Triumph is killing it with its latest Bonneville platform, churning out a variety of models that fascinate everyone from retro-minded Boomers to 20-something hipsters. Encompassing roadsters, scramblers, standards and cafe racers, the platform has huge crossover appeal to a vast swath of riders.
But Triumph isn’t the only manufacturer with a history of producing classic inline-Twins like vintage Bonnevilles. Yamaha had a 16-year run with its XS650 lineup that began in 1969, pumping out around 500,000 variants until the last one in 1985.
Like the original Triumphs, the agile XS650s used a parallel-Twin motor with a 360-degree crankshaft layout. The XS’s 654cc engine was the largest in Yamaha’s inventory until the ill-fated twin-cylinder TX750 debuted in 1973, followed in 1975 by the XS750 Triple. While theXS650 never achieved the legendary status of the Bonneville, it’s achieved a modest cult following among custom builders who want a different take on retro authenticity with Japanese reliability.
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