Regulars Rides: Ben's Yamaha XS650 custom chopper
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- Опубліковано 7 вер 2024
- This week Ben Saggers brought down his Yamaha XS650 Chopper down for us to poke the camera around.
Originally he was looking for a more reliable bike to commute on than his clapped out Honda CB550, but all of that went out the window when he spotted this XS650 on eBay, much to his wife’s dismay.
It had been sat dormant in a garage since 1986 with its previous owner so did need a bit of a spruce up and work done to it including a 750 bigger bore kit. That extra power was what prompted him to take the bike racing and over the years take part in many events such as the Malle Mile, Wheels and Waves’ Punk’s Peak and DirtQuake to name a few.
As the bike was built on a budget, the ethos behind this bike was to bodge and fix to make it work as he went along and had the work done to it that was needed to keep it running.
#XS650 #YamahaXS650 #TheBikeShed
Amazing, proper budget bike. No frills. It just works, you can tell this guy is not concerned about other people's views. Love this build so much.
A chopper with knobbies and you race it on dirt tracks... I'm LOVING it !!!
A chopper with nobbies, have you ever seen a chopper.....? Cuz that's not a chopper in any form.. that's what you call a bobber my friend.
@@claybornlewis276 a chopper is a chopped bike, which this is.
@@leeonardodienfield402 looks more like an abortion
@@claybornlewis276it is tho
Finally a real shitty shed bike! Favorite bike so far
Professional help...for the bike...not for me 🤣🤣
that must be where the meme "call the ambulance... but not for me" came from
I prefer garage built chops! More bikes like this please!
i could watch shit like this and beautifully built bikes (with the builder) all day long
saw this guy racing at malle and he took no prisoners! absolute madman..
Looking at his bike, stock suspension and all, he must be a skilled rider that just gets it done
I'm one of of those "old Guys" with bits in the shed (70 next year), and this dude reminds me so much of myself back in the 60's and 70's when I was building Honda choppers in South Australia with any random parts I could get hold of! And I rode hundreds of thousands of Km (miles, then) in the outback! Killed a girder-forked Honda, (and almost myself) near Leigh Creek in '71 when the air cleaner fell off, and the bulldust jammed the throttle on full open. Take care, and keep on with that labour of love!
love it Ashley! hello from another Adelaidean
Bloody good stuff hey!
big respect old timer built a few in the 70s meself still riding just about got a new street bob now though although me doc keeps moaning
This is truly the spirit of motorcycling. Slapped together, haphazard, tons of fun. I'm on an old 1982 Virago 750, and I'm slowly turning it into more and more of a rat bike/bobber. I'll probably have the damn thing when I'm much older, just keeping working on it and adding to it.
Makes you reconsider the constant striving for perfection that you often get with custom bikes, life ain’t perfect so why should your bike. Mental build, but in a good way!
This is exactly what I want to do. I love old, vintage choppers, but I dream of having a Frankenstein bike like this that I can just rip around on and not worry if it breaks or gets a little dinged up. Ride her rough and put her away dirty XD Something to help me live a bit on the weekends.
Get an old sportster
Mate, I'm no fan of choppers but your attitude to bike building is the mutts nuts! Raising a glass to you and all your 'Professional Help' have a safe journey. !!!
I love this bike. Reminds me of the old school choppers where it seemed like they put whatever they had around together to keep the bikes running.
I've always loved the XS650! Especially the fact that you could make a British style custom bike with Japanese reliability. I just missed out on an '81 XS650 Special in 1998. Somebody bought it the day before I went to do buy it. I would rather build a stripped down bobber that keeps the real suspension for daily riding, but this is still a real beauty!
Looks good with that top motor mount chopped... cleans up the neck area.. looks good.. people don’t realize how much potential these xs650’s have.. do a 750 big bore and they rip! I have a couple and they are bad ass. Light weight and fun bar hoppers.. respect to this guy for racing this build with a hard tail! Fuck!
