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Is your XS a daily rider?

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  • Is your XS a daily rider?

    I've had my inherited XS running now for awhile and it's definitely a daily rider. It brings me to work every morning, and home again at the end of the day... which is a round trip of 40km (25 miles). On top of that I also go cruising when I can, just aimlessly traveling around like I used to do back in the old days. I put this bike back together to be ridden as often as possible, and that's what I'm doing.

    Given the age of these bikes... is yours a daily rider like this, or do you treat it differently? I imagine some fix these bikes up and ride them only sparingly to preserve them, but that's not for me.

    datter
    Rebuilt 1981 XS1100 H
    My story

  • #2
    I ride everywhere

    My bike is a daily driver fer sure...and I take it EVERYwhere! I have a 96 Exploder that hasn't moved in weeks. Girlfriend asked me to go to the store the other night...and i asked if she could wait till it quit raining...LOL!!!

    They werent made to sit and be looked at. If you want to look at my bike, split my lane on the highway...
    "Rat Rod"
    79 XS1100 Standard
    87 VMAX cans
    Cheap Japanese Tires
    Cobalt Blue Rattle Can Paint
    Custom Lighting on a Budget

    Perry Center Fire Department
    Perry Emergency Ambulance

    "If we don't do it, who will?"


    Some people have one of those days, I have one of those lives...

    Comment


    • #3
      Daily rider. Cept when I'm "trying" out SWMBO's new ride.
      78E ... Gone but not forgotten
      2006 Kawasaki Concours....just getting to know it

      Comment


      • #4
        Let me think about this.... I call my bike "Daily Ride", can that be a clue?
        I ride about 35 miles each way to work, plus my weekends and errands. I DO want to get going on my "Winter Project", so I have a "nice" bike to ride when I "Need " to look good!!
        Ray Matteis
        KE6NHG
        XS1100 E '78 (winter project)
        XS1100 SF Bob Jones worked on it!

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        • #5
          I have to admit that for the past few weeks, mine has been a garage baby due to the incessant rain we are getting. IF, forcast is 30% or less I will always jump on my trusty steed and leave the car/truck at home. I have been going out every weekend between storms. I am not scared to ride in the rain, but I figure I have done more than my share of wet riding and I have some other choices to get around. On the other hand, I HATE riding my rig when its dirty and the full bore wash jobs every night can get kinda tedious.

          As for not riding them and "saving" em, not my choice. These are tough bikes, most parts are around somewhere with a little looking and with reasonable care they will last along time. I have cringed at the thought of my rig getting totaled from some bone head cager and it ending up in the "parts for sale" section.
          I have turned down many attempts from the SWMBO to get a newer/faster/better?/ bike and parkin the XS for "special rides", but the way I look at it, every ride on my XS is special.
          When a 10 isn't enough, get a 11. 80g Hardbagger

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          • #6
            Mine is a very large paperweight!


            I am working on it, though....
            Nice day, if it doesn't rain...

            '05 ST1300
            '83 502/502 Monte Carlo for sale/trade

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            • #7
              I have turned down many attempts from the SWMBO to get a newer/faster/better?/ bike and parkin the XS for "special rides",

              Webbcraft,

              Ummmm.... We need to have a little talk in a couple months! *Shaking head pitifully*


              Tod
              Try your hardest to be the kind of person your dog thinks you are.

              You can live to be 100, as long as you give up everything that would make you want to live to be 100!

              Current bikes:
              '06 Suzuki DR650
              *'82 XJ1100 with the 1179 kit. "Mad Maxim"
              '82 XJ1100 Completely stock fixer-upper
              '82 XJ1100 Bagger fixer-upper
              '82 XJ1100 Motor/frame and lots of boxes of parts
              '82 XJ1100 Parts bike
              '81 XS1100 Special
              '81 YZ250
              '80 XS850 Special
              '80 XR100
              *Crashed/Totalled, still own

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              • #8
                I have two daily rides. The E has the full fairing w/lowers, bags, and trunk. It is perfect for cold/rainy winter days.
                The LG is nekkid XScept for the sport windshield and is the summer bike.
                Pat Kelly
                <p-lkelly@sbcglobal.net>

