other rides?

[DenyP]

My main ride is my XS1100E. I have added an '80 XS850 Special which is my winter project. I am hopeing the wife will be able to handle it. But if not we have a grand time 2-up on the 1100, and I have another great bike in my collection.

Deny

[Dan Hodges]

Bmw

I don't believe anyone is saying a stock XS is superior to a ST 1300 certainly not me. I did state what the stopping distances were on various bikes new and old including the XS as it was tested in stock form and some things that could be done to improve it. A stock ST1300 weighs 727 pounds and puts 114 hp to the ground which gives it a power to weight ratio of 6.37 hp per pound. An 80-81 Yamaha 1100 Special weighs 557 pounds which it means it needs 87.44 hp at the rear wheel to have the same power to weight ratio as the ST 1300 and there are at least 3 or 4 guys on here that have made from 85 to 90 hp on the dyno with mildly modified motors and a set of good pipes. In a drag race, two vehicles with the same power to weight ratio will always favor the lighter vehicle because the lighter vehicle will accelerate quicker in the first 60 feet given equal drivers and vehicle preparation. A tricked out XS Eleven making 95 horsepower at the rear wheel will smoke a stock ST1300 in a drag race each having competent pilots and it will absolutely smoke it from 60 mph to a 120 mph on Interstate 70 in Missouri. Of course it's not a Busa or whatever but a good one will hold it's own against the 1000 Concours that just went out of style when the C-14 came out and a good one will smoke most any V-Twin save a V-Rod or the Susuki ME-109 and a really good one will run with the 109. A lot of guys have these XS Elevens because stock Elevens are cheap however I mess with mine because I like it and I have spent a boat load of money getting it to the point it is. I built my XS to the point it is to smoke Harleys and V-Twin Metric bikes and occasionaly some unassuming Mac Daddy on his $15,000-$20,000 touring bike. I have three motorcycles, my trick XS, a trick 96 V-Max and a brand new black & silver FJR-1300 and they are all sweet each with their own personality. If I wanted a road race bike or liked spooking the curves I would get myself an R1 or something similiar but curves are not my deal, it's straight lines that I'm after and the 725 pound ST-1300 Honda with it's somewhat industrial sounding V-4 tractor motor is not for me and I can afford anything I want. Speaking of flexy frames, I know the frame on the old Max was kinda spindly however a 1400 cc 600 pound early Max that's putting 150 horses to the ground will out run the new Max which weighs 700 pounds and putting 174 horses to the ground because of the power to weight ratio thing. I would not have a stock XS Eleven and have never owned anything with wheels or wings that was stock for very long and at the end of the day, when you strip away the electronics and intake system, a motor is a motor whether it's a 600 cubic Chevrolet Reher & Morrison drag race motor, a bike motor or a Lycoming flat four out of an air plane. Even a 1650 cubic inch Merlin V-12 that's used in the highly modified WWII Mustangs raced at Reno in the Gold cup races works essentially the same as the others and all are precise if you want to do them right and extract all the hp out of them you can. Oh yes, I have a pristine 85 3/4 ton Chevy pickup with a 502 crate motor that I use to tow my race car and trailer and that 500 inch low compression rat motor is a little noisy but it's got way more steam than some funky gas V/8 liter motor that's available in the new Chevy pickups. You could get one of Chevy's diesel's I suppose if you wanted to put up with the noise and the smell of that funky diesel. My truck doesn't have AC, power windows or any of that other BS, but it has a turbo 400 transmission that's bullet proff, 4.11 gears, power disk brakes, power steering and will pull my 28 foot trailer through the mountains of Tennesee as fast as I have nerve to go and oh yes, it takes 50 gallons of mid grade to fill it up and that comes kinda often pulling that trailer at 75 mph but who cares, it's a friggin truck (with no radio) I sing to myself. You brought it up so I'll ask again, what are the stopping distances on the ST-1300 from 60 mph to 0? What is the quarter mile times? What is the top gear roll on times from 60 mph to 80 mph? What is the top speed? A junk Eleven is exactly that, junk however one man's junk is another man's treasure and my junk has had plastic surgery and I would not trade it for the 700 pound pork chop aka the ST-1300.

No body mentioned a Beemer.

[nashville_bill]

Here is a picture of my stable from last spring. I've sold the ST1100 since then.

