XS650 Chopper. A refuge for abandoned, outcast rustbuckets and social vagrants..
- 31 Comment
Estimated read time. 20 minutes.
[I will try to stay away from long rant posts like this in the future but this is funny and worth reading. Also, if there's any spelling errors this ain't no term paper..]
Intro blowback
A few months ago when I was getting ready to launch this site I did a little initial research into the xs650 niche. I was already pretty familiar with the space and sites but took a few weeks to look a little further underneath and see where xs650Chopper.com could fit in. I noticed a number of interesting things. There are really quite a large number of guys super passionate about the Yamaha xs650 all over the world, which I thought was pretty cool. I also noticed that the xs650 niche is extremely fragmented. I saw a little undercurrent of hostility towards some of the dudes building choppers and some of the older guys interested in restoring their XS650. So, I thought with the launch of the site there might be a little blowback but not enough for me to really give-a-shit.. As of posting this, I’ve only received one negative e-mail pretty much telling me how the site Sicks and that I’m an idiot. However, from what I understand anybody with a site that got’s a decent amount of traffic will get the occasional e-mail from some loser with no life telling you that you suck. On the other hand every day or so I open my e-mail with sick rides sent in from all over world. Awesome. I am super passionate about personal freedom and freedom of expression, however; when guys get personal and start attacking people and talking shit about the bikes they building, well that’s just pretty weak! 650 guys get enough flak as it is. While I was riding through town last year some dude wearing a shiny leather jacket shouts out “get a Harley” I slowed down to a near stop looked at him and asked the dude “where’s your bike”! Then pulled off thinking about all the other thinkg’s I should have said. Dick.. What ever. 650 guys should stick together and have each other’s back. WTF.
“Be who you are and say what you feel because those who mind don’t matter and those who matter don’t mind.”
Dr. Seuss.
Thread on 650Rider
A commentor on this site pointed me to a thread on 650Rider discussing the sale of the Fong Brothers xs650.(which sold for $$3,000 bones) The thread hit on this underlying tension that I’m talking about and is an extremely funny read.
The pundits AKA everybody has a opinion.
BigGeorge comments.
“The wannabes will buy into it because they think they are buying into “cool” but they wouldnt know “cool” it it hit them in the head……….. BG”
BG Please enlighten us and defined cool. You can not define cool because as soon as you do it’s uncool. Philosophize on that. Everyone’s sense of cool is different. Ponder it.
gs1327 comments.
“And people are bidding on it? Leftover scrap parts with a title.”
The discussion takes a detour for a second into politics.
The Sexy.
To avoid any political bull skip page 3 altogether and had to page 4 on the thread. Although the political jaunt is kind of funny to.
The pundits AKA everybody has a opinion.ext..
Teebs comments.
“Why? Because I have the ability and desire. Because I actually enjoy riding these stripped down, no-extra-crap-needed bikes. I enjoy experimenting and these bikes are a hell of a starting point for customization.
I don’t particularly care for the Fong Bros bike because it has bad lines, and a crappy paint job. It’s faux hardcore. And if that’s what the Fong’s see as a great bike, more power to ‘em, I say! That’s the great thing about freedom, it allows us to be as individual or as conformist, as sophisticated or as kitsch as we choose. The guy who buys it is a poseur, not the bike or the guys who built it.
As far as the handling of the bike, I’ve ridden more than one bike with fat tires and they ride fine. Will it take some getting used to? Sure. Is this bike built for optimal performance and handling? No. But then, does it have to be? As for that, does it have to be ride-able in the rain? Who the hell really likes to ride in the rain? Or for long distances? Why can’t it just be about looks? Why can’t somebody build a bike that they would only ride around town or to the next town over? Not that I would, but why not?
You all sound so silly. You’re angry because a couple of guys are making something you don’t like out of your precious XS? Well, I guess you should be out there buying up all of the junk bikes instead of whining on here, that way nobody can chop any more of them up. I have two more… want to buy them before I hack them to pieces? I might sell them to you for $2000 each. Are any of you interested? Didn’t think so..”
xjwmx comments.
