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I have been a member here for a little while and lurked without being a member longer. I got a 1978 for $25 in October of 2009. It ran although some of the parts are from different motorcycles. During the winter I had found this site and started reading up on motorcycles. I had not ridden or owned a motorcycle before.
So, last spring I started my riding career. Last summer I have had my fights off and on with the XS, but generally managed to keep it running thanks to this website. A few people I know that rode it where impressed by how hard the old bike would pull. It's a great bike and pulled and ran hard. I did take the MSF class, thankfully in the guard I was payed to take it.
I did use my dad's 02 shadow ace for the class, it was a whole lot lighter and easier to handle.
I could never get the XS to idle smooth and run quite right. So I rode it down a couple weeks ago to a local bike shop. Living in a rural area local was about 40 miles. When I called them on Wed to see how it was going the owner was a little dumbfounded that it even ran.
There was apparently a lot of problems with the carbs and the timing and he took the time to explain them to me and gave me the parts to show how bad off the poor XS was. The owner did give me a great deal, less then half cost, on fixing it since his mechanic did the work and did not consult me on what they were doing. The owner does work another job and has a good reputation in the area for making things right, I have ordered and priced a few parts and it's cheaper to buy from him then anywhere, even the good deals on the internet.
So today I finally got a chance to take the XS out after work. It started and idled a whole better. I took it out a few miles to warm it up a little. When I turned around to come back, I short shifted into second due to some sand and dirt on the road. At about 30 miles rolling I pulled back on the throttle. The front tire almost left the road and took off and pulled harder then I could have imagined. I also tried 5th at about 35, when it hit it's powerband it didn't care what gear it was in.
I did buy the shadow from my dad a few weeks ago. He got a great deal on it, so I got the same deal. It's also easier to manage with my 14 year old daughter. She is a bit hesitant about getting on the back of the XS. Although the shadow has it's qualities, the XS is my preference.
Since I know you love pictures here are a couple. A couple things, the tank is off a Suzuki, the tail lights are Honda and the side covers are from a 650 Yamaha. The previous owner is a friend of mine and just makes due with what he has or can find.
So, last spring I started my riding career. Last summer I have had my fights off and on with the XS, but generally managed to keep it running thanks to this website. A few people I know that rode it where impressed by how hard the old bike would pull. It's a great bike and pulled and ran hard. I did take the MSF class, thankfully in the guard I was payed to take it.
I did use my dad's 02 shadow ace for the class, it was a whole lot lighter and easier to handle. I could never get the XS to idle smooth and run quite right. So I rode it down a couple weeks ago to a local bike shop. Living in a rural area local was about 40 miles. When I called them on Wed to see how it was going the owner was a little dumbfounded that it even ran.
There was apparently a lot of problems with the carbs and the timing and he took the time to explain them to me and gave me the parts to show how bad off the poor XS was. The owner did give me a great deal, less then half cost, on fixing it since his mechanic did the work and did not consult me on what they were doing. The owner does work another job and has a good reputation in the area for making things right, I have ordered and priced a few parts and it's cheaper to buy from him then anywhere, even the good deals on the internet.
So today I finally got a chance to take the XS out after work. It started and idled a whole better. I took it out a few miles to warm it up a little. When I turned around to come back, I short shifted into second due to some sand and dirt on the road. At about 30 miles rolling I pulled back on the throttle. The front tire almost left the road and took off and pulled harder then I could have imagined. I also tried 5th at about 35, when it hit it's powerband it didn't care what gear it was in.
I did buy the shadow from my dad a few weeks ago. He got a great deal on it, so I got the same deal. It's also easier to manage with my 14 year old daughter. She is a bit hesitant about getting on the back of the XS. Although the shadow has it's qualities, the XS is my preference.
Since I know you love pictures here are a couple. A couple things, the tank is off a Suzuki, the tail lights are Honda and the side covers are from a 650 Yamaha. The previous owner is a friend of mine and just makes due with what he has or can find.
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