Back from the Dead: Yamaha TX650 Cafe Racer

RAAF Veteran’s 1974 Yamaha 650…  

In 1973 and ’74, Yamaha renamed the XS650 the “TX650” in order to maintain a uniform designation for their four-stroke models, as they’d just introduced a new flagship model, the TX750. In reality, the 650 was a much better bike than the 750, and Yamaha would return to the XS designation in 1975.

Many enthusiasts regard the XS/TX650 as one of the most well-rounded machines of the era. The SOHC parallel-twin offered the character and guts of a British twin without the reliability issues, and none other than Kenny Roberts proved the engine’s potential on dirt tracks around the country. Today, it’s valued as both as an original classic and a great platform for various custom builds, especially when the donor bike is in poor shape.

That was the case with this ’74 TX650, which comes to us from 74-year-old Tony Hothersall of Australia. Tony has had quite the life, working as a welder, fabricator, bricklayer, pipefitter, timberman, salesman, and truck driver before a 25-year career as a police dog handler / trainer / instructor with the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF). He’s now been retired for 25 years, and his interests lie mainly in machining and metalwork.

“I can’t ride anymore due to age and widespread OA and chronic RA, but a few modifications in my workshop allow me to continue. Fused fingers and no elbow joints left make using things like hammers and screwdrivers a little problematic, but I get by.”

Those challenges make this build all the more impressive, especially when you consider the sorry state of the donor when Tony picked it up.

“Broken crankcases, 70psi compression, leaking valves, no advance unit, treacle in the sump, barbs gunked up with I don’t know what, every nut and bolt rusted, some had to be cut to remove, badly oxidised and pitted aluminium, but it did come with a few spares, two spoked wheels, plus a load of other stuff that went straight in the bin.”

As so many of the original parts were past the point of no return, Tony decided to customize the bike into a café racer style. Except for reboring, he did all the work and custom fabrication himself. Along the way he bought new (used) crankcases, new pistons, rings, gudgeons, auto advance unit, carb kits, gaskets, seals, stainless fasteners, and had the cylinders rebored and valves reground. The engine was completely rebuilt in his workshop, with various tweaks and upgrades to ensure this XT/TX motor performs even better than new.

Of course, all of that was just to get the bike back in running order. Then came the custom work. Tony welded up a new aluminum tail light and battery box, and fabricated a whole arsenal of parts: tail section, aluminum side covers, pancake filters, manifolds, fuel distributor, reed valve breather, catchcan, chainguard, billet chain adjusters, stainless rear brake components, engine mounts, alternator stator mount, remote spin-on filter base, oil cooler mount, exhaust pipes, mufflers, headlight brackets, handlebar risers, and much more.

He painted the bike in two-pack black, anodized and polished many of the components himself, designed and put together two wiring harnesses (one for lights, one for ignition), fitted aftermarket LED lights and indicators, and much more listed below.

This TX650 is now running Mikuni VM34 carbs, a permanent magnet alternator, single points ignition, remote spin-on filter and cooler, plus all the custom-fabricated components. Tony says the bike kept him busy in the shop for three years.

Though Tony can’t ride any longer, he enlisted a couple of his neighbors to test-ride the finished bike.

“Both riders said it was incredibly comfortable (of course they both ride bum up, head down bikes), seemed very powerful, handled well and was very nice to ride.”

Bravo, Tony, for resurrecting a forgotten 650 into the custom hot-rod we see here, persevering through challenges of flesh, mind, and metal. We’re honored to feature it and hope to see more of your work in the future.

Below is full in-depth interview with Tony, with many more details about himself, his shop, and the build itself.

Yamaha TX650 Custom: Builder Interview

PERSONAL
I’m a 74-year-old retiree. I started work as a labourer in a metal fabrication business, practiced during my lunch hour, working my way up to welder/fabricator, then moved on to a string of jobs, bricklayer, pipelayer, timberman, salesman, truck driver before joining the RAAF (Royal Australian Air Force) in 1975 for a 25-year career as a Police Dog Handler/trainer/instructor with the RAAF, retaining welding/fabricating as a hobby. I retired in 2000. I have no trade certificates or formal training, I taught myself mostly by making mistakes.

