My 1970's Yammie XS500 twin complete with "Omniphase" (to counter vibration) and 8 valve head!
Had to stop to let it cool down all the time, planed the heads, did the rings etc but the next guy needed new barrels!!
I had a '76 XS500. Yamaha seemed to have most of the problems sorted by then, but it still went out of tune in a hurry (points) and the eccentric chain tensioner for the balance shaft was an absolute joke. Gas tank was too small, too. BUT - it was comfortable for all day riding, especially with ace bars fitted. Can't criticize the brakes - it didn't have any...
I remember the TX500 (like this http://www2.ivers.mcpherson.com/web/cycle/yamaha.htm) and the TX750 twins (like this http://www.dropbears.com/m/models/yamaha/tx750.htm), don't ever remember an XT750 except the Super Tenere dirt job. The TX Yams turned out to be unreliable failures at the time and never sold well. The newer XS models I thought followed on directly after the TXs and the XS750 was a triple later stretched to 850. Then we saw what at the time was a monster the XS1100 that they used at the 6 hour races, shaft drive and all.
I have the history of yamaha to 2000 and they say the XS650 was developed from a 500 racer that was made by a German co' called Hoch.They went out of biz' some time in the late fiftys and the rights to the 500 were bought by Yamaha who then used it for the base of the XS650.The XT name was given to the 650 when they made the 500 and 750 to maintain the model line up under the same name.When the XT 500 and 750 proved to be no good they were droped and the following year the 650 was renamed XS to avoid the bad vibes created by the XT.Today the XT is probably the most sort after of the 650 line.The XT 650 was only made the one year 75 I think.My own first XS650 was the 76 B model that was used by our MOT and was also the fastest of all of them and was also the best handling although not by much.
The XS 650 is Yamahas longest running model,1970-1983.Some were made for the Canadian market in 84 but they are the same bike as the 83.My own bike is a Canadian 84 but it is the same in all ways as the 83.
People used to say the XS was a copy of a BSA but that is not correct,Even the Hoch 500 was really nothing like the XS,it was just the base design and Yamaha copyed nobody.The BSA thing was just another urban legend.
Jeeez, I like this interweb thingy I can rave on all night an nobody tells me to shut up.
Cheers.
Used to be said here that the 650 valve-gear design was based on that of the Toyota GT2000 sports car that Yamaha made the engines for.First 650 was the XS1,XS2 was the same bike with electric start,first XS twin to be imported into Britain.They had a seriously bad name for handling and Yamaha got a guy called Percy Tait,ex-Triumph works rider,to sort the thing out,hence the extra frame bracing,twin discs e.t.c.(XS1&2 were single disc).Tait reckoned that Yamaha`s dodgy handling was down to something really basic,they had a brilliant test track with a perfectly smooth surface,legend has it he actually got them to put in a few holes and bumps,XS650 is the result of Tait`s handiwork.I had a 76 "B" model as well,lovely machine.you can get just about anything for an XS650 from Halco in the U.K.,including complete bikes built to your own spec.
I had an XS500 as well,hated it,great when everything was perfect,smooth and very quick,but very temperamental,didn`t take a lot to turn it into a wheezy,mis-firing mess.
I'm going by my NZ experience and I'm with Moko on this one the first 650 I remember was the XS1, then the XS2, the TX500 and TX750 came later (and that was TX not XT) and were failures so it seemed they reverted back to the XS name with the twins, triples and later the big four. As I said I don't remember an early XT750, if you've got some pics Jackrat can you post them out of interest? Maybe they were known as that in some other market other than NZ or USA.
In the mid 70s Yam were already selling the XT500 and TT500 dirt bikes here in NZ and they were never confused with an XT road series. Like this http://www.motorcyclebooks.com/yamxtttsrsin.html
The TX500 and TX750 if I remember rightly were the first of the Yam twins fitted with omniphase balancers as they called them. They are a rare breed indeed as so few were sold here.
Merv,Iv'e just finished looking at the good book an you are right the bike I have always thought of as the XT750 is in fact the TX.
The XS1 was a drum brake front end with steel fork sliders.Motu has one of those.My own bike came in both twin disc and single disc front or disc front and and drum rear or disc's at both ends as well as either Mag or wire spoked wheels.I think it depends on the country they were made for.Most of the later
model ones we have here seem to be the Canadian models.Single disc front,
drum rear and mag wheels.I now have a line on a TX650A in bits that I am very tempted to buy.I am going to New Plymouth on Tuesday to pick up a twin disc front end and a pile of assorted bits I have bought off Trade me,Now I will be heading for Palmy on the way back to look at this TXA.
She's a hard road to find the perfect,,,,,,,LOL.
People used to say the XS was a copy of a BSA but that is not correct,Even the Hoch 500 was really nothing like the XS,it was just the base design and Yamaha copyed nobody.The BSA thing was just another urban legend.
