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    Yamaha xs650 motor

    theres a bottom end for sale and I've spoke to the dude before with the interest of old 2 stroke motorcycles, and also he has a dragbike GS with the most basic of lights to rip on the street legally, hes just a cool guy who has had plenty of fun and now is getting rid of some stuff.


    He said he has many other xs650 parts, and honestly I bet he has the rest of the engine, I know he has heads and I didnt ask about the walls but I'm sure they're with him.

    What do you guys think about this engine? I'm guessing it's a great simple twin but maybe theres a bit more to it I should know. Any maintenance things with this motor like how the GS has the shim valves and more common adjustment procedures on them.



    Planned to be a chopper, If it was a complete xs650 i wouldn't dare, but this is just an engine, half of one if that.
    Ian

    1982 GS650GLZ
    1982 XS650

    #2
    Best way to approach that would be to see how much a freshly rebuilt xs650 engine/trans goes for then find an old lawnmower to flip.
    1980 Yamaha XS1100G (Current bike)
    1982 GS450txz (former bike)
    LONG list of previous bikes not listed here.

    These aren't my words, I just arrange them

    Comment


      #3
      Originally posted by LAB3 View Post
      Best way to approach that would be to see how much a freshly rebuilt xs650 engine/trans goes for then find an old lawnmower to flip.
      Is the best always the most fun? I dont want a fresh engine and trans.
      Ian

      1982 GS650GLZ
      1982 XS650

      Comment


        #4
        Originally posted by timebombprod View Post
        Is the best always the most fun? I don't want a fresh engine and trans.
        Fun and logic aren't mutually exclusive, you can do both at the same time!
        1980 Yamaha XS1100G (Current bike)
        1982 GS450txz (former bike)
        LONG list of previous bikes not listed here.

        These aren't my words, I just arrange them

        Comment


          #5
          They're pretty much bulletproof. If the bottom end is good the rest is quite easy.
          There are several specialists supplying parts for them. They're a popular engine for a couple of classes of vintage racing.

          Even if you buuy it but don't complete it, it will have a good resale value.

          Comment


            #6
            Originally posted by GregT View Post
            They're pretty much bulletproof. If the bottom end is good the rest is quite easy.
            There are several specialists supplying parts for them. They're a popular engine for a couple of classes of vintage racing.

            Even if you buuy it but don't complete it, it will have a good resale value.
            Awesome great that's good to hear, I have seen that they're very popular but never a real insight on the motor. I guess I dont though i just should know they're a very strong motor. (No specific procedures)

            Haven't asked him how long the bottom end has been sitting, so those most likely years may make a difference, I'm sure he knows though.


            Completing it's the plan! I want a challenge and dont want to open my running motor but I dont want to be afraid of the task if I ever needed to, so I thought a bottom end of a twin engine with most of its top end parts would be a good way to learn. Also i really want to build a chopper and I already have the spoke wheels ( LUCKY FREE POST)
            Ian

            1982 GS650GLZ
            1982 XS650

            Comment


              #7
              Originally posted by LAB3 View Post
              Fun and logic aren't mutually exclusive, you can do both at the same time!
              Dont get me wrong flipping smaller engined machines to get a fresh engine that you dont need to take apart is great, but its not the route I want to take.
              Ian

              1982 GS650GLZ
              1982 XS650

              Comment


                #8
                The XS650 engine was aimed at the British market and their love/preference/heritage with 650cc inline twins. But it is a superior engine to any Brit twin of the time. Some say the Yamaha "has no soul" but if reliable and torquey means it has no soul then count me in. The XS650 is a good bike to own in addition to a Japanese inline 4. It vibrates but the sound is great the acceleration fun and best of all- the engine looks FANTASTIC.

                Comment


                  #9
                  Originally posted by mharrington View Post
                  The XS650 engine was aimed at the British market and their love/preference/heritage with 650cc inline twins. But it is a superior engine to any Brit twin of the time. Some say the Yamaha "has no soul" but if reliable and torquey means it has no soul then count me in. The XS650 is a good bike to own in addition to a Japanese inline 4. It vibrates but the sound is great the acceleration fun and best of all- the engine looks FANTASTIC.
                  I had far too close an exposure to British twins to ever want to own one.
                  Then I took a ride on a new XS650 Special in 1979, and even though I thought the bars were ridiculous, the character of the engine and the rest of the bike shone through. It was basically a British twin without all the downsides, save one - it can vibrate like a belly dancer sometimes.
                  Even at that though, it's well enough engineered that all that vibration doesn't promote leaks, unless you get careless.
                  It's much more tolerant of casings being taken off and replaced without leaking its guts out - something that every British twin I ever had contact with was supremely good at. What makes it all the more remarkable is that it can go through the rough brutish hands of several owners and still not leak, or if it does, can be easily fixed.
                  ---- Dave
                  79 GS850N - Might be a trike soon.
                  80 GS850T Single HIF38 S.U. SH775, Tow bar, Pantera II. Gnarly workhorse & daily driver.
                  79 XS650SE - Pragmatic Ratter - goes better than a manky old twin should.
                  92 XJ900F - Fairly Stock, for now.

