Dear XS650chopper builder,
Having read literally dozens of articles on this great site and having seen hundreds of killer pics of amazing XS glory I have to pause and wonder. You see, there are those disciples of the 650 who would forsake it’s name. You know who you are. You are those builders who shave, cover, burn out, and fill in any trace of the YAMAHA name on the glorious lump that is the XS650. Why have you forsaken me? Would you shave the HD off of a knuckle, the Triumph off a bonny?
Today I am making a plea to all my fellow builders who choose the XS650 as their lump to be proud of this YAMAHA heritage. Let us not forget that the design of this AMA Dirt Track Champion held it’s own for over a decade against in-line 4’s and V-Twins well into the Super-Bike era. This bullet-proof-beauty is truly one of the best engines you could ever choose to build a bike around and should feel no shame for it’s roots. Let us celebrate the XS650 Engine.
For all it’s faults and all it’s greatness it has surly earned it’s respect in the world of Custom Built. Please, put those metal work skills to better use and leave that Yammy Stamp alone.
Thank you,
I_am_10_ninjas