Article By: Kerri Schindler
Photos By: Bryce Neusse
Originally Published In The August 2012 Issue Of Cycle Source Magazine
We all know that barbers always have the low down on what is going on in your town. It just so happens, that Jeremy (the owner of this XS650) has a buddy that’s a barber. One day, Jeremy was getting the skinny on the town’s happenings when the topic of motorcycles happened to come up. His buddy told him that a customer of his was in telling him how he had an XS650 buried in a wood pile at his house. Well, that was all that Jeremy needed to hear. He immediately gave this guy a shout and went over to take a look at the bike, which really was buried deep within a wood pile. He dug it out and asked the guy what he wanted for it, and he said, “How about $150?” That was all it took, and he was dragging it home. Now, it wasn’t a pretty sight by any means, but boy were the ideas just a brewing in Jeremy’s head. He had already done plenty of mods to other bikes, but this was the first one that he would build from the ground up. Jeremy didn’t wait long after he got the bike home to start tearing it down all the way to the bare frame.
Jeremy is a sheet metal worker by trade and did all the fabrication on this build. The first thing he did was to add a Visual Impact drop seat kit, and then he would move on to the handlebars. The look he was going after brought him right back to his childhood BMX days. He literally took his Ashtabula handlebars off of his BMX and used those for this build. Next, he added some Sportster shocks to the rear as well as a Harley fender he had cut up. Luckily, he didn’t need to do anything to the motor. All that had to be done was to clean out some sticks and leaves from its previous home, and it ran like a top. Jeremy decided to add the PMA charging system to it so that the battery could be eliminated. A buddy of his hooked him up with the radical custom paint job, while he did all the seat and leather work himself. This is a 1980 XS650 with 10,000 miles on it, and who knows how many different owners. Jeremy dug it from its wood pile grave and brought it back to life. Since then, he has put another 2,000 miles on it. This project was a breath of fresh air for him; it is loud, fast and rides like a BMX bike down the street. As a matter of fact, he enjoyed building it so much that he already has ideas for the next go-around.
Wood Pile XS650 Tech Sheet
Owner: Jeremy Utley
City: Spokane, WA
Fabrication By: Jeremy Utley
Year: 1980
Model: Yamaha
Value: Yes
Time: 4 Months
ENGINE
Year: 1980
Model: XS
Builder:
Ignition: Pamco/Banshee
Displacement: 650
Pistons: Stock
Heads: Stock
Cam(s): Stock
Carb: Mikuni w/ Joe Wiseguy 1 into 2
Air Cleaner: Uni Foam
Exhaust: 2 into 1
TRANSMISSION
Year:
Make:
Shifting:
FRAME
Year:
Make: Stock w/ Visual Impact Drop Seat Kit
Rake:
Stretch:
FRONT END
Type:
Builder:
Extension: Lowered 2”
Triple Trees:
WHEELS
Front Wheel: Spokes
Size: 19”
Tire: Bridgestone
Brakes:
Rear Wheel: Spoke
Size: 16”
Tire: Bridgestone
Brakes:
PAINT
Painter: Tom Gerean
Type:
Color: Gold Candy
Molding:
Graphics: ‘70s Style
Chroming:
ACCESSORIES
Bars: Ashtabula BMX
Risers:
Hand Controls: Amal Metal Flake Grips
Gas Tank(s): Lowbrow Axed
Front Fender: None
Rear Fender: Cut-Up HD Knock Off
Seat: Leather by Jeremy
Foot Controls: Hippy Killer Pegs
Oil Tank:
Taillight: Cat Face
Headlight: Bates
Speedo: Smart Phone
Photographer: Bryce Neusse