XSively Sexy XS650 Custom
Freshly lifted from Trevor Franklin’s fabulous Facebook feed, this very tasty Yamaha XS650-based custom. Apart from what the engine is, we have zero information other than if Trevor thinks it’s cool, so do we.
Trevor was a stalwart of the British bike magazine industry for years, before recently going to the dark side and becoming Harley-Davidson’s British press officer. (Update, 28 Sept.: Unfortunately, this FB friend is an entirely different Trevor Franklin, one from Vancouver, BC.) The youth who built this bike, one Jay Donovan, showed up with it at a recent vintage rally Trev sponsored at Action Motorcycles in Vancouver.
It doesn’t look like much of this is XS650 other than the engine and maybe the fork. The rest of it’s exquisitely bent, burnished and bolted together. Thanks for sharing, Trevor.
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Let me preface this comment by saying I am NOT an engineer, but to me, the rear shock angle looks wrong. As the attachment point for the shock on the swingarm moves forward, it would move the shock to an angle that would decrease (?) the effective spring rate - I think. Shouldn't the shock angle stay more or less the same as it moves through it's travel?
Well to each their own; but to my eye, that is one ugly bike. Not my cup of tea.