1977 Yamaha XS650

[speedknot]

WOW! Great score.  Its not often we northerners get a stab at a bike in that condition.  Its also a rarity to get one with the OEM alum shouldered rims as well.  Dont mod it.  Its perfect just the way it is.

[KRJ]

   Cafe` to the death, or keep it as a "showpiece" Awsome either way, very nice...

[DesmoDiva]

Great find!!!

My first bike was an '80 XS400, didn't appreciate it at the time.

Everytime I see one, I regret selling it.   

[moto]

[MUNSTA]

   Cafe` to the death, or keep it as a "showpiece" Awsome either way, very nice...

I totally agree!
Centerstand and kick starter:) Reminds me of my first ride- a Yamaha 1978 XS-500! Funny that it was the same dry weight as my current ride (M1000S), minus 500cc.

[Travman]

WOW! Great score.  Its not often we northerners get a stab at a bike in that condition.  Its also a rarity to get one with the OEM alum shouldered rims as well.  Dont mod it.  Its perfect just the way it is.

It can be tough finding a good bike from the 70's. The prices are reasonable, but more often than not, the bikes are not in very good condition. Both this bike and the Guzzi 850T had good long term owners that maintained the bike well and stored it in a garage.  I can say from experience that "barn-find" is not something you should be looking for.  You want a bike that is being used therefore being maintained.

I like the shouldered aluminum rims too.  So these rims are OEM.  That is cool since they have the look of expensive Italian rims like Borranis.

[geoffduc]

What a great looking motor cycle...

Tell your brother to keep it original and enjoy riding it... [moto]

[Privateer]

i've read on the series of tubes known as the internet that the cool thing to do is rephase the crank

http://www.xs650.com/forum/showthread.php?t=103


I was reading up a lot on them before I gave up the search for one of my own.  from what little seat time I got on a stock one, they're fun bikes.

[Preisker]

In the 80's a friend of mine gave me one of those, same paint, but it had been sitting outside, so the seat cover was all dried up and about half duct tape.   It had the same Akront wheels, and the mufflers were rusted off.   But it ran.   I rode it for 2 years, one day going to work, I was running about 80 or so, that's how fast it would go before the clutch started slipping, hit the railroad track jump, where  at 80 you could catch maybe 6 inches of air, and go about 20 feet out, maybe, and a second or two after coming back on the ground, the rear wheel locked up, and I pulled in the clutch and coasted to a stop.  I leaned it on a fence, since there was no kick stand, and picked it up after work.   Upon inspection, there was a crack from the exhaust port flange, all the way down the cylinders, and the crack went into the lower cases!!!  When I looked further, there was a piece of cylinder liner inside one of the carburetors.   It had dropped a cam chain at about 6 or 7000 rpm.   I think I got $20 or so for the wheels.   But for 2 years, I beat the hell out of that bike, and it only left me walking that one time.

[ungeheuer]

What a great looking motor cycle...

Tell your brother to keep it original and enjoy riding it... [moto]

^^ what geoffduc said.

Hell Travman, is there any bike which you like which I dont also like??  Very nice find  .

[Travman]

^^ what geoffduc said.

Hell Travman, is there any bike which you like which I dont also like??  Very nice find  .

My brother will keep it stock.  Mainly because he is a cheap bastard.

I don't like any bikes with rectangle headlights or styling that look like this. Moto Morini Excalibur.


There should be a name to identify all of the bikes that fit into the Moto Morini Excaliber/Suzuki Madura/Ducati Indiana/Suzuki Intruder/Kawasaki Vulcan/Guzzi Nevada/Yamaha Virago/Honda Magna funky crusier catagory.  They all have the same broke-back puesdo-chopper look.  There must have been one consultant at the time going around advising all of these companies on how to capture some of the custom cruiser market. 

[ungeheuer]

My brother will keep it stock.  Mainly because he is a cheap bastard.

I don't like any bikes with rectangle headlights or styling that look like this. Moto Morini Excalibur.


There should be a name to identify all of the bikes that fit into the Moto Morini Excaliber/Suzuki Madura/Ducati Indiana/Suzuki Intruder/Kawasaki Vulcan/Guzzi Nevada/Yamaha Virago/Honda Magna funky crusier catagory.  They all have the same broke-back puesdo-chopper look.  There must have been one consultant at the time going around advising all of these companies on how to capture some of the custom cruiser market. 

Such a cruel misuse of a Morini 3 1/2 motor....