650Central was started in about 1996 as a part time venture due to interest in the Yamaha XS650's. It started out with a Post Office Box, some used parts, and not much else. I bought 650Central in March of 2004 and started running it myself in May of 2006

Michael "Mercury" Morse

Brief resume:

18 years at the biggest Yamaha shop west of the Mississippi, doing the engine building, machine work, and fabrication.

Factory race mechanic for Triumph, Norton and Rickman

I was Gordon Jennings star pupil.

Yoshimura came to me to do their machine work

The head of Honda R&D said the exhaust port I did was the best he'd ever seen.

The engineers from M Star wanted to know what the hell I did to their dog MXer to turn it into a competitive SX bike.

Nine guys that worked under me went on to become World and National level crew chiefs.

The "obsolete" privateer 250 Rotax that set fast time at Daytona, blowing away the factory V twins and ended up finishing 3rd.

The 2 year old “Killer” YZ 125 that stomped the new 250 RM and CR MXers at a shootout, and got the holeshot at the Ensenada GP, in a field of over 200, pulling every 250 and Open bike in a 2 mile drag race in the sand--with a 200 lb. rider.

My first year road racing, I won the AFM 1967 Heavyweight Production National Championship and had a paid start at the Canadian GP.

First successful XS1 road racer 1974-75

1979 AFM 500 4 stroke GP Champion

1980 AMA California State Dirt Track Champion-Novice

1981 AMA California State Dirt Track Champion-Junior

XS-mounted AHRMA National wins in 2000 & 2002

I have won National road races 35 years apart.

I set fast time for street cars at Saugus Speedway, a time that would have put me mid-pack in the Street Stock A Main, faster than 75% of the race cars there -- in my race bike hauler.