Cool! Love the 'Devil may care' look of this! So cool you take it racing as well! 😎👍
I love that you bought it and slowly built up an fixed as you could and when you could afford it because that's a budget that alot of people are on. Most folk don't have a budget for everything brand new etc
Gooooooood vibrations! Good decision. Superbe sound and kind of a magic carpet. That bike will take you anywhere. I rebuilt a 447 and I just want it back. Happy new year!
The knobby tires make it look more aggressive, I love it!
best bike viewed on this channel. thumbs up.
Absolute madman. I love it. The super minimalist art bikes are cool too but, to me, this is the spirit of motorcycling. Throw a bunch of shit together and use it for stuff you shouldn't.
She is a beautiful, work of Art. I tip my hat to you brother, well done. Cheers from Australia!
I can see why this would be one of my favorite bikes also.
The best kind of bike, one with character.
I've been working my way through these regular rides videos and this is my fav so far. Even my guy's helmet shield is really too fogged to use but he just goes with it
Love the knobby's on this bike:-). It adds to the character of the bike, and kind of reminds me of the bikes people rode when I was a kid in the late 70's here in rural Iowa:-).
This is sick!! Ben is a bloody legend! Bike sounds angry! 🤘
you off road race on a hardtail? dang! i had a kz440 hardtail n my back is hurting just thinking about that. i took mine off road but only like second gear. an xs650 like that is my dream bike🍻
Best bike by far! It's good to see bikes like this. I'm currently working on my own custom with a £2000 budget. Its currently going really well.
Unreliable Honda...Now that's something I haven't heard of for a long time.
if we assume that he bought this Honda second hand, and the previews owner was a total jerk in maintaining the bike...Well Honda or not, you have to take care of it if you want that the bike takes care of you.
People give Honda more credit than they deserve. Weak auto transmissions and their bikes are REALLY HARD to fix.
Yamaha not honda look at the engine it says Yamaha not honda !
Been riding cb400 for decade...no problem.
@@DomWeselnyBrzozieLub problem
Just bought a rusty old xj600 hardtail chop,love it..everyone says paint etc etc...nope it's gonna age like it should.
There were so many old guys that helped with this build.
It’s now 2021.....it’s all in how you’re feelin,that’s all that matters!!!!
Best fucking bike ever! on the channel. Dont get me wrong... is not the prettiest, its just the better one, the most real, relatable, attainable one. Loved it.
This is the bike of Legends
Awesome build and crazy rider
This bloke sounds Aussie! The baby bottle! what a true legend 😆
Nice scoot man! Like the fact you make it work and have fun with it. Old biker told me once "if ya aint wrenching on it, it aint worth having."
I had a 78 Yamaha XS650 Special when stationed at NAS North Island. Only thing I added to it was Fwd Foot rests. Nice reliable bike it was.
Mad aussie lad twang
Awesome.
Had such a laugh at your vid.
Mate keep smashing it. That rig you made is inspiring
That's awesome! Hilarious bike built for fun...very cool.
Very reliable for a 1970s to 1980s bike, especially the roller bearing crankshaft and aluminum instead of chrome rims from the factory. Smart to keep the stock front disk brake. You could route the crankcase breather hose to oil the chain. I like Fluid Film spray for the chain- made with lanolin from sheepskin.
@1:30 "...got some professional help,......for the bike, not me..." 🤣🤣
That is the spirit that I love. Thanks brother
What a bike, what a sound from the exhaust, really really sharp, I'd love to have a wee blat on er.
Seeeeeeet bike man, the only thing I would do if it was mine, would be fitting longer forks, but that's no good for the type of racing you do.
Great video man. 😀👍👍👍
Having fun with it, that's the main goal. Kudos.
The seat and sissy bar are my favorite part of the bike.
badass! love it. legit chopper
At last!!!!!! Function over form👍Well done mate
Another fine example of an old tech, rough, well used, temperamental, inappropriate motorcycle that was bought by the soul, not the head by someone who used their zeal to feel alive and imagination to make his transport into an event every time he sets away. Good on you Ben! creations like this are the perfect antidote for the ever increasing zombified societies we live in. You can't buy cool. One needs to create it themselves.
