where's the giddy up???

[crazy steve]

One thing the XS has is a very wide powerband. If you want to understand just how wide, challenge almost any other bike to a high-gear roll-on race, starting at about 40 mph. Very few bikes (then or now) will keep up, although they will catch up eventually. The v-twins may give the best competition with their low-end torque, but most multis won't have a chance until the revs get into the powerband...

[BA80]

I will agree that the XS has a considerable amount of power, but scary it is not. I don't think you will keep up with the crotch rockets if they know how to ride. You just can't corner like they can. You may be able to catch some on the straights though. With an average sportbike rider you could keep up. For my self, i just can't see where the claim for all this power comes from.

Ya got that backwards newb. These things will corner as well as a modern bike but can't match the horspower and lose it in the straits.

Ivan has a 1300 FJR and we can hang together in the twisties pretty much , but in the straight away he eats my lunch.

[cywelchjr]

Ya got that backwards newb. These things will corner as well as a modern bike but can't match the horspower and lose it in the straits.

Ivan has a 1300 FJR and we can hang together in the twisties pretty much , but in the straight away he eats my lunch.

Greg, the FJR is not particularly known for it's abilities in that area, at least not compared to the sport bikes. It's just not designed for that, it's a good bit more toward the touring side of things.

[BA80]

We gotta ride together sometime Cy. Just so you have a real reference rather than a book.

[cywelchjr]

We gotta ride together sometime Cy. Just so you have a real reference rather than a book.

I've ridden others. These bikes won't even keep up with a goldwing, not in the twisties. And an R1 will eat us for lunch, in the straights and the twisties both, and even and R6 will take us under most conditions once they get into their powerband. That said, the goldwing will keep up or beat most sport touring machines, they almost are their own category, but even they can't keep up with a true sport bike. Now, this is all base on rider skill, as a good rider on a not as good bike can beat a poor rider on a great bike. But most of the sport touring bikes aren't a lot better than a well tuned XS11 in the twisties, but frankly, they ARE, there is just no getting around the fact that in 30 years they have made great strides in suspension, and these bikes are the old traditional UJM, as in Universal Japanese Motorcycle, pretty good at most things, but not great at any of them, where most bikes these days are specialists. If you want a bike for REALLY tearing up the canyons, the FJR isn't the machine, you want something in the R1 class. But if you want a bike that will do all of the things and do ALL of them well, there aren't any made these days that compare to the XS, all of them are too specialized.

[BA80]

...... ok........

[crazy steve]

Cy is right.... the XS, while a decent handling bike 'back in the day', simply doesn't have a good enough suspension to keep up with most modern bikes, all else being equal. My '93 Sportster, with it's stiffer 39mm forks and less weight, is much more nimble compared to a XS. Granted, this bike isn't one of the lowered 'custom' versions HD now offers and does have upgraded suspension, but there's still plenty of bikes out there that will out-handle a XS given a rider with the skill to use it's capabilities.

I learned early-on not to push my XS too hard, as while it handles fairly good up to a point, once that point is reached it can turn nasty quickly...

[GLoweVA]

I think most of us XS11 owners don't own one for their handling or power, but more for the prestige of owning one of these 'antiques' that still run great for what they were built for.
I for one don't think I'll ever own any other bike. It does everything I ask of it without every whining about it.
(even though it may leave a little puddle in the carport every now and then to show me who's the boss! )
(I guess he's just marking his territory)

[XS1100_OEM4ME]

A++++

WOW, someone gets it I have had about30+ vehicles in my 50+ years and a "FEW" of them have had people follow down the road admiring and asking questions, heck even stopping where I stopped to get a better look They roll down the windows the road with a smile and a thumbs up, sparkle in their eye, and a "remember when" look all over their face So far, not one of them has said, "Yea. well an FZR is faster" or "Harley made one that's nicer" They just look and dream of "I remember when" A few things can cause this kind of reaction when they are new, some, when they are old, but even fewer still, some can do both, gladly, my Xs' is still one of them

These turned heads when I got them new:





And these turned heads when they were new, and even still turned heads when I got them

I think most of us XS11 owners don't own one for their handling or power, but more for the prestige of owning one of these 'antiques' that still run great for what they were built for.
I for one don't think I'll ever own any other bike. It does everything I ask of it without every whining about it.
(even though it may leave a little puddle in the carport every now and then to show me who's the boss! )
(I guess he's just marking his territory)

[motoman]

