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Phil Kovacs 1982 XS650 Heritage Special:
Bob,
What an incredible website you offer to 650
afficionados. Thanks for making so much valuable
information available. OK, so here's my story. Back
in May 1972, I bought myself a brand new, gorgeous red and white
XS 650 as my college graduation present. My first bike,
during high school, was a 64 Triumph Bonneville, which, after
some engine mods, was quick, but I never could stop the oil
leaks. Then there were the electrical issues. Well
the Yamaha was everything the Bonneville wasn't: smooth,
reliable, modern - and it did NOT leak. Unfortunately I
sold my Yamaha in '74 to a kid who chopped it and shortly
afterward drove it into the side of a car. He lived but the
bike was trash.
Fast forward 29 years to this spring when, for some
strange reason I got it in my head to buy another bike. I
found a completely restored, perfect '72 in Chicago but the guy
wanted a fortune for it. It turned out for the best because
I located a 1982 650SJ Heritage Special with an original 1630
miles on it - AND it was in near mint condition as you can see in
the attached photos. I've had it a couple of weeks and have
managed only to put on a few hundred miles, but what a blast it
is. It's amazing how many comments and compliments the bike
draws. Most people refuse to believe how old it is.
My wife is telling her friends I'm having a affair with a 21
year-old. Right now the bike is completely stock except for the
bars and I'm having too much fun to start modifications - those
are for this winter. I'll be spending time on your website
doing research to decide exactly how I can improve (more HP?)
this beautiful old Gal....
Best regards,
Phil Kovacs
Northville, Michigan
XS650 Cycle Links, Images & Info: Click Here!
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