Lone Wolf 87
New Member
What should I do first?! I'm not too concerned with speed for now b/c I'm still new to riding.
Here's a pic of my baby
Here's a pic of my baby
1981 Yamaha xs650 project
- Thread starter Lone Wolf 87
- Start date
jackstraw650
Been Around the Block
Hi Lone Wolf....welcome to the Forum! Glad to have another XS650 build going on here. I'm just starting my build on a '79 Standard so maybe we can help each other along. You will find plenty of good help on this site if you need it. There are some top notch builders and very experienced mechanics here. The head honcho here, Tim, has one of the nicest 650 builds that you will ever see! Also, you may want to check out xs650.com which is a forum specific to the XS...Between these two sites you should be able to get all sorts of ideas on different ways to build your bike.
I noticed that you said you were also new to riding as well as on a tight budget. I would make a couple of suggestions then......keep your bike on the road for right now so you can continue to gain experience riding....there are lots of mods you can do in a weekend or less that won't tie up your bike so that it can't be used. I will make the suggestion of a couple of very important, relatively low cost mods you can make in a weekend. The XS has handling issues....most due to the cheap bearings used in both the steering head and swing arm pivot. One of the first things any XS owner tackles is the replacement of these bearings. For the steering head you will need a set of tapered bearings to replace the ball bearings currently in there and for the swing arm pivot a set of bronze inserts to replace the plastic[yes, plastic!]ones there. These can be bought on Ebay or at Mikesxs.com for less than $100........There are how tos for both of these mods posted in the tech section at xs650.com...plus anyone there or here will help you through it. In the meantime, keep riding and look around at the different xs builds you see and get an idea about where you want to go with yours. Hope this helped a little!
I noticed that you said you were also new to riding as well as on a tight budget. I would make a couple of suggestions then......keep your bike on the road for right now so you can continue to gain experience riding....there are lots of mods you can do in a weekend or less that won't tie up your bike so that it can't be used. I will make the suggestion of a couple of very important, relatively low cost mods you can make in a weekend. The XS has handling issues....most due to the cheap bearings used in both the steering head and swing arm pivot. One of the first things any XS owner tackles is the replacement of these bearings. For the steering head you will need a set of tapered bearings to replace the ball bearings currently in there and for the swing arm pivot a set of bronze inserts to replace the plastic[yes, plastic!]ones there. These can be bought on Ebay or at Mikesxs.com for less than $100........There are how tos for both of these mods posted in the tech section at xs650.com...plus anyone there or here will help you through it. In the meantime, keep riding and look around at the different xs builds you see and get an idea about where you want to go with yours. Hope this helped a little!
Wahoo650
Coast to Coast
Good advice there Jack. I too would suggest keeping it as is for a season. Gain experience and get a feel for the bike. It already has lower than stock bars on it and looks pretty good. then next fall when it's time to put it up for the winter, have at it. Use the $ you saved in gas all summer.
And check out this site if haven't already - everything you every wanted to know about your 650:
http://xs650temp.proboards.com/index.cgi?
Matt
And check out this site if haven't already - everything you every wanted to know about your 650:
http://xs650temp.proboards.com/index.cgi?
Matt
Lone Wolf 87
New Member
Awesome thanks for the advice! I also have a 79 xs650 hardtail project. I bought it already hardtailed from another builder a year ago and haven't been able to get to it. So now it's just sitting in pieces in my basement 
I'm not too mechanically inclined either so that didn't help it getting built. But yeah I slowly started looking into the cafe racers and was won over. Something tells me I'd rather have a set of shocks absorb the impacts than just a set of seat springs from a hardtail.
Edit: Hopefully I can help you guys out too. While I'm not too confident in tooling around, maybe some dumb luck can turn things around in my favor.
I'm not too mechanically inclined either so that didn't help it getting built. But yeah I slowly started looking into the cafe racers and was won over. Something tells me I'd rather have a set of shocks absorb the impacts than just a set of seat springs from a hardtail. Edit: Hopefully I can help you guys out too. While I'm not too confident in tooling around, maybe some dumb luck can turn things around in my favor.
jackstraw650
Been Around the Block
Hey Lone Wolf,
You are right, strange things can do happen....I'm sure we will all be able to help each other out in some way. I think you made a wise decision in staying with a cafe build....at the end of the day, after a long ride, comfort is hard to beat! Keep reading and watching the forum and do check out xs650.com....learn all you can....ask questions....and start to get a solid idea where you want to take your build when you are ready.
