XS1100 Special launch

[robbo]

Its quite well documented when the XS1100 was first launched in 1978 and that it was followed in 79 with the Special, but does anyone know the actual date in 79 when the Special first appeared in the showrooms? Was it previewed at any bike shows prior to being released to the general public?

[BA80]

This is all I can find real quick........

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yamaha_XS_Eleven

[robbo]

Hi Greg, yes I've seen that wiki page too, and there are other fleeting online references, but nothing very in depth about the Specials. Was just wondering if any of you "mature" guys from that side of the pond could remember anything relating to the Specials arrival.

[TopCatGr58]

Hey Robbo,

You may want to peruse the ARTICLES section in the drop down menus at the top of our pages...XS11INFO and then Articles....there are several from several different magazines, I don't recall exactly but I know they are indepth articles, and cover the special as well as the 78E, might be info about it's arrival date/time or such???

T.C.

[jetmechmarty]

Most of the Special fanfare came in late '77 as I recall. I remember seeing the big fat tire on that XS650 Special early on. The XS750 Special did not get the wheel treatment, retaining the 17" wheel. The XS750 Special today has very little monetary value to collectors. The Eleven Special was and addition to the mix in '79, followed by the 850 Special replacing the 750 in '80.

I don't have sales figures, but I believe the XS650 was the big seller. The 650 standard was dropped after '79. That year, they had a Special and Special II. That big Eleven Special in the show room probably sold more XS650's as the price was less than half. The 650 also soldiered on into the '83 model year. I still have the new one that I bought back then.

All that being said, I don't remember the Eleven Special coming with a great deal of fanfare. The XS1100 position as king of the hill was short lived and drastic changes were coming. The Special was probably the best way to sell a lot more bikes. I expect they probably outsold standards by a wide margin. My father-in-law was a Yamaha dealer back then. He had an Eleven Special and no standards.

[robbo]

Thanks for prodding me in the right direction T.C. Okay, Cycle magazine January 79 says that the Special was introduced in December 78. A very interesting and informative article. I guess then a price tag of $3699 was probably at the top of the Jap 4cylinder range. Saying that, at the current exchange rate you can pay that much for a Special over here in the UK today. Another interesting point I came across whilst in the Articles was that Hot Rod mag was trying out a 1100e back in November 77, a good few months before its debut in Senegal in 78

[MindWebs]

there are a few mentions of dates and things in xs11 heaven.

http://www.amazon.com/XS-Eleven-Heav...ds=xs11+heaven

but i doubt they will reflect UK dates.

still an educational read, i highly recommend it for a xs1100 history buff.