Oct 13 2009
XS 650 chopper project starting point
- 9 Comment
Write about your XS650.: This is the 650 I just bought last week.I’m starting into a wild chopper build,and paintwork,This bike will be out of this world!!! But this pic is how it sits at the time of this writing(My first Street bike in ‘86 was a ‘78 Yamaha XS 650~I loved that bike and it is great to be working on another 1)
Rob Lucas
It looks ripe for the plucking.
balls to the wall go for it
Go for it, brother. Can’t wait to see where you end up.
Man, that thing looks rough! Looks like it’s been sitting outside for a few years. Lots of work but that’s where the fun at. Good luck and keep us posted..
Thank you so much guys,for your comments of encuragement~It means so much to have great votes of confidance~I just submitted several more pix yesterday,that will be published within a week,so you can see the progress so far,even a mock-up of what this bike will look like in the end~But what you woun’t be able to see is the 60s style tye-dye paintwork then Candy brandy wine flames over some of it,that I’m cooking up,and are all in store for this Monster.I was a wild custom bike builder(Of the “Digger” 60s chopper style)in the mid to late 80s,of the 60s Triumphs~Then I got away from it all till 2 weeks ago,So I will hit the sceen hard and fast,with some of my best work yet~So I want to say Thank you so much to you guys that are fully behind me on this one~With your great comments~I think putting the Old Iron back on the road is what this is realy all about in the first place~It’s what drives me to build!!!ty
good luck with the build m8. and keep us posted.
I need 2 get a title 4 this bike any suggestions were 2 go??I was at the Department of motor veicals yesterday they said take it 2 the State police and get a rebuilder title~Whey not file for lost title or is there an even better way 2 do this??Thank u 4 any info,Sincerely Rob Lucas
The ‘78 Yamaha XS650(Pre Special) I had in the summer of ‘86 had a massive powerband at half thottle and above,it was equal to the powervalve performance found in todays dirt bikes.I have had tons of both street bikes and dirt bikes~There was no Nitris on this bike and there was no alterations done on this bike~Seamingly all stock ‘78~I have not ridden 1 of these XS650s sence ‘86~My questain is:Are all of these bikes as EXREEMLY snappy half throttle as my old ‘78 was??Can I expect the same throttle responce out of an ‘81 say or ‘70??As of this writing I own 1 ‘70 ~2 ’81s ~& 2 other engines years unknown~Or should I be looking for just ‘78 XS??Any info will be greatly epreaciated Thank you for your time~Sncerely Rob lucas
I have talked 2 several experts on this subject and acording to all of them ‘70-’73 were very fast~from then on all XS were detuned~Leading me 2 belive~if my ‘78(Which would completly throw you off the bike) was feactory detuned?? I can’t wait to take my ‘70 for it’s first scoot~ I forgot to specify in my last note~The same or greater power valve performance of my Suzuki RM250 2 stroke werks bike dirtbike~Felt I needed to clerify that a lil~I almost got thrown from my old XS first time I hit half throttle~That was my first sreetbike at 18yrs old~I had tons of dirtbikes up until that point~growing up out in the country~But nothing prepared me for that on the street~That XS tire locked up to the road unlike wheel spin in the dirt~Now I have owned and driven tons of differnt streetbikes ever sence~I have not found anything quite like that bike~there are snappy crotch rockets I don’t like riding~I drove a buddys Yamaha RD350 I restored for him in ‘87~That would whellie without trying~I’ve owned an H2 but never drove it so that dosen’t realy count~I have ridden lots of my 60s Triumphs they did not act at all like my XS did~So I have been completly unimpressed by street bikes all around after that XS I had first~& that is realy saying somthing!!!These bikes are fantastic in my opinion~Last summer I was laying in bed thinking of building old Triumphs again then it just poped into my mind my first bike looked just like those triumphs and was very quick~Not to mention reliable to drive anywere I want~I cannot say the same bout my old triumphs I had to push for uncountable miles & Kick till my leg wanted to fall off along with my lungs exploding lol~So I jumped up out of bed~Ran & told my 21 yr old son who imidatly youtubed these bikes just to see what I was talking about~Then saw many have had that very idea~& that there are good hardtails availible exc.~Very easy 2 get parts on eBay these days(compared to no eBay in the 80s)~I can’t wait 2 drive 1 of these lil monsters again~But this time round all done up like my Faverite “Digger” style Triumph choppes I LOVE so much~Great Mix of the best of the best/in my opinion once again~As there are so many differnt build styles for the XS that fit differnt peoples personalitys~I will quote my buddy~And motorcycle expert Dave Roth who was in it deep by the time these came out in 70~”The Yamaha’s XS650 is the Triumph with all the bugs worked out”~Wow It Realy seames like it!! But thats what was said about them when the XS’ first came out~So glad I woke up so early that hot summer morning wanting 2 build a crazy looking bike again