Top Speed

[Sanders]

I got a 79 xs special that has 160 on the speedo and I saw 1980 xs that has 80 mph for a top speed on the speedo. I know they started detuning the xs in the eighties but was it detuned that much. Or was it just for show, it seems to me that you could peg the speedo in first gear.

I had a 1200 bandit that would do 92 in first, I'm not sure what my xs will do yet since it is a basketcase. Probably not 160, even if it could, I wouldn't want to do it.

Also as I side note, I did the experienced riders course that the military is requiring. If anybody is wondering they don't teach you anything new. It is essentialy the basic riders course rehased. Beats going to work though.

[tarzan]

The later bikes got the 80mph speedo to satisfy the government.
I did notice that after I put the 160 speedo on my 80 special that it went faster than 80mph.

[DiverRay]

In 1980 ALL speedometers had an 85 MPH max. That was the era of the 55 MPH national speed limit. The bikes will do about 135 MPH, in perfect tune down a slight hill. 125MPH is an easy number to reach with about any XS/XJ1100.
I can cruise all day at 85, and the bike is happy. I can ALSO cruise at 110 all day, but it's hard on ME!

[webbcraft2150]

As a reference, my 80g bagger came with a 85mph speedo. I have since changed it to a early model 160 unit. With 2-up on a full bagger, 117 has been indicated during a high speed pass on the early model speedo. (I have the kidney bruises from the tail gunner to prove it). With one up, an indicated 121 was reached before the wobble got to bad. I have no doubt a naked XS11 even in a mild state of tune could reach 130 with a little tank hugging. I think most people would run out of little dangly things before reaching that speed. I have often times "cruised" at a C note on the speedo and still had some pull left.

[tw1980]

92 mph in 1st gear?How could you get it off the line?Was your bandit geared for Bonneville speed record or am I just behind the times?Will a zx14 even do that?Where have I been?Somebody enlighten me.Terry

[Paintman]

Speed

LOL my CBR1000RR would hit the fuel cut off at 98 in first gear fastest ive done was 168 according to my gps that was enough for me........

[Geezer]

Damn, and I thought 90mph in second on a 83 GS1100 was fast... I really am a Geezer...

LOL my CBR1000RR would hit the fuel cut off at 98 in first gear fastest ive done was 168 according to my gps that was enough for me........

[b.walker5]

I've had an indicated 215 km/h (133 mph) on the dial on my 80SG, but as Ray highlighted, it was in ideal conditions, Loooong, Flat, straight road and a slight tail wind. Scared the crap out of a mate on his Ducati when I flew past him. Scared the crap out of me too.

[Geezer]

Back when they were new, I was working at a Yamaha shop out in BFE Oregon. A guy brought his pretty new FJ1100 in for the 600 mile service and told me to take it out and see what it would do after I worked on it.

For a guy like me (or I was then) that was like a license to steal. Anyway I wound it out in the first 4 gears and it was reading a little over 140 wound out in 4th but I was out of straight road and I knew I couldn't take the upcoming curve over 40 mph so I shifted it into 5th and let the revs drop and got on the brakes.

I know the new sport bikes are even faster but that's the most G forces I've ever felt during acceleration.

The guy totaled the bike a month later and the insurance adjuster tried to talk me into buying it. I figured if a (then) 40 year old couldn't resist the temptation, the 27 year me didn't have a chance... At over 50 I'm thinking maybe I could now...

Geezer

[Trainzz]

Well now

Ivan swears that I was doing 130+ on Thunderpig during a recent poker run. The fellow on the '08 1600 Vulcan says he was doing 120 when I went past him.

All I know is that my '80 special has more power than I have sense. Not a great combination,.............but it sure is fun!

[trbig]

With one up, an indicated 121 was reached before the wobble got to bad.

Take those chrome caps off your swingarm and tighten those nuts up like a wheel bearing. Tight-ish.. but not really tight.


Most of the speedos on these bikes are off considerably. Even more so at the higher speeds. Get, or borrow, a GPS and check your speed versus your speedo.

My neighbor has a GSXR 1000. They are EXTREMELY fast everywhere... Top speed... 1/4 mile. He can do a little over 130 in 1st gear. He only gains a few MPH in each subsequent gear though. With my 750 final drive, I can do @ 70 at redline in 1st.

To answer your question though, No. The speedos are no indication of how fast something is. All the vehicles.. cars trucks etc.. had the 85 mph speedos then. The later bikes weren't de-tuned very much. The fastest I've had my bike since I had my GPS was 132mph indicated. A lot more accurate than a speedo.

Tod

[tw1980]

LOL my CBR1000RR would hit the fuel cut off at 98 in first gear fastest ive done was 168 according to my gps that was enough for me........

And I thought my bike was fast.I just got a hard dose of reality.I had no idea the modern bikes are that much faster and more powerful than mine. I feel like I just had a midlife crisis.Now I can only see something transformer looking and encased in plastic in my future.

[trbig]

I just got a hard dose of reality.

Like TWICE the HP of your bike from a fuel injected motor that is in a bike that ways weighs close to half of ours? Yup.. welcome to the 21st century.. lol.

I always got a kick out of taking the motor out of my bike where it looks like a skeloton.. then realizing that with it sitting there like that, it weighs just about the same as his complete bike's dry weight.. lol.


Tod

[mitch]

Fast

I used to sell Kawasaki Bikes,A 636cc rr weighs 380 lbs and has 128 hp it red lines at 15500 rpms. I had the front wheel in the air at 108 mph shifting out of second gear into third and topped her out at 178mph on the speedo. Keep in mind that there are rockets out there now putting out 170 HP so our poor old 11s are not quite in the same class. That being said they will still be running long after that 636 is gone.
Doug

[dpotter58]

I used to sell Kawasaki Bikes,A 636cc rr weighs 380 lbs and has 128 hp it red lines at 15500 rpms. I had the front wheel in the air at 108 mph shifting out of second gear into third and topped her out at 178mph on the speedo. Keep in mind that there are rockets out there now putting out 170 HP so our poor old 11s are not quite in the same class. That being said they will still be running long after that 636 is gone.
Doug

What's up fat man? Still drinkin blue? You know a man that rinks blue will well you know. I lost your card or would have emailed ya.
dp