“It’s a kid thing. You old people wouldn’t understand.”
On being a Dick
I really don’t think that’s true. There’s a lot of COOL older dudes builting sick XS 650 chopps. This whole thing reminds me of a thread on 650 garage where Nate (checkout Nate’s insane xs here) from Ardcore Choppers got 86ed from the 650 garage message board. Anybody who has read any of Nate’s AKA “Sure” posts in the message board’s know he’s super fast to help someone out and provide info. I’m not pointing this out to cause conflict just illustrate this underlying negativity. The 650 garage message board has a grip of useful information and helpful, extremely knowledgeable guys all passionate about the XS650. To some this whole thing up. It is pretty stupid to be a Dick to other 650 riders. What is the point. If you don’t like their bike so what. No need to talk shit. Totally cool to have your own opinion and everybody’s got their own style but just don’t be a troll and go around burning everybody’s ideas and tastes. The thing that I don’t think some of these guys realize is when these older guys aren’t around anymore retired and not able to ride or wrench the young dudes are going to be thinking about the xs650s and carrying on the knowledge. Instead of being a Dick why not just accept the fact that these guys are building a different style bike but fundamentally still respect the Yamaha XS650 and could learn from your knowledge and experience. Maybe when these whippersnappers “grow up” they might get around to restoring one of these XS650’s…..
jayel comments.
“ok everybody in favor of blaming it all on the Fong Brothers? Motion 2ndth and passed ….
IT’S ALL THE FONG BROTHERS FAULT….
Ghost just get a government grant to help with your wiring, tell them it was screwed up by the fongin’ Fong’s”
I love it. AKA i can has cheezburger. Click here if you’re bored
LOL…HAHAHAHA. I love it. The FONG BROTHERS have to be doing something right. An old wise man once told me if you’re not pissing people off you’re not doing your job. For the record (Not that it really matters) I do really like all of the FONG BRO’s XS650’s and have watched as they slowly develop their own unique style. I am positive we haven’t seen the last of these guys (they’re currently working on their next XS) I think I’ll End this rant with a poetic quote from FONG BRO’s on this topic. I am going to go work on my bike NOW..
Rant with a poetic quote AKA the truth.
Fong Bros
“Those Fong Bros must be some wily tricksters. Darn those handsome devils. How dare they hack up our beloved xs beauties to create something that can’t be created from a box full of catalog parts? It must be magic. Black magic, of course. Only such a motorcycle could be created by evil nymphs and minions of Beelzebub. Why do they hurt us with their masterful welding and artistic interpretation? I know it’s a long way away, but I hope they get a bucket of coal from ol’ St. Nick.
Officers of the law and attorneys alike should be alerted immediately because those mean old Fong Bros are fleecing poor rich people who like their bikes. They must have some sort of evil mind powers. Fong – must be Chinese and know the mystical ways of the mind of those of us in the Western hemisphere. Arrrgghh. That makes me so angry.
A call to action is in order. I have an idea. Don’t tell anyone. First, we should all take naps, since we are so fussy. Then we should have our nurses feed us our nourishing pablum. We can’t lead a revolt without nourishment. Second, we should put all of our social security checks together, bid on their bikes, and then burn then as an effigy against Billy Joe and Bobby Joe Fong. That would show them. Oh, wait, another idea. We could buy up all of the XSs they might try and defile, spend six thousand on each one putting them back to stock, or even better than stock. Then, we could put them in a plastic bubble just like John Travolta as the boy in the bubble. We will never ride them and only sit on them on our birthdays.
OR, we could open up our minds like a butterfly and say to ourselves, “Hey, there are guys who are doing something that is completely perpendicular to what we believe in. Complaining about it isn’t going to do anything to change it except get the stomach acids flowing and require more prune juice.”
Nah, let’s just complain and tell ourselves that making a feeble attempt at elitism helps us to sleep at night. Yeah. That’ll work. Nighty night.”
If you dig the Fong Bros you can bid on one of their SICK bikes right now.
Wow, I love this song.
If you have an opinion you can leave it below. I only delete spam..
