Manky Monkey Motors

The faithful old XS650 has been around since 1968, and when launched was the largest road bike Yamaha made, and I think it was their first foray into 4 strokes of any real size.

The bike's a vertical parallel twin, 2-valve per cylinder, overhead cam, and has been called the Japanese Bonnie. The first models were was kick start only, the electric foot being added around 1972.

The engine and gearbox are integral ('unit construction' for those into the Brit stuff), so the wet sump engine's oil has to deal with the gearbox 'shearing' effect along with the normal 'engine wear' component, with only a couple of gauzes to protect things (as per, say, Triumphs of the era - Pre-unit stuff like older British and HDs were built with a separate engine and gearbox, and therefore ran separate oils).

Up until around about 1978, all models were the 'roadsters' (spoked wheels and traditional styling) then the 'US Custom' hit the scene, with cast wheels, stepped seat, high-rise bars and fatter rear tyre.

The XS650 was raced on the American Flat Tracks with fair success, and in the past decade or two (or three?) has become a popular bike with folks wishing to make customs/bobbers/choppers/rats/whatever.

Infact, your more likely to see a customised XS650 than a stock one (so which is the rarer?)

Over the years, various Monkeys have played with XS650s, so here's a chance to have a thread that shows your bike...

So details - Whats been done, what you call it (bobber etc), why ya did it, how good/bad is it, what's next, how long have you been into them and PICCIES



http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yamaha_XS_650

http://www.xs650.biz/p/28/1423/home    Europe outlet for MikesXS

http://www.mikesxs.net/  MikesXS in the USA

http://www.xs650.com/

http://xs650temp.proboards.com/index.cgi?board=Fuel&action=display&thread=7705

http://www.cmsnl.com/yamaha-xs650-b-1974-1976_model8524/partslist/

http://www.yambits.co.uk/

http://glchoppers.webs.com/xs650buildspage1.htm

Very few photos of any of mine, but I've had 4 or 5, (maybe 6 -some of them got reborn several times), over the past 30 odd years.
Tried everything from cafe racers to hardtail chops. I started my biking career as a 17 year old on a Honda CB200, then moved up to a 650 Triumph Bonny, then a 750 Bonny, then a Thruxton race tuned 750 Bonny. Then I saw the light & bought my first XS650 & was instantly smitten. All the good bits about the Triumphs with, (most), of the faults taken out.
Hadn't had one for many a year until Archie appeared at Loony's workshop on his. Hmm, not quite my taste, but it set me thinking -if you stretched that & lengthened that, then remounted that ...before I knew it I'd built a new bike in my head & was buying another from Ebay. It's on the back burner at the moment while I finish my truck, but I'm looking forward to blatting around the lanes of Hampshire on another XS soon.

The first time I went to France on my bike I was with a CBX550 and an XS - whether it was a 650 I'm not sure, I know it had been professionally restored by the XS experts, but the thing I remember most was when we were parked up on the quayside at Barfleur and Nick started it up and a passing nun jumped so high she nearly fell in the water!

A passing Nun -how often do you see one these days?!

If she'd fell in she would have been nunderwater

But fortunately nun the worse for her experience.

Nope or she would be 6 feet nundergrund

or nunderwatter as the case might be..........

And now that we've all hi-jacked Tony's thread, shall we give it back?

....... and returning to topic.......  :D

Here's a list I found on the web giving the differences between the different engine types (worth bearing in mind if you have a bike from the states)

256 cranks … 135mm rod … XS1, XS1B, XS2, TX650 … 22mm piston hole … 26mm crank pin

447 cranks … 130mm rod … TXA on, US and 447 Euro motors … 20mm piston hole … 26mm crank pin

533 cranks … 140mm rod … European 533 motors … 20mm piston hole, scooped crank pin 29mm

How's this for being all domesticatified  (note the right foot gearchange as used by the flat track racers)

Now you're talkin'! Knowing how heavy XS motors are, I hope that table's well reinforced.

cherrywidow wants one of those table lamps lol ;D

Well I think bike engines look better in bikes.

that would fit in very well in my livin room   ;D x x x

yes BG I agree

Never seen one customised lke this........

Maybe a bit far gone... ?

Ooh, love that trailie!

Your next project maybe.............  you could use it for green-laning as well as twin-shock trials.

 ;D NO MORE PROJECTS!
I guess the XS twins are pretty well suited for that kind of work though.

Thought it might be a bit heavy for a trials bike - engine wise, although the badge hints at a bigger bore out jobby.

Put up today
http://www.bikeexif.com/1982-yamaha-xs650

Nice.

http://www.bikeexif.com/mule-yamaha-xs-street-tracker

Ooh, now that's nice too. No bottom frame rails. The write-up says he has standard Kawasaki cast ali' wheels widened. How'd they do that then?

Majix

http://mulemotorcycles.net/XS650-yamahas-1.html

http://www.tcbroschoppers.com/xs650-chopper-and-bobber-parts.html
http://www.ardcorechoppers.com/
http://www.freewebs.com/glchoppers/

Stoppit!

Icon motorsports XS
(http://i1019.photobucket.com/albums/af318/archie_837/7bdb1c3917894638ca341c386a1e6fc4_zps2c9231a9.jpg)

(http://i1019.photobucket.com/albums/af318/archie_837/f7b8d2544e6b48566e33d34f1c6f9c54_zps2c89d269.jpg)

(http://i1019.photobucket.com/albums/af318/archie_837/46229c7123d81382166fd14f50a8f246_zps0b79f9dc.jpg)

(http://i1019.photobucket.com/albums/af318/archie_837/47fc130f54ce5cf191519846b5474d9a_zps42f1cb7b.jpg)

Love that. 8)

(http://i1019.photobucket.com/albums/af318/archie_837/fc17f0722abc652a6adf482861013bb9_zps8bc09bfa.jpg)

(http://i1019.photobucket.com/albums/af318/archie_837/3e9b6e9592d89a4c2bac123280b65bd9_zps1bc4f670.jpg)

(http://i1019.photobucket.com/albums/af318/archie_837/48e9bc56a698687ecacaca5deeb6b424_zps106d7675.jpg)

i do like that,

Me to. Only problem is,I would have to turn the bars upside-down my shoulders would never allow me to
stretch up there. ;D

:D :D :D thats one thing i always fitted in my early ,bikin, days ,,,ape hangers,,

Right, this thread has been dormant for the best part of 5 years..........

and this one for just over a year  
http://www.mankymonkeymotors.co.uk/forum/index.php?topic=15952.15


So fellow Monkeys, who’s made what progress......................  ::)

Only progress I,v made is reverse,,,,,,,   so I,m going to let my xs go to somebody else or maybe break it up

Mine's still plodding on. Just got the tank back from the painter, so will be fitting it tomorrow.