The XS650 Scrambler We Wish Yamaha Had Made

Scramblers are everywhere these days. But how many aficionados actually need a do-it-all bike—and how many just dig the scrambler vibe? This Yamaha XS650 is a ‘city scrambler’ in the most literal sense. Its owner lives in Kansas City, and wanted a new ride for messing around in the West Bottoms—an industrial area teeming with abandoned dirt parking lots and back alleys. So he sourced a 1981-model, ex-flat track XS650, and shipped it off to Kevin McAllister in Austin, Texas. Kevin works in commercial construction, but he's also a total moto-nut—so he spends most evenings in the garage. He had...