It would be hard to miss this bright yellow Yamaha parked at a vintage motorcycle show. Although I think it would look better in our garage, now that I think about it. Appearing to have been extensively restored to a high standard, this gorgeous 1971 Yamaha XS650 is listed here on Facebook Marketplace in Lawrenceville, Georgia, and they’re asking $6,400. Here is the original listing, and thanks to PRA4SNW for the tip!
The photos are mostly chopped off, as is often the case with Craigslist and Facebook Marketplace ads, for some odd reason. Maybe it’s written in the boilerplate that sellers must not give excellent photos for free listings… There isn’t one photo showing the entire bike in the frame. Sigh. Even with so many cropped images, it’s hard to mistake the nice work on restoring this early XS650. On the other hand, the seller has included an outstanding video here on YouTube showing this drool-worthy work of art. This is the last year without a front disc brake or electric start, so it’s really a throwback to a simpler time. Yamaha made this series of bikes for the 1970 through 1983 model years here in the U.S.
Yamaha introduced the XS650 in the fall of 1969 for the 1970 model year, and the early models were known as the XS-1. This XS-2 version has such a long list of things on the seller’s ad that I couldn’t fit them all onto the “Here is the original listing” page. I tried, but the text would have been so tiny that I gave up. I am hoping you’ll click the actual ad to see the list of things that were restored on this one. They do say the headers and mufflers were replaced, and we aren’t sure whether they were OEM or have Yamaha markings, but I guess in the grand scheme of enjoying this bike, that doesn’t really matter unless you’re taking it to a concours show.
I was shocked to see the odometer showing 25,841 miles. I assumed that with a full restoration, it would have been dialed back to 0 miles, but it’s nice to see that this one had a life before being nut-and-bolt restored. One thing I need to check into is the seller’s claim that the gas tank was recoated with “Caswell gas tank epoxy.” I just got an oddball minibike with a rusty gas tank, and I can’t imagine any amount of other fixes would get it to look like new inside again. Have any of you used a gas tank sealer for a rusty tank? This color is Candy Orange, but it’s about as yellow as it gets in my world, and some sources refer to it as Candy Gold.
This beautiful engine was fully rebuilt, and it’s a Yamaha 653-cc SOHC four-stroke parallel-twin with 53 horsepower and 40 lb-ft of torque. Backed by a 5-speed manual, it is said to run and shift great. This is the last year for the kick-start only models. Have any of you restored a motorcycle to this extent, or are you happy to just get them working and ride them looking a little used, or in my case, well-used?
WOW!!! Incredible find, PRA4SNW. Every one of these I ever found for sale had been made into someone’s version of a UJMC cafe bike.
This one is to the Triumph’s of the time that the Miata was to the MGB-the same concept think with a higher quality execution and construction. Would I just push a late ‘60’s/early ‘70’s Bonneville out of the driveway if I had another one? Of course not but if it came down to riding one on a long journey as opposed to this XS 650, there’s no second thought as to which would make for a more trouble-free trip.
Great pick once again, Scotty. 👍🏻👍🏻
While the bike submissions are a test of my defiance, each one stirs controversy, just not this one. I know, what is it THIS time, well, I’ll tell ya’, this WAS the Asian knockoff of the highly popular( at the time) British twins. And they behaved just like them. The up side, they didn’t leak oil, and always started but like most twins, a vibrating , uncomfortable ride, and didn’t handle near as well as the Limey. Performance was so-so, I think a Bonne would beat it, and accepted in most HD circles. This,,,I wouldn’t try it. As usual, it’s pretty amazing someone would restore such a bike, comments will tell, but I don’t recall many that were happy with these bikes. Should have just got the LImey.
I wouldn’t call this a knockoff at all, though Kawasaki did make a virtual copy of an English twin in the sixties.
And later!
https://www.facebook.com/marketplace/item/2784672761910370/?ref=search&referral_code=null&referral_story_type=post
back in the day i sold triumph bsa yamaha,650 yamaha was a better bike by miles,never had a yellow one
Hi Scotty going back a lot of years i used a tank sealer on many gas tanks for cars and bikes. At the time we repaired car radiators that we boiled out in a blg tank with a caustic acid. We did the same boiling out the gas tanks the same way let the tank dry out then pour the sealer in turning the tank over and over until fully coated. We never had a tank come back the sealer was a bright green in color but i can not remember the name now this was back in the early 80s but it worked great.
Scotty, to your question re: fuel tank cleaning, I acquired a 20 year neglected 240Z a few years back. Had been out in the weather all that time. And the gas tank was badly rusted on the inside only. I bought a KBS kit and followed their directions to a T. It came out spotless clean. Really surprised how well it worked. The kit i used finished with a liner that I probably didn’t need. Great results with that.
And what a beautiful bike that is.
Having worked in a Yamaha and Triumph shop in the 70’s, I can say that other than being a parallel 4 stroke twin, there really is nothing knock off from the brits. The design of the engine is from a German company called Horex. It is an overhead cam not a pushrod twin. It did not use any cork gaskets, or Lucas electrics or knock off of the Amal carbs. The XS650 was a bit more top heavy and perhaps not quite as quick as any of the 650 British bikes of the time but what it lacked in speed, it more than made up for in bullet proof durability and leak free ownership. One main differences is that the cases split horizontally, not vertically like the BSA, Triumph and Norton so you had no oil leaks. Another giant leap forward was the Mikuni CV carbs which featured much improved metering with an enrichener and not the carb tickers which made your fingers smell of gas each time you fired it up cold. The design and refinement was so good that you still see these running today with excellent parts support. This is a stunning example but my favorite was the 1978 XS650 standard which featured upgrades like a better frame, front disc brakes, a solid state charging system and alloy rims on spoke wheels and of course electric start. The comment about not accepted in most HD circles is true as my Norton was fully accepted at any biker bar as it oozed oil from the cases, lights that quit on the ride home, maybe it would start or not. This is not a knock off but a real improvement on the classic parallel twin. Classic looks, light weight, fun to ride, and bulletproof, these are in a league of their own. Wish this one was in my garage!
