Need more power!!!

[Rstyduck]

That's a Yamaha if you didn't know.

[Bigfoot]

So, all this talk about the XS11 being slow is about a "Stock" bike with some engine mods?
Not a modified bike with a rank engine?
I liked My stock 81 XS11 Bagger, that's why I bought the basket case I have now.
Real bad shape, dirt and water in the spark plug less, exhaust off engine.
The bike I enjoyed riding that I think an XS11 wouldn't catch is the 2008 MT-01 1700cc.

No one is really saying they are slow. I think the whole point of that some people here are trying to make is that it is 30 year old technology and you can't expect them to keep up with bikes that are alot newer, lighter, and have more horsepower to the ground. Yes they will spank alot of the v-twins out there and that is alot of fun. You can still spend a ton of money, time, and effort on the motor and you are still not going to get the power that alot of these crotch rockets have, and some of them are a couple hundred pounds lighter. For an all around bike that can tour, run fast in the twisties or a straight line, and haul about anything you want to strap on it, they are real hard to beat.

[Rstyduck]

Well, My bike is beat down.
Dirt and water in the cylinders. Frame cut with a hacksaw,
Steel rod instead of shocks, missing a lot of parts.
I want to rebuild the engine, rebuild the frame to a Rigid, the right way.
Chop it and drop it.
I think it may not take a pretty bike show and shine or be the quickest around but I want it to straight line like heroin addict.

[CatatonicBug]

rebuild the frame to a Rigid, the right way.

Now THERE'S an oxymoron...

If you want some decent handling and comfort, put the shocks back in. It will help on the straights too, since it will help press the wheel to the pavement instead of bouncing the whole bike up off the ground.

[Rstyduck]

Lol. Ya I hear you.
I mean build the rigid as an actual frame.
Not bolt in struts.
I want to go with the chain conversion also.
I like rigids.
I'm a welder.

[Shuriken]

I always thought the XS was pretty fast as well. Then I got my 84 FJ. I was amazed at how much quicker it was. It is faster, quicker, lighter, and more nimble. And that is still old tech.

Don't get me wrong, I still love the XS. It is alot more comfortable to ride, more reliable, and can take me on a long trip with tons of stuff strapped to it. It handles real well in the twisties and still puts a smile on my face everytime I ride it.

I love the XS bikes. When I upgraded from an XS650 to an XS11, I thought I had gone from a moped to a V8 Cadillac. I had all the power I wanted until I rode a few other bikes and realized that my XS was indeed old, heavy, and tired. I sold it (the 80g) when it began to smoke and show low compression readings. Then I got the 79sf and it would have smoked my 80g. It was quite a bit faster. Still, I rode some other bikes and then my 79sf felt slow.

Now I have an old and tired V-Max, but even in the condition that it's in now, it would leave my old 79sf in the dust. Will I race a V-Rod? Maybe. Will I race an XS? Maybe. Will I race my friend on his 2006 FZ-6? Only in the 1/8th.

But the V-Max is old and tired and handles worse than my XS bikes. The V-Max can launch as fast as or faster than many of the new bikes, but even it is slow compared to some. I call it "80's fast, 90's fast, and 2000's fast." Ride a CRF-450 or a CR-500 or as I mentioned earlier, even an FZ-6. The modern little 600cc bike doesn't feel fast but I think I recall doing 75 in 1st gear and by 2nd, the speed increase is surprising. Ride the CR-500 and it's hard to keep the front end down even leaning over the handle bars.... If only there was a way to shed like 150-200lbs.

Not saying you shouldn't try to build your bike into something nice. Get the most performance you can out of it without breaking the bank. Enjoy riding it.

[yamahansolo]

ok... we did our rally this weekend and i am sure of it... i am riding a different bike than most of you!!!

my bike was twice as loud as marty's even with his kerker gutted. Earl said he heard me behind him going through the twisties....

when we finally all got stopped at a redlight. i was behind earl on his 80 and he was behind TC on his bored over bike. the light turned green and tc took off first then earl then me and i was able to ease past earl into the next lane bouced the tacj off 8,000 (this was at 3/4 throttle mind you) i zipped by earl and got right behind tc before i shut it down. he started at least half a second before me and he was over two bike lengths in front of me when i gunned it.

i told you people i have owned several sport bikes and this one pulls harder!!!

yes my 98 yzf600r has a higher top speed but it didn't have the brutal take off like the 11 i have does.
another way i know is that i am 33, my family and i have several roads down here that we always punch it from the stop sign and see what speed you can get to by the time you pass a certain side street. this xs11 has outdone all my other bikes save the 92 zx7 i am sorry if you can't beleive it but it's true. i wished i could have got TC to take her for a spin! to put this to rest! you people driving newer ones should steal a vacum advance of a 78 or 79 to increase your timing. and maybe swap for the 79 heads. i know the other flows more air but damn if i can pull on tc with a bore kit then imagine what a 78 or 79 will do with a bore kit!

