Military

[mack]

I don't know how to start a poll on this thing but I bet if someone could ask how many of us are current or retired military people, we would be surprised. I wonder why so many of us gravitated to the XS?

[jwhughes3]

retired Navy

I started with an XS400 and liked the yamaha design.

and it was affordable.

john

[fredintoon]

I don't know how to start a poll on this thing but I bet if someone could ask how many of us are current or retired military people, we would be surprised. I wonder why so many of us gravitated to the XS?

Hi Mack,
too young for WW2, Korea & Malaya, UK Govt. cancelled military conscription 2 weeks before my essential services deferment ran out so no, not this civilian.
Why an XS11? Started with buying an XS650 because it looked just like a Matchless. Switched to the XS11 because the XS650 was underpowered for sidecar use.

[g15usmc]

I posted a poll for you mack!...

[mack]

thanx

exellent, this will be interesting. I really do have to sit down and learn all the features of this site. With dial up though, it takes so long just to sign in let alone doing a search for anything.

[Wildkat]

Oops... double posted
My bad

[Wildkat]

Here's a link to a poll that was posted a few years ago. Will be interesting to see how the newer members change the numbers...

Military Service

I'm prior Army myself

Started out a Honda 450 Nighthawk, great bike but too little power. Went for a Yamaha FJ1100 that flits between running great and not running at all on a whim...
John, who has had an XS for more than 20 years, bought an XS from a member here and lowered it for me. Rode it during one of the FJ's MANY downtimes and fell in love with it...

The FJ is STILL waiting for me to get her running...

[blkryno]

In answer to why the XS 11 for me. My brother is 10 years older than me he was a total motorhead ( I think he may have owned half the 55 chevs in Mn at one time or another ) Mn Dragways was only about 4 miles our house on the weekend you could feel the ground shake in our yard from the AA fuelers taking off. This was in the sixty,s. When I wasn't there with my brother racing. Friends and I would ride our banana seated bicycles over there. I think the officials looked the other way when we would sneak in through the woods.
If you ran errands for the drivers they would let you sit in their cars. Being 10 and 12 years old sitting in the seat of a dragster or funny car was about as good as it gets. During this time we were building mini bikes from lawn mowers and the japanese bikes were starting to be more available and growing in size. At about 11 yrs my brother put me on an off brand bike from sears and roebucks. A 100cc's and a transmission I was off and running I couldn't touch the ground so I learned to stop at the back steps or a stump. Did a wheely before I could touch the ground ( mom almost had a heartattack right there hee hee ) . Anyway my experience grew along with the bikes getting bigger. By 79 and 80 there was all the talk about the kawi 900. In 81 I had a good enough job and a long growing need for speed so I went looking for a bike. That year the 11's to look at were the kawi, the suzuki, and the Yamaha when I saw the Black Special that was it. $4,000.00 even got me the bike, shorty crash bars, tax and license. When I left the dealer I screwed on the throttle and went about two blocks before I realized how to slow it down. I was 26 single and wild and I could feel my grin from ear to ear. I took it easy and went to the longest straightest part of the freeway I knew of. I came off the ramp and hit it buried the stupid 85 mhp speedo right away don't how fast I got but I covered alot of ground quick. The bike still had more to give and I was happy. I still have it, it sat for along time because of life and family taking priority. It was suggested I sell it when times got tight but that was the one thing I wouldn't do. We've had it back on the road for the past 5 yrs now the thrill is still there and I don't have a desire for another bike. Except for the 79 11 SH I picked last fall to bob out.
If my explanation is too long sorry, sometimes it takes me awhile to come to a full stop

blkryno

81 11 SH
79 11 SH

Semper Fi

[g15usmc]

In answer to why the XS 11 for me.

Semper Fi

First Off, SEMPER FI! and second thats a pretty awesome story!

The way i came into my bike was by trading my dining room table and $80...

I came to love bikes as a little boy...My father had an early 80s yamaha i think it was a 750, but i couldn't tell u one way or the other, come on i was like 3 or 4...but he would take me for rides around the yard on it...boy did i love it! I remember pretending to ride the motorcycle while sitting on a tricycle...then i moved up to bicycles...and then i'd ride everyone elses dirtbikes, quads, mopeds etc. anything with 2 wheels that could make me think i was going fast...then i started riding my best friends fathers, honda nighthawk 450 and then when i had enough money to buy my own bike i bought a suzuki intruder 800, sold that a couple years later and bought my current everyday rider the Dragon...and then I saw this bike for sale wanted a project bike and here we are...can't wait to collect more bikes...