Is a ‘78 XS 650 a decent bike?

There is a local ‘78 XS 650 for sale, stock and in very good condition with 14K miles. What is the parts availability market like for these bikes and are they fairly reliable once dialed in?

 

Parts availability is fairly good for that model, not as good as the XJ but better than most. They won’t ever pull as hard as a four cylinder bike but they are getting harder to find stock due to their popularity as a bobber. If you like having an older Yamaha to ride because that’s what it is then I would go look at it.

 

Is it the special or standard model ?
78 standard model was the last of the "stock " bikes black with gold pinstripes in Canada . Sold a new one to a friend of mine in spring of 79 and he's still kicking himself for selling it

 

One of my others is a 79 XS650 Special. It was carefully cossetted and tended with loving care by a couple of previous owners, but then it fell into the hands of some absolute arseholes, who ragged it into the ground before I got it.
Luckily, they are tough old brutes and it survived that, but I still had to do a fair bit to drag it back from the brink.
Yes, they can be great old bikes. I can say this about mine; it's noisy, vibratory and rattly but that's normal for them, and every time I go out on it, I come back with a shit-eating grin. There's something about it that fairly civilised four cylinder bikes just don't have.
First time I rode it, I was amazed at how small and chuckable it felt, compared to a GS S uzuki.

 

take a look at this one. This guy has put a 270 degree crank in it, huge undertaking. I know a guy who builds vintage Norton racers and does the same thing. He explained with the 270, when one piston is at top or bottom dead stop the other one is at maximum velocity. He's able to rev it higher as a result. Those old 360 degree twins are truly horrible and anyone racing them realizes their shortcomings quick. Dave in Ireland likes his, and others obviously do to. Personally I can't deal with the tingling in the hands.

https://www.kijiji.ca/v-motorcycle-...er/1333448563?enableSearchNavigationFlag=true

 

On the highway it smooths out from 4,500 upwards and is silky smooth at 70mph, which is as fast as I want to go on it.
I'd thought about rephasing it, but the overall cost puts it on the back burner for now.

 

Never owned one ...but I want one ,sx650 are nice bikes

 

I rode a rephased EX500 once, and it was butter-smooth compared to the stock phasing. I'd not want to pay to have the job done though.