You are right, strange things can do happen....I'm sure we will all be able to help each other out in some way. I think you made a wise decision in staying with a cafe build....at the end of the day, after a long ride, comfort is hard to beat! Keep reading and watching the forum and do check out xs650.com....learn all you can....ask questions....and start to get a solid idea where you want to take your build when you are ready.
Lone Wolf 87
New Member
Awesome thanks for the advice guys. Yet another crazy thing happened. I have a guy who wants to trade his 1969 bsa thunderbolt project for my bike. Talks have been going on and from what everyone has been telling, they think I should go through with the trade b/c the BSA is in pretty good condition but will need some work. I'm just leery b/c I have zero experience when it comes to rebuilding, building, or even maintaining a bike. I check it out tomorrow, so I'll keep you guys updated or you can follow along on the thread I started in the lounge section:
http://www.dotheton.com/forum/index.php?topic=23102.0
http://www.dotheton.com/forum/index.php?topic=23102.0
jackstraw650
Been Around the Block
Lone Wolf,
That BSA is a nice bike but if it needs more than very minor work, I would seriously advise sticking with the Yamaha. They are very similar in some ways but the BSA requires a bit more than just amateur skills to rebuild and day to day upkeep can be a real pain. Plus, you will need another set of tools to do much of the work on an older BSA. They use a system called Whitworth that is neither American standard or metric. Parts tend to be much more expensive, also.
If you truly want the BSA we will help you all we can....just want you to go into it with your eyes open! I'm sure most of the other members would give you similar advice. Good luck whichever way you choose to go.
JS
That BSA is a nice bike but if it needs more than very minor work, I would seriously advise sticking with the Yamaha. They are very similar in some ways but the BSA requires a bit more than just amateur skills to rebuild and day to day upkeep can be a real pain. Plus, you will need another set of tools to do much of the work on an older BSA. They use a system called Whitworth that is neither American standard or metric. Parts tend to be much more expensive, also.
If you truly want the BSA we will help you all we can....just want you to go into it with your eyes open! I'm sure most of the other members would give you similar advice. Good luck whichever way you choose to go.
JS
Lone Wolf 87
New Member
Yeah this decision has been haunting me for the past couple days. How much do you think an engine revuild would run me if it gets over my head? This is hypothetically speaking of course since I don't know the true condition of the bike. I got the xs650 for its reliability and ease of maintenance and dialing in, but I feel that it just won't be worth as much as that thunderbolt. Worse comes to worse, I can always get the bsa and grab another xs650 while I dump my time and money into the bsa... this decision is a lot harder than i thought it was going to be as I am attached to my xs650 even though I didn't get to ride it all that much.
jackstraw650
Been Around the Block
Lone Wolf 87 said:
Wolf,
I haven't checked on BSA engine rebuilds recently, but the last time I did, when I owned one, you are looking at some serious cash. The thing is, you need to have it done by someone who really knows what they are doing with old British twins, otherwise it will just be a continual pain in the butt. Those engines were not built to the tolerances of even 70s Jap bikes, so you have uneven mating surfaces, parts that don't fit exactly right, etc. So you need someone who understands these things and will take the time to correct them. Time equals money and soon you are looking at $1500- $2000 for a top notch complete BSA engine rebuild. You can get it done cheaper but not by much. Trust me on this one, stick with the Yamaha unless you have some serious money to sink into the BSA!
The thing about the Yamaha is that even if it needs work, you can learn how to do a lot of it yourself with help from the Forum. No, it won't be worth as much as a rebuilt BSA but it will be yours and will likely mean more to you in the long run. It's your call, though.
Lone Wolf 87
New Member
Got ya guys. Thanks for the help and I'm leaning more heavily toward keeping my xs650 the closer the time gets to me seeing this bike today... a couple hours actually as I'm meeting up with him at his shop at 12pm. I have to atleast give this bike a chance and see if it speaks to me. I'm sure you guys can relate when picking up a car or a bike that when you see it and sit on it, you know it just feels right. I have that feeling with my xs650, so I want to see if I get that feeling on this BSA, haha I actually feel like I'm cheating on my yammie. I'll take detailed pics of the BSA and post it up on the thread I linked here to the lounge section.
Lone Wolf 87
New Member
montessa172
Been Around the Block
It's neat. You just need to weigh the "I want factor". Despite what expenses or problems with parts availability you encounter if the desire is there you'll get it done. Google Walridge motors. British parts supplier in Ontario to get an idea of parts that are available. Good luck with your decision!