It's great to build stock machines every now and then because you already know how it will go together... and although this one arrived in boxes and needed a complete engine and chassis rebuild, all the parts were in great shape for once. Plus, it's a much faster process when you don't have to figure out what will make the project work the way you want it to when you can buy so many parts for stock XS650's.
Although this bike looks almost completely stock for a 1977 XS650 standard, it still has a few essential upgrades to make it perform well on today's roads and in today's horrible traffic... such as; progressive springs, bronze swingarm bushings, mild porting, stainless brake lines & floating rotor, electronic ignition etc.