Ready to roll.

OMG! I just had a flashback to 1971 when I saw that pic of the XS-650! I had a 1970 first-generation of that bike with the early front drum brake (six big round rubber plugs in the side of the drum!) and no compression release for starting. I was stationed in Oregon at the time, and we had a stock class for flat track racing them! Such a fun bike! Unfortunately, I hit a deer after I had only put about 85 miles on mine, so it didn't stay pristine like yours for very long! Maybe that's why it didn't bother me to take a chance racing it! Kept it until about 1981. I drove it from Portland, OR to Los Angeles to my mom's for Thanksgiving, and on that trip it vibrated the chain guard, one headlight bracket and one muffler loose. Actually, the chain guard cracked and had to be replaced. So did the headlight bracket. Still, a classic bike!

Tell me about it. When bike on centre stand and rev it, moved around the drive doing the dance. But a great bike for going around the country lanes in the UK at a steady 50mph.

Did you have one of these. A big promotion in the UK when released re ridding through Death Valley in the USA.

I wasn't a big Suzi fan back then! The Kwak 500 and 750 triples were all the rage at the time. Of course, that Suzuki 500 proved over time to be a real power monster! Before my Yamaha XS-650 I had the Yamaha RD350. Another fast, sweet bike!

LMAO! Yes, I do remember having to set my XS-650 on a small chunk of carpet to make it stay put when it ran! It liked to do the moon walk, backwards! Made it kinda hard to set the timing with the points!

You've got (or had) some sweet oldies there! I went from the RD-350 to the XS-650 then switched allegiances to Honda with my '76 GL-1000, then to my first '83 Kawasaki Voyager. Had a smattering of smaller bikes too, with a couple of Hodakas, a Lambretta 175 motor scooter, a pair of Honda 50's.

Spent many a year restoring 2 strokes. The triples go for mega Wonga in the UK :woohoo: And would like to own one. But out of my budget. Fetch up to £15000 :ohmy: for a minter. 2 stroke restorations are big in the UK and even a 50 cc 2 Stroke can reach £4k plus. Its the stupid English that shove the prices up. Rather than say NO. Im not paying that. Getting that way with the 4 strokers as well. Just wished that lived in the USA, Canada as would have a barn full of my bucket list for the price you pick them up for.

Spent many a year restoring 2 strokes. The triples go for mega Wonga in the UK :woohoo: And would like to own one. But out of my budget. Fetch up to £15000 :ohmy: for a minter. 2 stroke restorations are big in the UK and even a 50 cc 2 Stroke can reach £4k plus. Its the stupid English that shove the prices up. Rather than say NO. Im not paying that. Getting that way with the 4 strokers as well. Just wished that lived in the USA, Canada as would have a barn full of my bucket list for the price you pick them up for.

That's a great old bike. Nice budget restore!