                1978 XS1100E (The Force)
                1980 XS1100LG (The Dark Side)
                2007 Dodge Ram 2500 quad-cab long-bed (Wifes ride)
                1999 Suburban (The Ship)
                1994 Dodge Spirit (Son #1)
                1968 F100 (Valentine)

                "No one is totally useless. They can always be used as a bad example"

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                • #9
                  Like Pat, I have one dressed snd one nekid. Then there is the third LH that is going to be stripped and redone and only ridden on special days.
                  I just donated a boat and trailer that had been left in my yard "for a short while" 4 years ago to a friend and he dropped off an 81 Gold wing to add to my collection...
                  "If A equals success, then the formula is: A = X + Y + Z. X is work. Y is play. Z is keep your mouth shut." - Albert Einstein

                  "Illegitimi non carborundum"-Joseph W. "Vinegar Joe" Stilwell



                  1980 LG
                  1981 LH

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                  • #10
                    A dissenting opinion!

                    My 81SH was a daily ride when I first brought it back to the states from JAPAN in 83, did that for 1.5 years, 24/7/365, work and back, rain, sleet, snow(rarely in southeast Va ) and I had used my previous ride, a Yamaha TX500A for several years before also as my only mode of transport, but the novelty has worn off for me!

                    Then after I had to rebuild the topend with a bigbore, didn't want to put too many unnecessary superslab miles on it, so it's mostly a trailer queen , I do get to ride it every now and then aside from the Rallies I attend, just too many other projects going on right now, and crazy cagers, safer in my cage!
                    T.C.
                    T. C. Gresham
                    81SH "Godzilla" . . .1179cc super-rat.
                    79SF "The Teacher" . . .basket case!
                    History shows again and again,
                    How nature points out the folly of men!

                    Comment


                    • #11
                      Packmule does it all!

                      She is my daily rider, 20 miles a day.

                      She is my weekend play toy.

                      She is the TeXSive Rally rig too!

                      She does it all.

                      greg
                      Gone but never Forgotten:
                      1980 XS11SG - "Scorpion"

                      Current:
                      2006 Yamaha FJR1300A - "Orion"
                      2007 Honda CBR600RR - "Twitch"


                      "Life is not a journey to the grave, with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well preserved body; but rather to skid on broadside, thoroughly used up, totally worn out and loudly proclaiming:

                      WOW - What a ride!

                      Comment


                      • #12
                        Daily rider - 100 km/day minimum, unless I 'get lost' on the way home. I ride every day except if there is lightening, had some fun experiences riding through washed out freeways too! Great way to wash the bike off of road grime. I hope to ride daily until December again this year.
                        1984 XJ1100 - 79 cams, XS850 FD, XS triple tree/euro cafe bars, hydraulic clutch, bar end mirrors, yamaha R1 rear mono-shock
                        1972 CL350 - clubmans, Mike's XS coils/condenser, '98 Yamaha R1 rearsets (If I can find some at a decent price)

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                        • #13
                          Can't say mine is a true 'daily rider' in the respect that I depend on it to take me to and from work, etc. But, I do not put it away inside of my garage where it will sit. I keep it on my carport under a cover so I can take off whenever I want. I ride usually 5-6 times a week, even if just for a short spin through the neighborhood.

                          One thing I have found is that my machine stays in much better shape being used often. Cleaner, stays in tune much better, etc.
                          Mike Giroir
                          79 XS-1100 Special

                          Once you un-can a can of worms, the only way to re-can them is with a bigger can.

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                          • #14
                            You guys fit in with my mindset so well it's great.
                            Rebuilt 1981 XS1100 H
                            My story

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                            • #15
                              Looking forward to mine being a daily ride, putting the exhaust helicoil and stud in at lunchtime

                              IT'S SOOOOOO CLOSE !!!!!!!!!
                              Si Parker
                              '81 XS1100H

                              Tkat brace, new coils/wires/plugs, refurbed carbs (thanks 81 xsproject), recon'd top end, windshield (thanks dpotter58), resprayed tank and panels, 4-1 exhaust, sweet xs pod filters, in line fuel filters, progressive springs, thick hand grips, jumped headlight relay.

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