Looking at an xs650 today, what to look for?

[StoneAgeVulture]

I'm looking at an 81 xs650 with 9900 mi today and was wondering if I should look for anything in particular? The guy that is selling says it needs nothing and is his daily rider, apparently he likes to pick them up, fixes what it needs and resells them. He is asking $1300, which I think is ok, it looks super clean. Any thoughts?

[D0wn5h1ft]

If stock, then I'd give him closer to $1100 for it but that's in the great state of Michigan. I know motorcycle prices tend to vary a lot but for an '81 small displacement jap bike I just don't see it fetching that. I had a buddy who sold is MINT 1980 XS100 SG for $1300 and I can't imagine seeing a 650 going for that.

Nice part about the bike though is that parts availability is REALLY high.

Good luck, talk him down, and get it for a steal.

[donebysunday]

I know it's not right but the 650s are in greater demand because of the blank canvass, make it anything you want. Nice looking engine (I think the 650 and 1100 style the best looking engines). Available parts that can be swapped from 74-83 and some parts from the earlier models 70-73. Gearing can be changed easily via the selection of sprockets. Standards can be made to look like specials and specials to look like standards. Look at the variations that have been built. The engine can go from 650 to 750 easy and a guy in Aus. has one that's 1100cc. I had a full blown tracker built for a dealer/racer with the help of Shel Tuet. I rode it twice after I figured out why it would not run and then sold it for what I had in it. At least I owned it for awhile, scared the hell out of me and it was a 750 full blown head/valves/ports.

[daveyg]

They are cool for sure, been kicking myself ever since selling my old one. If you ever try running one open headers you better have some ear plugs...

[D0wn5h1ft]

I might be being a bit of a hipster here but I'm getting real tired of seeing hack job 650s. The demand for them is up because of the availability of bolt-on "upgrades". They aren't particularily fast or good looking or even are good handling but they caught on for one particular reason: price.

"Back in the day" (and by that I mean 2004 -2008 timeframe) they could be had for NOTHING. People were giving these things away because they had been sitting in garages from the 80s having never been touched. You could pick one up for $300 all original. Your average kid or broke young adult wanna be rider could have all his hopes and dreams of riding met with half of his minimum wage tax return. Then of course all these kids couldn't help but tinker with them thinking they were going to be America's next OCC with their dad's old stick arc welder and a set of chinese hand tools.

Then came the wave of XS650 chop bobbers...oh the humanity. You could go online and for what you paid for the bike buy a "weld on" rigid frame and have yourself a chopper! The 650s then became the victims of a hoard of inexperienced tinkerers and their friends and buddies saw this and followed suit and bought their own. Aftermarket part suppliers started fabricating bolt on upgrading to satisify these kids' hunger for a "custom" bike and the prices of the 650s SKY ROCKETED.

Now we have a once good, reliable motorcycle fetching big displacement bike prices all because of a couple a cruddy chinese made bolt ons are available. It is the Harley Davidson of Jap bikes. Not knocking the bike, just the ones who butcher them.

ANYWAYS, get the bike. Don't pay top dollar for it because the thing itself is not worth it. You're paying for the aftermarket availability and the current bubble that's going on. Mark my words, the XS1100 is next on the chopping block. Give it 3-4 years when the 650s run out and they'll start digging 1100s out of barns and chopping them to bits. Good thing they're heavy and no one wants to move them !

[StoneAgeVulture]

UPDATE I did buy the bike, ended up spending $1100, which I think is a decent price, if you look on eBay, they tend to sell around $2000 and up. It runs and rides well, I rode it home (55 mi) with no issues. Not quite sure what I want to do with it yet (other than ride it), I do like the Cafe look, but definitely don't want to chop it up, the upgrades I like to do is the type that I can reverse if I want. One thing I like is that its like the little brother of my 1100, same styling, same wheels, I have to get a pic of them side by side today.

[jetmechmarty]

D0wn5hift,
When it comes to XS650, you are out of touch. The right XS650 will bring a lot more money than an XS1100. It's the Specials than have not caught on and being cut up for choppers, etc.

Buying and '81? Is it XS650SH or XS650H? The SH has cast wheels and it's drum brake wheel is only on that model. It shares ignition with the '82 and '83 models.

These bikes require a strong battery to run properly. The charging rotor is prone to failure. A rewind or replacement should last a long time. If you bring it home, drop the plate and check the sump. The screens are most often torn and running that way will eventually kill it my allowing metal fragments into the bearings. This is a roller bearing engine.

Parts are readily available to keep these bikes going.

http://xs650temp.proboards.com/ Is a very good information source without a lot of noise.


I have an '81 in the stable.

These bikes are a blast to ride. On a curvy road, I can run over me on the XS1100 while on the 650. It has lots of character!

[jetmechmarty]

Check the sump screen!


Change taillight, bars, remove grab rail, pop on Mike's XS seat. Instant cafe!

[jetmechmarty]

BTW, I think you got a great deal!

[donebysunday]

Great BUY ! Looks mint. Marty is right about the sump screen, a new one from Yamaha will tear again and the Mike's XS sump screens (I've heard) tear too. I clean them up, save as much screen as possible stuff a plastic bag inside it to hold the tear in place, spread about 1/6" JB weld over it and have never had one tear again. Checked at 5K and again at 10K just fine.

[Roadman48]

I would agree, you got a good bike at a good price. Here is a photo of mine that I re-built about four years ago. It is a good companion to my XS1100SF

[donebysunday]

Very nice I like it, a special mixed with a 77 !

[Old Red]

A good running XS650 will get a lot better mpg than a XS1100. I used to average 48 to 53 mpg on my 76 XS 650.

The Other Earl

[jetmechmarty]

XS650 sump screen

The sump screen won't tear unless you rev up a cold engine. The screens last forever if you warm the oil at low rpm before you spin it up.

I'm having good luck with Mike's XS replacements.

It's far less than half the OEM list price.

[Roadman48]

Thanks, here is an updated picture. Had to redo the tank after a tip over accident with my xs1100SF (don't ask how that happened). I started with a 3300 mile stock 81 Special. The engine and transmission were good. I tore it down, powdercoated the frame and rebuilt with a lot of Mikes XS parts, brakes, seat, tank, handlebars, sidecovers etc. I also installed a Keihn carb set, Progressive fork springs and shocks and a Tarrozzi fork brace. Dunlop 501s finished the build.

I am very pleased with the results. It has good power (for a 650) nimble handling and a nice sound. I don't think you need to chop a XS650!

PS: I really like Marty's bike and would love to put spoked wheels on mine.

Larry