[Ivan]

Yes, the difference between my 79 and my 81 is much more than noticeable. The 79 is scary almost.

[scalded dog]

Anyone can say what they want, but as a member of the Southern Cruisers, I have had a lot of bikes to "test" my '79 standard against. I've hung with 1800 goldwings, 1800 valkries, v-twins ain't even close, v-rods two 06's, in the curves I was in the lead with one, but he stayed right on my rear fender, til we hit straight rds, I would leave him sitting. He was scraping his mufflers in the curves, this guy could ride. My standard is a full bagger, no mods fully stock, I am the second owner, it now has over 80,000 miles on it, a week ago, I had it on 125mph, I backed off, it still wanted to go. the speedo runs about 5mph over my actual speed, so I guess it would have to be a true 120. I love my bike and don't want to ruin it, so I have never took a chance on what the top-end would be. And I payed $750 for it in 2001. Later 'Dog

[Unclefacts]

I can pretty much buy and ride anything I want.

I'm at that point in my life where the hard work for almost 30 years has paid off, and now my toys are what I like.

I love, just love the old late 70s, early 80s rides. The new stuff is technologically amazing. It really is incredible what the engineers are capable of these days in the motorcycle universe. Are they fast? Yep, they are seriously fast, handle like the racers they are, stop like you hit a wall.

But when I pull into the local wednesday car club's show and shine, guess who's Maxim 1100 is getting all the compliments?

When it's a cookie cutter world, and you roll in on that bike, people look, they listen and they appreciate that 30 year old machine for what it is. A time capsule back to the days when they were younger.

So what if it is a second slower in the 1/4? I don't need a chiropractor when I get home from an all day ride, it rides me and my girl like she wasn't even on there. There's torque to spare, and it gets decent mileage. What else could I want?

Besides, speed ain't nothin' without class

[yamahansolo]

i got behind a v max the other day going to work and i pulled up next to him at a stop sign. it looked like it was a little older. (i had an 85) i had a hole shot exhaust on mine. his was stock. i let him take off first and i got behind him and we hammered it through a few small turns and then to a srtaightaway and i was right up his ass the whole time and i know he was hammering it because i could here it they have a unique sound.

[Pat Kelly]

Phoenix, AZ...
South Mountain Park (around back on the really twisty road)...
Me on a 78 Honda CB400TII...
Roommate on first year Kaw Ninja 900....
He could not keep-up with me, ever. Pissed him off.
Reset to any other road with any straight sections, same bikes....
I have 3 reverse gears

Some of the reasons my 400 could beat his 900:
I'd been riding the 400 for several years (my only transportation)/he was new to his 900
I'd been roadracing for several years/he's never been on a curvy track
I was intimately familiar with that road (rode it nearly daily)/he went there only occasionally.

Bike (like cars) have their niche. I consider the XS the equivilent of the late 60's muscle car. The XS got there by Yamaha doing nearly all the engineering mods at the factory. There are tweaks and newer technology after 30 years that we can use, but, it's still a 30 year old bike and was the fastest at that time.
I used to run the mile in under 4m30sec, not anymore. I can still outrun alot of people my age and some younger people. But that group gets smaller every year.

[Shuriken]

i got behind a v max the other day going to work and i pulled up next to him at a stop sign. it looked like it was a little older. (i had an 85) i had a hole shot exhaust on mine. his was stock. i let him take off first and i got behind him and we hammered it through a few small turns and then to a srtaightaway and i was right up his ass the whole time and i know he was hammering it because i could here it they have a unique sound.

First Max I ever rode was back in like 2003 or something. Guy was doing some long distance riding on it

I told him I rode an XS11 and wanted a Max. He hands me the keys. I didn't know really anything about the bike but I carefully found some straights and opened it up. It annoyed me that I could not see the engine RPMS... when I looked down at the tank (where they are), I almost had the bike pegged and it wasn't any faster than my 80g. He later told me there was something wrong with the bike.

Now that I own a V-Max, I know what the problem was: v-boost was not working. I have ridden a Max with and without boost and the difference is night and day - to the tune of around 45hp. That's enough to REALLY wake you up.

You are right about the unique sound. The Max and the V-65 have their own sound. Anyone noticed the slew of new bikes coming on (or that will come on) to the market with V4 engines?