Jeeez, I like this interweb thingy I can rave on all night an nobody tells me to shut up.
Cheers.
The first Kawasaki 650 W1 & W1SS (street scrambler - high pipes) was a direct knock off of the BSA A10, right down to the seperate gearbox. I've never heard that Yamaha copied BSA but the Kawaski - for sure. Kawasaki took over another Japanese maker, Meguro, and got the 650 design with that.
Another Jap factory that made a knock off of European bikes was Lilac - they copied BMW
it's not a bad thing till you throw a KLR into the mix.
those cheap ass bitches can do anything with ductape.
(PostalDave on ADVrider)
The first Kawasaki 650 W1 & W1SS (street scrambler - high pipes) was a direct knock off of the BSA A10, right down to the seperate gearbox. I've never heard that Yamaha copied BSA but the Kawaski - for sure. Kawasaki took over another Japanese maker, Meguro, and got the 650 design with that.
Another Jap factory that made a knock off of European bikes was Lilac - they copied BMW
Yeah those early Kawasaki 650s are a real cult bike in the states now days.
It was probably the Kawa' thing that got the XS myth going.
Another copy of BMW huh,that makes three Iv'e heard of now.
I saw a chinese copy at the last classic meeting.Interesting looking bike if you like tractors.
The TX500 and TX750 if I remember rightly were the first of the Yam twins fitted with omniphase balancers as they called them. They are a rare breed indeed as so few were sold here.
We had the standard XS650 here first,Brit-style with low bars,wire wheels,ally rims and very tasteful black paintwork(XS2 was orange and chrome nightmare)Later they did a Silver version which was neat-looking but rare.In79 we got the "US Special" which is basically what Jackrat`s got,think it was badged SE as well.the 2 models were sold alongside eachother so you got the choice,wheels were different sizes as well.XS650`s are still very popular over here and loads got shipped in from the states a while back when the grey market was at it`s peak.Well sorted XS`s still go for around £1200,about $3000
XS500 first came in with similar styling to the 650,lovely looking bike.later model had square tank,disc at either end,mag wheels and engine mods,this is the model I had......and it was a pig.Started playing up on the way back from the shop,good guys they re-built the top-end under warranty.Was brilliant when it ran properly but was more like bloody menopausal than tempramental,off-loaded it bloody quick,swapped with a guy who had an immaculate Suzi GT550 and thought he was ripping me off.Blew up on him a few days later,shit happens.He copped a seriously bad attitude otherwise I`d have helped a bit financially even though I was under no obligation to do so,as it was told him to get F***ed before he got a visit to teach him some manners.
Do you guys get Ural bikes down there? bit of a cult bike here and after years of being a bit of a joke they`ve got their act together.The Wolf is about a third the price of a Harley,has brakes,goes round corners and isnt American
Mate of mine had A Ural,Don't know just what it was but he had a side car on it an used it as the shop bike for his wrecking biz'.
It was so ugly every body wanted it.I went in the chair one time and a hose came off the dodgy fitted oil cooler,I copped most of the oil in my lap,Don't know why they call em' coolers cause that oil was bloody hot,all heaps an heaps an heaps of it.
Me mate bought it off Motu from this site.I think Motu probably still has a chuckle about that one.Me mate even rode it to the Kiwi an back but that's a long story in it's self.One of the boys scored a new nick name in connection with that bike,(Sooty)I'll let you work that one out
One of the bike mags here called them "Urinals".I once caused mayhem on another message board by calling Harleys "Rich Git`s Urals",when you get the kind of reaction i got to that one you just know you`ve hit home.They`ve also been sold here as Dniepr(catchy or what?)and Cossacks.On the chair models the sidecar wheel drives and they`ve got reverse gear,plenty of scope there for blowing some minds.
I posted up a query on realclassic as 650 Yams are popular here still,queried the XS/TX thing and this is the best answer I got.The Special he mentions had really high and wide bars,a stepped seat and mag wheels,16 inch on the back.Dont know about Canadian/Aus models but U.S. ones were slower because of something done to the carbs for emission control.
"The TX will only have one disc, as it is merely a renamed XS2. The XS1, not sold in the UK, and the XS2 both had XS650 on the sidepanels which adds to the confusion. The TX name only lasted for 1 year, then the XS650 arrived, with frame gussets, and for Europe only, two front discs. US, Canadian and Aussies only got 1 disc until the bike finished production, as did US Specials. The TX ( ie XS2) only came with one disc regardless of market. Roadsters in non EU markets looked like our version apart from higher bars and the discs, and the bikes continued to sell overseas long after ours ceased"
Originally Posted by shafty
My 1970's Yammie XS500 twin complete with "Omniphase" (to counter vibration) and 8 valve head!
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