Description
Additional photos are available here for your perusal.
In 1973, Yamaha released the TX750 – an incredibly smooth parallel twin that journalists loved…until the fancy Omni-Phase balancer that kept the twin as smooth as a four started eating up crankshafts. Even though Yamaha fixed the issue pretty quickly, the reputation of unreliability had already stuck – the bike was out of the market after 1974. Still, Yamaha knew it needed a big bike to compete, so they decided to go with a triple, and the XS750 was born.
Come 1980, the bike was due for an upgrade and the 750 became an 826cc and branded the XS850. It received an oil cooler and the three cylinder engine received larger pistons/barrels and a bigger crankshaft. The carbs were swapped from Mikunis to Hitachis for environmental reasons and an upgraded suspension made the triple more rider-friendly than its predecessor. Want to learn more? Check out this retrospective of Yamaha Triples comparing the classics to the 21st century FZ-09 here.
This example is VIN: 3J3003299; Engine: 3J3003299. The seller purchased the bike two and a half years ago and states, “This was a project for me and my son. He moved back to Japan this summer. We were going to make it a cafe bike, but he was the driving force to complete the project. When he moved away, I didn’t have the heart to cut the frame, so I put it back together as best I could so I can sell it. The engine and transmission are smooth and should have a lot of miles ahead of it. We kept all of the original parts that came off of the bike which are included in the sale.”
During his ownership the seller covered approximately 50 miles. The odometer shows 21,580 miles.
Maintenance:
Per the seller, “Forks have been completely rebuilt. OE seals and 10W fork oil. Engine oil and filter change. Cleaned and repacked final drive gear. Rebuilt front calipers. Vapor Honed calipers and replaced seals. Replaced all brake lines with SS braided lines. Cleaned both master cylinders and replaced all brake fluid. Needs a carb rebuild. The bike runs fine, but leaks fuel. The fuel tank was not connected in the running videos, but did work when the bike was purchased. Broken tab for the high/low headlight switch. Controls available on eBay. New grips are needed.”
Modifications:
Stainless steel braided brake lines.
New Delkevic 3 into 1 exhaust system – 0 miles.
Not shown: Vapor honed exhaust hangers and calipers.
Inside of the tank:
It is riding on Kenda Challenger tires with date codes of 3915 and 2616.
The sale includes one keys. Various take off parts. “Cafe conversion components included: New Seat – Cafe style short. Grips. New OE seat cover from Mikes XS.”
Cosmetic Blemishes: please see the album up top for all known cosmetic blemishes. Here is a selection:
Currently located in Morro Bay, California, this Yamaha is offered on a clean California title. Per the California DMV website, it will cost $152 to bring California registration current through April 2025.
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