TED you need to spend less time on this site and more in the garage!
This is spot on and long over due. Everyone thinks they have the undisputed grasp of what is cool and core. Personally I don’t care and neither should anyone else. I did not come from a grease monkey background with family members that wrench and shit. I have always loved old trucks and triumphs. Xs650’s look like triumphs hence why i got one. I do not have much money. Now i love the bikes and would not get any other. I am sure people will look at me and say, this kid skates (terribly) listens to punk and rides a triumph knockoff… what a poser. so what, i’m over it. i may not like every bike that come on here but i respect the builders; that matters most. I think this site should have it’s own board away from 650rider and 650garage. those are great sites but they then to have the resto guy bleeding over into the choppin’ parts of the site for no reason other than to give people shit. Ted, i think a board is the next logical progression of this site but that’s just my opinion. Everyone just keep doin what they are doin. this site gives me so much inspiration for my builds. I just need so cash to get things rollin but i will get there. keep up the good work Ted.
Hey thanks for the props Rorschach. I was kind of-thinking I wasted my time writing it and guys would just go down to the next bike. I really don’t like to get mixed up in drama but it is just too funny. it is kind of long.haha. A board is something I thought about and not totally against but it requires a lot of attention and time to maintain unless you have a lot of people as contributors or moderators or something. get to deal with spam ext. plus it has the possibility to really jack-up hosting costs which I had to offset.
Ted,
I honestly think the XS has saved my life. Its been a rough year for most. I think my XS, although in pieces and currently not running, gives me an escape. I have always have had a passion for cars and wheels in general. I really love Japanese cars and I stumbled across a post on another site about Bratstyle. It felt only natural to change gears and get into these bikes. I love the tough look, JDM roots and thought with my creativity and my limited knowledge of motorcycles I could tackle this bike and make my own. Its been 2 months, and the fact that cost for parts is low, it fits within my budget (we can all be more cautious on how we spend our $$) and I have something I am truly passionate about. More than anything else I have ever been into. This particular site is on my blog roll and I visit at least 2-3 times a day, daily for the updates. I keep motivated so I can share my pics on this site when I am done. I love the mixed looks of all the bikes that are being built here. Everyone hear has similar taste but we all look so different. That is what absolutely kicks ass about these bikes. I think a forum would be absolutely awesome and such a natural next step. I have never been a moderator, but I would like to voluntaree. Excuse my french, but FUCK the guys that H8. We need to stick together, and grow this phenomenon of the XS Chopper, We need to organize meets at bike week and sturgis and octoberfest. These chopped up and screwed up bikes need representation in grand amounts. We all can’t afford to spend 10k on a bike to restore it to perfection. Really where is the fun in that. My a bike is based off of my vision, If i wanted a factory bike I would buy a new one. If someone doesn’t understand, well my only response to them is to floss after they MOD me. I appreiciate this site, lets move forward and grow.
Greatings, Everything dynamic and very positively!
Have a nice day
Hey Ted,
Love the quote from Teebs…
This is a great site. I’ve seen bikes I love and bikes I hate. And it’s awesome for everybody.
While I’m not overly fond of the Fong Brothers builds that I’ve seen, that is just a matter of taste. I see they have talent and vision. I respect their views and the obvious intelligence and humor they possess.
I have opinions and I’m not afraid to use ‘em, but I try not to get personal and attack people. Not only that, but I’m perfectly willing to say it’s just my opinion.
I prefer bare design, but want as much function as I can incorporate into clean lines. In the end tho, I give props to anybody that is willing to put themselves out there and create their own unique look.
I actually appreciate the post, and a little drama now and then isn’t a bad thing, as long as it doesn’t become SOP. Thanks again for the awesome site and GO FONG BROTHERS. (love that they kept the swingarm mount in the frame on the hardtail, you don’t see that very often.)
