Vote for best story

[tw1980]

Time for anyone who wants,to vote for their favorite XS/XJ story.(Posted under the LOTS OF NEW MEMBERS!!!) thread.I've narrowed it down to my favorite 5,but it wasn't easy.I've really enjoyed reading all the different stories of how people came to own,fall for,and become so passionate about these machines.Thanks again to everyone who shared these stories.
Terry

[RidetoXS]

What!!?? This was a contest? Ok then, let me make a couple corrections to my tale:

Substitute "Heather Thomas" in place of "good buddy" who taught me to ride.

When dumping on gravel, instead of hitting head on rock, I did a triple axle with a flip and came up unscathed.

Woman who drove me to get my XS was Farrah Fawcett, not my mother.

Harley riders would pull over to the side to let me pass, my bike was so sharp.

And, I didn't park it because I had no money, it was because I was drafted as a secret agent by British Intelligence, but I can't talk about that........BTW, shaken, not stirred.

Ok, do I win now???

[XJOK2PLAY]

Hey... No fair!!! That's cheatin'!!!!!! I'm tellin'....


HeHeHe

[Geezer]

I still think the killer squirrel story was best...

Geezer

[Varnae]

So if I created a bunch of alternate accounts on the forums just so I could vote for me a bunch of times, would that be cheatin'?

Damn.


What about bribes? Free Pop-Ice's to everyone that votes for me! You have to come to Indiana to collect though!

No, but seriously, I appreciate being selected as one of the top 5. I'm honored and I'm glad you guys like my writing style. Thank you to the folks that vote for me and to the people that don't, that's ok, we can still be friends... maybe.

[RidetoXS]

How about if I offered copies of my Secret Decoder Ring?

[crazy steve]

Damn, I shoulda entered.....

My story is similar to Andrea's, as I was also the guy with the magazine in his hand. Main difference was I WAS old enough to ride it out of there, and did.

I started in '65 with an ancient 125 Jawa (anybody remember those?) 'converted' into a dirt bike by removing anything that wasn't needed to make it go. Slow and heavy, and looked like a bike designed by a kid or a cartoonist. Moved up to a 160 Honda 'scrambler' and my most enduring memory of that is it falling on me while dirt riding and finding out how laughably bad the 'heat sheild' on the high exhaust was while it burned the crap out of my thigh, being unable to lift that heavy thing off me until the adrenaline kicked in. From there, I had a series of dirt bikes (the 125 Hodaka was my fav) until I ended up with a 175 Suzuki twin street bike in a complicated car trade. Rode that thing around until the day I took my girlfriend for nice late afternoon/evening ride. On the way home she says 'should sparks be coming out of the pipes?'. Uhhh, no. This is not good. Made it home, but the pistons didn't survive.

Well, this street riding thing is fun. So I decided to 'move up' and get a bike that could do both. Bought a brand new 360 Yammy Enduro the first year they were out. Pretty good dirt bike with it's tractor-like power, but if you rode it any distance on the street the vibration was so bad you almost needed someone to pry your fingers off the bars when you got there. A few years of that (and a close call with almost getting squashed by a Jeeper) made me decide on a 'real' steet bike. By this time, my GF-now-wife was working at a Yamaha dealer (yep, the kid in the candy store) and I got a screaming deal on a month-old '72 XS650 (a GI had bought it then got orders to ship out, sold it back. I think I paid $700 for it). That's one bike I was always sorry I sold. Repainted it, had all the polished stuff chromed, and rode the snot out of it. But this bike's big failing was it's too-light weight on the highway. Two long trips into some windy places (white-knuckle time, with the crosswinds capable of blowing you into the other lanes) convinced me that I needed something bigger. I started looking around at my choices. The biggest bike Yammy was selling in '77 was the 750 triple, but it wasn't that much bigger. Looked at HD, but too much money and the performance at that time just wasn't there.

Well, the XS11 came out.... my search was over. I saw that same magazine, and that was it (unfortunately, I had traded wives, so I didn't have the in at the dealer anymore). But the dealer would 'deal', and I rode it out of there for about $3K (honest! I've still got the invoice around here someplace) and that included a trailer/hitch and a suit for my SO. Made a couple of long trips, and rode it as often as I could (what with new kids and all). In '85, I was going to a AMA meet at Washougal when I hit some cinders on a high-speed sweeper and went off the road. Over a 8' bank, end-over-end in midair, and landed facing the other way, still sitting on the bike (I was towing the trailer, by the way). One of the witnesses said he hadn't seen anything like that since Evel Kneivel. Both me and the bike had damage, although the guys with me got the bike rideable with help from the guy I impressed. Some stitches for me, and some farmer fixes on the bike, and away we went. The bike never missed a beat.

Well, the poor thing sat in the garage for the intervening years (but I never did entertain selling it, and yet another wife trade reduced the money available) until about '01. Started to do the repairs, but the crappy parts situation discourged me. Bought a like-new Sportster instead. Still didn't sell it, although I had offers. Tried to talk my oldest kid into finishing it and riding with me, but he went out and bought a new bike he's since found out he can't afford. I retired in '06, so dammit, I'M going finish it and start riding it again. It's going to be the 'Elder Stateman' in my stable, with light riding, but I WILL enjoy that turbine-like power once again!!!

That's my story and I'm sticking to it....

If I can't vote for myself, I like Andreas best! LOLOL

'78E original owner

[tw1980]

Ok only ONE day left to vote for your favorite XS/XJ story.I can't believe subike hasn't got some votes from you gents down under.By the way Ridetoxs your story is disallowed because Farrah Fawcett was dating me at that time.Get those votes in gang.

[RidetoXS]

By the way Ridetoxs your story is disallowed because Farrah Fawcett was dating me at that time.

Why, that shameless tramp! I spend one week at Catherine Bach's house and Farrah goes off with some other guy! SHEESH!

[tw1980]

Well the votes are in and andreashweiss is our winner!!!Thanks again to everyone who participated in this contest.It was a lot of fun for me and I really enjoyed reading the stories.I hope others enjoyed them as well.I'll pm you andreashweiss so I can get you your prize.Terry

[DJinNH]

Well the votes are in and andreashweiss is our winner!!!Thanks again to everyone who participated in this contest.It was a lot of fun for me and I really enjoyed reading the stories.I hope others enjoyed them as well.I'll pm you andreashweiss so I can get you your prize.Terry

Congrats to andreashweiss! That really is a great story.

Don

[XJOK2PLAY]

andreas...

Congrats, Buddy! Great story.
Bob