Where did you get your XS?

[johnnygold]

I got my '79 from the caretaker of the Girl Scouts day camp. It was sitting out in the snow. Complete except side covers. $500, but it started as soon as we got it home.

[cybrhick]

I just picked ours up this weekend from a friend in Louisiana. He gave us the bike, an extra motor, and about 3 extra rims. This will be a father/son build for my son's first bike. I have a build thread posted.

[westfalia]

Neighbor was moving. "Want it?" I said "OK". He left it in my driveway. '81 XS650 Special

[mitchp]

Found an original 1976 XS on Ebay. One owner bike. The owner had passed away. Son who does nt ride put it up for EBay auction. I got the bike for 1500 bucks. 900 mile round trip to pick it up was very expenive and stressfull. 21 hours on the road and 300 dollars fuel. Think trucking company. That being said the XS is cleaning up nicely. Carbs may need replaced. Mitch

[kassrocket]

I was looking for an old triumph bonneville. Got in touch with a fella that dealt in old bikes. Convinced me that old Xs' were far superior. He had one covered in his shed, as soon as he lifted the sheet my eyes opened wide. A beautifuly preserved 79 special. Needed little work, pulled it apart, had the frame resprayed and certain parts rechromed. This was 5 years ago.

[garrick7]

Just inherited mine from my old man, 78 xs650 special, told me if I did the maintenance and got it running I could have it. Just needs new switches for the bars and a battery (already ordered) and a good clean up

[loudbagpipes]

Got mine by pure dumb luck. The front struts in my car were shot and a friend from work said he'd do them for 100 bucks while I was working last Sunday. He came to the shop, left his car and took mine. When i got off, I drove his car to his house and picked up my car. While I was there, he mentioned that the guy across the streetfrom him was selling and old "rice burner". Picked up an 81 in fairly good shape for 500 bucks. Carbs are sucking a little air from the connections to the pistons and the electric start doesn't work. The right front turn signal is a bit loose, too. Other than the minor stuff, it runs good. I put it up and down the street a while and it ran fine. Well worth the money, I think.

[mitchp]

Best purchase story. Im interested in the roadrace part of your story. Any pics? Mitchp

[downeaster]

I bought a brand new TX650A in 1974. It's the only bike I ever owned (and there have been many) that I kept for more than a couple of years.

I sold it in 1982 to fund an SR 500. I've regretted it ever since.

I'm 61 years old. Physical deterioration has made riding a Sunday afternoon event for me these days, and I've been thinking nostalgic thoughts about that 650. Been watching Craigslist and a local rag called Uncle Henry's for two or three years.

Not many 650's out there, and most of them are over-priced, beat to crap, too far away or all of the above. A couple that did interest me caught me when I was stony broke.

Finally happened upon one that met all the requirements and wound up with a middlin'-nice '79 Special. It had current tags on it and I rode it around a bit before I forked over the cash. I'm not sure how (or if...) it met state inspection codes with the badly worn tires and blown out mufflers on it, and I suspect the alternator has issues, but other than that, it's in pretty good condition.

I plan to fix this and that, take off the "pimp my ride" fairing, hiway pegs, and sissy bar, replace the swept-back Special handlebars, put some BSA-style mufflers on it and make a few other semi-custom mods to it this Winter and ride it as much as my wore-out ol' bod can stand in the Spring.

[albertsa]

I would like 2 find out what year model my xs is!!!! Can anybody help me? I live in South Africa.

[dld]

A co-worker said he had a bike he needed to get rid of. I asked what it was and he said it was an XS650. Since my first bike was an XS2, I was interested. When I asked him what he wanted for it, he said,"come get it and I'll sell it to you for $1.00", so I went the next day and picked it up, not expecting much. To my surprise, it was in remarkably good shape for having sit in his back yard under a tarp for 3 years. I took it home, cleaned it, checked the oil, put fresh gas in it, replaced a bad plug wire, and it fired right up. Other than the battery I think I spent $10.00 to get it back on the road. Best deal I've ever scored!

[mish]

A gift from my Uncle Mike! (My favorite uncle I might add ;D)