Phase 1: Donor Bike and Teardown - Tips for Picking Your Starter Bike

My project began life as a very badly beat up 1974 Yamaha XS650.

In wanting to build a cafe racer, I chose a Yamaha XS650 for a few reasons, these are good test questions to consider before purchasing any old bike for a build.  Here is my reasoning for picking the bike that I did...

• Cost

I was able to get donor bike for $50 from a junkyard.  Cash only.  As Is, Where Is.  Obviously, if you're doing a build on a tight budget, a cheap starter bike helps.  Since I knew my final product would be highly modified, I didn't have to worry about cutting-up something that was in good shape to start with

• Age & Condition

Part of reason I wanted to do this build, is because there is nothing like the thrill of seeing a engine roar to life that was previously a rusted hunk of trash.  I such, I was ok with the VERY poor condition of my bike.  Also, I knew I would be modifying the motor, so having something that was not running wasn't a problem.  I would caution against going with something much older than the mid-70s as cost and parts availability becomes an issue.

• Availability of Parts

This makes ALL the difference.  DO NOT buy a bike, no matter how cheap, that is so rare you can't get parts for it.  Ebay is great, but won't get you everything you need.  I like my XS650 because Yamaha built virtually the same motor in the same bike from 1969 to 1984, therefore it is easy to get parts.  Also, it is so popular, there are several companies that offer new parts and custom bits for them.  This is a GREAT help.

• Uniqueness/Collectability

No matter how cool it might be, please do not cut up a classic.  It might be tempting at the time, but again, it costs more than its worth.  There was nothing special about the '74 XS650 I picked up so in chopping it to bits I wasn't destroying a piece of moto-history.

Here's a pic of the bike right after I got it home: