AN-BU XS650

AN-BU XS650

The Yamaha XS650 just will not die. The parallel twin appeared in 1968—like me—and thanks to cutting-edge unit construction and SOHC design, continued in production until 1985. That’s an extraordinary run for a motorcycle. And along with its SR400 stablemate and Honda’s CB series, the XS650 has become one of the most popular platforms for customization in the 21st century. So it’s not often one jumps out—but this particular XS650 did it for me. It comes from a lesser-known Japanese workshop called An-Bu, based in Nagoya. An-Bu is a small shop, with a somewhat ramshackle website, but these guys have impeccable taste in custom motorcycles. Their bikes are stripped-back and moody, and good inspiration for custom builders elsewhere. The bottom two pictures are of a Yamaha GX400, a model you don’t often see outside Asia.