Yeah I really enjoyed riding that XS650. It was actually the Heritage Special, all black with chrome fenders. I bought it brand-new in about 1986 for $1,400, and rode it until the late 90s. By then I had lost interest in riding, plus I was living in an apartment so it was stored in a carport, and someone kept stealing the battery, then they wrecked my ignition switch with a big screwdriver, and stole the seat. I pretty much gave it away, because it was beginning to rust, and I just wanted to move it on. I wish I'd hung on to it now... at the time I got rid of it, the values weren't very high on them.

 I found a picture of it on my laptop.

 

Beautiful bike!! I think Snakes bike was a 71 gold color we sold quite a few of them we also sold a lot of RD350’s but more Enduros we were the only Yamaha dealer in town 

The Heritage Specials were made later, I think 1982 to 1984. I think mine was an 82 that had been sitting in a box, and they had just assembled it when I walked into the dealer. You can still find those used for $1,000 to $3,000 in decent shape. When I moved mine on, I figured I got my $1,400 out of it. And it was going to take some work to get it back on the road.

Great video!

Not to hijack the thread, but any discussion of protective gear makes my father's words echo in my head. I got started riding a Honda 50 at 4-1/2 years old, and he told me at that time and with many reminders thereafter, "If I ever catch you on any motorcycle without a helmet, I will take you off the bike right then and will sell it the next day." I knew he meant it, and it became so ingrained in me that I could rarely even just sit on a motorcycle without slipping on a helmet.

He was a desert racer since the early '60s and lineman's boots were his standard riding footwear long after better technology had come along. I usually wore whatever Sears work boots were on sale in my size. One day in my early teens we went with one of his buddies to a small local riding area after work, just to test something in preparation for an enduro coming up. The buddy, wearing lineman's boots, came off a jump and landed wrong with the bike on top of him. Something didn't look right, so we lifted the bike off of him and couldn't help notice that one of his feet was pointed exactly backwards. The next day my father bought me a pair of Hi-Point boots.

Ouch… oh geez…
Sneezles61

Yes I had a pair of high points for many years