[Elevenator]

You brought it up so I'll ask again, what are the stopping distances on the ST-1300 from 60 mph to 0? What is the quarter mile times? What is the top gear roll on times from 60 mph to 80 mph? What is the top speed? A junk Eleven is exactly that, junk however one man's junk is another man's treasure and my junk has had plastic surgery and I would not trade it for the 700 pound pork chop aka the ST-1300.

First I never implied the Eleven was junk...nor would I. I think it's one of the greatest bikes ever built. But this thread is titled "other bikes".

I really don't know all the specs of the ST. Indeed it is a boat anchor. I've ridden an ST1300 and it was nice...but not really my style. Way too heavy.

But the stopping distance 60-0 on my Concours14 is 125 to 133 ft depending on what magazine you read. All I know is the braking system on this bike is far superior to the braking system on my "near new" '79F. As well it shold be...it's 30 years newer. I would hope to God they have made improvements in that time.

The quarter mile time on same is somewhere between 10.49 and 10.6 ...again depending on what rag you read. But then I didn't buy this beast to drag race. Having said that my '79F runs strong for a 30 year old bike but it would take a swimming pool full of cash to get it to run in the mid 10's. And then it wouldn't be good for much else.

I really haven't found any published top speed figures for it. I think Cycle World claimed they got one up 160 mph. I actually took mine to 163 once...but then it's not crate stock (minor exhaust/fuel mods). There again I didn't buy this machine to run at Bonneville. It's a nice novelty that it will run that fast but in the end I don;t use it for that. The '79F?...I think this will be the third time I've said this...I don't think you could get an Eleven up to 160 if you threw it out of a plane.

The ride quality and the bottom end torque for touring is the main reason I chose the flagship Kawasaki. The power delivery is utterly linear and smooth. The stability of the bike is "car like" from 0 all the way out to 160+. And it handles curves very well and is nimble to be a touring bike. Add to that true VVT, tire pressure warning system, and a charging system with some real juice.... So far I'm pleased with it...I may change my mind tommorrow.

The old Eleven is a hard beast to beat though. It is very depndable and workable. I know...I've had five and have taken one of them on numerous long (5000+ miles) road trips. In nut shell an Eleven gets the job done. And I'm it's biggest fan. It's just no modern bike.

BTW ... friendly correction here...your units of measurement are inverted. I think you meant lbs per hp.

Lastly - BMW is stepping up to the plate in a big way. I the near future (maybe next year) there competitor to the C14/FJR will be the K1300GT. I hear tell it will be putting down about 160hp to the rear wheel. Of course being a Bimmer it will have all the bells and whistles. And as such will probably cost $25K.

Good thread!

[Dan Hodges]

Elevenator= Maximan, C-130's And Gray Kaws

First I never implied the Eleven was junk...nor would I. I think it's one of the greatest bikes ever built. But this thread is titled "other bikes".

I really don't know all the specs of the ST. Indeed it is a boat anchor. I've ridden an ST1300 and it was nice...but not really my style. Way too heavy.

But the stopping distance 60-0 on my Concours14 is 125 to 133 ft depending on what magazine you read. All I know is the braking system on this bike is far superior to the braking system on my "near new" '79F. As well it shold be...it's 30 years newer. I would hope to God they have made improvements in that time.

The quarter mile time on same is somewhere between 10.49 and 10.6 ...again depending on what rag you read. But then I didn't buy this beast to drag race. Having said that my '79F runs strong for a 30 year old bike but it would take a swimming pool full of cash to get it to run in the mid 10's. And then it wouldn't be good for much else.

I really haven't found any published top speed figures for it. I think Cycle World claimed they got one up 160 mph. I actually took mine to 163 once...but then it's not crate stock (minor exhaust/fuel mods). There again I didn't buy this machine to run at Bonneville. It's a nice novelty that it will run that fast but in the end I don;t use it for that. The '79F?...I think this will be the third time I've said this...I don't think you could get an Eleven up to 160 if you threw it out of a plane.

The ride quality and the bottom end torque for touring is the main reason I chose the flagship Kawasaki. The power delivery is utterly linear and smooth. The stability of the bike is "car like" from 0 all the way out to 160+. And it handles curves very well and is nimble to be a touring bike. Add to that true VVT, tire pressure warning system, and a charging system with some real juice.... So far I'm pleased with it...I may change my mind tommorrow.

