Roll on wheelies?

[cywelchjr]

Yeah, I can't complain. I got mine for $800, and it was a runner. The only thing I did (other than cosmetics) for the first 9 months was replace the reg/rect in the first month ($15 on ebay) and then at 9 months had to replace the engine with one I picked up for $99 from a regional junkyard (cost me about $60 to get it delivered though). Been running that one for well over a year now, and it's still running good. Got a spare sitting in the garage that I got for free from a member of the forum in Reno, just about finished prepping it. Gotta replace the rear bearings, and when I do that I'm putting the 750 FD on as I've got everything done and ready except doing the job, so I figure it's not gonna do wheelies after I do that, which I'm thinkin is a GOOD thing.

I'm guessing that a thirty YO bike that will pull the front wheel off the ground with ME on it, with nothing more than a hard twist of the wrist, with a total into it of less than 1200, is a pretty good value (I don't count tires gas and oil of course). And of course I can STILL humiliate the harleys and generally stay with the pack on group rides without any trouble at all.

[cywelchjr]

Glad ya kept her under control Cy!

Me too! I wasn't intending to do that, I was just in a hurry to get out of there (how it works, when you don't have a job you can't wait to get one, if you have one you can't wait to leave ). Just like the other time, I wasn't intending to bring the wheel up, but it reminded me that this thing can scare the crap out of you faster than you can react to it in many cases.

[natemoen]

Yeah soon after I got mine I kinda had the same thing happen and I had it way up in the air, kept her straight, but didn't like it!

[Crusty Snippets]

Wheelie

"Wheelie" and "Yami" do not belong in the same paragraph.
95hp, 560 pounds plus the fairing and bags.
This one would wheelie even with very tall gearing.
85hp and 315 pounds for the Norton, or 123hp and 417 pounds for the SV1000S Suzuki, but not Yami, and I am not even interested in trying.

Crusty

[cywelchjr]

"Wheelie" and "Yami" do not belong in the same paragraph.
95hp, 560 pounds plus the fairing and bags.
This one would wheelie even with very tall gearing.
85hp and 315 pounds for the Norton, or 123hp and 417 pounds for the SV1000S Suzuki, but not Yami, and I am not even interested in trying.

Crusty

The point I have been making here, is that you don't really have to try very hard at all. Hit the right conditions and twist harder than you thought and the front wheel is likely to come up. And it's more likely on a special than a standard given the smaller rear tire.

[motoman]

I know some thirty years ago, two-up with swmbo aboard on this factory dresser at a rolling 10mph, clutch it right smartly (passenger stay stationary against backrest) could stand it up and beg through ALL of first gear. That was also at 6500ft.elev. Being an avid motoX racer helps, specially when peeking around fairing while this beast was up. Easily can be done if your a bit crazy and get a whole handful of throttle.....trick is to balance that with the throttle and rear break when up. Have not attemped this on the XS more recently and I also know the older these frames get the more metal fatigue becomes an issue. It's not the UP that hurts them........but the DOWN when it hits that's the issue, and these ageing frames won't survive that sudden stop of weight in motion without some stress point rearing its ugly head. Broke frame= no riding..........eeeekkkk!

[Pat Kelly]

My E, Pacifico fairing, bags, trunk. With clutch it would wheelie at will. Now with 750 final drive it might pop a small one.
My LG, nekkid, 1196 kit, 4 into 1. No clutch needed to bring the wheel up in 1st or 2nd.
The XS may not have the horsepower of the new bikes but it makes up for it in torque and broad powerband.

[James England]

I've never succeeded in doing a wheelie on mine, although it must be possible because I've seen a vintage Yamaha poster of a bloke doing a wheelie.

I couldn't get my XS1100 with nitrous oxide to wheelie either. When I tried, revving furiously and with the nitrous kicking in, the bike would rise at the back as the rear wheel was forced down onto the road. The swinging arm bottomed out to the full extent of the rear shocks ie swinging arm going down, back of seat going up. The total opposite of a wheelie!

Mind you... these days... with the old ladies being bikes of 'a certain age', I wouldn't torture mine by attempting that sort of thing any more.......

[cywelchjr]

Let me make it clear, I didn't intend to do it, and when it came up, my goal was to get it back down on the ground. I like keeping both wheels on the ground thank you, there is a reason they put two of them on there. Otherwise they would have made a motorized unicycle.

[James England]

I seem to recall the steering head welds were the weak spot when landing after a wheelie. Yes, two wheels on the ground=keep arms and legs attached...

[James England]

Looking at this pic, I'd expect something to go wrong somewhere if the rider did this a lot....

[crazy steve]

Nice protective gear.....

[natemoen]

Nice protective gear.....

Hey, he has a full face helmet!

[DiverRay]

IIRC, that was the European head of Yamaha!
I KNOW when my first XS1100 was new, I COULD lift the front tire in ALL FIVE gears. Now, with the so-called gas we have, there is a LOT of difference in mileage and power. 48 MPG was normal, and I did get 53 on one trip.
My EARLY '78 was actually built July or August of '77, was FULL DRESSED, and would bring up the front end if i twisted the throttle too hard in first or second gear. Yes, the rear end tried to rise to keep the front end down, but if you hit it just right it would "leap" off the line! Very fun at 24 years old.

[James England]

Nice protective gear.....

Yes. I presume where it says "Yamaha. Touching your heart" at the bottom right of the poster, it's referring to a handlebar, clutch lever or other shrapnel as the bike comes crashing down after doing something that it was never designed to do.......