I LOVE this site!!!! A few months back I was searching for a bobber and found this site. I have been sifting through here every single day since then. My first bike was a 350 Yamaha, fast as hell and easy to wheelie…..I blew the engine and the thing was never the same after that. I’ve owned dirt bikes, road bikes and mini bikes since the 70’s. I didn’t ride for years after problems with my wrist. Last year I bought a Harley Crossbones…..and I love it!!! THE LOOK, THE STYLE AND THE POWER. I also had a Suzuki Boulevard which I just sold. I saw one chopped and bobbed on e-bay from NC a few months back….It had huge tires on it….reminded me of the bikes from Exile Cycles. Like I said I was going to chop it…. until I saw this site! I have drooling over these bikes on a daily basis. Some sick stuff. I just bought a bike that I found on craigslist which has been featured on this site under the title “A Metric Chopper?”. The bike is being shipped from Florida to NY as I write this. I’ve read the comment the builder left on the blog…..and would like to talk a bit more about the build…so if you read this get back to me. About the Haters…..the love of motorcycles is what it comes down to. I ride a Harley, but I wave to anyone on a bike including scooters. Its crazy out there….just about every time I take my bike out, which is almost everyday….someone pulls some bonehead move….I give respect to anyone that is out there on two wheels….whatever the make. For me it is about the love of riding….and…. there is the other side….bikes are a FORM OF ART. The Guggenhiem Museum had an exhibit….The Art of Motorcycles….not all bikes are built to ride across the country….The Orange County Chopper bikes are barely rideable at all..and I say this from experience….I rode with them last weekend…and one of the OCC bikes ran out of gas from a full tank in less than 50 miles. There are a ton of different styles being builT to suit riders needs….buy what you like…and what you need. I don’t neccessarily like the looks of a full dresser, but I know damn well the thing is comfortable. And I really don’t think that anyone that buys that Fong Brothers bike is a poser….not if they plan on riding it for any length of time….I dig it. I might not want it….but I sure as hell like looking at it. Actually…. I do want it…..and about 100 other bikes I see on this site. This damn site keeps me up at night. With ideas and thoughts and visions of 650’s dancing in my head. Keep up the good work….and I know I’m going to get shit from somebody for riding a Yamaha…..and I don’t care. It’s not always about comfort, it’s not about a name, it’s not about just being cool…..it’s about the love of riding a bike…..braving the elements and the zombies on their cell phones…..For me it’s a way of life….and I don’t know what that has to do with being a poser….A poser sits his/her ass on the couch…..and calls names and points fingers from there. I give props to anyone that sits their ass on the seat…..AND RIDES!
ted could you not put up a donation link via paypal. i understand the cost and time that goes into a site like this and if we didn’t have people like yourself. who brings us all together with the same interest. we would be lost. cheers m8 and keep up the good work.
I just purchased the Fong Bros Bike that you are talking about. I stumbled on this site and it makes me laugh that there is an opinion on this bike. I don’t care about Yamaha, Triumph, or Harley. I want a bike that no one else is riding, it takes me from point A to B. This bike is exactly what you see it is, a bunch of parts working to get you somewhere. Get on it, ride it and shut up. I didnt know about the Fong Bros till now and respect them even more after seeing their bikes.
Anyone worrying about being cool just doesn’t get it. So keep naming what a poser is and be your cool self.
Binky, thanks for the kind words. Glad you enjoy the site. I’m with you; no way I could afford to spend 10k on a bike right now. I am still trying to figure out how I’m going to pay for the rest of school.
Teebs.. Right on..
jimmy ako, I’m not sure I follow but thanks for stopping by bro.
Mike, nice man. Congratulations. The Fong Bikes definitely sparked some good conversation and good comments.
Also, do you think Sarah P is kind of HOT?
I guess I touched a nerve in some people with that poser comment, eh? lol
Like it or not, I’ve seen plenty of posers over the years. They’re out there. The guy that buys a bike, only thinking about how badass he’s gonna look… until he is stuck behind that diesel coughing a cloud of smoke into his face in traffic, or eating half the bugs in Pennsylvania while he’s banging down interstate 80, or takes a rock to the face from a car tire, or gets home after a 200 mile ride and feels like he’s been rabbit-punched in the kidneys from sitting on that pan for hours, wondering if his ass will ever feel the same… then leaves his ride alone in the garage or under a tarp for the rest of it’s life or until he decides to put it back up on ebay.