The old Eleven is a hard beast to beat though. It is very depndable and workable. I know...I've had five and have taken one of them on numerous long (5000+ miles) road trips. In nut shell an Eleven gets the job done. And I'm it's biggest fan. It's just no modern bike.

BTW ... friendly correction here...your units of measurement are inverted. I think you meant lbs per hp.

Lastly - BMW is stepping up to the plate in a big way. I the near future (maybe next year) there competitor to the C14/FJR will be the K1300GT. I hear tell it will be putting down about 160hp to the rear wheel. Of course being a Bimmer it will have all the bells and whistles. And as such will probably cost $25K.

Good thread!

The left side of your Avatar bears a striking resemblence to Cody Griffon (Maximan) with blond hair as does your writing and love for gray Kaws. The stopping distance on a 79 SF is 135 feet and 140 for the Standard. Would you believe the stopping distance for a 79 Honda 750-F was 125 feet, it was and I had a new one and I've still got all the specs. CycleWorld tested the Concours C-14 stock and managed a 10.91 et @126.54 mph in the quarter mile and a measured top speed of 160 mph. No one is denying that the C-14 is anything but quick and is an all around neat scooter and at $14,000 big ones it better be. No the XS-1100 will not fall from a C-130 and reach a velocity of 160 mph, nor will I however a like new and properly tuned and equipped XS is a competitive cruiser against the metric twins and Harleys. Again, there is no place in Missouri (besides a race track) I can ride or drive anything with wheels 160 mph but of course I might if I lived in Oklahoma or some parts of Texas and even then I might get passed by a Busa and then what. I was talking about power to weight/weight to power and or the power to weight ratio when I was comparing the power of the ST-1300 to that of a modified XS. Is it grey or is it gray? I have looked at your Avatar for the umtenth time and you are either Cody Griffon or you fell out of his ..... somewhere in west Texas when the Busa passed him. Actually I like Cody even though he is a Republican, nobody is perfect. I have read this 3 times and hope there are no mistakes because if there is the Elevenator will find them and point them out and I will be sooo ------! Good night and good luck. Dan

[Dan Hodges]

Mistake Identity

The left side of your Avatar bears a striking resemblence to Cody Griffon (Maximan) with blond hair as does your writing and love for gray Kaws. The stopping distance on a 79 SF is 135 feet and 140 for the Standard. Would you believe the stopping distance for a 79 Honda 750-F was 125 feet, it was and I had a new one and I've still got all the specs. CycleWorld tested the Concours C-14 stock and managed a 10.91 et @126.54 mph in the quarter mile and a measured top speed of 160 mph. No one is denying that the C-14 is anything but quick and is an all around neat scooter and at $14,000 big ones it better be. No the XS-1100 will not fall from a C-130 and reach a velocity of 160 mph, nor will I however a like new and properly tuned and equipped XS is a competitive cruiser against the metric twins and Harleys. Again, there is no place in Missouri (besides a race track) I can ride or drive anything with wheels 160 mph but of course I might if I lived in Oklahoma or some parts of Texas and even then I might get passed by a Busa and then what. I was talking about power to weight/weight to power and or the power to weight ratio when I was comparing the power of the ST-1300 to that of a modified XS. Is it grey or is it gray? I have looked at your Avatar for the umtenth time and you are either Cody Griffon or you fell out of his ..... somewhere in west Texas when the Busa passed him. Actually I like Cody even though he is a Republican, nobody is perfect. I have read this 3 times and hope there are no mistakes because if there is the Elevenator will find them and point them out and I will be sooo ------! Good night and good luck. Dan

Griffin not Griffon!!

[dragxs11]

Ahhh, Mr. Elevenator, so this is where you've been hanging out. You're right about the XS11 being a tough bike!! Most people from the last Tahoe rally don't know I ran mine with 2 bad holes, a shot clutch, and two trashed gears. BTW, it now sports a much less used power plant. Guess you could argue that a properly engineered bike would have never had those problems to begin with. However, it was, in its day, revered for it's technological advancements in certain areas. But to ask competetive track duty of it 30 years later is silly. So what then would be the best modern day replacement?? Well a BMW K1200S, of course

[Dan Hodges]

