XS11's forever?

[CruisingRam]

I would love to get another now that I have moved to Hawaii.

[MPittma100]

Most of Us Know

Most of us have known for years that the XS1100 is KING. Hogsley Ferguson even tried to steal the saying. But, XS11's The Best, _ _ _k The Rest!

Mike

[Bonz]

MarkD,

In what aspect of reliabiity do you suppose the VN and K75 "were way ahead" of the XS?

It's a sincere question, as my 80G and 80 SG, once brought back up to snuff from lack of care, after purchasing them are as simple and reliable as it gets.

Never had to do anything care and feeding wise to an XS1100 that I didn't have to do to my 1997 Bandit 1200S, 1983 Nighthawk 550, 2003 V Strom 1000, 2004 Honda ST1300, 2001 ZRX 1200R. Those bikes span similar age and carbureted technology (Nighthawk) through fuel injected and highly computerized engine management (ST1300).

[MarkD]

Hey Bonz, Maybe a better choice of words might have been a reference to reliability on the overall population of XS bikes out there. Seems that a lot of posts are issues regarding many problems, ie. electrical, brakes, ignition, etc. My feeling is that the BMW K75 had fuel injection, handled a bit better, and seemed to be pretty reliable. The gear indicator was really cool. The VN Kawasaki was smooth, pretty civilized, and the forward foot position was quite comfortable. Now, the biggest indicator of my opinions of those 2 bikes was the fact that I sold them to get my present XS. I think that if an XS11 is tuned/ carbs cleaned, etc., there never will be a reason for anyone to sell theirs if it is serving them. I am never selling my bike for a newer bike.

[650mark]

why my XS1100?

One of the guys in my club recently bought a brand new CB1100. Very nice looking bike, very "retro" according to Honda and he's happy with his new bike. He asked me if I was going to get a brand new bike one of these days. We compared bikes his: 1100cc, 590 lbs wet, chain drive, 3 disc brakes, fuel injection, very conventional suspension front and rear, holds 3.7 gal, gets about 40mpg, top speed 112mph. oh yeah, he paid $11,500 out the door. my '80 special: 1100cc, 560 lbs wet, shaft drive, 3 disc brakes, 4 carbs that still work perfectly, same conventional suspension front and rear, holds 3.9 gal, gets 41 mpg all the time, 120-125mph top speed...
oh yeah, I have a TOTAL of $3,500 in my bike. $8,000 will buy a whole lot of gas, oil, tires, and the occasional repair for quite a while so looks like i'll be keeping the xs. and we didn't even TALK about the xs "cool factor".......

[jetmechmarty]

I can't really disagree with those CB1100 comments.



If I may be critical, the XS1100 has some very dated styling. I don't prefer the square headlight or square dash panel. Honda did a great job freshening it up. Also, if I'm helpless and with some money, I can drive off with a nice new bike. Having the perfect XS1100 usually means turning a wrench. A little imagination goes a long way too.

I like this one.

[slow mo]

i,m with you Mack !i had visions of selling my xs but there,s no other one like it up here,, my health was a big factor but my outlook has changed and this bike is just the best thing i have owned ,,, ride safe slow Mo!

[MaximPhil]

i,m with you Mack !i had visions of selling my xs but there,s no other one like it up here,, my health was a big factor but my outlook has changed and this bike is just the best thing i have owned ,,, ride safe slow Mo!

Hi Mo, Came to your senses just in time to roll it into the shed for winter
Let's plan to ride 'em in the Spring
When is HamJam going to put that lunch together ?
Phil

[Radioguylogs]

Anybody Notice the Honda CB1100?

I haven't ridden my eleven yet...hopefully I will in the spring. But as a long time lover/owner of XS's, I was surprised by what I saw in a local dealership when I went in for a quart of fork oil.

I see the showroom with two types of cycles that don't really interest me. There are big touring twins with only two wheels, and plastic crotch rocket lay-down-to-ride machines.

Then, all by itself sits the only thing I can relate to at all. Apparenly Honda is currently making a CB1100 that is remarkable similar to our bikes except for fuel injection. The similarity is really stiking.

I don't want to spend $10k, although I can easily afford it, and I enjoy fixing up my bike as much as riding it, but the Honda CB1100 is the only thing I have seen in the showroom in a long time that I relate to.

PS: Maybe some day I will try a big twin or crotch rocket, but for now I'm really happy with my inexpensive, fun stable of XS's.

[Bonz]

My uncle has a CB1100, brand new this past spring, and the gas mileage is a WHOLE lot better than 40 mpg. If he gets under 50 mph now that it is broken in, it must have been a short-filled tank the time before.

He's ridden my 80SG, and the UJM spirit of both is what he likes. The CB is more refined as he would say, but the chain drive is a huge downer relative to the XS in my book.

[Schming]

I haven't ridden my eleven yet...hopefully I will in the spring. But as a long time lover/owner of XS's, I was surprised by what I saw in a local dealership when I went in for a quart of fork oil.

I see the showroom with two types of cycles that don't really interest me. There are big touring twins with only two wheels, and plastic crotch rocket lay-down-to-ride machines.

Then, all by itself sits the only thing I can relate to at all. Apparenly Honda is currently making a CB1100 that is remarkable similar to our bikes except for fuel injection. The similarity is really stiking.

I don't want to spend $10k, although I can easily afford it, and I enjoy fixing up my bike as much as riding it, but the Honda CB1100 is the only thing I have seen in the showroom in a long time that I relate to.

PS: Maybe some day I will try a big twin or crotch rocket, but for now I'm really happy with my inexpensive, fun stable of XS's.

Check out post #171 in this thread.

I read the specs on the CB and it is very similar to our 35yr. young machines.

Wonder if the CB will be around in 35yrs.

[TomB]

the chain drive is a huge downer relative to the XS in my book.

+1 on that, why do we now have to buy either a full faired tourer like the Kwak GTR1400/Yam FJR1300 or a Hardley styled Japanese factory feet forward custom just to get shaft drive?? I too would like to own a new bike like the CB1100 but with shaft drive.

I think the manufacturers are missing a huge market area.

[Radioguylogs]

Check out post #171 in this thread.

I read the specs on the CB and it is very similar to our 35yr. young machines.

Wonder if the CB will be around in 35yrs.

Thanks for keeping me honest Schming! I haven't gotten used to the nesting in the strings and navigating them yet. Which viewing mode is the most useful?

....and I wondered about the CB chain drive too. The shaft drive lurches when you let off the gas, and I don't remember the chain doing that on only bike I ever rode with a chain (KZ900). But, no messy chain is a good thing...

[MPittma100]

Where Ever You Go

You can go to a car show, bike show, or no show at all with an old car or old bike and you will almost always outshine any other newer bike or car.

I was at a restaurant one day talking to a guy who was on a BMW. When he saw the XS11, he said " I had one of those and that's the best bike I ever got rid of".

The only "new" bike I ever wanted was the 1978E - so I bought one!

Mike

[Bonz]

For the lurching, on/off throttle transitions need to be pretty dramatic (IMO) on the XS to jack the rear end around, and I can't tell much difference between the 80SG or 80G vs say, my ZRX 1200.