The Yamaha XS650 managed to combine the character and charisma of the British twins with something those bikes had rarely offered: oil-tight reliability. What’s more, the XS was technically advanced for its day, boasting unit […]
Tag: Yamaha XS650
For Sale: Yamaha TX650 Brat by Kuna Customs
The bike we know as the Yamaha XS650 actually started life as the 1970 XS-1. For the 1973-74 model years, it was re-badged as the TX650 to match the TX500 and TX750. When these bikes […]
Welsh Hot Rod: Yamaha XS650 Street Tracker by LC Cycleworks
A mechanical engineer builds one of the cleanest XS650 trackers we’ve seen… The Yamaha XS650 arrived in 1969, a Japanese equivalent to the British twins featuring advancements like unit construction and a horizontally split crankcase. […]
Yamaha XS650 Brat Tracker from Kuna Customs
The Yamaha XS650 (1970-1983) is one of our favorite vintage Japanese motorcycles, styled after the British twins of the 1960s. The engine/gearbox had unit construction and a horizontally-split crankcase, making it one of the most […]
Yamaha XS650 “Minabear” by Licari.co
A red-tanked vagabonding machine, built for fire roads and the 405… The Yamaha XS650 is one of our favorite vintage bikes — a British-style 650 twin available from 1970-1983. The engine’s unit construction and horizontally-split […]
Big Wheel: Yamaha XS650 Bobber by A&J Cycles
A metric bobber recalling the Big Wheel trikes of yesteryear… The Yamaha XS650 remains one of the most versatile vintage motorcycles in the hands of custom builders. We regularly see the British-inspired Japanese twin transformed […]
Aluminum XS: Yamaha XS650 Street Tracker by Café Cycles
The Yamaha XS650 is one of our favorite vintage motorcycles. While it was styled after the British twins of the era, the bike was properly modern, featuring unit construction (engine and gearbox in same casing), […]
Fat Brat: Yamaha XS650 from Kuna Customs
Built a stone’s throw from where the turbojet engine was invented! Introduced in 1969 as the XS-1, the Yamaha XS650 would boast one of the most advanced engines of the class, a 654cc parallel twin […]
Red Ripper: Yamaha XS650 by Paul Hartman
“This thing just wants to have fun…” The Yamaha XS650 is one of our favorite motorcycles, a British-style parallel twin whose engine was highly advanced for the time, featuring unit construction, horizontally split crankcases, and […]
Shell Racing XS650 Street Tracker by Josh Keel
A stunning tribute to the Shell Racing trackers of the 1970s… Shell Thuet was one of the greatest motorcycle tuners of all time. Born in California in 1912, he had to begin supporting his family […]
