...but everyone needs a basketcase project for the winter, right?

Hey - who turns down a free motorcycle?




1979 Yamaha XS650. Hasn't cranked in 20 years. Gotta get the motor freed up - soaking in Marvel Mystery oil right now. If it will eventually turn over, who knows what I'll do with it.
C'mon u all know u want that seat setup!!!!

turns out the XS is a super popular platform for barhopper/bratstyle/homemade bobber/street tracker conversions.

Maybe one day.

 

Security measures at work keep me from viewing pic. Luckily I've worked on enough of them to have good pic in my head LOL. I LOVED those old things! Never owned one but always wanted one. Great low end torque (and the vibration that usually goes with it LOL). Make sure kickstarter is working when you get her freed up. Starter clutch is usually one of first things to go out on them. And yeah, they make great 'bobbers LOL. Good luck with project! I'll try and follow it when I'm at home and can actually see the pics.

 

All potential directions to go....if I can get it to run.

 

this one is pure sex.

 

I know. Wish I had that level of fabrication skill - I could always pay someone to do it - but what's the fun in that? The hardtail look with the mono shock is best of both worlds.

for budget vs. look - I'm thinking bout going with the green & white one's setup - modded rear frame with Rebel shocks handling the drop. Plus I could cut and weld that myself without needing jigs.

 

Great choice! The green/white flat tracker was my favorite as well. They are extremely versatile and that motor in a bobber hardtail frame puts Harley to shame. I'm jealous as hell but my wife would kill me if I drug another basket case home LOL. She's just now calming down from the mess I made in her utility building from installing XX motor in my 900RR last winter LOL (just kidding, she's cool about that kinda stuff).
That Marvel Mystery oil is best stuff in the world at freeing up motors. Unless it blew before being parked, it'll work. Take a ratchet or wrench and try to nudge the crank once a day, it'll free up.

 

I was actually talking about the green brat/softtail - but I like the look of the 'tracker too - just a lot of them that use that seat setup look awkward to me, and for some reason that one looks more "dialed" as far as the look goes.

 

Oh okay. Well at any rate, looks like you have ALOT of time to think about it LOL.

 

You can do some really sweet things with those bikes. Good luck and can't wait to see what comes of this.

 

woot! Kickstart still won't budge, but I pulled the stator cover last night and the pistons move freely until they both hit near the top of the cycle (on the 650 the pistons both move up and down in unison - can't imagine how much vibration that's gonna cause) and something is stopping travel. Likely a stuck valve - I'm going to do a little more looking around tonight, but the F2 gets a new rear sprocket first so I can have it back on the road again.