The Yamaha XS650 was a familiar site on flat tracks in the 1970's, with a reputation for being robust and durable. That's what Rollis Karoll, Vice President of Sales for Spectro Oils of America tells us, as the owner of this sweet little project '76 XS650.
Starting with a $500 bike found rusting in someone's garage since 1981, Karoll got the full fiberglass conversion kit from Robert Ward at Omar's Dirt Track Racing, Inc., and away he went from there.
Totally street legal, the next stop for Rollis and the XS will be Daytona Bike Week, for some showing and shining and schmoozing.
Carrying it thru cool and slippery is the full line of Spectro fluids, including 4-stroke 20/50, suspension and brake fluid, and fuel conditioner.
What is with the CV carburettors on the flat-track reproduciton? And the cheesey Yamaha caliper and moldy front rotor? Looks good from afar, but when you get close, major discrepancies manifest themselves. Should have gone with nice spool hubs, and big Dunlop or Lockheed disc brakes, to keep in continuity. My Indian Enfield has a similar setup, with a blooey pipe, an AJS big-port head, and 3 Amal remote floatbowl GP road racing carbs affixed on with a manifold I made from bamboo. It it a hullahbaloo as your Yanks would say.
Clem K / Butte, MT, UNITED STATES
Posted Feb 18 2009 03:09PM
Way to go Preshmet! Publically dissing another man's project. I suspect I could find a few items to pick apart on your beloved Enfield. Would I do that in a public forum? No way. It shows a remakable lack of common sense, respect and human decency. Hmm - a manifold made of bamboo...no, I won't take the bait. I hope you don't call yourself a motorcyclist.
ProWrench / Saint Joseph, MO, UNITED STATES
Posted Feb 20 2009 06:12PM
You nailed it Clem, let's hope "Preshmet" truly is in India. The XS looks great and is a wonderful piece of history that can still hold it's own in the vintage class.
speedstermike / louisville, KY, UNITED STATES
Posted Feb 21 2009 09:54AM
Preshmet, Your a real jerk....No class at all...I can't believe you would make such negitive remarks like that! I bet your bike is really SWEET! Bamboo Manifold! Your a joke!
Preshmet Majahan / mumbai, INDIA
Posted Feb 26 2009 09:38PM
Oh yes you yanks can call me names and lie to yourself about the faux street-tracker, but the truth is there for you all to see. A drum rear brake, CV Carbs, grooved discolored front brake rotor, and those gooft up pipes (flat tracker Yamaha's had TT pipes like a triumph, got the CG down low, if you dopes know what CG means). Reminds me of the time my cousin Assram tried to make a hill climber out of a Brough Superior, what a joke. Thankfully someone was brewing beer in the garage and an elephant trampled the garage and the bike into dust. Someone should send an elephant to this garage, sub-par at beat.
castor / Regina, ZZ, CANADA
Posted Mar 04 2009 12:59PM
your calling that crappy and you used bamboo for a bike part....riiiiiight.
Ali Muhammed / Dhakka, BANGLADESH
Posted Mar 05 2009 09:56PM
Preshmet is a foolish man who doesn't even own a motorcycle, much less one with three carbs. Bamboo manifold indeed. He is a frustrated house painter who has a Raleigh 3 speed bicycle with a 25cc motor mounted on the front forks. Do not pay attention to this frustrated little man with no hair (he wears a wig). I think this 650 Yamaha is the cat's pajamas!
klx678 / Delaware, OH, UNITED STATES
Posted Jun 24 2009 10:52AM
Obviously Preshmet hasn't been to any vintage flat track races. The high pipes are common there. And the actual flat track bikes didn't run TT pipes, which tuck in under the bike, they ran twin reverse cone megaphone pipes out the right side. They'd hit the ground on a right hand TT turn. As for authenticity or whatever in the creation, it's a fun street track bike, not a racer. A builder or owner goes as far as they want. This one is basically a streetable 650 with minimal cost beyond the cosmetic appearance. I had a friend who built a full on Shell Thuett 750 kitted XS in a Champion frame with both a disc rear (Barnes) and a twin disc front. It was definitely over the top for the time - about 1980 or so - for a street tracker. He sold it and it was actually turned into a flat tracker by a regional rider. It supposedly is still around somewhere on the vintage circuit. It's how far a person wants to go and what they want to see. I can appreciate that.
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The Yamaha XS650 was a familiar site on flat tracks in the 1970's, with a reputation for being robust and durable. That's what Rollis Karoll, Vice President of Sales for Spectro Oils of America tells us, as the owner of this sweet little project '76 XS650. 
Posted Feb 16 2009 04:30PM
