1100 Midnight Special production numbers

[650yamadon]

Does anyone know how many 1100 Midnight specials were made? According to the book Motorcycle Chronicle by Doug Mitchel there were 250 each year of 80 and 81. I have two 80 models and there numbers are 297 numbers apart and I have seen even higher. Thanks

[jmnjrpa]

Not certian but I believe the USA production numbers are 250 for each year.

[CatatonicBug]

I have heard 250 for each of '80 and '81, but the serial numbers don't make sense. We have had a few threads here in the last year asking this question, and it always seems like there were thousands of them.

[fredintoon]

Well, I have no idea how many Midnight Specials were built but as they are the most sought after of all the XS11s and all it takes to fake one is a can of black paint and the kit to make chrome go gold coloured this old cynic reckons it's the same deal as:-
Q. "How many John Player Nortons are on the road today?"
A. "A lot more than ever left the factory."

[XJOK2PLAY]

Wow... that's interesting...
I knew they were rare, but never realized the
production numbers were that low...
Good info...

[CatatonicBug]

all it takes to fake one is a can of black paint and the kit to make chrome go gold coloured

I beg to differ.. There are several specific details about the MNS that are unique, and it makes it very hard to make a good-looking fake. Even the pilot box is unique, with it's MNS emblem on it. Besides the fact that the Serial numbers don't lie. They had their own set of unique serial numbers, so there's no "real" way to fake one.

The problem is, if there were really only a small number made, why are the serial numbers not sequential?

[Pat Kelly]

The welds on the frame are cleaner on the MNS. The pilot box has a plaque with a unique number that is different than the seriel number. The seat is a slightly different profile than the other specials and double stitching. The exhaust was 'black chrome' along with the headlight ears (as far as I can tell from mine).
Everything was cosmetic, nothing enhanced the performance.
I thought there was one produced for each authorized Yamaha deal and each dealer received one to attract customers.

[DGXSER]

You know to someone who comes here and gets engrained in all the details of what REALLY makes a Midnight a Midnight, there may be alot of differences. Having never owned one, I only knew of the color differences and the emblems saying Midnight on the side covers.

I will say that I have seen ALOT of XS11s advertised as Midnight Specials that are certainly not. One fairly local to me was on Craingslist for a while listed as a Midnight that was really a Standard!

So, yeah, I gotta agree with Fred that there are bound to be plenty of folks who paint there stuff up with gold colored paint to make it look like a Midnight and sell it as one. Adn plenty of folks who would have no clue to buy it.

[CatatonicBug]

It's true that many people try to pass off their "creation" as a MNS, but the question was about the real deal. How many REAL midnights were built? I wonder if Yamaha would be able to answer that.

[redbone]

i really have no clue as how many were produced, but i know a little about percentages and here's what i can tell ya. i come from a small town in n.e.pa.
(1)back in 1980 my bro in law bought a mns. had it a year or two and sold it to a local guy [who i know] and it still is in his barn [last i heard] to this day, probly rusted and corroded to sh!t. (2) in the next small town over i see one parked on the street each time i drive thru. (3) i own one.
now...that is 3 mns's all within a 15 minute drive from any of the other.
that being said, 3 within such a small area and only 250 produced per year........not bloody likely. i'd say there were plenty more.
just food for thought.
redbone

[Pat Kelly]

It's true that many people try to pass off their "creation" as a MNS, but the question was about the real deal. How many REAL midnights were built? I wonder if Yamaha would be able to answer that.

Similar to those that add the accessories to make their Camaro an RS when it originally wasnt or a mustang into a shelby.

Just need to know what your looking at (or don't worry about it)

[Lamric]

Much as I'd like to own a bike of which there were only 250 made I can't believe it.

The serial numbers for the 1980 Midnights started at 4H3-000101 and I have 4H3-002368 so that's a minimum of 2,267. I'm sure others have even higher serials.

[xs11lover]

I was told they made one for each Yamaha dealer, over 2,000 of them. They also were hand assembled, made by skilled craftsmen (what ever that is)( and who made my special, monkies on the street.) with tighter welds, super better paint, and "black chrome" "real gold plate". I think I read that in a Yamaha flyer. If you ask me I'd take an 80sg or 80g over any of them. The regular xs's are much easyer to keep looking nice. Every Midnight I've seen had bad gold plate, white funk on the black motor and spots all over the exhaust. and if you try to polish the "black chrome" exhaust you soon have dark silver chrome. That being said, I had a 850 midnight and liked it alot. It was tucked away in a widow's garage with 4,000 miles on it and it still took me the better part of a month to get it looking good. See my dark silver black chrome.

[xs11lover]

Oh yeh, I had to sell it because it was bad luck, I got pegged doing 92 in a 45 on it, but the cop liked the bike.

[Pat Kelly]

My LG is ser #000756