Man, I’m nearly at the point of tears. That’s exactly like the one I had. I was 18, so proud of that bike. There weren’t to many with wheels like that so when you pulled in anywhere, people looked. Like you said, that exhaust note was great. Going up hills it moaned a little deeper and yet it was nothing like the obnoxious sound of the super bikes today. Everyone complains about the noise. I could pull in anytime of the night and as long as I drive it saintly you could slip by unnoticed. Like you said, a great way to escape the cops too, you don’t give away your position. The gold Metal flake in the paint was a nice touch too. I always found the seat to be comfortable on long rides as well as the seating position. I joined the navy and the now x wife sold it while on my first deployment. When asked why, she just said I didn’t want you picking up girls on it when you got back. I said what did you get for it. “A used Radio Shack stereo.” Are you kidding me? I was devastated. When I got it from an employee, he liked my Camero so much we just swapped. He had just purchased it 400 miles prior. I rode it one Spring and one Summer. Oh she says, your ‘76 RM-250 is gone too. Amazingly 13 years later a guy walks into my store and hears me talking to a customer about it. “Still talking about that bike? You can have it back, free, I brought it home, flipped it going into second gear and said this bike is to much for me and never got back on it.” My cousin restored it, raced it in vintage races as payment for restoring it, a dude from a museum in Japan saw it and bought it for his museum. It still had that dent just before the seat when I landed on my balls when someone blocked the trail with railroad ties after we had already gone through. Dusk, no lights, they blended right into the dark soil along the rail road tracks we traveled on a thousand times a week, I hit it with the nose up, the back connected and slammed the nose down. Talk about pain. I didn’t drop it for a mile after, I wouldn’t give the saboteur the satisfaction. My buddies weren’t as fortunate. Oh well. I’m 62 now, lost a lot of feeling in my legs and couldn’t hold the Yamaha up if I wanted to. But thanks for showing us. Like you, I’ll never forget the experience on it. I’d put one in my garage just to Polish if I could. Again, Thanks.

I have owned two of them in my mid 20's. The XS650 I'm a great all-around bike. I loved riding them and regret selling them.

I bought this exact same motorcycle brand new in 1979. It was so much fun and super cool to ride. My wife made me sell mine when we found out that she was pregnant.

When I was a kid about 12 or so I read an article about a 1971 model of this bike and the reviewers really liked it and I really wanted one. It is such a beautiful bike. Also my neighbor friend and I would sometimes watch tv together and when Marcus Welby MD would come on the other young Doctor guy on that show would always ride up on one of these 650 Yamahas and we thought that was so cool and I always thought that when I become an adult I would get one and go to work everyday on it and hopefully be as cool as the Doc. I never did get one of these XS 650 bikes but I did get a lot of different motorcycles and now I have a Honda VTX 1300 which is an excellent bike. Nevertheless, whenever I see one of these bikes I always wish that childhood dream would come true. Why not you ask? Because I had about 200 other big plans about other great motorcycles and there is just no way to fulfill them all.

My point is always set the kill switch to run. Allows for an easy start. I have an 81. I love the sound and look of these

A really beautiful motorcycle.

Like #125! Beautiful share! Nice place! 😍😍🌹🌹👍👍

And here I am chopping them in half and putting on hardtails, and dropping 750 big bore kits lol

@DaddyLongLegs44

3 жыл бұрын

That sounds dope🤙

I remember sitting on one at my local Yamaha dealer and was ready to buy it, when my uncle offered his 68 BSA for 125 bucks. I loved the Beeser, but still wished that I had bought the Yamaha.

Mr. Kaplan, your channel truly kicks ass, Sir. Respect.

Kaplan new look is great look 20 yrs younger 🇦🇺👍

Once it gets beat up you can turn it into a bobber. The first year they came out I bought one. Only new bike I ever bought. Yep a working college kid.

Beautiful bike. Personally, I like spoked wheels better.

I just bought this exact bike and I'm in the process of turning it into a cafe/ brat style bike

In the late '90s my neighbor gave me one when they moved, but in dark blue just like this one same exact model/wheels. I still have it. Has not run in 20 years. The only thing it is missing is the right side cover. Got one in blue?

I have this bike 1979 Yamaha SX 650 special all original parts And I want to learn all about it! I adore this bike!

@masonsheppard1236

3 жыл бұрын

If you ever want to sell I have money in hand! Let me know

@GreenPumkin85

3 жыл бұрын

@@masonsheppard1236 if I ever do decide to sell I would sell it for $3,500. Because it's still an excellent condition

Price please

Damn, I wanna buy this bike. Cash in hand if you have one to sell?

@KaplanCycles

3 жыл бұрын

Sold sorry

Posting this question after more than an year By any chance do you still have it or can get it

How much$? I paid $1,700 for mine in 79'

I'm just starting a complete restore on one of these 1979 XS650 SF's here's the XS650 SG I restored kzread.info/dash/bejne/qnxhya2zpMzOaNo.html

Hi, y am have the sam 1979

Hola le saludo desde Colombia Barranquilla mi nombre es Orlando bossa Mendoza y tengo una moto yamaha especial está desarmada y quisiera poder volverla armar quería saber si podría ayudarme?

Had that exact same bike and color for it from my dads garage with less than 5000 miles. Useless bike to me since I’m a Harley guy. Hit a dog tire the front end up. Wiring harness is in the headlamp. Whole bike went to the dump. Hated that little sewing machine engine.

I've had two of those models, - you seem to praise them considerably more than they can live up to. They are not much better than the English models, they are not inferior either, they are on the same level. The electric starter on the XS 650 is one of the worst ever made, and I can say with 100% certainty that if you use it every time, it will be totally ruined within 2 years. Their carburettors and stator and rotor are nothing to shout about either - they could have been much better. It is an excellent motorcycle, but it is neither better nor worse than other brands.