when you know how they’re built … the proverbial ‘brick shit house’
1980 2 page spread Special … US magazine
1980 Special ad … lhs
1980 Special ad … rhs
1980 Special II ad … US magazine
1980 Special II ad … US magazine
yamaha belt buckle
1981 Special II ad … US magazine
1982 US Custom/XS650SE ad from a British magazine … ??wonder what she looks like now??
82 Heritage sale ad from Playboy
82 .. US magazine
Advertisements
US marketwise of the Standards (Roadsters?), Specials, Special II’s:
1978- E Standard alloy wire wheels18″ rear w/ drum, SE Special mag wheels 16″ rear w/ disk
1979- F Standard alloy wire wheels 18″ rear w/ drum, SF Special mag wheels 16″ rear w/ disk extra chrome foot pegs, instrument cans, 2F Special II alloy wire wheels 16″ rear drum- only year Special wire wheels with alloy rims
1980- No Standard anymore, SG Special mag wheels (now tubeless tire rated) 16″ rear disk, cast seat grab bar lift off seat, extra chrome as 1979, G Special II steel wire wheels 16″ rear w/ drum, tube seat grab bar with hinged seat like prior 1979 models.
1981- SH Special mag wheels (tubeless)16″ rear drum, H Special II (as picture above) steel wire wheels 16 rear w/ drum – only year Special with mag wheels rear drum brake, all lift off seats
1982- SJ ( si model skipped ) “Heritage Special”, steel wire wheels with extra spokes, no more Special II, blacked out fenders, turn signals, instrument cans, headlamp ears. only XS650 with black out treatment and not a Midnight Special either (like XS1100 or Maxims)
1983- SK same wheels as 1982 but all other features back as chrome, last year of US models import. Due to the economic downturn 1982/1983 the 1983 XS650SK’s were still being sold new from the crate as late as 1987 WITH new motorcycle warranty. At one point it was cheaper for insurance companies to write off crash damaged 1981 to 1983 XS650s and replace with brand new leftover 1983 models.
Your market (Euro or UK) XS650 SE U.S .Custom was closer to the 1980 Special for US market.
Of course all Standards in Euro/UK had dual front discs, lights that turned off, and different engine internals and were sold through 1985ish?
Cheers.
the european US Custom, or 3L1 series, was available 78 – 81, single front disc, rear disc except for 81(180mm drum rear brake)