Just how "flickable" is the XS11?

[Montreux_Blue]

Being that I hadn't ridden for about 3 years before getting this bike I really can't honestly compare it to my previous bikes, so I thought I'd ask EVERYONE else! I think it handles pretty good, maybe because I'm a crazy rider though. Also since our engines runs backwards, does it help any? I know rider experience has some to do with it and size of the rider also, except for Tod's case, he's the exception to the rule! I have read all over the net about the lighter the bike the better it corners, 600cc vs 1000cc, so just wondering what everyone else thinks.........

And for those that don't know what "flickable" is, here is a definition.
FLICKABLE- Used to describe the agility of a motorcycle, or how quickly a rider can “flick” the bike from side to side in turns.

[tarzan]

Are you sure flickable isnt the term used to describe a booger that will fling off your finger ?
As far as thirty year old bikes go,I think the XS feels top heavy and is tougher to manhandle than a smaller bike.I put a fork brace on my old special and that did make it way more stable for me, but it is still top heavy compared to a lot of bikes I have ridden.
So for me I think, although I love to ride hard sometimes, it is definitely a workout to push it for extended periods of time.Whereas on a smaller bike or even a big bike with a low center of gravity it is easier to throw around in the corners.

[Korr]

You have to man handle it, put in some elbow grease!

[Montreux_Blue]

What I would think with counter steering is that your basically throwing the weight off balance and causing a controlled "fall over" and with our bike being top heavy, heavy in general, it should react faster than a lighter bike right?

[TopCatGr58]

The XS11 turns like snot!

Hey Blue,

When I first got my 81Special, it had the stock buckhorns and such, and I rode it for a couple of years that way, but wasn't really doing anykind of sport style twisty riding. I did take it on a LDR from Tidewater area of Va. to Ft. Benning, Ga. to see my bro graduate from jump school, never landed! But I don't recall the front end feeling terribly heavy in it's handling.

But then, I had a front end collision my first summer after my Navy Discharge, during the repair I put on 4" over length upper front tubes because I always liked and wanted a slight chopper look. My steering was much lighter after that, but I didn't realize that it wasn't due to the forks but to the BENT frame neck that it suffered but was never found by the bike shop that performed the repairs, reduced my trail from the stock 6" to ~1.5-2.0"! The longer fork tubes also puts the center of gravity actually higher, and I'm 6'6" and sit high/straight in the saddle, again having a high center of gravity.

The reduced trail is the big part of my bikes "flickability", but almost to a point of reduced stability! The lower the center of gravity, the more stable the bike should be. I have since learned from Gary Granger(Mr SixtySix) and Bruce Gerken about taking turns, setting my line, looking where I want to go, etc.!

Fredintoon has commented many times about the techniques of swapping IIRC, special triple trees onto Standards(or vice versa ) to reduce the trail for sidecar rigs helping to lighten the steering. Having fairly widely spaced positioned handlebars can also increase your leverage for your countersteering efforts which would lessen the amount of elbow grease needed to get the desired affect from a specific amount of input. Folks putting on those smaller narrower bars are making it more difficult for them to be able to steer these machines, but the ~6" of trail make them heavy in the steering as well.

So....I don't recall it being terribly hard to steer, but modest changes can increase the flickability.
T.C.

[Montreux_Blue]

I do have standard handle bars on my special so that may help also.

[Flatlander]

I've had two road bikes. The first being a 1986 Honda Magna V45 and the second being a XS11.
Compairing the two, the Magna was fun to take in the turns. It was like sitting back and into the bike while hard turns were made. Creating a fun butterfly feeling in your stomach.

The XS.........well, equally as fun if you like riding three wheelers. The XS almost feels as if you are forcing the bike down, while at the same time having the feeling of going over the handle bars.

Flickability, I don't think so, IMO.

[foreda]

Handling the twisties

The only other bikes that I have had (72 kawasaki 750, 75 kawasaki Z1 900) were not real good handlers either so if you don't know the difference, what the hay?? I did ride my nephew's Hayabusa once but I could not distinguish any handling differences. Sucker does go fast though!!