There IS one scoot that ALL the bike magazines classified as a "do it all well" bike. The Honda ST 1100. Myself, having both, I can tell you there is very little comparison. Accelleration, the XS gots a bit more grunt up front, but the ST has it in the upper speeds and in handleing. As Steve stated, the XS's are fairly good all-around, but when that suspension/geometry gets upset, the XS gets ugly REAL quick, quicker than you can counter most of the time. If you don't respect its "ugly", its gonna get uglier than you care to remember. After 40+ yrs. of riding, alot competitive and 30 with these bikes, its handleing capabilities CAN be decieving and definitely will go array without warning. They are what they are and ride accordingly. The ST on the other hand, as well as many other sport tourers tend to be more forgiving when for example coming into a corner a bit too hot. Layed over, backing off the throttle the ST stays tracking in the intended radious, same lean angle. Way to hot in a corner on the XS and backing off throttle will at times try to "stand you up". Not a good feeling along with its sash-shey at the rear even with a fork brace is a bit un-nerving. Bottom line is the double down tube cradle frame will never handle like the twin-spar frames of today. IMO the XS's make more torque and power creating more load on the frames than they really can handle. Load forces multiplied greatly as speed increases is at times more than the design and frames can handle on these older muscle bikes.

[XS1100_OEM4ME]

+1

+1 on all of that, things improve year after, that how they sell the new stuff The XS1100 Special was ment to be a Hotrod in the muscelcar style. While my Z28 Camaro and my GTO's turned more heads then most cars, and had way more power then they could handel, that is what made them cool My M roadster would apply the brakes to just the right wheel at just the right time, if I did somehing wrong. The suspension "thought" for me and could way out handel my Muscel cars, In face, some times I think I invented "driffiting" both in my old cars and on my old bikes. But alas, those days are over, going into a freeway ramp at 60mph and comming out at 100mph with my back tire slidding, my footpeg sparking and my jeans getting all warm and gushiny inside

There IS one scoot that ALL the bike magazines classified as a "do it all well" bike. The Honda ST 1100. Myself, having both, I can tell you there is very little comparison. Accelleration, the XS gots a bit more grunt up front, but the ST has it in the upper speeds and in handleing. As Steve stated, the XS's are fairly good all-around, but when that suspension/geometry gets upset, the XS gets ugly REAL quick, quicker than you can counter most of the time. If you don't respect its "ugly", its gonna get uglier than you care to remember. After 40+ yrs. of riding, alot competitive and 30 with these bikes, its handleing capabilities CAN be decieving and definitely will go array without warning. They are what they are and ride accordingly. The ST on the other hand, as well as many other sport tourers tend to be more forgiving when for example coming into a corner a bit too hot. Layed over, backing off the throttle the ST stays tracking in the intended radious, same lean angle. Way to hot in a corner on the XS and backing off throttle will at times try to "stand you up". Not a good feeling along with its sash-shey at the rear even with a fork brace is a bit un-nerving. Bottom line is the double down tube cradle frame will never handle like the twin-spar frames of today. IMO the XS's make more torque and power creating more load on the frames than they really can handle. Load forces multiplied greatly as speed increases is at times more than the design and frames can handle on these older muscle bikes.

[BA80]

Ok so I don't want to race but I wanna keep up I have some friends who ride all have differnt bikes one is a honda 83 magna v45 750 and the other rides a interceptor700 from 86 I believe they say I won't be able to keep up now what do you guys think I know the big part of the diffence is the trannys but does the hp and motor size diffence make up for it I mean what do you think

As I said Jelmo, you won't have any problem keeping up with those two.

[cywelchjr]

As I said Jelmo, you won't have any problem keeping up with those two.

That's right, with those two bikes, if you can't keep up your not trying hard enough. Bikes past the turn of the century may be a different story, but anything around the same age in the smaller sizes, is at best not going to do much pulling away from the XS11 if any. And now a lot of the newer bikes while they may spank the older bikes, in 30 years they will pretty much be gone, they aren't built to last as long as bikes were built to last in the late 70's and early 80's (with the exception of HD and that was because of other problems which years of neglect caused it to take years to correct).

[XS1100_OEM4ME]

The worlds fastest Yamaha of it's day!!

Here is the Granddaddy of the XS1100, and it is a Jet! The worlds fastest, just like the ad says, eat your heart out compatition

[Hmar]

I love my XS, it is quick enough, handles well enough, but if you haven't ridden it for long, trying to keep up in the twisties with a decent crotch rocket is a recipe for disaster. I have scraped my pegs in turns that really weren't all that tight (a bit of a shocker the first time)
And the rider does make all the difference in the world. I have a friend who takes 90 degree turns at 55 on a heritage softtail, and doesn't understand why I won't ride with him (maybe when he gets that trike fixed)
If you ride like him, you will have no problem keeping up with your friends.
Spend some time on the XS by yourself, get the feel of her in the turns before you try to keep up with bikes that handle better on the curves.
I'm not a fan of keeping up, enjoy your ride, know the limits of the combination you and your bike make, and ride accordingly regardless of who you are riding with.