Considering Purchasing a XS1000 78

[QuercusAlba]

Hi, new here to this board, and utterly new to riding as well. Meaning, I have never ridden a motorcycle before. I've been looking for cheap alternatives to picking one up that will work for me, and I've recently found a 78 XS1100 in pretty good condition other than the carbs need to be tuned. I'm just wondering if I'm gonna be able to handle this bike if I've never ridden before. Thoughts?

[TopCatGr58]

Hey there Quercas,

Doing a search for First Time rider or such should reveal many threads, been talked about many times, varying opinions about the XS11 as a First Timer's Bike, vs. starting out on something smaller and less powerful, less heavy, etc.!?

Depends on your physical makeup as well! The XS11 is a fairly heavy and taller machine, can be more difficult to keep/put both feet on the ground when stopped if you are vertically challenged!

Also, do you have fair mechanical skills, or a DESIRE to learn?? The XS11 isn't a TURNKEY proposition no matter how good of a condition of one you find, unless it's one that's been riden and maintained by a person that knows what they are doing!!!

Several on here got the 11 as their 1st bike and have done well, but having taken an MSF(Motorcycle Safety Foundation) rider trainer course is essentially a MUST to begin with.
T.C.

[thewiz]

Well ....

hopefully, at least, you are a mechanic or are willing to learn. Carbs are common repairs and, we, here at this site can help you with 'em.

Would depend on your degree of hand/eye coordination, physical size and strength, luck and a few other things as to whether could you could handle it. Most here, including myself, would not recommend an Eleven as a starter bike.

If the bike is a good deal, buy it fix it up a little at a time and ALSO buy or borrow another smaller bike at the same time to learn on. When you can ride the smaller bike well with confidence step up to the Eleven and hang on !!

[madmax-im]

Welcome

Hello and Welcome to Ch 11 I'm never one to say anyone cant do something.However I really think you would rather have a smaller displacement and a lighter weight bike.While these bikes can be had for a song...they are not tame machines.As such they are not beginners bikes and are not for the un-initiated.Its like learning anything...you just have to start with the basics and master those.That will be alot easier to accomplish on a much smaller displacement machine.
I have two of these bikes ine is an '81 XS1100 Special and the other is an '82 XJ1100 Maxim.Both are the same engine.These bikes were the first true musclebikes...superbikes when they hit the USA back in 1978-1982 and til '84 in Canada and Europe.Back in the day these bikes ran 1/4 mile times consistently under 12 secs and at speeds of 130+mph...so if you see these bikes today some of them are still quite capable although there are newer rides that are faster and more refined.
I would also suggest since you are new to riding that you find out and enroll in a MSF course...thats Motorcycle Safety Foundation.They have courses for beginning to experienced riders.I am sure you'll hear this and then some from the others....
As for what size bike is suitable for you ..I 'd say anyhting from 250cc up to 500cc and maybe a little more but a 250cc bike would really be excellent...I knoe many ppl have this idea in their head of what they want or like but the reality is if its too big to start with then its gonna hurt when you learn....and we really dont want that.Riding a M/C is a very risky proposition...but the rewards are right up there...but you have to be vigilent to your safety being paramount.Good luck and feel free to discuss any thing you want.

[QuercusAlba]

Thanks for the advice... I had also been looking at a Honda CB350, and I think I'll probably go with that... it just kind of needs a bit of work, more than the XS, and is looking like it's gonna run me a bit more. I'd rather not break any bones or give my noggin' a floggin'.

[madmax-im]

Depending on how much money you have for a bike...there are alot of things out there in good running condition for relatively little $.If you spend a little more to find a turnkey bike it'll be worth it as opposed to sinking $ into a project..unless you're mechanically inclined.

[Ivan]

My XS11 is my first bike. Everyone talks about how heavy they are, and I guess that would be so for the 150 pound types. But for this fat guy, it really isn't all that heavy. But, there again, I weigh more than half what the bike weighs. It has been a good choice for me, and I have had a blast.

SOme said to get a 250, but that would be like moving an elephant in a yugo.

[QuercusAlba]

Hah... I'm a little guy. I weigh 130!

[Bowtied]

I can say from FIRST HAND EXPERIENCE that as long as you have a healthy respect for a bike and realize up front that you can get SERIOUSLY hurt on one and if you keep the mindset that no one see's you and everyone is out to run you over. Then you'll do fine.