[madmax-im]

Compared to my former Honda ST1100...the XJ1100 isnt top heavy at all...My ST was not only top heavy but just plan heavier as well...makes the XJ/XS1100s' feel just right...so handling and flickability are not a problem IMO

[trbig]

Some of the most "Flickable" bikes out there are dirt bikes. When I finally got the XJ dialed in, that's what it reminded me of. The power curve reminds me a lot of the power band a two stroke has. Maybe being a bit bigger and heavier, the bike responds better to me moving it. It doesn't feel like a big bike at all to me.

I have hit some sharp "S" curves pretty hard before, and after leaving the first one and countersteering hard to get it set up for the next one,, I've felt the bike nearly jump and get very light on the road for a few moments. As far as that goes, I have jumped the bike before cresting hills too fast. It reacts as expected and goes on like it was meant to do it. Then I start thinking about those 30 year old welds on the frame... But.. I have never rode with anyone on a modern bike (BMW 1200, Concourse 1400) that can leave me in the twisties... or most of the time even keep up. The straightaways.. they over power me there.. but when we hit the 25,35, and 45 mph posted corners all in a row.. I think you'd be surprised what these bikes can do.

Tod

[Montreux_Blue]

That's what I'm saying, I seen you (Tod) ride and pretty much kept up to you but if this is 30 year old technology then there has got to be better handling bikes out there. It doesn't seem heavy or anything like that to me when it's moving but I can only image what other possibilities are out there........... I'm a kinda 'deal with what you got' kind of person though so it seems fine to me.

[madmax-im]

Dont forget that modern day sportbikes and the like have radial tires versus our thirty year old designed Bias Ply tires...this alone makes for huge differences in how flickable a bike can be.

[winslow]

lots of fun

I think it is one of the best cornering bike i have riden
but then again i have only riden the T500 and my KZ1000 xs 850

[b.walker5]

I like to refer to my bike as a cruise missile with a skud guidance system. I have a special and you can almost see the twist in the front end when trying to "flick" from side to side. In saying that It's streets ahead of a friends Sporty, but not as good as another friends 900SS Duke. Standards are much better at it due to the shorter rake, but a fork brace makes a big difference to both.

FYI. If you don't know what a skud is, they were the bargain basement missiles that Saddam was throwing around in the gulf war. When one of those was fired everyone ducked, including him, and two fired at the same target could be 50 miles apart when they hit.

[Jerry]

Well, I have 2 bikes I can compare: the XJ and my Concours. Keep in mind the XJ has, from the factory, extra bracing welded to the tripple-T to minimize frame flex in that area. I run Progressive fork springs without any air pressure. Tires are Elite 3 rear and Elite 2 front. The Concours is running stock Dunlop 700 series tires and SS front brake lines, is otherwise stock.

The biggest difference I have found is that the Concours requires less rider input to get into and out of leans. The XJ feels like you have to concentrate every minute you have the bike leaned over, the Connie feels like it will stay wherever you put it untill you make another input of some type. The XJ pulls more strongly from 3K to 4K, particularly in 5th, with the Connie I tend to downshift more to keep the revs up in the 4K - 5K range, where it is really strong. The Connie's 6-speed and gear ratios are well matched and very smooth for up and downshifting, a real treat compared to the XJ's far clunkier transmission.

I think the XJ, particularly if I put a better set of shocks on the rear, would be able to keep up with many newere bikes in the twisties with good use of the RPM range. Upgrading the suspension is the key...the OEM stuff is getting old and was not particularly outstanding when the bike was new, so work is needed in that area if you want to make the XS or XJ handle to the point where a comparison to newer bikes is possible.

No way the XJ is going to keep up with a pure sports bike due to the added acceleration of the newer bikes, but against its market niche, mostly sport-touring and touring bikes, it can do a decent job.

I've seen some modified 11s that could do a better job, such as DragXS11's bike with its upgraded brakes, suspension, and engine mods, so it is possible to build a much better handling 11 if you want to put the time and effort into it.