Picked up a '75 XS650B and a parts bike three years ago, cleaned it up a bit and sold to a friend. Just bought it back after he let it sit for the last two years. Needs carbs rebuilt, new lower handlebars, left cylinder smokes for a second on startup, and a good detailing. I'm going to try to find some original bodywork for it too. Not sure what is up, but the handlebars are definitely crooked. How can I tell if it's the forks or triple tree? I'm unsure what the plan will be once I get it in nice shape.
cool bike, i like the wire wheels and disk. it looks like you might have several things bent on that front end. if you are just gonna ride it about town and the forks are working- just loosen the top and lower tree (put a jack or something under the bike to keep it from diving into the floor) and see if you can straighten it out. it could be just a case of a severe misalignment. ok, so something is probably bent as well, but that should help correct it if you are not particular. id probably do it without the handlebars on as they might be deceptive- as they are probably bent as well. the handle bar posts could be as well. isolate the front forks and trees and see if you can align them. if you are worried then you got to just take it all apart- and put it all on something very flat (like a pane of glass) and find out how bent each piece is. hopefully someone else has better advice.
My advice is that I have a new upper tree and handlebar risers you can have if you want. Replace the bars. Look at bar vs axle alignment and feel for neck bearing play. Valve seals are probably out on smoky startup cylinder. I never cared.
The scary thing is with those goofy bars on it, you may not even noticed how twisted the front end is when you ride it. I would probably replace the head bearings regardless, but with new bars you should be able re-align everything else, it's all rubber mounted. Then just ride it.
Nice bike! There's an old guy that lives near me who rides one just like that rides past my house every day. It sounds so nice coming up the hill, and I always pause to listen. I've got a set of the bar clamps you can have if you want them. They're from an RD, but they're the same. Have fun!