I will admit a certain bias against middle-aged suburbanites riding faux-badass factory Harleys in their shiney leather jackets that still have that new Harley-Apparel smell.
They show up at rallies, playing “biker” for the weekend, carefully trying to avoid the real bikers that are there, while trying not to seem afraid of them. And by real biker, I mean the guys who live on two wheels. You’ve seen ‘em, they’re the guys with calluses, and a little grease under their fingernails. They might have tattoos and earrings, and/or some crazy facial hair. Their boots are beat up and worn at the heels, and their bikes usually look like they haven’t stopped moving in 10 years.
And maybe part of my bias comes from having those same sidelong looks directed at me.
Does that mean I don’t respect the guy that spends every chance he can get on a bike, but doesn’t build them or work on them himself? No. Do I respect him as much as a guy that keeps his bike going for years by sweating over it and busting his knuckles turning a wrench. No.
Generally, I don’t give the weekend bikers much thought because I’m a live-and-let-live kind of guy, but I do have my opinions.
I never meant to suggest that the guy that bought the Fong Bros bike was automatically a poser. If you went back and read the entire thread on 650 RIDER, what I was really saying was that if they were going to use the word poser at all, it should have been directed at the buyer and not the bike or builder.
If you feel the sting, that’s on you not me.
and uh… Hell yeah, Sarah Palin is totally HOT!
Why an XS? How about a donor Sportster or Bonny costs $3000, compared to my XS with 5k on it cost me $300.
I’m an American, and we have a love of motors. It will be my custom ride to Dairy Queen for local hot rod night. I can’t afford a real ‘32 Ford with an expensive engine, and even if I could, I’m not so sure I’m really all that interested in it. But as an American, I do have that hankering for a set of custom wheels.
It’s for posing as a biker on the weekends. It’s a creative project and an escape. It’s for fun. It was left outside for who-knows-how-long. The swing arm pivot is rusted in tighter than a bull’s ass. I poured water out of the harness. There’s probably water in the forks, too, for all I know. I’m not going to get all anal and replace anything and make it “original,” because $2000 later in ebay parts, I’ll have what, a $3000 bike? If I’m lucky? And then every time I ride it, I’ll be putting more miles on the clock and diminishing it’s value. To somebody else. I’d rather spend a few bucks with local guys and other cottage industry types on parts and welding etc.
Part of the psychology of the restorers is, they want you to feel sorry for them and have you GIVE them the parts you take off during your chop, just to shut them up. Someday they hope to sell their “classic” for a million bucks. They hang together and try to make you feel guilty for customizing a next-to-worthless piece of metal. It’s a bunch of bullshit. They get personal and try to make you feel wrong, oh, so wrong.
A donor XS is a blank canvas. Sometimes they are done right, many times they aren’t. You do the best you can within the limits of your budget, skills, and artistic taste and talent. Some people hit it, many don’t. The detractors probably are only conservative control freaks who don’t want you doing anything else immoral, either.
That reminds me. One poster actually said we have a “moral obligation” to restore these bikes. He actually used those words.
Oh for fuck’s sakes.
It happens everywhere in all forms of culture. it’s like the hot rod traditionalists always bagging on the crazy cats that build wild customs. no one will ever be happy because things wont always go just one way in life. I say build what you love and love what you ride. Forget the in between. I frequent that forum a lot and actually hadn’t been back after I read that thread. It’s ridiculous really. Auto forums are supposed to be for people who love building not to bash someone who doesn’t do things your way. Honestly it’s all just a bunch of crap. I’m going to wake up tomorrow and do exactly what Ive been doing, and doing it my own way. The day I conform to someone else’s bullshit opinion is the day I realize it’s time for me to just pack up sit quietly and wait to die.
Love your site man. I come here all the time for inspiration from all the cool ass XS lovers Id ride with any of you Cats anyday.
live life, ride free and do it to ‘xs’. lol.
Rusty Nutz said:
That reminds me. One poster actually said we have a “moral obligation” to restore these bikes. He actually used those words.
