XS EXCITEMENT

Frank’s positive remarks about the Yamaha XS650 last year make me feel so... validated. Why else would anyone thirst to read tests of bikes they already own? However, you could probably have avoided expending so much ink on the Hosk and Horex connection. According to the Dutch Club who got it from their Nippon counterparts, the XS650 owed nothing to either antecedent. Its architecture was simply the bottom end of Yamaha’s then current YS-1 two-stroke, with top-end transplanted from the consultancy they did for Toyota’s 2000 GT sports car. Yamaha had to develop the cam profile from scratch with nothing to guide them, because their IT in the Toyota project didn’t include its cams.

You’ll not be the faintest bit interested that the original CV carbs of your test model have been swapped out for slide Mikunis, because it nevertheless still ran sweet as a nut and idled like a bloodhound lapping milk. Frank’s comment about its comfort compared to the T140 resonated with me, because I still cannot get comfortable on my US-spec T140 which I keep mainly for its good looks and adrenalin value.

Here’s a pic of my current project, purchased for the equivalent of 1.00 Frank (ie. £100). Tim Pickering, member 2216

Even I was surprised at how much I enjoyed riding the XS! Frank W