SmedSpeed XS650

 


smedspeed history


These are the long awaited changes to the Smedspeed XS650 website. Rick has not been idle in the time he has been running Smedspeed but designing and supplying more UK made performance parts .... THIS business really does make and supply its own parts.

Smedspeed 650 was formed by Howard over ten years ago now. He had done a lot of bespoke engine work for his own projects, and decided to offer this to the XS650 world. In 2019 Howard gave the business to Rick Forte who he had met via Flat track UK, Ricks son Kye races a 750 rephased bike in flat track, there are some pictures on the site.

Having always loved American flat track, Rick  built an XS650 similar to the one he watched Kenny Robert's race in 1979 in Devon. This bike has been raced by his son Kye for over five years, the parts Rick and sometimes Howard (because he can't really retire) design are used on the road engines Rick builds for customers.
 
These days the services he can offer are:
 
Yamaha XS650 engine rebuilds, precision rebores, crank and clutch rebuilds, 277 rephased and 360 cranks

Wheel Building - all wheels - Trials, tubeless, three piece spoke type etc.

Frame building and modifications including weld on hardtails in T45 seamless tubing (see picture at bottom of page)

Whole bike builds (choppers, bobbers, flat trackers, café racers, race bikes ) can be undertaken.

If you need a bike moving from your house to Rick or vice versa, Rick highly recommends Dave Bryant at DB Motorcycle Logistics. Contact him direct on 07903 433891 or see his Facebook page

Rick has continued to supply the core parts of the business built up over the years, which include oil filter kits, racing pistons, valves, cylinder liners and has added crank mounted programable ignitions, CNC sump plates and billet manifolds and much more, this is THE site for XS650 engine work and technical knowledge, if we don't know it no-one does .

This is Kye Forte out racing a beautiful rephased 750 flat tracker that  Rick built.

Kye Forte at Rye House track
Photo © Paul France

The bike is a proper flat tracker, with Champion copy frame made in T45 tubing (available now through SmedSpeed), 750 cc rephased engine, with all the usual tricks. However it is not yet a dedicated race engine, it has more in common with the street engine components than you would think.  See this this article on the Bike Shed website about the bike, which was also featured in Sideburn magazine.

Smedspeed makes a lot of the parts it sells as REAL bike shops should make what they sell.
 
Give me a call or email me if you think I can assist you in your XS650 build. I am happy to answer technical enquiries, the easiest is to write me an email.

frame

DISCLAIMER
These are experimental parts intended for racing and as such no warranty is given or implied. If you decide to buy it is on the understanding that you assume complete responsibility for any possible injury, loss or damage that may occur as a result of using these parts and that you accept these conditions of sale prior to purchase.