Now if you get out there and get to pullen the wheel at 70mph or think that you can hop on and just blast down the highway then it's been nice knowen ya cause you'll certainly hurt yourself.

I will say that an xs1100 (same as mine). I rode my dads old harley when i was 16. I rode it a total of 3 miles a day. For about a year (weather permitting). I took neighborhood streets and never saw a busy street. 7 years later i got my xs1100. And a week after i got it i blasted down i-44 at 85 mph just to see wat it was like. And it scared the living (insert 4 letter word here) out of me.

You can't even begin to imagine all the things that can go wrong EXTREMLY quickly on a bike. But like i said if you have a healthy respect for the bike and don't plan on jumping on one and hammering the throttle the first time you ride one then you should do fine.

I suggest a riding class tho (as lame as it sounds) they are actually educating. And help alot especially with new riders.

And riding in a pack on scenic roads with minimal traffic and long straight roads with no crazy drivers is the best place (And funnest) to learn to ride a bike. Or your local empty parking lot. Either way is good.

Main thing is just be CAREFUl always wear a helmet and assume that every person on the road is out to run you over. If you keep that mind frame then you should do fine. And never assume anyone sees you or is looking out for you. Just because you make eye contact don't mean they saw you or think your still next to them.

I almost went down just a few days ago from a guy that didn't know his lane ended and yanked the wheel in front of me and i slammed on the brakes. And when your doen 35 and the back tire locks up and slides sideways and the bike tips over you'll wish you would have brought an extra pair of pants!

But good luck man hope to see you out riding real soon!

[prometheus578]

Hah... I'm a little guy. I weigh 130!

Go for the smaller bike!
This one weighs four times what you do.
And unless you've got a tall, stick body (like I had twenty five years ago), I don't think that you'll be able to plant both feet firmly on the ground at a stop, and that's rather unsafe fer ya.

[Bowtied]

Not tryen to scare you i'm just sayen be carefull. My xs1100 is my first very own bike and i ride the piss out of it.

You should probably get a little smaller bike tho if your nervous about it. These bikes handle really well for there size and are fun to ride. The maneuver well under a throttle. They have some awesome performance and can flat get it when you open the throttle up.

But they can get away from you. I have a blast riding my xs cause all the old guys pull up next to me at a light and tell me i have a great looking bike (not bad for just pulling it out of a guys yard and riding it!) They are definatly attention whores. But i live for attention. I have alot of tattoos long goatee and a fullsize chevy truck that when parked the body touches the ground. So i live for the attention. But even still i'm very cautious very safe and i keep my distance from other cars and riders.

But it's not a fear for your life deal when riding. I'm just sayen if you've never riden before then get ready to become super attentive. You gotta watch every driver and always check your mirrors and keep an eye on your surroundings at all times cause if you don't see it comen it's too late.

But i'm 23 and have been riding bikes for a total of about a year now. I get kinda daring and i like to throttle it a bit. But i don't let it get crazy. And eventually your confidence will build and you'll be able to just hop on and take off like it's nothing. It'll get to be second nature like using the bathroom. Just gotta push yourself. Gotta learn and be aware of idiots driving.

Sorry for chapter 2 here. Im just glad to see another rider on here thats in the same boat i was. So i can kinda relate to your story.

In case you were wondering i am 6'2 185lbs. And i have no problem with my bike. But i'm a little stocky and i'm more legs then upper body. And i have gorilla arms and catcher's mits for hands. So i'm big looking. It works tho! lol!

[Ivan]

Originally posted by QuercusAlba
Hah... I'm a little guy. I weigh 130!

Ain't weighed that little since third grade.

[Montreux_Blue]

Originally posted by prometheus578
Go for the smaller bike!
This one weighs four times what you do.
And unless you've got a tall, stick body (like I had twenty five years ago), I don't think that you'll be able to plant both feet firmly on the ground at a stop, and that's rather unsafe fer ya.

I weigh about 145 and it is a pain pushing 600 lbs up the driveway between the cars! I could squat 205 lbs in 7th grade and only weighed about 75 lbs then. Since I have doubled my weight, I should be able to squat 410 lbs now!