This is not the first, by any means, or the last Yamaha XS650 based custom that’s been featured on Barnett’s Magazine Online nor will it be the last. Any bike having a long production run like the XS 650 (1968-1985) did in various guises is sure to have its own cult following whether they’re purists or customizers. The basic simplicity of the 650cc air-cooled vertical twin is not without its devotees along with its reputation for being a tough old bird that vibrated like hell, but at least it never stopped vibrating. That it also has spiritual ties to the popular Brit twins of the time has made it become a classic before its time.

 

  Normally you seem to see XS 650s customized into flat track/street tracker bikes and with good reason as both Kenny Roberts and Mark Barnett flat tracked Yamahas back when these were still new untested race bikes. Otherwise, an XS custom is usually seen as a low buck bobber (nothing wrong with that my fellow-low-bucks guys) built on a non-existent budget by a guy in his garage in between putting kids to bed. Yeah, you know the story, find a beat up bastard of a bike and try to make something rideable and personal on imagination and what’s lying around the garage. There’s always an exception, though, and our dynamite feature bike falls right into place.

 

   Whoever built this bike deserves a nice pat on the back for a job really well done. Yeah it’s an XS 650 bobber, nothing earth-shattering there, but an XS 650 bobber taken to a whole new level of fit, finish, and design. And, it’s ridden on the street too like it was originally intended, not just an un-rideable show bike. Take a look at Jack’s pics and see the lovely affects of combustion on the header pipes –gotta love that.

 

  Often a custom XS 650 using the stock frame as the basis is a bit short in the back with the rear wheel looking like it’s being slowly sucked into the carbs, but not this cutie. The small-tube hardtail frame is as clean as a whistle with perfect lines from front to back and a stance to die for. Simple, clean and effective. Using dramatically lowered XS forks and other running gear like the stock brakes front and rear keeps the cost reasonable and the stuff just does what it’s supposed to. Nothing wrong with that. Doing so also allows such niceties as those broad shouldered aluminum alloy rims replacing the chromed steel OEM bits which look stunning to me. Also knocks off a considerable amount of rotating and static weight for more fun per horsepower.

 

   Same smart choice allows for the Mustang-style tank, the round, highly-polished brass orb (oil tank) under the sprung metal-base perch (ouch!) otherwise know as a saddle, and the simple trailer–style rear fender. All neat touches (maybe not the seat, my ass hurts looking at it) that blend in nicely with the racy look of the down-turned bars and the mid controls with machined brass foot, shifter, and brake pedal pegs. Somehow I assume somebody finally got the wicked old lathe to work that everybody else gave up on. Same goes for the velocity stack on the now-single carb sticking out the left side. Somebody did a nice job of freshening up the 650cc mill leaving a bit of mechanical rawness to the unit-construction twin. This harmonizes well with the heavily-patina’d look of the frame and doesn’t yell out, “Hey, look at all my chrome shit man!”

   There are other neat bits like the machined brass carb top, the chain tensioner, the sentiment-infused kicker pedal, or the brass caps on the too-short-for-their-own-good headers, or the always cool cloth-covered spark plug wires. But, the finish for the “painted” parts is perfect with a machined finish on the sheet metal covered in a clear coat for protection. Sitting between the clear and the bare metal is a lovely assemblage of heavy metallic gold graphics fluttering about with a bit of pinstriping defining the border between the gold and the metal. Very lovely design all around.

 

   For a knock-around, weekend rider, this bike has a lot going for it. No astronomical build price, XS 650 tough as shit reliability, and a look that anybody would be proud to say they built. The fun is in the riding and with the substantial weight loss compared to a stocker, it should be a hooligan’s dream come true. Yup, it may not be a beloved Harley, but it sure looks like a lot of fun and fun is what got us all into motorcycles in the first place. Like I said in the first paragraph, I don’t know who built it (sorry), but I’ll bet anybody anything he had a blast building it and an even bigger blast bombing around on it and showing off his handiwork. That’s gotta be fun, fun, fun, dontcha think?