New Retros?

[skippy344]

I was reading in Motorcyclist magazine's July edition, that Japan is raging with retro 70's and 80's bikes. And they even hinted that the makers might make some new retros for the American market in the future!

Could this mean that there might be another gen of our beloved XS11?

interesting...

greg

[79XS11F]

I hope not. If they do that the value of our bikes and all the work put into them will be diminished greatly. If you could buy a retro version why would anyone buy and restore an old one.
Rob

[skippy344]

Barrett-Jackson

Because there are a lot of purists out there/here!

Just watch Barrett-Jackson on the Speed Channel and you will see that folks will buy old restored Mustangs and Camaros over the new Retro ones. I think the same holds true for these XS11s.

True, that there will be a new generation that will only buy the new ones, but that's cool with me. The more folks that ride this amazing machine, the better, whatever vintage it is!

I still ride my '80 because of my high school days, when I would go to the Yamaha shop every day after school and drool over the XSes. I thought to myself, "One day, I'll own one of these, and it will be AWESOME!" Well, that day came back in February of 2001 and it is AWESOME!

greg

[webbcraft2150]

This months Motorcycle Classics was like old home week. They had articles on bikes I actually owned. Suzuki 50 (actually had the same version in a 100, hey, gotta start somewhere), Honda 450, and the Italian Stallion, 1000 Laverda.

As far as the big three bringin back the look of the 70-80's rigs, bring em on. The orginals will still be much cooler, and easier to buy and keep. Which would you rather have, '07 Mustang GT or a big block '70 Mach I. The way things are goin, my Neru shirts are gonna be back in style.

[mro]

there's retro, then retarded

The way things are goin, my Neru shirts are gonna be back in style

Please....NO PICS, could be worse I guess
You could've saved your polyester disco suits too


mro

[John]

Here's one I'd love to own



It looks like an XS11 and an FJ11 had a head on, and this is what came of it. Great looking bike.

[BLUEJEEPLAB]

If Yammy does as nice a job on their retros as Triumph has, I am all for it. I'll still ride my XS, but I am sure that we'd see a deeper appreciation for our "REAL" retros than we do now.

[fredintoon]

Only for one

under the pic John sez:-
It looks like an XS11 and an FJ11 had a head on, and this is what came of it. Great looking bike.
Hi John,
with 30 years more engineering development available to the builders the bike will doubtless perform well. But the stylists? Where's the planks & the nails & the Romans when you need 'em?
OK, it looks real good until you get to the seating. See the way the pillion half is faired away to nearly nothing to match the rear bodywork and the passenger pegs are mounted way up high to clear the kicked-up muffler? A person would need to be shorter than 4'-2" and lighter than 70lbs to be able to sit there. You'd think a "back to the 70s" styling job would include seats for two adults, right?
Fred Hill, S'toon.

[John]

Well Fred...

Good point on the seat, but on the other hand, I rarely pack a passenger, as Wildkat has either an XS or an FJ at her disposal. Actually, the seat is quite a bit like the seat on the FJ, and I have ridden on the back of that, and it wasn't that bad, but the footpegs aren't as high up as those on the XJR seem to be...but it's still a handsome bike in my eye. I could handle being seen on it.

[79XS11F]

It is in deed a sharp looking bike. Looks 1/2 old classic and 1/2 modern croch rocket style and comes together nicely. I see it is a 1300. I wonder if this is a shafty or chain drive.
Rob

[Wildkat]

Best of both worlds...

Here's the link to its stats

It looks like, for those who enjoy the more upright riding position of the XS... it might be a bit uncomfortable...

[AlanB]

Chain!

AlanB

[fredintoon]

Two-up

Hi John,
fantasy sees me picking up a cute blonde French-Canadian girl, sitting her on the pillion and swanning off 1,500km to Vancouver.
For that, you need a full-size pillion seat and lowset passenger pegs.
Reality sees me married to a cute blonde French-Canadian girl who sits in my sidecar as we swan off 100km to the Biggar bike rally.
But the fantasy is why I notice a bike's pillion carrying capacity.
These days there seems to be no sensible middle ground. Either an abbreviated joke of a pillion like on that retro or a huge padded stereo-equipped armchair like on a Goldwing.
But the Retro? Damn the passenger tokenism. Trash the rear pegs, install a bumstop seat and ride it solo!
Fred Hill, S'toon

[fredintoon]

Weightsaving

Hi Wildkat,
I checked out your link to the stats.
OK, I'm impressed. They musta put that thing on a diet. 222kg claimed dry weight, that's no heavier than my XS650 and not quite twice the horsepower. And the gas tank holds 5 Imperial gallons or 5.4 American ones. Dya suppose we'll see that bike in North America or just a "Special" version with a teensy little gas tank and clown bars?
Fred Hill, S'toon.

[John]

That bike was introduced years ago, but was never destined for the North American market. Shame.
It had some pretty impressive specs, and could be tuned with a laptop, IIRC