Yamaha XS650

CYCLE WORLD magazine June 1980

Yamaha 650 owners tell us their machines are motorcycles. “You remember motorcycles. They have a pulsating throb instead of an electric motor whir …. They’re narrower than your car …. You can actually adjust the valves without removing the camshaft. Just one camshaft? …. gas tanks with curves instead of bends …. a strange looking lever on the side you can kick to make it run …. something you’d feel uncomfortable wearing a suit and tie on …. They let you park it with the Harleys down at the tavern.”

XS 650 Tech Pages

Craigs List xs650

XS650 Improvement Advice

Team Junk

Old Brown

Old Brown in her heyday.

650 Central
Sumo Rubber
Cruzin Image
Yamaha Parts House
Lowbrow Customs
Deadbeat Customs
TC Bros.
Heiden Tuning
Omega Racer
Orient Express
Facebook XS650 parts
Hoos Racing Specialties

Texavina seats

XS 650 Gearing

Common Gear Ratios

Front	Rear		@8000
sprocket	sprocket		mph	RPM @ 60	RPM @ 80	RPM @ 100	RPM @ 120
17	34	2	120	4000	5333	6667	8000	1

17	32	1.88	128	3765	5020	6275	7529	0.94

17	30	1.76	136	3529	4706	5882	7059	0.88

18	32	1.78	135	3556	4741	5926	7111	0.89

Complete Gear Ratio Table

Front	Rear		@8000
sprocket	sprocket		mph	RPM @ 60	RPM @ 80	RPM @ 100	RPM @ 120
17	34	2.00	120	4000	5333	6667	8000	1.00
17	36	2.12	113	4235	5647	7059	8471	1.06
17	38	2.24	107	4471	5961	7451	8941	1.12
17	40	2.35	102	4706	6275	7843	9412	1.18
17	32	1.88	128	3765	5020	6275	7529	.94
17	30	1.76	136	3529	4706	5882	7059	.88
17	28	1.65	146	3294	4392	5490	6588	.82
17	26	1.53	157	3059	4078	5098	6118	.76
18	34	1.89	127	3778	5037	6296	7556	.94
18	32	1.78	135	3556	4741	5926	7111	.89
18	30	1.67	144	3333	4444	5556	6667	.83

Swingarm width

Honda VTR SUPERHAWK (all years) – 165mm
Honda VFR 800 (1998-2001) – 165mm
Honda CBR 929 (2000-2001) – 180mm
Honda CBR 954RR (2002-2003) – 180mm
Honda RC51 SP2 (2002-?) – 180mm
1976 Suzuki GT500 – 185mm
Yamaha XS650 – 190mm
Honda VFR400 – 192mm
Honda MC18 NSR250 – 197mm
Yamaha FZR250 – 200mm
Honda XL600R – 200mm
Yamaha LC RD350 – 200mm
Honda RVF400 – 202mm
Honda NS400R – 205mm
Honda MC21 NSR250 – 205mm
Honda CB400F – 205mm
Suzuki RGV250 – 205mm
Yamaha RZ350 – 205mm
Yamaha YPVS RD350 – 205mm
1986 FZ600 – 215mm (without spacers/covers), – 220mm with spacers/covers
Suzuki Bandit GSF600 – 220mm
1992-1998 Yamaha Seca II – 220mm
1990-1996 Yamaha FZR600 – 220mm
2005 Suzuki GSXR 1000 – 225mm
1976-1982 Kawasaki KZ600 – 225mm
1994-1997 Honda VFR750 – 227mm
2001-2002 Suzuki GSXR1000 – 228mm
Kawasaki Z650/Z750 – 230mm (frame width at pivot)
2004-2005 Suzuki GSXR750 – 230mm (without washers on ends)
Suzuki TL1000S – 232mm
Honda Hawk GT650 – 235mm
Honda RC30 – 235mm
2008 Kawasaki Ninja ZX6R – 235mm
Kawasaki Z900/Z1000 – 235mm (frame width at pivot)
Honda RC30 – 235mm
1999-2002 Suzuki SV650 – 235mm
2006 Suzuki GSR500 – 238mm (w/o spacers)
2003-2009 Suzuki SV650 – 240mm
1998-2007 Yamaha YZF600R – 240mm
1990-1993 Honda VFR750 – 242mm
2005-2006 Kawasaki Ninja ZX6R (636) – 242mm
1987 Kawasaki Ninja ZX750R – 244mm
1987 Yamaha FZ750 – 245mm
2006-2011 Kawasaki Ninja 650R – 245mm
1998-2003 Suzuki Katana GSX600/750F – 245mm
2007 Yamaha YZF-R6 – 248mm
Honda RC45 – 250mm
Ducati SR4S – 255mm
2003 Kawasaki Z1000 – 255mm
MV Agusta F4 – 255mm
Kawasaki ZX10R (Gen 1-3) – 257mm
2002-2005 Yamaha FZ1 – 257mm (20mm pivot bolt)
2001 Yamaha YZF-R1 – 250mm
2003-2006 Yamaha YZF-R1 – 260mm (without caps) – 264mm (with caps)
Triumph 955i – 285mm
BMW K100 – 310mm

So, I made an interesting discovery today….. In my never-ending quest to find some good rearsets, my friend had an idea of chopping off the original mounts and drill/tap wherever I want to put new rearsets. Trying to get a visual of what that might take and what it would look like, I grabbed some rearsets that I had laying around. A customer bought these off of ebay and it turned out they were wrong for his year. It turns out, they fit PERFECTLY to the original rearset studs coming from the mount. PERFECTLY. So, if anyone here is looking for some rearset solutions, these are for the 2003-2004 Kawasaki ZX6R. NOT the 2005-2006. Sooooooo… Looks like I got some rearsets!