what is the average age of xs riders

[sjkrebs]

I am of the younger kids here at age 23, bought the XS650 at age 21.
I guess for me, I stumbled upon my bike while looking to get rid of a truck and end up with a bike. I hadn't really ridden before but had been around bikes for years. I never had one because running bikes were always out of my price range. Ended up with the 650, because it was a $600 running bike, that looked stupid simple. After the trucks I've owned for that cheap I knew something like this meant lots of work. So the easier the better. Turns out while looking for repair info I found this board and learned how XS's can be made into any kind of bike and how these engines just seem to last.
So I guess I have to agree with a lot of you from all age ranges. The popularity of these bikes is caused by the prices, simplicity, and available information.

[jonbell]

johnny come way latley i bought two xs's five years ago chopped one almost finished and get this junked the otherone at the scrap yard fo weight price about that was last year two months ago i bought my first computer and i .......myself there so stinkin popular .and now im bying parts i just thruogh away this site is incredible tech tip are pricless.. thanks to every old xs rider im 46 and the dumbest . but my xs chop will make me young and cool ...but not smart

[cheeze]

I to, like some have said, had or have many bikes, big ones, little ones, fast ones, slow ones, stock and heavely modified ones, but when I have the choice I still get on the old XS.

[xjedi23]

Ive ridden bikes in the past but my 84 is the first Ive owned. It was given too me by a friend that I helped move just over two years ago. I got my permit after getting the bike rode tell someone jacked up my ignition switch trying to steal it. Months later and after my permit expired I fixed the problem got my permit again and as of yesterday got my MC license for the first time.

"HI, I'm Matt I'm 38 and I'm an addict"

[boneshaker]

Body 51 mind 12-13 on a good day 78 xs650/e the 12 year old loves it he even has pictures of it in his room. the 51 year old appreciates that you don't need a 12 year olds reflex's to ride it.

[jscribner]

Just turned 55. I started riding on a 350cc Honda Scrambler in about 1970. When the XS 650 first came out, it was impossibly expensive for me to buy, and was really considered a pretty big bike. Took a hiatus from riding from about 1976 until this year.

This past year I started wanting to ride again, and maybe getting something I could chop or bob. Streeter Clow (owner of Bobbertalk.com) is a big XS650 fan and convinced me to look for one. I found mine rusty and neglected about 50 miles from my home and instantly fell in love with it. I usually ride 100-300 miles a week, sometimes more. I can do about anything to it that needs done, I'm not afraid to get it dirty riding, and it has undeniable appeal. Even at Harley events, it usually gets a nod and someone says, "I had one of those back in...." My wife likes to ride with me, and what more can a guy ask for? I like it stock so well I doubt I'll ever chop it.
John Scribner

[Göran Persson]

Hello All!

I turned 50 yesterday and have been feeling a bit low (self pity).
But as a friend said when I complained about getting old,
"well it is still a better option than not getting old"!

So, I will get back out to the shed and starting to rebuild
my bike that I wrote off after a crash in May.

Best Regards
Göran Persson
New Zealand

[nuklhed]

I just turned 33, been riding since i was knee high to a grasshopper, I've been in love w/ harleys since grade school and have owned a few. picked up an XS due to insane rising cost of harley bikes , parts, etc.. not to mention everyone and their sister has one. The ones that really crack me up are the ones who spend 20 plus grand for a new hog and another 5 grand for every piece of harley gear possible, Jacket , boots ,socks, shades , hats, and underwear!!!
Oh well to each his own.

[srust58]

I bought my 79 Special new in 1979 at the age of 21 and now at age 50 I am still riding it. Believe it or not my choice was between the Yamaha and a 78 Bonneville. I was swayed to the XS because Triumph was in it's death throes at the time. From an investment perspective my choice was a total loser. On the other hand in 30K miles my XS has NEVER failed on me and left me stranded. I doubt the Bonnie could have done that, and it vibrated even more than the XS ;D.

[customrunner]

I'm 36, have 5 xs650's and am on the look out for # 6.
Chad

[yamasarus]

Well I guess I'm 60. Doesn't feel like it. I currently have 7 650s. It seems like I have always had one. My first was a 70 that I purchased in 1972. I put 50,000 on that one. I worked in Yamaha shops for about 10 years, so in about 96 I decided to start rescueing some of my favorite Yamahas. I restore them back to showroom condition. My favorite to ride is my 75. My favorite sound is the stock exhaust on my 71. This engine is so simplistic that is is beautiful!

[steelburner]

I'll be 72 in a few months. I've owned one other Yamaha, a Honda, and a Zundapp someone gave me which was in boxes when I got it. The only new one was my Yamaha AT-1 125cc dirt bike. However, I've ridden bikes since the 50's and loved them, especially the old British vertical twins like BSA and Triumph. The XS was the closest to those bikes that I could afford.

I've got a single XS-650, an '82 SJ, that I bought out of Florida last year for $550 and have been working on steadily since I got it. As soon as I get my carbs back from the rebuilder's, I'll be ready to start 'er up.

Wish me luck ...

[plattey]

I'm part of the younger bunch riding xs's at 19. I bought my '82 sj for $50 off one of my friend's dad when I was 18. I bought it when gas was about $3 a gallon thinking that I was going to save a pocketfull of cash. So far, I have spent around $400 getting it to run well without leaving me at the side of the road, but its worth it. This is my first bike and I'm glad it is because it doesn't crack in half when it falls on its side like the newer bikes. And when it does break, there are resources available to fix it readily: mikesxs, ebay, and especially this forum. Like someone said before on this thread, the xs650 is cheap, simple to service, and there are a lot of information sources available. That may be a good chunk of why the xs650 is becoming popular with the younger generation, I guess.

[boseph007]

I am 24. I bought an xs 650 because I wanted a motorcycle about a year ago. I had interestingly enough, $650 to spend on a bike. A guy contacted me about a 'bike wanted' ad on criegs list. I looked up the info about the bike online and the thing that really convinced me to buy it was this forum and mikexs. I just typed in xs 650 on yahoo and had a crapload of info available. Since anything I buy is torn apart and modified until it either a: explodes or b: is shaped into what I want, the xs seemed to be the perfect choice, so again price, information and parts availability were the deciding factors in that order. I am addicted and love my old, oily, vibration ridden, non-fuel injected and great-sounding xs.

[jamesgs4]

31 here. surfin the net i noticed these cool cheap little bikes all over, so i had to get me one to play with. 2 years later and i am still modifying it every chance i get. i dont think ill ever get bored with this bike!