A Confession

[James England]

Hi Folks

I have a confession to make..... I suspect this forum will soon, on my recommendation, have a new member from the UK. He is the person who, last week, bought my Black Beauty (as per my avatar, soon to be changed, subject of many of my posts here). I hope all will give him a warm welcome!

Having renovated the bike and used it all summer, I realised that I could do no more to the bike and would most probably have to watch all my hard work and expense degrade before my very eyes (I do a lot of mils). I thought that was a bit soul-destroying because the bike is at such a high standard. So, I thought it might be better for it to go to a low-mileage home and appreciative owner rather than be used a lot by me. And, I could then buy another XS1100 and do another restoration job on it. In the meantime, I've arranged to buy another Yamaha (1200 VMax) and am bidding on other XS1100's on eBay.

So, folks....... am I allowed to continue here? Or will you think I'm a fraud. I'm looking and bidding on other XS11's, honest guv'nor! I've posted a poll...... ;(

[crazy steve]

I'll repeat my post from your Honda thread....

Oh James, tell me it isn't true!!! You let that beauty go? I hope you got a big pile of gold for that, you may find it hard to duplicate.

I'll still like you, but I may question your sanity...

And of course you're still welcome....

[crazy steve]

I have to ask.... Are you planning as another XS a 'rat bike' version, so you won't feel bad about actually using the snot out of it???

[James England]

I'll repeat my post from your Honda thread....

Oh James, tell me it isn't true!!! You let that beauty go? I hope you got a big pile of gold for that, you may find it hard to duplicate.

I'll still like you, but I may question your sanity...

And of course you're still welcome....

I DID!!! I was speaking with the new owner tonight (who very amusingly said he feels like he's "adopted" the bike). He should be signing up here soon.

I'm looking for another E now and I'm going to make it look like the last one, if I can find a reasonable donor. I think I must have been a bit loopy last week. The VMax comes tomorrow (on approval from a dealer) but I'm still grieving and don't know if I'll take to it.

[James England]

I have to ask.... Are you planning as another XS a 'rat bike' version, so you won't feel bad about actually using the snot out of it???

You DO have a point! I was warned that if I made the bike too nice, I'd not use it. "Nonsense" I thought and did loads of things to the bike that were well beyond the strictly necessary (eg Geezer rectifier, Dyna coils etc) because I thought I'd keep the bike forever. Then it's too nice for me to use.

My problem is that I do like doing them up and know the XS1100E/F back to front. I suppose I could always do as before... ride it, do it up quite slowly, then sell again... or keep it....

Thanks for wanting me to stay, Steve!

[old_skool]

I had to choose the "throw the bum out" just to have a little fun, you'll have one soon enough I'm sure, surprised a little on the v-max purchase, that's kind of a different direction than the classics, you'll miss it at first, but having read many of your past post, I'm sure you enjoy the build as much if not more than owning the finished project, look forward to your next adventure.
I have to admit on a personal note, building or restoring any bike if great mental therapy.

[cywelchjr]

James, I'm sorry to see you sell that wonderful bike. However that said, it's one of the reasons I don't even TRY to do a restoration on mine because I do so enjoy riding mine and if I did a restoration I'd be afraid to ride it for fear of damaging it. I prefer a good running well maintained daily rider to a museum piece (not that I would turn one down as a second bike, but not as primary).

When I had my accident my first though was for my bike. When I was laying on the table in the emergency room, with my clothes cut off me, when my daughter came in to see me (they did have me covered with a sheet) was to ask if my bike had been taken care of and picked up and transported home yet. I actually asked her to go OUT and check (couldn't use her phone in the ER) because I was worried about it.

[James England]

I have to admit on a personal note, building or restoring any bike if great mental therapy.

+1 on that. I suspect that is what I'm missing. I'm already bidding on eBay on a couple of XS11's. I'd like to do a fully documented rebuild with loads of pix. My love affaire with XS1100's isn't over... well not after 35 years so far.....

[James England]

James, I'm sorry to see you sell that wonderful bike. However that said, it's one of the reasons I don't even TRY to do a restoration on mine because I do so enjoy riding mine and if I did a restoration I'd be afraid to ride it for fear of damaging it. I prefer a good running well maintained daily rider to a museum piece (not that I would turn one down as a second bike, but not as primary).

When I had my accident my first though was for my bike. When I was laying on the table in the emergency room, with my clothes cut off me, when my daughter came in to see me (they did have me covered with a sheet) was to ask if my bike had been taken care of and picked up and transported home yet. I actually asked her to go OUT and check (couldn't use her phone in the ER) because I was worried about it.

That's great! Were you OK? No permanent injuries?

Here's a dilemma..... I crashed (came off in the wet going too fast) my Norton Commando... with my girlfriend on the back. The bike skidded off and spun down the road. The girlfriend bounced along the road but ended up quite a way from the bike. I ended up in the middle of them! What do you think I did first?

[crazy steve]

Here's a dilemma..... I crashed (came off in the wet going too fast) my Norton Commando... with my girlfriend on the back. The bike skidded off and spun down the road. The girlfriend bounced along the road but ended up quite a way from the bike. I ended up in the middle of them! What do you think I did first?

Let me guess.... she soon became an ex-girlfriend?

[mack]

Sickness

Look forward to another new member and hope he appreciates your old ride. Unfortunately James these bikes don't appear to be a hobby, but rather a sickness and I fear you already carry the bug.

[James England]

Let me guess.... she soon became an ex-girlfriend?

How accurate. I actually got up off the road (minus one trouser leg) and staggered over to the bike and found it was, miraculously virtually unscathed (it had a hefty fairing). Then, pretending to be dazed and disorientated, I checked on the girlfriend. At the subsequent analysis/Spanish Inquisition, I justified my going to the bike first as due to my concern about a possible leak from the fuel tank and how it might have caught fire and burned her. It didn't wash, of course......

[James England]

Look forward to another new member and hope he appreciates your old ride. Unfortunately James these bikes don't appear to be a hobby, but rather a sickness and I fear you already carry the bug.

Yeah... like a chronic illness... never cured, always there, treatable but not actually curable! I'm on the prowl for another E already.....

[ddragon63]

boooo... get out of here ya bumm! JK Good luck on your hunt for your next one. you usually give me decent advice, so you may stay sir!

As for the riding too nice of a bike in fear of damaging it... I ride my fathers bike! That I grew up riding on the gas tank of! If I can throw a leg over it and twist the throttle NO ONE should be scared to ride anything thats been Resto'd

[mack]

Yep

When this LH is done, I'm going clock a lot of miles on it riding around looking for an E myself. I'm not going to be fussy, a cheap barn find will do nicely as long as the frame isn't bent.