Honda CB 1100-F

For my taste the 1983 CB 1100-F was the mac daddy of sport tourers. Buck naked it would turn 11teens @ 124 mph in the quarter and would run 140 mph in the half mile and the stopping distance from 60 mph was only 120 feet. Only the Susuki 1100 ES at 118 ft. could stop quicker. These are killer stopping distances even by today's standards as witnessed by the 133 feet required for a new Kawasaki C-14 or the 120 feet required for a new FJR-1300. It had a very comfortable riding position, UMJ style and the optional Honda fairing as pictured was killer. It had a 4 valve head and like the Yamaha's, the shims were on top of the bucket and the valves were easy to adjust unlike the Kaw's and Susuki's with the shim under the bucket which required removal of the cams to adjust the valves. V&H did a build up on one of these things in the late 80's and with a Wiseco 1123 cc big bore kit, Mega-Cycle .375 lift cams, a valve job, a V&H 4 into 1 pipe, pod filters and a jet kit it ran solid 10.50's on stock tires before the stock clutch went south. Byron Hines stated at the time that with a small slick, a stiffer clutch and some pocket porting of the head the thing would have run 10.teens with a good pilot on a good day. At one time, Wiseco made a siamese (big block) for these things that allowed 1200 cc's without a problem and the Honda guys over at the CB 750-900-1100 F station have made over a 120 hp with the big block combination with 10.00 to 1 compression. Honda only actually produced them one year I believe but you could still find a new one in 84 and 85. They were not as quick nor did they have the potential of the FJ1100 with it's mildly tuned Industrial grade grunt motor but they were more comfortable and had that Honda Rolex type avant-garde something that the FJ never had. My friend has a perfect example of one and everytime I see it I kick myself for not getting one instead of the FJ-1100 I bought in 86. If I had a bigger garage I would get one now but one can only have so many toys I suppose. The big CB has to be among my top ten list of all time cool scooters. Everyone has a different favotite I'm sure.

[crazy steve]

My 'other' bike is a '93 Anniversary 1200 Sportster with every 'bolt-on' go-fast goodie I could use without altering the bike so much that it couldn't be put back stock. Goes real good, but still wouldn't beat the XS in a high-gear roll-on (but get it 'on the cams' and WOOO HOOO). This is the one that actually runs.

Also have a '86 Sporty that I'm chopping (almost done) and a '82-with-a-'98 motor that's been heavily altered for rubber engine mounts to see if I can get rid of the 'Harley Shake'.

Crazy Steve

[horst]

Dan and others,

I don't mean to berate the XS11 in any way, but the way I remember my old XS11G was that it had an incredible motor, in fact a torque monster, was fairly comfy, but lacked in pretty much every other area 'compared to newer bikes'.

Specifically, the frame 'felt like it was on hinges' as others have described it ... I clearly remember the cornering .. yikes ! ... this was of course normal back then.

As for my current bikes, the ST11 is an ABS model and ABS has kicked in several times over the four years I've ridden it, each time saving my butt, sometimes due to wet roads, other times to gravel or whatever ... it's other strenghts are supreme wind protection, reliability, and comfort without going overboard like a Wing or whatever.

The ZZR1200 .... ok let's get real, this is a midlife crisis bike, and what a cure !!! ... it has 152hp or whatever and puts me in 'Busa territory (although not '08 Busa or ZX-14) but I tell myself I've reached 'mature sport bike' status and it's just a joy to ride, not as uncomfy as you may think - I added GenMar short risers and a ZeroGravity 'touring' w/s. In fact I'm going to meet up with Ken Daniels in an hour !

Finally I bought each of these bikes slightly used, as with my previous R1150R BMW, each time saving myself a truckload of cash .... that's the only way I could even own these

[horst]

oh yeah ... the ZZR does 0-100 in just over 3 secs ... not that I can do that

what I have tried is to be going say 100mph and then crack the throttle .... yes even then it takes off like a rocket and approaches 180mph .... but I backed off just over 200km/h because of that 'mature' thing ,,, yeah

[daveyg]

82 Yamaha XJ650 Its my daily(when it's not freezing rain) until I can do the full build on the XS11

[Silent]

2007 FJR1300 with over 30k miles on it now. Been up to Vancouver, Calgary, Glacier (twice), Yellowstone (twice), Colorado, and a bunch of other places so far.

Hoping to do some real miles on the '79 XS Special once it's up and running.

[Giggity]

2002 BMW R1150GS Adventure
2003 Suzuki DR650

[Wayne]

I know, off topic here but...
Love your nick and avatar "Giggity"!
"Oooohhhh Yeah"

Silent, that is a sweet FJR bud.