Yamaha XS650

Neil W · May 17, 2022

Any experts on here in these bikes , I was at a family wedding at the weekend and was offered a free Yamaha XS650 that has been sitting unused in a garage for over 20 years.

With visions of it being a later UK model twin disc , spoked rim classic in mind I went to look at the bike today .

Unfortunately it is not , it looks like a late 70's single disc XS650 Special (semi custom) models with the 16" rear wheel but the side panels are from an earlier non custom bike and it has not got the Special's deeply stepped seat with the oblong rear light tucked up against the seat nor has it got the UK spec flat seat .

I suspect it may be some kind of US spec standard bike with high bars, slightly stepped seat and standard mudguards plus the FS1E style rear light cluster that has been fitted with the wheels from a later Special model .

It will need a full restoration but at least the engine turns over and apparently with fresh fuel and jump leads has been started and running on a yearly basis.

Now the question is , have we got any experts on here regarding the model as I want to know if the frame and geometry are the same on both models as I would much rather restore it as a standard bike (lookalike ) instead of a semi custom thing

Nice 'n' Fat · May 17, 2022

Turn it in to a Chopper

West coast gser · May 17, 2022

There is 2 models the US custom had a stepped seat and the taillight was right into the back seat and an alloy grab rail and the other model was the special which had a slightly raised seat and a stand alone tailight and tubular grab rail both had mag wheels

West coast gser · May 17, 2022

Xs 650 special ..

West coast gser · May 17, 2022

I had an 1980 US custom that I chopped about with lowered seat rails and twin cap custom tank and harley style fat bob rear mudguard ,done over 150'000 miles on it as it was my only transport for yrs loved it n wish I'd never sold it after I purchased a jap 4.. I tried to find out where it was from the DVLA yrs ago but they dont give out any info

I'd take it that bike in a heart beat..great engines and plenty of forums/.facebook groups and websites about it.. :thumb2

Neil W · May 18, 2022

West coast gser said:
Xs 650 special ..

Looks more like this one but has the UK spec fs1e rear light cluster , the side panels look like late XS2 ones plus the seat althogh stepped has a flatter base, there is one on e bay at the moment which looks similar

Will get the bike anyway BUT it is not getting made into a chopper or custom style bike .......... it has got to be either classic style or at a push a nice flat tracker .

We will see

Neil W · May 18, 2022

Seat is stepped but flat at the bottom it and the sidepanels look like more like this one so I reckon it is a bitsa, this is the one I hoped it would be

AndyB_11 · May 18, 2022

Changing it away from being one of those nasty ‘custom’ things from the early 80s is doing the rest of the biking World a massive favour

I had an XS2 and loved it but sold it when I went and worked overseas then made the stupid mistake of buying a custom one (it was cheap) about 12 years later and it was an absolute dog to ride in any way that could be described as being enthusiastically. It just wobbled around corners and weaved on straights but when I looked at changing it into something more rider friendly it was going to cost more than I could afford so I broke it for spares.

All of them had good engines and you could bore/stroke them out to about 1,000cc if you felt so inclined and even standard the engine was light years ahead of the frames and suspension.

Khulu · May 18, 2022

Same as Andy I too had an XS2. The engine was great but the frame was rubber and high speed tank slappers were regular!
I fitted Borrani alloy rims to mine (I don't know why) but it didn't help the handling any.

Frame should be standard across the range.

If you don't want it I'll have it, please!

I'd ditch the frame and start again.

Neil W · May 18, 2022

Main issue with the handling looks to be the stupid 3.00x17 rear rim and wide tyre with the standard skinny 1970's front wheel and tyre .

I will get it but the rear rim will be going back 18" with a narrower tyre.

Quite looking forward to picking it up

dean0n0 · May 18, 2022

A friend's had his from new, just about finished bringing it back to as new, he got a lot of bits from Holland.
I think the bit between the wheels lets the handling down.
I've seen a couple raced at classic meetings, I don't know what they'd done to make them go round corners.

AndyB_11 · May 18, 2022

Neil W said:
Main issue with the handling looks to be the stupid 3.00x17 rear rim and wide tyre with the standard skinny 1970's front wheel and tyre .

I will get it but the rear rim will be going back 18" with a narrower tyre.

Quite looking forward to picking it up

You might need to dump the top yolk of the forks as well as the rear wheel because the handlebars were definitely rubber mounted and wobbled like jellies though simply replacing the rubber mounts with plain steel ones would probably work.

Strip the carbs and check the diaphragm rubbers for perishing because they develop tiny little holes which make the bike run like a dog. Another pain in the arse was the ref/rec which went tits up on both of mine and was apparently quite a common problem.

Once sorted they’re great bikes :beerjug:

mikeyboy · May 18, 2022

I’d just use the engine and build one of these,
(Photo ,,Lewis john)

Neil W · May 18, 2022

mikeyboy said:
I’d just use the engine and build one of these,
(Photo ,,Lewis john)

Love to but too expensive for my pockets, if it isn't done on a tight budget it means selling something else to finance its build .

Just want to build something classic (ish) to make up for the fact that I cannot afford to build to buy a good Suzuki T/GT500 ,basically a Sunday afternoon bike

longdog · May 18, 2022

mikeyboy said:
I’d just use the engine and build one of these,
(Photo ,,Lewis john)

This is definitely the way to go!

jonnie comet · May 18, 2022

mikeyboy said:
I’d just use the engine and build one of these,

Do you know anyone with the skills to do that sort of thing????

D)

AND, you beat me to it...

longdog · May 18, 2022

jonnie comet said:
Do you know anyone with the skills to do that sort of thing???? D)

AND, you beat me to it...

IIRC, this was featured in Classic Bike about a year or so ago and Metisse built the whole rolling chassis. I am pretty sure that there is a guy in or around Swansea who has one because I saw it on the A4065 approaching J45 about 6 months ago.

Neil W · Jun 24, 2022

Even worse in the flesh once the bird crap was jet washed off but it has a spark

The Other PaulG · Jun 24, 2022

I have no doubt that you will turn it into something much more lovely.

Watching with interest!

Neil W · Jun 25, 2022

The Other PaulG said:
I have no doubt that you will turn it into something much more lovely.

Watching with interest!

That would not be difficult !

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