                  Only a dog knows why a motorcyclist sticks his head out of a car window

                  Comment


                    #10
                    Originally posted by Grimly View Post
                    I had far too close an exposure to British twins to ever want to own one.
                    Then I took a ride on a new XS650 Special in 1979, and even though I thought the bars were ridiculous, the character of the engine and the rest of the bike shone through. It was basically a British twin without all the downsides, save one - it can vibrate like a belly dancer sometimes.
                    Even at that though, it's well enough engineered that all that vibration doesn't promote leaks, unless you get careless.
                    It's much more tolerant of casings being taken off and replaced without leaking its guts out - something that every British twin I ever had contact with was supremely good at. What makes it all the more remarkable is that it can go through the rough brutish hands of several owners and still not leak, or if it does, can be easily fixed.
                    I see you have a xs650, is that the very one you bought new? If it is how well has it held up as in has at had any big repairs engine specifically ( this bike ain't gonna be for handling that's for sure )
                    Ian

                    1982 GS650GLZ
                    1982 XS650

                    Comment


                      #11
                      Originally posted by timebombprod View Post
                      I see you have a xs650, is that the very one you bought new? If it is how well has it held up as in has at had any big repairs engine specifically ( this bike ain't gonna be for handling that's for sure )
                      No, many years passed between that test ride and finally getting one, hence the comment about several brutish owners before me.
                      ---- Dave
                      79 GS850N - Might be a trike soon.
                      80 GS850T Single HIF38 S.U. SH775, Tow bar, Pantera II. Gnarly workhorse & daily driver.
                      79 XS650SE - Pragmatic Ratter - goes better than a manky old twin should.
                      92 XJ900F - Fairly Stock, for now.

                      Only a dog knows why a motorcyclist sticks his head out of a car window

                      Comment


                        #12
                        I think one of the better places for parts would be here... https://www.mikesxs.net/ I have used them for a few things. They are now somehow affiliated with Z1 enterprises which is very well thought of here....
                        1980 GS1000G - Sold
                        1978 GS1000E - Finished!
                        1980 GS550E - Fixed & given to a friend
                        1983 GS750ES Special - Sold
                        2009 KLR 650 - Sold - gone to TX!
                        1982 GS1100G - Rebuilt and finished. - Sold
                        2009 TE610 - Dual Sporting around dreaming of Dakar.....

                        www.parasiticsanalytics.com

                        TWINPOT BRAKE UPGRADE LINKY: http://www.thegsresources.com/_forum...e-on-78-Skunk/

                        Comment


                          #13
                          Good stuff will be a bookmark on the computer when the engine is.mine! I'll probably join a xs forum too knowing howmuch this forum helped me, more than I ever thought!
                          Ian

                          1982 GS650GLZ
                          1982 XS650

                          Comment


                            #14
                            Get the engine running, bolt it to your workbench and use it as a paint shaker. Them things vibrate. My first 2 bikes were XS650s. On the old one, the oil feed pipe at the front of the cylinder block developed a hole. Would have required taking the head off to fix. I just cut it and put a rubber hose on there. Worked great.

                            Mad
                            83 GS750E
                            2006 ZX14
                            2004 KTM 450 EXC
                            2001 Yamaha Big Bear

                            Comment


                              #15
                              Originally posted by Maddevill View Post
                              Get the engine running, bolt it to your workbench and use it as a paint shaker. Them things vibrate. My first 2 bikes were XS650s. On the old one, the oil feed pipe at the front of the cylinder block developed a hole. Would have required taking the head off to fix. I just cut it and put a rubber hose on there. Worked great.

                              Mad
                              Perfect! I want the paintshaker bike, after all it will be a hardtail.

                              Whatever keeps the bike going! And with the ugly shine of the block those type of fixes might be done, aslong as it keeps it running!
                              Ian

                              1982 GS650GLZ
                              1982 XS650

                              Comment

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