What can you tell me about the XS750

[Jeff]

I have an auctioneer friend who will soon be selling a 76 Yamaha XS750. I know nothing about these, other than it's a triple with shaft drive.

What do you know about them?

Looks like this one:

[black hills]

neat bike in thier day.  a day which, by the way, is long gone

cool collectible if you have the room and $$

[bubba zanetti]

I always liked them and in that livery, they look like the RD 400's big brother.

Check out this forum for all things Yamaha triple

http://yamaha-triples.org/portal.asp

[Carbonero]

And don't worry about the stories about the flex-n-fold frame. They almost never completely folded in half.  

[black hills]

even the finest machine of the 70's is a POS by todays standards, as long as you remember this you will be fine with whatever you do

[Jeff]

I used to have a 77 CB550. I was fully aware of it's shortcomings and was ok with it. I had a lot of fun on that bike, and I could hang just fine around town and on the back roads. Just ask Fourstring.

On the highway though was a different story.

My thinking is if I can get this thing cheap enough, and get it running, then I'm back on two wheels and life is good.

Jeff

[Carbonero]

What's your budget?

[Jeff]

As close to zero as possible. Wasn't really looking for a bike at the moment, just keeping my eyes and ears open for a good deal.

[black hills]

I used to have a 77 CB550. I was fully aware of it's shortcomings and was ok with it. I had a lot of fun on that bike, and I could hang just fine around town and on the back roads. Just ask Fourstring.

On the highway though was a different story.

My thinking is if I can get this thing cheap enough, and get it running, then I'm back on two wheels and life is good.

Jeff

 

[Nodaclu]

Jeff,

Keep your eyes open for an early 90's Nighthawk 750 as well. I picked up a cosmetically rough but running 92 with 14,000 on it for $800 a few years ago (and this was in NorCal, where the price of everything seems to be higher than elsewhere in the country). A carb sync and general clean up and it was good to go.)

Here's how it looked 6 weeks after I bought it:



They occasionally show up for next to nothing. You get something rock-solid reliable and easy to work on without dealing with the problems a 35+ year old bike can have.

[1moreroad]

My dad used to have one.  I remember riding on the gas tank!  He stopped riding it when, in his words, it got too easy to scrape pegs in the corners.

[RedCBRRider]

I had one of those back in the day.  I loved the bike at the time.  I think if you have to get this thing running, parts are going to be hard to come by.  You will need to do the work yourself.  I don't think the dealers will touch it.  Good luck.

[Jeff]

I know of a local guy that works on vintage bikes. So that's covered.

[APEowner]

They were pretty reliable in their day.  I had a couple of customers with them in a previous life when I was a Yamaha tech and I don't remember any reoccurring or major problems with them.  I always felt that 3 cylinders was kind of an awkward number and that the engine harmonics we just weird.  Apparently Triumph and all their many happy fans disagree so that probably says more abut me than the bike.  If you're not planning on working on it yourself then I recommend that you talk with the local guy who works on vintage bikes about it before you make a purchase.

[Carbonero]

I know of a local guy that works on vintage bikes. So that's covered.

Jeff, I have a line on a couple of older bikes in various levels of "needs work", the prices on which would be somewhere between free and a cheesesteak with onions and mushrooms. I'll keep you updated as I learn more. Getting them to you would be the only real cost of acquisition.

If that one doesn't work out, of course.