Oh for fuck’s sakes.
Teebs Says: lol, even if you are a poser… (uh, that was a joke)
And to Rusty, Voodoo, and Stewart: A-fuckin-men, brothers!
I ride a Vstar 650 classic that I’ve been gradually re-shaping to be my own for several years now. I’ve had comments that range from “Nice fake Harley, get a real bike” from a douchebag driving a brand new truck that will probably never haul anything heavier than a Christmas tree to “Fucking A. I need to get those pipes for the wife’s Vstar.” from an old gray haired grease monkey riding a chopped out hardtailed knucklehead. Being a biker isn’t about what you ride; it’s about riding period. Real bikers don’t care if you ride one weekend out of the year or every day, rain or shine. It’s about showing respect to others, enjoying the ride and sticking together. My advice: SHUT UP AND RIDE MOTHERFU**ERS! I’ll be the one giving you the thumbs up whether you ride a Vespa or a $30,000.00 chopper. Keep it shiny side up brothers!
I think the bikes and site is gr8, I look here to get ideas for my bike.I am currently customising a 1980 honda 900 classic and wish I had a place on the web to show it off.keep it goin and screw the poser bikers who all ride identical bikes….
Lots of good points and opinions. It is always cool to hear what others have the say.
I am working on a couple of great posts I’ll have up soon. No rant though. Just meat and potatoes AKA kickass XS’s pics and some words..
Not to be the boss here or anything but seriously, lets get back to work. (site updates). chop – chop!
You hear that, Ted!? MORE BIKES!!!
Ironraven, I have to disagree with your first statement, “It’s about riding, period.” It isn’t just about riding.
It’s also about the iron.
Bikers love bikes, period. My nephew just won a 125cc Hardknock from Kikker5150 in a bar raffle. I drove down to help pick it up at 3 in the morning. By 4:00 we were taking turns riding it around my house. We brought it into my living room to go over it from end to end.
I get an itch to ride even when I see a scooter… How does it handle? How fast will it go? Just the feeling of being on two wheels…
I’ve had this bug ever since I can remember. I had a minibike about the same time I learned to ride a bicycle. Then I graduated to a Yamaha 80 trail. Then a 125. My first road legal vehicle was a Suzuki GS250 that I got when I was 14. I was the only kid in school driving a Harley senior year.
My point is that there is a certain passion to it. That passion, in my not-so-humble opinion, is greater in someone who rides a lot more than one weekend a year. And I think it’s the greatest in the guys who are chopping in their garage, sweating over a labor of love. NEEDING that fix. Always having to get just a little more riding in, no matter how far they’ve already gone.
In the end, it is just what you say though, “Real bikers don’t care if you ride one weekend out of the year or every day, rain or shine. It’s about showing respect to others, enjoying the ride and sticking together.”
My thumb is always up to ANY rider. I don’t care what you’re riding. Just don’t show me attitude. And the only attitude I’ve ever gotten is from some self-important prick who dropped 60k on a “unique” chopper (You know, the one that Paul Jr. builds over and over again…) or some self-important prick on a Electra Glide.
Oh, and speaking of badasses… check out this totally gnarly biker chick: http://vespa-vagabond.blogspot.com/ <–Now THAT takes balls.
HAHA Teebs, dirtball I have to have time to work on my bikes and get some roadtime to MAN, you know what I’m saying.
I appreciate that you’re dying for more updates but maybe you could help out a little. Contribute a bit and send in some more pics etc. etc..
It’s definitely cool to see the discussion taking place. You know that usually a site like this gets about 1% of its traffic to contribute and leave comments.. Definitely cool stuff.
I think if I had a thesis for the above rant it is that the 650 crowd should stick together and have each other’s back and not be harsh to each other regardless if you’re chopping a 650 or restoring one..
I’ve been tuning these motors for over twenty years. They’re tough, simple and reliable. Although I love the standard roadsters, I’ve chopped plenty in my time and have a chop at the moment. I used to supply spares, engine tuning and expert information on these machines in the U.K too.
