What's The Highest Mileage on Original Engine?

[jimbilton]

As I am new to this forum, I'm unsure if this has been discussed before:
What is the greatest mileage covered by an XS1100 engine before any major work was necessary? They seem to be a well designed and built engine, so I would imagine they are capable of a lot of hard use, assuming regular oil changes.

[psycoreefer]

I don't think I'm anywhere close to the highest, and I've got no way to 'prove' my mileage but my special had 70k on it when I bought it 6 years ago, sense then my speedo broke so no odometer but I've been riding daily to work on it and at least 1 long trip per year. I'm sure its got at least 100k on it, it smokes a little but is still running strong!
Only work done has been to replace a stretched cam chain and fix 1st and 2nd gear, and its not been treated gently by me or the PO. I regularly run it up to red line in the first 2 gears, and he rode it for 3 years with no first or second gear.

[GLoweVA]

I had about 80K on mine until I burnt a hole in #4 piston due to a failed pick up coil. Probably would have lasted must longer.

[Bonz]

I'm nursing my 80 SG along, 19,690 original miles... It's a very well kept specimen, so I do not ride it as much as I would otherwise. I would ride the heck out of it in terms of regular use if it wasn't unique in the aspect of it's condition.

When I do ride it, I give it a hard run every so often to higher rpm in top gear. Saw 7500 rpm in 5th on Sunday, FD conversion with a slight downhill. What's that say about the old bikes? That tells me they can get it done at the ton plus as well as anything. Steady as a rock.

I'd like to get a Std to go with my Special, just need to find one that would make a good daily rider. I have a 1983 Nighthawk 550 I'd put towards one, any takers?

[CaptonZap]

I'm nursing my 80 SG along, 19,690 original miles... It's a very well kept specimen, so I do not ride it as much as I would otherwise. I would ride the heck out of it in terms of regular use if it wasn't unique in the aspect of it's condition.

When I do ride it, I give it a hard run every so often to higher rpm in top gear. Saw 7500 rpm in 5th on Sunday, FD conversion with a slight downhill. What's that say about the old bikes? That tells me they can get it done at the ton plus as well as anything. Steady as a rock.

I'd like to get a Std to go with my Special, just need to find one that would make a good daily rider. I have a 1983 Nighthawk 550 I'd put towards one, any takers?

HH, lets talk when I get back. (I'm in Los Alamos right now, looking at the Black Hole Surplus.) I may have what you want. CZ

[Bonz]

Gotcha, JR.

[tcoop]

None of my bike have had a functioning speedometer/odometer so who knows. (most of them have sat for 10 years before I got them)

[natemoen]

Some of the Aussie and NZ guys have 100's of K's on theirs.

Mine only has about 27,500.

[jjz28]

mine just turned over 13,000 and i ride the crap out of it.

[ddragon63]

mine turned 49,000 miles while on my trip last month... (averaging 73 mph according to my GPS log) Shows no signs of slowing down. Smokes a little upon start up after its been sitting a few days. But I don't know many air-cooled motors that don't smoke a little till warm.

[Eveready1100]

Mine's just coming up to 306,000 klms. It doesn't blow smoke, but uses about 500ml of oil per 1000klm, which I find quite acceptable considering. Camchains get replaced as soon as the travel on the tensioner bottoms out and before they get too noisy then. I've since learnt that I may have been doing my dough as it's been discovered that a lot of the aftermarket chains are a couple of mm longer than a genuine newie, so a fair bit of the adjustment is used up just taking up the slack in the new chain. I'll investigate that with the next change I do. Other than regular servicing, I only had the sump off for the first time a month ago to do an XJ sump swap to set up a low oil level warning light just to see if it can be done, and it can.
The engine hasn't been babied either, but it's never been thrashed, so to speak. I've done around 30,000 k's of that distance towing my trailer full of camping gear which also adds a bit to the stress on it, but it's handled everything I've asked of it admirably and with a minimum of fuss.

Oh, and yes, regular oil changes along with a new filter each time just for extra peace of mind.

[jetmechmarty]

been discovered that a lot of the aftermarket chains are a couple of mm longer than a genuine newie, so a fair bit of the adjustment is used up just taking up the slack in the new chain.

I put a 128 link EK chain on mine. It was a tight fit.

Cam Chain EK 219H 128 link

[Special Ed]

Put me down for 130,000 miles.

I bought my '79 Special with 28,000 on the clock. I wore out the original odometer after 100,000 miles. I road it with a broken cable for a while, and realized one day that the speedo was way optimistic before replacing it. I estimate at least 130,000 miles. I parked it for the winter with what I thought was a tranny problem: turns out it was just the U joint. DiverRay and I did an engine re-build this Fall. It got jugs with a big bore kit, high compression pistons and ported head. Ray ran out of time to work on it, so I had to take it to someone else to straighten out what I assume is a carburetion problem. I sure am looking forward to getting the bugs worked out so I can GO.
By the way. before the re-build it was still running strong with good compression and it didn't burn a drop of oil.
Special Ed

[jetmechmarty]

When I met Bruce Gerken years ago, I commented on the 58,000 miles showing on his odometer. He corrected me, "That's 158,000 miles!" I can only imagine what's on it or what it ended up with.