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Bonny great to ride yam nice fun bike would like the yam in my garage.

Just don't feel any nostalgia for the Yamaha XS 650. It's O.K., but kinda... meh.

pencil neck geek has no idea ...what a load of bull

I'm a 65 year old British guy and I would take the Yamaha over the Triumph in an instant.

Shut up Boss.

Similar impression of my 1980 bmw r100rs,balanced low down weight,goes around corners well,but heavy flywheel takes getting used to,naked gold wing would be the one i would go for

I bought a Yamaha 650 XS because it looked so much like the Triumph. But it was not anywhere near the same machine. The Yamaha fork angle was too straight up and down-handled badly on the roads. The Yamaha motor was not as torquey as the Triumph. It was an OK bike but not at all what I expected.

You didn't mention that the Yamaha is a lot more dependable than the Triumph. I know the Triumph is better built, but needs a lot more maintenance

Great video..buuuuttt Your facts are a bit incorrect. Yamaha was near slamming their doors in 1973/1974 in the middle of a horrible reliability issues with their 750's..the same time Triumph was in transition from corporate ownership to a co-operative. There are many comprehensive write ups on the Yamaha's impact...none of which include any pressure on Triumph. I love my Yamaha's and my Triumphs...although they are both in the same vein....they are different motorcycles. Both are excellent. Thank you for taking the time to make this. Ultimately the goal is to get the next generation into the bikes we love. I hope this he helpful.

One correction: the statement that every other parallel twin uses 270 degree crankpins (a design pioneered by Yamaha, incidentally) is factually wrong. The Kawasaki W800 uses the classic 360 degree design while the Versys x-300 and 650 use a 180 degree crank.

Had them both. And loved them both. ......and for the same reason mentioned, the Bonnie was the nicest ride. ....

Since the success of the Royal Enfield Classic 500, several manufacturers have recreated old school versions, I thought it was spectacular when Yamaha revived the Sr 400 and recently came Honda's response by bringing back the GB 350 s with the engine to match being an air cooled Long Stroke the only strange thing is that Honda normally used 4 valves but in this engine it uses 2 which makes it even more classic with that slow heart beat, however the story doesn't end here they say that Honda will bring back the GB500! I was immediately excited to think that it was going to be a version similar to this motorcycle, the Gb 500 TT, however they say that the engine to be used will be the one from the cb 500😢 If so, I'm going to be really disappointed with Honda, is that difficult to understand? that the engine is the heart, the first element to awaken certain emotions and they will ruin everything by putting in a liquid-cooled twin cylinder used in other models😔 If they wanted to make a twin cylinder to put in the GB model, the least that could be expected would be something like engine from the Kawasaki w800, now putting an engine that has nothing classic in a model with a classic design, not for me👎.. You have a very valuable motorcycle that is really worth keeping👍

Ride for ride I loved my Triumph T140, but in terms of ownership and functionality the Yamaha every time - I worked as a bike test rider back in the 80s. Worked among others for Suzuki, Kawasaki, BMW, Yamaha, and did a bit for HD. One reason why the Triumph pulls away faster is that its got slide carbs rather than CD units - more responsive!

You clean the packing off the baffle and open the airborne and open the slots in the baffle and you will gain hp.i love this video UT. Ot the carb it's the points my man I bet it is a 75

No when only one side fires that's when you know it's time to reset the points

You know no good set the points I know this bike well it was my 1st street bike and if it is for sale let me know

I told you no spark is the pointe clean and set

Wow clean as a mistle. The points need to be cleaned polished with the sandpaper piece on a matchbookand reset.dont spray starter fluid just use fresh gas. Put some oil in the spar,plug hole first

I LOVE THE SEAT!!!

Good content keep doing it ❤️

1975 Yamaha xs650 was my 1st big bike , ived owned at least 30 bikes since then, want one again but have 3 bikes my wife rolls her eyes.

Basic reason the Japanese industry got grants and loans (from war reparations)to invest into new machinery the british industry didn't

My uncle pulled up to the house on a brand new 71 XS650 in Gold and I got a ride. Totally ingrained in my memory bank. Have always loved the looks of that bike in Gold.

Most certainly Not. The T140V, once striped & rebuilt properly, is one of the best bikes out there! The XS 650, was heavy, not that good on fuel, but reliable due to its build quality. It was made of low quality metals, which they got away with due to good manifactering. The Triumph was made with very good metals, but pore machining & management / government. We Brit bikers knew this. The design was very good, it needed some decent mechanics, to balance the motor, & put it together properly. I had a 1973 T140V, which was very reliable, & NEVER leaked oil. Like everything in life, Politics is behind all desasters !?@# 💥🇬🇧

Poor investment in the factory finishing caused a few oversights at Meriden, for one they failed to countersink the threads in the female half of the crank casings, that was a big reason why the Bonnies were oil leaky, if you ever have reason to split the cases ie changing crank bearings its a five minute job to quickly resolve this issue, great machines Sir, great upload.

