Yamaha XS650 1975 By Vintage Steele
The xs650 is Yamaha’s mid-sized motorcycle produced from 1968-1979. In 1978 the Special was introduced and production continued all the way through 1985. The xs650 was a light weight bike and had one of the most advanced, large parallel twin motors for its time. Above all, these bikes were known for their reliability. Fast forward to today and they continue to have a large cult following.
Because of their continued popularity, xs650 parts are readily available. You will find a plethora of aftermarket companies developing and producing parts that improve their outdated systems. Originally, these bikes were considered to lack style — but not anymore. The xs650 has become an icon, highly sought after and mimicked by many other companies and models.
Montana came to Vintage Steele (V.S.) with big ideas and lots of enthusiasm. She was excited to get her first bike, and even more excited for a custom built motorcycle. She wanted something that had style and plenty of curb appeal, but would still be sensible when riding in the Vermont countryside. Being a new rider, naturally Montana had tons of questions, and V.S. had loads of suggestions. The xs650 is a natural go-to when people are looking for a lightweight, reliable, and good looking motorcycle. And the best part about the Yamaha is you can keep up with all your friends no matter the situation.
After exploring ideas, budget, and general style concepts Montana decided on the 1975 Yamaha xs650. Attracted to the look of spokes, she decided to ditch the mag wheels that were original to the bike. Switching to spokes was a challenge when adapting the 2005 Suzuki GSXR 750 front end. Fortunately, V.S. was able to make the swap with the help of Cognito Moto, who had the steering stem and hub already figured out. The upgraded front end mean the bike would have dual disc brakes up front and a drum in the rear — making sure it would stop on a dime.
With all V.S. builds, the idea is to craft a bike that both looks good and rides well, while also being reliable and dependable. Montan's xs650 was no different. To accomplish this, V.S installed a complete aftermarket electrical system. Also added was a single Mikuni carburetor to replace the finicky dual-carb setup stock to the bike. The addition of the single carb helps to simplify the tuning and maintenance process, while also serving the double purpose of enhancing the performance of the handmade, high-exhaust setup. One of the most exciting elements of this build for the V.S. crew was the discovery of GPS driven speedometers — they may never go back to the outdated cable driven type. To keep true to the tradition of giving the customer some creative control, Montana designed the beautifully executed paint scheme to really help set the bike off.
The completion of this bike adds another bad-ass woman to the ever growing populous of women riders ripping the back roads of Vermont and all over!
Aftermarket features:
Mikes XS charging system
SPR GPS Speedometer
2005 Suzuki GSXR forks
Excel rims
Buchanan’s stainless steel spokes
Cognito Moto stem, front hub, and top triple tree
Shinko Trail Master tires
Handmade features:
Exhaust system
Fenders
Seat
Built by Vintage Steele
Photos by Josh Steele
