Starting big

[fredintoon]

Adding my list of mostly forgotten marques to Webbcraft's "motorcycle evolution process" thread and I noticed that Streetrat and Bandito had posted that their first and only bike was an XS1100. I believe I've seen others post that fact also.
OK then, Streetrat, Bandito and the rest were still alive when they posted and hopefully still are. What I want to ask is, how did you manage that?
Not becoming a 50 yard trail of forensic evidence the first time you wound the grip wide open, that is.
I started with 32ccs and worked up onto bigger bikes over the years as I gained experience, getting to the awesome power and top-heavy handling of the XS1100 only after increasing age and many miles placed my raging testosterone fully under the command of my iron will.
If there is a trick to transitioning from a bicycle straight to an XS1100 and living to tell about it, I beg the survivors to share it.
Fred Hill, S'toon.

[strom]

I started with a MZ 250. They said if you can ride that well, you can ride anything. Had even more crappy guzzi after that, a kawasaki 600 with bent frame, so the XS actually felt pretty great.
Even after riding some new and newer bikes. The only time it felt top-heavy was when I jumped straight off a 81 Goldwing to my XS. Quite top-heavy and waaaaay more sporty.

LP

[81xsproject]

I rode an 82 Xj650 for about 3 years and then got my xs11

[Pat Kelly]

Just because it has 90 HP and will go 135 MPH dosen't mean you have to do so (yeah, right ).

[valhallan]

power jumps

i had a honda 750 oh... 18 years ago, i'm riding a 400 until my 11 is ready, and smart enough to be concerned about the power jump, and my handling. mainly because, the spedometer reads 120 because the BIKE wants to go that fast. its not my fault. my wife asked the other day why they bother to make cars and bikes that go 100 mph+ when you can't legally drive it? i had a vivid flash of my mother asking the exact same thing, but was smart enough to just say " you just don't understand dear" rather then tell her who she sounded like.

[Artic_rider]

Sounds dumb, but my first bike was the v65 magna...1100cc and I was 18 years old. Not a wise decision on my part now that I look back on it. Way too much power for a kid who never road before, and didn't have a clue about power to weight ratio's...hehe. I still have the ol' girl though, and ride it, as well as the other two when ever I can.

[bandet01]

well the xs1100 was my first street bike but i had rode dirt bikes and quads since i was 12 so i had experance and my dad had always owned a xs1100 so i had practiced on it so thats why i started out on a xs1100 and i got a good deal on it but i would like to find a v65 sabre

[robywan_kenobi]

Well, my first motorcycle ever was and is an XS1100. A 1981 H model to be exact. I have had it for almost exactly a year now. Don't know how to answer your question though. A friend of mine had the bike for sale, I went and test drove it (first time ever riding a bike on my own). And then I bought it. Can't say I've exactly gotten that testosterone thing under control, I've been to red line in 3rd gear with the needle on the 85 mph speedo buried-no idea how fast I was going, but took quite a ways under decel for the speedo to start moving from where it was pegged. I've managed to avoid any accidents up to this point and I ride the bike every day, it is my main mode of transportation to and from work, church, and anywhere else I may need to go.

[CWilliamson]

My first bike was a xs850. Rode that for a few years. I think it helped that I took the MSF beginner course prior to riding it more than a few blocks. From there I went to a cx500 and now to the xs1100. I guess it helped that I didn't start riding until I was 29.

Clark

[pathfinder]

First bike was the 78 xs11 std, never rode or worked on a bike before. It was stove up with only 6k on the clock. Went out and bought metric tools then took 30 days to get it running. Got on and rode it , guess I didn't know any better & a whole lotta luck. Now have 53k with one accident at a slow speed with a little damage. That gave me the excuse to rebuild it.

[xj11john]

As I stated in the Bike evolution thread started riding a Suzuki 90 at age 12, then progessed from there, but I find it amazing the someone could just jump on the xs or xj 1100 and be like a fish in water.

Scares me to think about anyone under say 150 lbs riding one.
with that said when I bought my 82 xj 1100 the guy I bought it from said he was selling it for a kid that lived in KY, he said the bike was too big for him and he dropped it hitting a tree root in his yard. So anyway it worked out for me, I got it for $1300.00

[Parr8hed]

My first and only bike to date was my 78 e. I had never ridden another bike until her. I just took it slow and shower her lots of respect. She has taken care of me so far. I guess that I just learned the fine art of restraint. In the 4 years that I have owned her I have since forgotten that fine art!!!

[randy]

Scares me to think about anyone under say 150 lbs riding one.

Take a look in our pictures section at the '79 Cycle magazine cover. Their test rider couldn't have been more than 100 lbs. Poor fella doesn't even look like he can straddle it at a stop! Think that's how they got those high-eleven's in the 1/4?

[randy]

OOPs couldn't edit in time,

[Street_Rat78]

Re: Starting big

Originally posted by fredintoon
Adding my list of mostly forgotten marques to Webbcraft's "motorcycle evolution process" thread and I noticed that Streetrat and Bandito had posted that their first and only bike was an XS1100. I believe I've seen others post that fact also.
OK then, Streetrat, Bandito and the rest were still alive when they posted and hopefully still are. What I want to ask is, how did you manage that?
Not becoming a 50 yard trail of forensic evidence the first time you wound the grip wide open, that is.

To answer you question Fred, I myself am not exactly small. I stand about 6'3" and weigh about 240 lbs. so I know it'd be an akward ride on a small bike. I wanted a bike that would fit me, and vise versa. When my buddy told me he was selling his, I was a bit daunted by the fact that it was an 1100, but I've always had a great deal of respect and reverence for motorcycles. I've seen too many bad lay downs and the like to know I didn't want to wind up as one of those 50 yard trails.

So basically, to answer you question, I just took to slow and steady ... first just around the parking lot, then up and down the road ... then around the block ... then back roads ... and finally the interstate. Since I've only had my bike for about two months, and have done a good bit of work to it, I'm still not too comfortable on the interstate ... because cagers here can't drive worth a damn.

The key to starting out this big is respect ... and as it says in the Let the Wookie Win article, "No motorcycle is large enough to carry both a rider AND an attitude." So I just make sure I stay as humble as possible when I'm riding the Mistress.