You know the engine is fantastic,torque at rear wheel maybe 65lbs more like 60.

FZ1 is a better bike , unless you’re determined to have EFI.

I have an '81 Yamaha xs650 special in my garage. I am going to restore the Yamaha over the winter. I am also buying a late '60's BSA here soon.

The '76 and later XS handled better than earlier XS'. But the rear shocks only had rebound damping so replace them.

You are living my dream life! Check the valve clearance to be safe. Thoroughly clean ad lubricate All the cables. Check the carb manifolds for air leaks, but don't tighten the manifold bolts too much because that can cause the manifold to warp.

I can't say much about the Triumph. But i know the Yamaha was a great bike.Not super fast, but fast enough .very reliable.

Having owned and ridden both models and brands back in the day I can point out a few key differences. The Triumph was faster, lighter, handled better, and was more fun to ride. The Yamaha was built to a higher standard, and would last at least 3 times as long before requiring an overhaul. The Yamaha design team closely studied the ancient Turner Twin and improved and updated the design, incorporating an overhead camshaft, modern CV carburetors, a 5 speed transmission, left hand shift, and reliable electrics. As an early foray into the parallel 4 stroke twin for Yamaha, the bike was heavier than absolutely necessary. For all but racers this was not a significant drawback.

Braking & suspension is better on the Bonneville? You're joking, right? I've owned both bikes, and the Lockheed front brake was wooden and absolute garbage on the Triumph. The XS650 engine is absolutely bulletproof. You'll have to rebuild that Triumph engine after 20k miles & the cases split vertically. And no electric start.

Bought the XS new for $ 1'600 and still enjoy it today.

I had two of the 650 Yamahas, one ‘exactly’ like the one pictured here. I loved those bikes.

how's the electric starter? my 75 has friction clip issues electric starter works some times grinds some times otherwise bike is great best looking year IMHO great video

Love my Rc51. Had my first 100 mile ride last week on it. My back and thighs and wrist still hurt a bit. But man what a machine 😅

I was 16 in 1985 and a neighbour had a 1972 XS650 red and white. I was riding my Honda twister when he offered to sell me the XS650. It was in great shape he wanted $650, I was going to school and had only $500. I'm riding home on the school bus about a month later and it passes the bus like we were sitting still. He sold to the local bad boy who destroyed it by the end of the summer. John told me later, "I wished I had sold it to you I'd still see you riding it past my house." I never did get the chance to buy another one.

I'll take the triumph and all its foibles every time, its got soul❤

Well said. What you have is two different bikes with two different focuses. I’ve been riding 55+ years and had an enormous variety of years makes and models. Everything from competitive motocross and enduro, long distance trail riding, Commuting and touring. It really comes down to what the rider is willing to put in for the experience. If you’re looking for handling, class and style that you’re willing to spend some time with maintenance and upkeep. Then the answer is Bonnie‘s and Nortons every time. English bikes that are properly sealed and maintained are actually awfully reliable, but you have to be willing to spend the time. If you’re looking for a reliable toaster to commute with that needs very little attention, than the Japanese bikes fit right in. And yes I’ve had both even at the same time. Just my old guy opinion.😊

Friend had that yamahaha. I liked it.

I worked in a yamaha shop in the mid 90s when an older english gentleman ride up and started berating out bikes (viragos) for being harley wannabes and that they shouldnt be trying to emulate harley The ironic thing was he was riding an xs650 !! 🤣🤣🤣

You might want to take a look at your center stand mounts on the Triumph, something is worn or misplaced for it to be “over center” so far. Your front wheel shoulbe off the ground just a bit

I had a triumph like that ; about the biggest piece of shit you can imagine

Put the Yamaha powertrain into the Triumph chassis

I grew up with both of these bikes. My dad always seemed to have a Triumph in the garage, and growing up in the ’70’s, I always had friends who had a Yamaha 4 stroke….. at this time I was quite smitten with the RD350, having had several. Nowadays I have a modern Triumph Scrambler and a crusty old XT500. I think both bikes have had a significant impact in motorcycle culture.

The Yamaha isn't the copy, so much as an evolution from lessons learned. Continuous improvement being a thing Triumph seemed not interested in pursuing.

The Yamaha will still be pulling strong, decades after the Triumph is a rusting hunk of junk.

Thanks for the content

this is a really interesting comparison because the new bonnies aren't any "better" speed or power wise than the original , as they're not meant to be. I had an XS later model, was a great bike