how old is everyone?

[dbbrian]

57

1st bike at about 13 - 72 Yamaha RT2 360 MX - simulaneously thrilling and scared sh**less

2nd bike at 16 - 74 Honda 350F - was my wheels at 16.

A friend loaned me his XS11 when I was 18 - repeat of the 360 MX experience.

Found my XS11 in 2016 from a guy who was retiring from my workplace at 70. One of the best decisions I had made in a long time was to buy that bike from him.

Found this forum, and new friends. One of the best things the bike has given me.

Brian

[fly]

I will be 78 next week. I have a 1978E that I bought in 2002. It has a Hitchhiker sidecar. I have been on this site since 2004.
fly

[ViperRon]

I will be 62 August 9 2020 and retired have not been on here a lot lately or ridding much. I would like to ask all here to be patient with the people who work IT and especially those who are working to try to fix and or keep the site up. IT has been an ever changing world in the past few years, company's come and go and many are run by people who have a PHD (post hole digger degree) and that describes their capability. People in the business often change things to get the new tools to design and create, many I see as garbage as they conflict with many older programs. I like the site and I after being involved in IT for all my adult life suggest that if you invest make sure what you get into is strictly Microsoft. I say this because soon they will make changes that will dominate the market. I suggest staying away from things like Facebook. They capture everything, even info on who visits, not a good thing.

Now that I am retiring the last thing I want to see is things related to IT.

[sethhope]

Just about 23.

Havent been riding or working on my ol girl much due to my job, but Roxy is still my first and favorite.

[thebottle]

So many older people on here with a lot of great stories. I started this without much thought, but I'm feeling like adding a bit more to my story. Everyone else feel free to do the same, because I love reading all of these responses!

[Ken Talbot]

Turning 66 next week, been riding since I turned 16 and started out on a 50cc Raleigh Runabout Mo-ped.

Picked up my first XS in '98 and got hooked up with the XS community when there were only about 30 to 40 of us, using a mail server to exchange notes - before XS11.com was born. Over the years, picked up two Standards, one Special, and one Midnight Special. Sold off the last one a couple of years ago and officially retired from riding.

Got pretty involved with XS11.com in the early days by writing a few technical articles here and there, doing a bit of moderating, and participating in more than a few discussions about what type of oil to use and how to sort out a spooge hole problem.

SWMBO and I had a lot of fun travelling to and hosting rallies, and meeting a lot of very interesting people.

[Geezer]

I'm 63 now. I've had a strange career path bit many years of it, I was a motorcycle mechanic. I mostly worked at Yamaha dealers but that wasn't anything I planned. I've had more bikes than I can remember at the moment and may were British and Italian. I've never had a German bike or a Harley. Those were always out of my budget...

I remember when every bike mechanic was expected to be able to lace and true spoke wheels. How times change.... I came out of mechanics' school with only a basic knowledge of how to lace wheels but I had never done it. Later on I became the owner of a bike salvage shop (around 1983) and the brand S bike I had at the time broke some spokes in the rear wheel. I had it all apart and was struggling to get it back together when a guy I knew offered to put it together for me. I turned him down because I knew it was something I had to learn to do for myself. I asked for tips and pointers and 3 days later I had that wheel trued and back on my bike. The second time I laced a wheel it took me all day but I had it back on the bike by sundown. By the 3rd one, I could do it in an hour. Later on if I had new spokes and rim, I could have it laced and trued in around 45 minutes... I usually took longer because I always wanted to take the hub to the bench polishing wheel while it was easy to get to...

Tony

[LenB]

Hey all,

I'm 63 and have been riding something motorized since I was about 13. Started with a series of Honda 50's/55's with knobby tires and fenders sawed off. Graduated to a Honda CD125, Yamaha 180 twin (2-stroke), Honda CB350, Honda CB750 ('72?). Bad highway experiences with chains led me down the Yamaha path, first a '76 XS750D and then the holy grail of motorcycles: 1980 XS1100G which I have owned from new. Head was rebuilt under warranty when there wasn't a lot of kilometers on it due to soft intake valve guides - burning a lot of oil. While they were in there, excess cylinder wear was discovered and you can guess what I said when they wanted to bore it one over. Got parked in 1998 due to high insurance costs, use of a company vehicle (didn't need it for commuting - bad for the engine/exhaust when it's only a short distance anyway), oh and other preoccupations like paying for a house and raising a family. The poor beast sat under a tarp for 19 years! House now paid for and children moved on, time for a belated mid-life crisis. "But dear, other guys buy red Corvettes. Bringing the bike back to life is waaaay cheaper!" So 2017, the task begins: Filthy, with pitted chrome and seized brakes, she (the bike, not the wife) took up a central position in the garage. ALL rubber rotten along with the seat cover and handlegrips. Found a new front and barely used rear tires, replaced intake manifolds and more recently - drive boot. Replaced clutch friction discs and springs (3rd time - wasn't gentle with her earlier on - when you've got this kind of acceleration, it would be downright shameful not to use it once and a while!) This forum has been not only a source of inspiration but also a wealth of information. As most XS's fall prey to, 2nd gear started slipping. I was lucky enough to find someone in Lethbridge, Alberta on Kijiji wrecking an '81, so I bought the entire transmission off him (Score

