Yamaha XS650 Gets a Nod
Historian Mark Bayer called the 1970s Yamaha XS650 a ‘prime custom platform’ in a recent post, reinforcing why builders keep returning to the air‑cooled parallel twin for bobber projects Mark Bayer post. The shout‑out (57 likes, 482 views) is fresh and reminds buyers that donor‑engine availability and aftermarket support keep the XS650 popular for reliable, period‑correct customs Mark Bayer post.
Historian Mark H. Bayer published amazon.com The History of the Motorcycle in America on Feb. 13, 2026, a 338‑page work that catalogs more than 200 American motorcycle brands and underscores his standing in the vintage‑motorcycle community. amazon.com Major custom outlets continue to spotlight XS650 projects: Bike EXIF ran a feature showcasing seven high‑profile XS650 customs bikeexif.com, and Purpose Built Moto published a full chassis‑and‑frame XS650 chopper build walkthrough this year. purposebuiltmoto.com Aftermarket support remains concrete and commercial — parts supplier MikesXS lists dedicated XS650 conversion components, including a "Hard Tail Kit – Raw" priced at $219.95 on its site. mikesxs.net The enthusiast base still drives activity online: the XS650.com forum shows an active community with about 27,204 members and roughly 887,803 messages, providing the peer knowledge builders rely on. xs650.com
