1977 Yamaha XS650

[Travman]

My brother and I drove to North Carolina yesterday and bought a 1977 Yamaha XS650.  This is bike is for my brother.  Hopefully we will have some fun riding around together on my Guzzi 850T and this Yamaha.  What do you think?  Will these two bikes make for complimentary rides?   We plan on switching off anytime one of us wants to try the other bike.




http://s292.photobucket.com/albums/mm21/JonTravisKing/Misc/?action=view&current=20110501_77XS650_06.mp4#

[Howie]

 

[julitro]

That's a beautiful bike Travman!! Nice find and looks really good for the year. I used to have an 76' SR500. I love those old Yamaha's. Great looking bike!!

[Slide Panda]

Hard to believe it's 34 year old, it's in great shape. Nice score.

[Goat_Herder]

great looking bike.  My buddy picked up a XS650 Special Edition over the winter.  It's nowhere near how clean yours is.  It's a good "little bike" and does very well around town.  It struggles a little bit cruising at highway speed.

[xcaptainxbloodx]

my buddy had one with some 34mm carbs with K&Ns, the mikesxs performance 2-1+performance shorty megaphone and it would cruise at ~80 mph and if you throttled the guts out of it it would get to maaaybbbbeee 102 (indicated on a mini speedo)

not the most capable bike performance wise, but its classy and clean and fun to cruise around on.  I rode his from Portland, OR to Missoula,MT and the whole time I was thinking "this is a nice bike, but my Duc could do this soooo much quicker."

[Travman]

my buddy had one with some 34mm carbs with K&Ns, the mikesxs performance 2-1+performance shorty megaphone and it would cruise at ~80 mph and if you throttled the guts out of it it would get to maaaybbbbeee 102 (indicated on a mini speedo)

not the most capable bike performance wise, but its classy and clean and fun to cruise around on.  I rode his from Portland, OR to Missoula,MT and the whole time I was thinking "this is a nice bike, but my Duc could do this soooo much quicker."

I wouldn't take this XS650 past 80 mph yet.  It definitely isn't the same type of bike as our Ducati's.  I don't really like it on the highway.  I enjoy it on the backroads in the 35-55mph type areas.  Definitely not in the same performance category as the Duc.  However, when I change my frame of mind and start riding bikes like this and my Guzzi 850T I start to think we are going fast.  The reality is I may be going 40 in a 45mph zone, but I feel great and think the bike has good acceleration and handling.  Then the next day I ride the Ducati and know I wasn't going fast.  In some ways these bikes may be safer since you rarely push it and are more likely to be going an appropriate speed for enjoying the scenery and cruising. 

[Travman]

Here is one more picture.  This time with the happy owner after we rolled her off the truck around 8:00 last night.  It was a long 5 hour ride home. 


The paint job is really nice.  The previous owner thought the paint job was orginal, and it may be, but I'm thinking it was repainted sometime is the past couple of years.  There should be more nicks and small blemishes on a bike with 20,000+ miles, not that it really matters.

[fastwin]

Wow, that's super sweet! Looks to be in great shape. Kind of a Japanese Triumph Bonneville that doesn't leak oil and has a working electric system... talking about the old Triumphs, not the new ones. I wish I still had my '78 SR500. It would make a neat retro cafe. But I'd leave that XS just like it is. [moto]

[kopfjäger]

Nice   If the mod bug hits.

[Speedbag]

 

That thing looks exceptionally clean and nice. Love the paint scheme too.

Good score.

[thought]

Hard to believe it's 34 year old, it's in great shape. Nice score.

+1

looks like it just rolled off the factory floor.

[Cider]

Nice XS!  Have fun modding: http://www.mikesxs.net/

[fastwin]

No mod, just ride!! [moto]

[Bigbore4]

<Snipped>

My brother and I drove to North Carolina yesterday and bought a 1977 Yamaha XS650.  This is bike is for my brother.  Hopefully we will have some fun riding around together on my Guzzi 850T and this Yamaha.  What do you think?  Will these two bikes make for complimentary rides?   We plan on switching off anytime one of us wants to try the other bike.

Um excuse me, that is an XS650D.

Mine was the maroon, and it was my first ride.  20k miles in 2 summers with nothing but maintenance items, and things I rashed learning to ride.  Man I wish I had the dough back then to keep it.