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The Beast
I bought my XS from J.D., a motorcycle aficionado who just happens to live on Hwy. 9, a stretch of winding road that is very popular with bikers in the Santa Cruz Mountains north of Santa Cruz CA. He makes a living buying and selling used bikes, and selling bikes on consignment. I hadn't had a bike for several years, having gotten sidetracted by fatherhood, and J.D. kept trying to get me back on track by offering me deals, but I never had the do-re-me when the deals came up.
"900 bucks, $300 now and ride it outta here." It had been owned by three others before me. Someone else had bought it from J.D. and traded it back in for something newer. Idiot... ingrate! Anyway I was skeptical at first. I told him I was after a 650, maybe a 750. But it was a hell-of-a-deal, and I took it for a ride and bought it.
I rode it around the mountains for a couple of weeks, never getting it over 4,000 R.P.M. I thought that was it, and I was happy with the torque stuff. Then one day I finally took it out on the freeway and as I got onto the entrance ramp I sez to meself "self," sez I, "let's see how quickly I can get this up to freeway speed." When it hit that sweet spot at 4500 R.P.M. and the front-end got light, and that "on the cam" exhaust note hit, I got a **** eating grin on my face that didn't go way for a week. I have been a lover of XS ever since.
Likes:
· Mussel bike power, speed, respect from other riders. I'm not a knee dragger, but it handles pretty damn good for a "standard" bike. I think that's what I like the most about the XS: there aren't too many non specialized bikes around any more. It's not a sport bike, a dirt bike, a cruiser, or a racer, it's just a well designed all around motorcycle that a guy can bolt a few accessories onto to personalize it without destroying the styling.
· It couldn't fit me better if I had had it custom fitted to me. It has to be the most comfortable bike I have ever had.
Dislikes:
· It's top heavy. This actually makes for good handling in the "esses," but makes it hard for a bantam weight (125 lbs. dripping wet) to maneuver in parking situations, and on the occasions that I've dropped it, it is damn hard for me pick up.
· Not only is neutral easy to find, but it has the unfortunate habit of jumping out of first gear. The first couple of times this happened I was dumped unceremoniously upon the tarmac. That's how I know it's hard to pick up! Now I make a point of keeping my foot on the shift lever until I'm underway.
· The bike has more huevos than its plate can hold. I have to back off of full power or the clutch slips. I'd like to see what it would do with full power to the rear wheel. Maybe I need to replace the clutch springs?.Maybe a clutch rebuild?
· This is a small thing but annoying none-the-less: of all the possible ways to design a turn signal switch, Yamaha picked the worst. How hard could it be to design a switch that requires two clicks to go from left to right? It's dangerous to be fussing around with the switch in traffic trying to hit in between.
· Where the heck is 6th gear? I keep reaching for it but it just isn't there. Is there higher gearing available? Do different variations of the XS have different gear ratios, and if so can I put them in my "Special?"
I'm a wood floor contractor, and I actually take care of a lot of business on my bike. I do estimates, collect on jobs, and even pick up supplies that I can stuff into saddlebags or strap onto the rack and "sissy- bar."
This latter, by the way is indispensable as far as I'm concerned. Besides occasional supplies for work, I can also strap on a bag or two of groceries after work. I've got a tank bag with padded magnets in which I pack estimate forms, a Walkman radio, business cards, etc. The window on the bag is great for holding directions or a Mapquest printout and my "do list." It comes right off without fussing with fasteners or straps and actually looks kinda cool sitting on top of the tank.
If I can figure out how to do it, I'll attach photo's next time so you can see the beast. "The Beast:" I never named it, and that has a certain ring to it. H-m-m...
Keep the rubber side down!
Liberty
"900 bucks, $300 now and ride it outta here." It had been owned by three others before me. Someone else had bought it from J.D. and traded it back in for something newer. Idiot... ingrate! Anyway I was skeptical at first. I told him I was after a 650, maybe a 750. But it was a hell-of-a-deal, and I took it for a ride and bought it.
I rode it around the mountains for a couple of weeks, never getting it over 4,000 R.P.M. I thought that was it, and I was happy with the torque stuff. Then one day I finally took it out on the freeway and as I got onto the entrance ramp I sez to meself "self," sez I, "let's see how quickly I can get this up to freeway speed." When it hit that sweet spot at 4500 R.P.M. and the front-end got light, and that "on the cam" exhaust note hit, I got a **** eating grin on my face that didn't go way for a week. I have been a lover of XS ever since.
Likes:
· Mussel bike power, speed, respect from other riders. I'm not a knee dragger, but it handles pretty damn good for a "standard" bike. I think that's what I like the most about the XS: there aren't too many non specialized bikes around any more. It's not a sport bike, a dirt bike, a cruiser, or a racer, it's just a well designed all around motorcycle that a guy can bolt a few accessories onto to personalize it without destroying the styling.
· It couldn't fit me better if I had had it custom fitted to me. It has to be the most comfortable bike I have ever had.
Dislikes:
· It's top heavy. This actually makes for good handling in the "esses," but makes it hard for a bantam weight (125 lbs. dripping wet) to maneuver in parking situations, and on the occasions that I've dropped it, it is damn hard for me pick up.
· Not only is neutral easy to find, but it has the unfortunate habit of jumping out of first gear. The first couple of times this happened I was dumped unceremoniously upon the tarmac. That's how I know it's hard to pick up! Now I make a point of keeping my foot on the shift lever until I'm underway.
· The bike has more huevos than its plate can hold. I have to back off of full power or the clutch slips. I'd like to see what it would do with full power to the rear wheel. Maybe I need to replace the clutch springs?.Maybe a clutch rebuild?
· This is a small thing but annoying none-the-less: of all the possible ways to design a turn signal switch, Yamaha picked the worst. How hard could it be to design a switch that requires two clicks to go from left to right? It's dangerous to be fussing around with the switch in traffic trying to hit in between.
· Where the heck is 6th gear? I keep reaching for it but it just isn't there. Is there higher gearing available? Do different variations of the XS have different gear ratios, and if so can I put them in my "Special?"
I'm a wood floor contractor, and I actually take care of a lot of business on my bike. I do estimates, collect on jobs, and even pick up supplies that I can stuff into saddlebags or strap onto the rack and "sissy- bar."
This latter, by the way is indispensable as far as I'm concerned. Besides occasional supplies for work, I can also strap on a bag or two of groceries after work. I've got a tank bag with padded magnets in which I pack estimate forms, a Walkman radio, business cards, etc. The window on the bag is great for holding directions or a Mapquest printout and my "do list." It comes right off without fussing with fasteners or straps and actually looks kinda cool sitting on top of the tank.
If I can figure out how to do it, I'll attach photo's next time so you can see the beast. "The Beast:" I never named it, and that has a certain ring to it. H-m-m...
Keep the rubber side down!
Liberty
Just bought a 1980 Special that has been non oped for 9 years. My Skoot will rise from the ashes and be re named "The Phoenix!"
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