BIKES
Over the years I’ve had a few bikes: ’63 A65 BSA, Yamaha YB100, ’71 Triumph Trophy, Honda Bol D’or, Suzuki GS750, Yamaha moped, Honda moped, 1982 Triumph Bonneville, ’74 Yamaha TX650, plus a few more. Most were bought as wrecks and restored or customised.

WORKSHOP
I have a fully outfitted workshop including: Lathe, mill, horizontal band saw, MIG, DC welder, belt sanders, pedestal drill, blasting cabinet, compressor, and so on, so I do all work myself: Electrical, mechanical, polishing, painting, fabricating, machining, welding. I am self taught in everything.
As I can’t ride anymore, this bike was simply a project to keep me busy, and engage my noggin designing and making different bits and pieces, transforming the bike into a 60s/70s style café racer-ish bike.

MODIFICATIONS
Along the way, I machined, fabricated, welded, polished multiple bits and pieces for it in my workshop:

• Tail light
• Indicator brackets
• billet chain adjusters
• chainguard
• stainless wheel spacers
• Stainless rear brake clevis, rod and adjusters
• Seatpan
• Battery box
• Side covers
• Catch can
• Pancake air filters
• Elongated manifolds
• Reed valve engine breather
• Fuel distributor
• Kick start bung
• Engine mounts
• Mufflers
• Exhaust pipes
• Exhaust brackets and clamps
• Handlebar risers
• Speedo bracket and sensor bracket
• Single points cam and backplate
• Permanent magnet alternator mount
• Remote spin on filter base
• Oil cooler mount
• Twin wiring harnesses, one for lights, one for ignition

Modifications include:

• VM34 Mikuni carbs,
• Permanent magnet alternator
• Combined regulator/rectifier
• Reed valve engine breathing
• Aftermarket switchgear
• Large volume manometer

Plus all the stuff listed above.

Everything I made in my workshop. Only the rebore, seat cover, and plating on points cover, rocker nuts, and oil pipe were jobs I farmed out.

I painted the frame, tank, battery box, guards, seatpan, footpegs, gear lever, brake lever, catch can in two pack midnight black.

Wheels had rusted spokes cut to remove and rims were ground to remove gouging, scratching and oxidising. Hubs were mounted on the lathe and casting bridges removed and flanges trued.

Wheels were then laced with stainless spokes and stainless spacers machined. Dust covers were machined from aluminium and pressed over spacers.

Engine side covers, manifolds, sidecovers, rims, hubs, forks, starter ends, carb tops and float bowls, air cleaners, cam chain adjuster, kickstart bung, triple tree and risers were polished, some parts I anodised at home.

Engine was rebuilt in my workshop: Crankshaft was split and reassembled with correct clearances, barrel rebored and new pistons, rings, gudgeons fitted. Valves and seats were recut and lapped, intake ports were smoothed around valve guides and received a matte finish, valves and combustion chambers were polished. New valve spring bases and gear drum pins were machined, new gaskets and seals throughout. Stainless allen heads were used throughout. Pressure plate screws were modified to take allen head screws, a guard was made to protect the sump filter. Right sidecover was modified to accept an oil outlet barb, a filter cover was machined up to take an inlet barb.

RIDING
I can’t ride anymore (fused fingers and cervical spine, no elbow joints, +++), I have started it on multiple occasions to test various mods and to tune it, it runs extremely well. I asked the two young guys next door to take it for a spin. Nothing fell off, nothing broke, nothing failed, it started first push of the starter button. Both riders said it was incredibly comfortable (of course they both ride bum up, head down bikes), seemed very powerful, handled well and was very nice to ride.

Follow the Build

• Details the TX650: www.facebook.com/groups/2576967736024093
• Various other builds and projects: www.facebook.com/groups/830584212384767