Old School Bikes

[ZXDavid]

As I look through the member list I notice theres quite a few older guys like me which I expected. What I didnt expect was the number of younger guys that I saw. Thats a good thing to know that our old school bikes can still appeal to the younger crowd. Most of the young guys around that see my old bikes dont even know what they are. If its not a Ninja or GSXR they dont have a clue. Ive even had a few refer to the 93 ZX11C that I used to own as a old school bike. I had to laugh about that one. My oldest son now 27 is knowlegable about all the old bikes started out on a 80 KZ1000 as his first street bike. He has a 97 ZX9R now that he bought new. My youngest son 14 has riden dirt bikes for five years and can get a permit for a 250cc bike when he turns 15. A nice old RD250 would be cool or maybe a RD350 with 250 embems would be even better.

[HobbyMan]

I didn't know what my dad's XS was the first time I saw it but I knew I wanted to ride it when I got older. I used to sit on it to pretend driving when I was like 4 or 5 yrs old. That stoped when I knocked it over and it fell over on our suburban It was forgotten untill I got into RC planes and I was looking for old parts in our shed. I just started spending time out there learning about the bike and eventually I moved it from the shed to the garage. First my dad helped me work on it and then I started by myself. Now we have five of them and I pretty much do all the work myself. I ride it to school every day and no one there knows what it is. I do get a lot of compliments on it though. These bikes sure do stand up to anything currently being made right now. I wouldn't ride any other machine.

[dragxs11]

Thats funny hobbyman, my story involves pops too. Only he bought his bike for me... road it, then decided it was too fast for me and took it home A couple years later I bought one of my own after reading about how great they are. Now my brother owns one too.

[webbcraft2150]

Given the cost of a current model high CC bikes and the associated insurance costs, its not surprising there are a select few "younger" guys that see the advantage of resurrecting a older bike. Once you get thru the blood, sweat and tears, you end up a true, classic muscle bike. Fuel injection, inverted forks, 4 piston disc brakes and 100+ RWHP is great and I have enjoyed what rides I have had on those kind of bikes. But I still truely riding my XS. No other bike I have owned, short of my Laverda 1000, has drawn so much attention when lotsa bikes get together, and the Laverda is long gone. Without fail, guys will come up and comment on the XS, "I usta have one of those", man"those were wicked fast bikes" are some of the comments. I tell em its still wicked fast. Sure, most can be a real pain to get back on the road, but once they are, be ready for alot of onlookers. I have the same "problem" when I show up at 4x4 rallies with my '75 Power Wagon.

Will I ever get a newer bike, most likely I will but the XS will ALWAYS have the primo parking spot in the garage.

[mro]

I notice theres quite a few older guys like me

Who you calling OLD........
Amazing how fast time has gone by: and how rapidly technology has advanced over the last 50 years and XSelerated over the last 25.

"Old School bikes" were to me the "only slightly modified Harley’s" from 40's and 50's. Never got into big CC imports until I got my 80G little over a year ago. Did not know what I was missing...


mro

[dale_1]

father's footsteps

Very interesting how most of us (younger) guys got started...... oops that doesn't count on me huh?

So here I am eyeballing my 41st birthday and I own a motorcycle that when most people stop and stare the truth comes out it's older than they are. My father bought the first one out of Ft. Smith AR and years later while getting tires put on mine I find the guy who built both of ours. I am owner number three on mine but the original owner was from Waldron AR and bought his in Ft. Smith also.

Dad had a 78 full dress........ mine is an 81 Special.

The old school bikes are just ten times more dependable than anything built today. Sure wish Yamaha hadn't stopped building it. Course if they'd continued would it still be as well built???

What's the consensus on V-Max quality and the changes through the years?

[81xsproject]

Hell yes!! I got my bike when I was like 26 and at the time all I was all about Buells. I know forgive me but I was completely ignorant. At the time I had a 82 xj650 that I worked on before I knew anything and as a result it probably wasn't anywhere near the actual performance it should.

Now I pretty much only care about old metrics.

[dale_1]

3rd generation XSive

My son, not biologically but still..... he may be close to 19 but 7 of those were mine by god......

He, of course wants an XS11, he rode mine, what can I say the poor boy is now ruined for life....... He hasn't been actively pursuing it but he has been riding mine since 16. Just under close supervision....

Now that he has several years riding under his belt and a motorcycle safety course done I worry less but still..... I always tell him you wreck it don't call me.....

I am proud to say Billy is a third generation XSive

[exquized1]

I only got mine Late fall of last year. I am just amazed that a bike only five years younger than me can still scream down the road. After reading the number of miles some of you guys and gals have put on your bikes, I know without a doubt that my son (who is 10) will have the same xsperience as I did. I cruise through town and all the highschool kids stop and ask tons of questions about my bike. Maybe it's the skulls or the fact that I don't have any baffels and they hear me comming.

[HobbyMan]

The most asked question at my High school is "will it do a wheelie?" The second most asked question I get inside school is "Do you ride a motorcycle." I reply by asking if I have a helmet and a motorcycle jacket just for kicks.

[Snow]

It's all my brother's fault. He worked at the BK something like an entire summer when he was 15 or 16 and got a nice used XS11E with custom ghost flame paint jobs from consignment at a dealer. Ever since he brought that home (I must've been around 11 or 12) I've wanted one of my own.

Fast forward 10 or 12 years and we were looking for a XS frame to replace his original frame that had been rear-ended at the local junkyard. Well, the jy man said he has this mostly complete XS11 that they could strip down and sell the frame from... well, he loaned me the $500 to take it all home (which I still need to repay him) and we began work before he drove back up to Michigan.

Fast forward another 6 years and that same bike is in the garage with the motor in 1100 pieces....hope to be back up soon.