How old are we??

[Old Red]

I am 66 and I got my first Yam in 1973. It was a 73 RD 350 with 500 miles on it. I have been a Yam man every since. I put 10 K trouble free miles on it. In 76 I traded it for 76 650 Yam. I put 18 K miles on it. It was the best Yam I have had on gas mileage (46 to 56). I loved the exhaust sound, but it was slower and didn’t handle as well as the RD 350. In 81 I traded it for an 81 XS11 special (Old Red). I had an 8 year love affair with it.

The Other Earl

[jetmechmarty]

The XS Southeast Facebook page has 100 Likes. It says most of us are 55 to 64 years old.

[GNEPIG]

50

We are gettin older here...

[Old Red]

That's a good thing!!!

The Other Earl

[Bonz]

45 and counting!

Where's CZ in all this? He's vying for Patriarch status based on what I've seen so far..

[CaptonZap]

There's six of us so far.

CZ

[vedgar]

61 this August

55 cars 20 some motorcycles and that kid inside me keeps coming back for more. Rode plenty of OPB,s (other peoples bikes ) before buying a 67 Big Bear scrambler in 72. Had a bunch of Honda 350,s before graduating to Honda CB750. Love all of them, but the XS 1100's are the real deal freight train. I promise myself to never own a British bike from the sixties or seventies. Leave the vibrators for someone else.

[vedgar]

To Rasputin !

I have your 90cc twin Yamaha in my basement. 1970 Yamaha HS1 restored to new California Orange

[Radioguylogs]

I'm 54.

I bought the 1968 600cc 'Guzzi from a peer at Delco Electronics in Indiana. It was like a car on two wheels. I wanted something zippier to go with my age at the time, so I bought an XS750SF that was only a year or two old. I've been riding it ever since, but only a little bit each year until recently.

A few year ago, I bought a second XS750SF for parts- to fix up the first one, but it was nicer than the one I was fixing up, so I fixed the bent exhaust valve and myriad of other issues- then I had twin triples- to my wife's consternation at the time.

For a long time I was curious about the big brother,....then I started to want one....so in Nov 2012 I found the XS110SF to compliment the triples. It was a bit of a basket (bag) case.

I hope to get 'big brother' on the road in the month. I'll post a picture when I do.

Thank you for welcoming me into your family.

[The Lorax]

Been riding off and on since the '80s. In my early late or late middle '40s at 47. Plan on riding til I'm ready to give up the ghost.
Have a nice day and ride safe

[jimbyjimb]

29, 30 this summer.

I keep questioning whether or not to give up riding altogether. Reading about Bigfoot doesn't help. Love the XS and riding around but, hell, rolling about in one of my trucks just seems a bit smarter. Plus, none of my friends ride so it's a solitary activity.

Sometimes the wisdom of riding a motorcycle for 1/2 the year, especially with these nutty city drivers, is called into question. Any other members ever struggle with this?

[jetmechmarty]

Sometimes the wisdom of riding a motorcycle for 1/2 the year, especially with these nutty city drivers, is called into question. Any other members ever struggle with this?

I don't struggle with it, but I understand the risk. I get more than a little pleasure out of it. Most of my motorcycle riding friends are my friends because we ride motorcycles. Anymore, it does appear to be an activity enjoyed by an older crowd.

I'm curious as to the draw of an XS11 to a guy 29-30 years old. Is it just an old bike you can get cheap? If there's more to it, I'd love to know. There aren't a lot of Model A fans around anymore.

[jimbyjimb]

You're exchanging posts with a Model A fan! One of my best friends bought one, it became my job to maintain it and teach him to drive a non-synchromesh transmission. Loved it. After driving that bone stock A I can't figure on why anybody would chop one up. Doing 20mph in that A was about the most mechanical fun I've ever had, up there with shooting my Garand. I'd take an A or B Ford over about anything other than an Auburn Boattail. Plus, these days Model A's are inherently theft-proof. Good luck figuring that process out.

More to the point; I am restoring a 1969 F250 camper special, Ranger package and drive an unmolested 1982 Toyota SR5 truck. I like old stuff. Not just cars. The XS, practically speaking, offers everything a brand new Sportster does at well under 2k in excellent condition with the added benefits of being Japanese and cooler in general. Better performance, better looks, better rumble at a mature decibel level. That's the appeal for me. I just wish I could quit teeter-tottering on the sense of riding it.

[MarkD]

Jimby-- I suppose some of us think a bit about the danger v. fun/pleasure dichotomy, and some don't. I do a bit, because there is inherent danger in motorcycle riding. I'm older--58, but feel 20, and have raised my 2 kids already. If I were 30 and had a child or 2, I probably wouldn't ride. Saying that, I did ride when my kids were young, so I guess the thrill outweighed my common sense? I have ridden since I was 15 and have a lot of confidence in my riding skills, so I feel pretty good about riding. I don't ride a lot, but this year will go across the bridge a time or 2, so more riding in my future. I suppose you could do a 'better safe than sorry' deal, and quit, it's a tough choice for some. My 31 year old just had a brand new motorcycle given to him, and I wasn't real happy about him accepting it, because he's never ridden before. Living where he does-- there's a lot of traffic , too. We will figure it out, but I am worried about his interest in motorcycles, which is , of course, my fault! Good luck with your choice, and if you ride, always expect and assume that the car driver doesn't see you. There is a great thread somewhere about riding skills and defensive riding lessons- I'll try to post it.

[MarkD]

Here it is:


http://www.xs11.com/forum/showthread.php?t=40533


good reading here.