Sport Touring, Then And Now

[TWILKIN650]

'72 XS-2 650 with 4,500 miles on the clock. Refurbished into a "rider" rather than restored to original. And of course, Deep Blue.

 

[Thug]

Excellent work!

 

[TWILKIN650]

Thug, surprisingly little real "work" was involved in putting the 650 right. My younger brother (bless his heart!) found it in a small engine repair shop in northern Illinois under a tarp with a mechanic's lien on the title. He payed off the owner and the mechanic for $1,300 cash, the same price I paid for my identical '72 when I bought it new from the dealer. Bike had 3,500 original miles on it. It had only one non-standard part on it, a 2 tooth smaller front sprocket which was quickly changed out. I spent about $500 on parts from Mike's XS, a guy in Florida who publishes a 70 page full color catalog of parts for the XS 650s. I bought every gasket, filter and spare part I could find, and put OEM (but not NOS) coils, wires, points, condensers, new tires etc. on to replace the 33 year old originals. That and a few by the road carb field strips, and it runs just fine. I now have a box of extra replacements parts that will last the lifetime of the bike, in case Mike ever retires. Still a few things to do, but by in large it was easy to get it back into riding shape as a stocker.

 

[user 357]

Great looking rides Twink..........

 

[Rogue]

Real clean ride.

 

[radman]

I have a complete top end (cyls,head,cam cvr,timing chain adj(6 bolt), and misc parts) to get rid of, if you are interested. And yeah, you could just about build a new bike from Mikes, he's really sourced a lotta stuff since I first started dealing with him.

 

[Bluestreek]

Sweet

 

[snikr]

SWEET bikes.

 

[TWILKIN650]

Yup, I'm lucky that both bikes have "adopted" me and let me ride them from time to time. But hey, my post count seems permanently stuck on 20. No matter how many times I post. I really have over 500 now.......yeah, right.

 

[zorkler]

i have to learn how to post pic. have a 75 z1 900 sitting next to the fjr and a 78 kz 1000 but for some reason since i purchased the yamaha i have not even taken the covers off the other 2 . wonder why