side-stand issue out though. needs looking at as to why it is scraping like you mentioned as a concern.
 
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