Holy shit I fucking love this thing. Best Yamaha XS650 ever!
You sir are a beautiful inspiration.
Madness mate absolutely fukn brilliant
That bike is so freakin' gnarly, I hope he's doing ok with it
Love it, that is my kind of build 👌👍
Nice bike, great story.
I'm laughing at an hour being a long commute though!
Love the build man!! Just the way I like it, home grown!
Awesome bike!! And you have some really cool mate's!!!! RIDE ON 😎💨
Now THAT'S how ya start a bike! 🤘
if that Bike was available locally I would buy it in a nanosecond!! looks good!
i wanna drink a beer whit this dude.
koki almiron trust me... you don’t! 😂
awesome bike
This is sick!!!
9:37 Now that's a nice sight :-)
Cool bike!
top marks for anyone who builds a complete running custom! I have a stock 77 and just getting it back to running is a challenge. Still trying to figure out the wiring diagrams, the "as-built" must be different than "as-designed"....getting close though.
xs650's were the triumph killers
Such a soulfull bike
Love the XS 👍Yamaha
Well the darn thing sounds D's really good that's for sure
Choppers, no bolt no problem 🤟🏻
Briliant😀
Back in the 1980s I had a 1974 Honda 550 four and bought a 81 Yamaha 650 special the Yamaha gave me trouble I usually rode my Honda it was more reliable . I love Honda's I ride a 1800 vtx now .
absolute unit
There really is no such thing as an unreliable Honda at least I have not come across an unreliable one myself yet, I know firsthand, I drive a 1972 CB750 that is still running on points and condensers everyday and she has not given me a single issue in almost two years of riding her, so Honda and unreliability to me is just not possible, of course you do need to take care of these old bikes but as long as they are well taken care of they will take care of you very reliably
Tombstone taillight was vintage Harley, there's a ton of after-market ones now tho
I like it. 👍
"My wife couldn't understand why I bought it"......We've all heard that before =))
Is it just me or does he look like Cliff Clavin from Cheers?
Doesn't it rain in London I tried the Hartley chopper I'd owned with no front guard was going down to Dublin from Belfast and the roster tails from the front wheel somewhat impaired my vision so the west coast look wasn't for me everyones different 😢
that sounds quick
Nice fun bike
Love a bitsa bike!
Your kidneys won't thank you later.
Yessss nobbies!!! Needs more rake!! 😂😂🤣🤣😍😍😍
You used to be an Australian.
Old mate has the most eastern suburbs accent
IYKYK
@Yammienoob should include this on his it came from craigslists videos
Race it ... why wouldn’t ya 👍
'completely inappropriate' always sounds better when said by an Aussie! Nice ride mate, but how the fuck do you put up with that weather? Riding it like ya stole it too, love it...
Shout out to the RD350!
I adore this build. How tf do I get me one?
A much better bike than the hipster bought builds. With the accent it's a Mad Max bike
👍👍👍bro
He just made history saying unreliable honda! lmao
OMG I was thinking the EXACT same thing!! had to be a real POS... cause there ain't no such thing...(as an unreliable Honda)
The cb500s from the early 70s had terribly unreliable transmissions. They were later changed to the cb550 with an upgraded transmission.
@@jackvacuum619 I was second owner of a 1974 550 four I bought in 1988 it was one of the most reliable motorcycles I've ever owned I rode it for a few years and then neglected it for a couple years and all I had to do was clean the carb and get a battery that bike was one of many reliable Honda s I've owned I still ride a Honda a 2002 VTX S now Honda for life !
Rode an XS 650 for 15 years, easy to tune/rebuild/wanna do the whole top end mikesxs.com has everything, electronic ignition whatever, will run forever, better running than BSA/TRIUMPH/ROYAL OILFEILD etc because of the overhead cam/cam chain
Were do u take that racin ?
Cool
Niiiiice
Cool bike pal, brought up on similar only British and Guzzi.