Thanks John for your info. For the record, I believe you are giving the average buyer of these a bit more credit than they deserve. It’s no secret the Asians were masters at replication, for less. Most folks that bought these had British twins on their minds but they had no idea what was inside, it just looked British and was $300 cheaper, to boot. I’m not sure if they actually sold more of these than Triumphs,( about 13000) a Triumph person wouldn’t even look at this.
“Tickle the carbs”,,HA!
Also,,,I want to say it is a pretty nice bike, all comparisons aside. Thing is, Asian bike makers had specific models for certain types of riding. We have to remember, in the early 70s, Yamaha was still dinking around with the 2 stroke twins, and I believe Scottys XS750 triple was Yamahas 1st stab at a multi 4 stroke road bike,(’76?) possibly in reaction to the Honda 750, and Scotty will agree, they were nice bikes. This bike kind of was bridging the gap, and since I’d imagine the triple was still in development, a 650 twin was the answer. And they were good bikes, I don’t want to downplay that one bit. It’s just, these were city bikes, and were never meant for some cross country trek, not to say many did. So many nicer bikes came along, these lost interest pretty quick, much like the British twins. Now, that was fixed sort of, with the British triples, but was clear, the Asian bikes were simply the best.
Thanks for the great comments, guys! Especially the good experiences with gas tank sealers. I may have to give that a try.
John, that’s great info, thanks! That’s what I read, that Yamaha wasn’t specifically copying a British bike, and the articles I saw said it was closest to a BSA, more than a Triumph. I like anything and everything, but I was raised on 60s and 70s Japanese motorcycles, so this would be my choice above a Triumph, as lame as that probably sounds.
These were a way nicer bikes than the English bikes of the time. The intro of the Honda 750 was the kiss of death for all. The brits made effort with the 750 3cyl bikes to no avail
And were set to build the Triumph Quadrant but to avail as well (no money).
https://www.classicbikeguide.com/riding-life-triumph-quadrent-four-play/
Beautiful motorcycle!
There used to be a yellow XS650-powered road-legal Wasp MX sidecar outfit with L-plates on kicking about here. No idea what happened to it…
That’s a nice bike.
After reading all the myriad commentary, now for some reality about this bike. I bought one new in 1971 in Sierra Vista, Arizona while stationed at Ft Huachuca. I wanted a BSA with oil in the frame, but by that time, BSA had vanished from the USA. This bike I rode all over the western USA in time off and on leaves, and after getting discharged from the Army. Put over 40K miles on it, absolutely bulletproof. Only normal maintainance and one valve job. This particular bike, sorry to say, has issues. First, the paint is not correct at all. The original color is metallic gold, with a cream trim. The badges on the tank are wrong. Why is a mystery, they are available. The bike is a model XS1-B. Kick start, drum brake. The first XS1 made. Over the years, I have owned other XS1 models, all improvements over this one. Like British parallel twins, its a really bad vibration platform. At age 19 at the time, I was oblivious. Next year then went with electric start and front disc. The rest of the work looks good, but the paint job is a travesity. Also, the price, for today’s world is too high.
In 74′ myself and 2 friends all bought new bikes,i got a 750 Honda,they bought 650 Yamahas.On long rides they would ask me to switch bikes for a while,that 750 was just so smooth,no vibration/buzz through the handlebars.The one guys dad had a collection of BSA,Triumph and Nortons bikes.
A close friend in the early 70’s rode one of these but different color.. his dad owned the local Yamaha shop so he was able to ride just about every bike they had .. I bought a 72 RD 350 new from them , if I recall it was $650 out the door.. they treated me good.. anyway on quite a few rides I could whip him in a race to 80.. another friend showed up one day with a ‘72 750 Honda and in a friendly race I would be ahead at 60-70 mph then He would pass me up.. all this may our friend on the XS 650 a little uneasy … well things changed a little bit later in the summer when he started beating us.. come to find out his older brother & his dad put a 850 kit in that XS 650 and that was the reason.. it definitely was a bad boy 650 after that
I bought an XS 650 in college, a 70 or 71 (no disc brakes). It was blue, until I removed the tins and had them custom painted, and left off the Yamaha badge. It easily made the 400 mile trip between WSU and Longview. It never gave me any trouble and would be happy cruising at 80. It pulled nicely up to 100, even riding two-up. To me it sounded like a Triumph, but was easier to maintain. It had electric start, although I didn’t use it more than a few times. I love my Harleys and my Royal Enfield, but wouldn’t mind having another XS for riding the local hills. Nice write-up.
I was enrolled at WSU ’70-’74 with a 1958 BSA Royal Star to buzz around on. It rode from Tacoma in my pickup, riding it from there would have been murder.
Nice XS 650!!
In 1979, I bought a XS650, off the showroom floor, I went into the Marines and was sent to the west coast, the bike beat me there by a day. After getting settled the 650 was my daily. In 2020, it was still running, however my body wasn’t, I sold the bike for 1500.00 with 69,412 miles on it.
This has to be the nicest one around, probably better than new.
I was surprised to find out from the video that these did not have an electric starter (yet). It reminds me of my ’79 XS750 that I bought with a broken electric starter – the holder for the starter sprocket that was cast into the aluminum case was broken. I was going to see if I could get it fixed, but didn’t mind just kicking it over.