[LenB]

Part II - Hey All,

Wasn't brave enough to start carving up the gears, so I just did the washer swap with the newer and better condition 2nd gear/5th wheel gears. Fished a new cam chain in and went with a manual adjuster. Much easier to install the cam chain with the oil pan off as I got to get in to guide the chain past the crank gear more easily. With it all torn apart, I replaced a couple of valve shims with thinner ones. Installed JBM carb diaphragms, filled her with oils and she started up first crack! Now waiting on a new ignition switch and a used wiring loom for the tach/fuel gauge (hopefully this little black box is properly converting 12 volts to 7) Gauge tested OK with 9V battery. Anyway, in this crazy world we are in today, I'm thankful to still be able to be upright, breathing and feel the rush of acceleration / wind in my face! I'm sure I'm not alone with these thoughts. She ticked over to 90,000 kilometers recently and hoping to put on many more!

[3Phase]

Way to go, Len!

[Ranger_xs1100]

Great post LenB... Had fun reading it and relating to it!

[cajun31]

I know this post started on the old forum but I enjoyed reading it all the same. I am 63 ... very soon be 64. I am the original owner of an 80LG which was purchased in Feb. 0f 80. My story is much like LenB's. Life took hold and the bike got parked for 20 plus years. I have restored it twice. The first time not so well... the second time much better. I could not have done any of it without the knowledge of the members on this site. They go out of their ways to help. Truly an invaluable experience that I highly recommend to anyone that wants to own one of our obsessions... the XS1100. I am like Bob..RangerBob that is in that I love restoring the Midnight Specials.

[DiverRay]

I'm 66 years young and down to two XS1100's.
I started riding when I was about 12 on minibikes and Cushman scooters. By the time I was 14, I was the carb guru and was fixing carbs on BSA250's, HD 350, and any other bike that needed work. My dad had a trail 55 honda, and I learned how to hotwire it very quickly.
I worked all summer at Mt. Lassen in N. California when I was 15 and bought my first motorcycle, a Suzuki 120. About a year later I upgraded to a Honda 250 Hawk, and rode it for almost three years. Next bike was an XS1B 650 Yamaha, and I just kept going from there.
In 1977, Yamaha had a flyer out about the new XS1000 that was coming in the 1978 model year. I sold the Honda 750 I had at the time for a down payment on the new Yamaha. Picked up SN 00254 in September of 1977, and rode that bike for three years and about 34K miles. Sold it to a cop, and went without for a while because of family.
Ten years later I was riding again, and was tired of problems with chains, etc. Bought a '79F, got it running well, and been going on different shaft drive bikes ever since.
Retired and moved from Monterey Bay area to Idaho a year ago, and brought two XS11's with me. the SF I just put to bed for the winter, and I'll be starting on the engine for the E in about six weeks. I plan on riding until I can't hold the bike up any more, and then I may have to get a trike.

[Bonz]

52 years young/old depending on the day...

Started with a Honda Express moped in the early 80s progressed to a Honda C70 passport then really didn't ride until adult hood and started up again in 2006 when I picked up a used Suzuki Bandit 1200S. Got an 80SG from a friend who had it in his shed, had that for a number of years until I sold it a handful of years ago.

ZRX 1200 is the only bike in the garage however I am feeling the pull more than ever to get it some company.

Don't know if that company is an XS, honestly it's probably going to be something like a Sport Tourer. After doing a roll-on against Bob Embery's Concours 14 at the Colorado rally this summer, makes me feel that would be my top choice. With minimal additional work like he has done it becomes an even mightier steed.

[red bandit]

I'm 60. In 78 I bought a 76 Yamaha DT 400 Enduro. Road it for 2 years. In 79 while I still had that I tried to buy a 79 SF but the bank wouldn't give a loan to a 19 year old back then and there is no way my parents would sign for a bike, didn't even ask. Went with out until 2002 I bought a Yamaha 550, I think it was a Maximum. 04 I bought a xs750, road it twice. Sold both of them and in 04 bought my 79E with 35,000 on the clock. Now has 66,000.