Hello from Guelph

Roustabout

Been Around the Block
I've been poking around the board for a while and decided to "Do the Ton".

I haven't had a street legal bike for quite some time and recently picked up a '77 XS650 as a cafe project. It was a "restoration" in progress. A few parts had gone missing during the course of it sitting in a shed for 15 years, but I would have turfed that stuff anyway. Compression tested excellent and it fired right up - but only after some minor frustration before discovering that the previous owner had reversed the ignition wires. I never realized how much these bikes vibrate! It did two laps around the garage on the center stand while I revved her up!
She'll be quiet for a bit while I strip her down to the bones and put her back together like the Bride of Frankenstein.

Going in reverse chronology, I've had some fun with a few rides; RS125 (nothing comes close in corner speed), Highly modified CB350 twin vintage racer (49bhp giant-killer), ZX-10 (faaast back in it's day but boring), CB750F SOHC cafe, CB550K cafe ( 4 into 4 "free-flow" exhaust).

...Later
 
The XS650 is a great bike. You'll enjoy building it up as it's all pretty easy to work on. There's lots of information (650 garage forum) and parts available (650 central and Mike's XS). They're not too hard to find in junkyards either. Vibration and noise is a definite sign of proper operation and I'm sure you've found the reverse gear already ;). I live in New Hamburg and work in Waterloo, so if there's a part you're looking for, I've got lots of stuff left over from my last build. Have fun with it.

Rudy
 
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