Unfortunately many people should have their spanners taken away for their own safety, you’d be amazed what I’ve seen done to these motors by people who wouldn’t be safe with a bicycle and puncture repair kit. How about the guys who sandblast their engines with all the covers removed for example!! Or those that want a 1050cc big bore kit and don’t listen when you tell them the electric start won’t turn the engine over anymore-this gives them an opportunity to complain that the kickstarts too difficult for them to use! I could go on……..
I loved your site, at last some folks with a traditional view of what a bikes all about. Good for you-keep it up and don’t get too serious.
Best regards
Trev-AKA Palma Tuning
Just my 10cents. Where I live, 80% of the guys riding bikes are lawyers on 20,000 harleys. 10% are riders who saved and scrapped to put together a rebuilt sporty because of the name. And 10% are doing something original because they can’t afford to do anything else, and they want to f. ride. I see alot of xs650s that the only thing foreign on the bike is the engine- which is a great f. engine.
And I see a lot of harleys with chinese grips, bags, parts-whatever.
Point is, I’m building my XS bobber because I ain’t got 40,000 for an exile. I got 1000.00 bucks, and I want to f. ride. And for most of the folks on here, this bike provides a platform to build something that is very unique to their personality, and on a budget. And I got a friend that rides a old yamaha beater in 17 degree weather, when most of the dr.’s round here with harleys ride 3 days a year. chaps in 80 degree weather.
I had a suzuki jr50 when I was 6 years old, and I have loved bikes and rock and roll since I was a kid. This XS scene to me is as much about individuality and the need to build/ride as it is anything. This site has me stoked.
This is a great web-site! I like rat-rods and rat-bike bobbers. These xs bobbers are truer to the original 50s builds than anything else I have seen recently. I also like vintage bikes of any brand but especially xs650s. True, it is probably just because I owned one back in the day, my first real streetbike. Keep up the good work. All I ask is that your never throw away those original parts…I will be retiring soon and then will be searching for xs parts…
I once heard, “If somebody else built it, and you bought it, it AIN’T a chopper”. I agree with that, to some extent. A chopper is a personal thing…it should be built to YOUR TASTE, not somebody else’s.
Great site mate.
I have an XS650 cafe an certainly get what you say about the split in styles.I got a bit of flack for putting my bike togeather the way I have,but stuff em’ it’s my bike and anyway I could return it to stock in a day in the shed.
My next XS will be a bobber,and they can just get over that as well.
All the best,JC.
I loved this reading!, been reading surfing this site for a wile now, I finally got a chopped XS in a trade, but even if it was chopped by someone else I am now making it mine, am I a biker?…. ~been on them since I was 12~ Do I actually ride? ~did more miles this year than any 5 people combined I know~, do I like the fong bros bikes? yes and no~ not understanding the upside down handlebars~ But I dont understand apes either. The XS like this site is a wonderful platform and they both have some great points to make if everyone will take the time to see them.
LIKE THE STICKER SAYS: Ya gotta be tough to be stupid
Excellent site! I’ve been wanting to build a bike of my own for a long time, and have always looked to the XS650 as a proven, solid platform to start with. Sure, I could’ve bought a Sporty, I’ve had a couple of them already. The thing is that the cost of the bike before any work is done will most likely be more than a completed XS chop. So last spring I took the plunge and bought a bare frame and a rolling donor. It’s coming along great, and I hope to have it completed by spring. At least I’ll have the satisfaction that I:
A: Built it myself
B: Have something that 99.9% of other riders don’t have
C: If it breaks I can fix it on my own
Let the detractors say what they want about XS chops, but I’ll bet only a handful of ‘em could meet the three reasons above.
I’m from milwaukee so i’m not trying to rip on everyone with a harley… but really… I’m not a guy with tons of cash that can afford one… they almost all look the same around here, besides why would i spend 20 grand on something I can only use 5 months out of the year…. my ‘81 special project has given me the opportunity to have something I never thought i could have as a poor nursing student… my own custom, i build, i ride…. as i get more $$ i do more customization….. whether people talk shit or not these bikes get respect on the street.