Why the Devotion to XJ's?

[bikerphil]

I must be ignorant too, I thought it was a Frank Zappa song.

[JerseyJon]

I like these too.

I like those, too. My first bike was and is a '77 GS550. Bulletproof, reliable, pretty quick, handles nicely, even if underpowered. I always wanted a GS1000. But when I had the chance to get an xs11, I jumped on it.

[GLoweVA]

Back when I was a sophomore in high school (1984/85) I had a 50cc yamaha street bike. This thread got me to remember that bike and I searched and searched and finally figured out that it was an 83/84 RX50.
It had that maroon red and I loved that bike. Sure it was small and barely got up to 50mph, but for a 15yr it was all I needed to get to and from school.
If found a pic of one.

Maybe like the young duckling, that bike imprinted on me and since then, no other bike had ever caught my attention enough. Now, last year, when I had the opportunity to buy a 1100SG I jumped on it.

[fredintoon]

Walk into any US import dealer today and what will you see? Crotch rockets, big touring bikes, Harley clone v-twins, maybe a few 'sport touring' models, with each catagory having a 'flagship' model. If a UJM is there, it will be a 'retro' model and generally lacking the tech offerings
on the the other models.
If anybody can come up with a better/different explanation for why the UJM disappeared from the US market, I'd like to hear it...

Hi Steve,
back in 1986 I wandered into a Yamaha dealer and yeah, you are right.
On one side wall to wall Harleyclone 2-wheel Winnebagos, other wall continuous crotch rockets, across the back, a line of off-road racers.
Where's the real bikes at? I wondered.
And there was one. All by itself. looking bewildered.
What's that? sez I, It looks like a Matchless and I wants it.
It's a 1984 XS650 Heritage Special, zero miles, yours for $2,400.
I still own it.
The UJM disappeared because Americans stopped buying them.
And why'd they do that?
Because unlike Europeans who need a UJM for everyday transport, Americans ride to project an image and alas, that image don't ride no boring ol' UJM.

[sparks]

'Uninformed' would be a gentler term....

Thank you Steve... Those of us older folk appreciate "gentler" now and again.. Ignorant does aplies equally but has a bit of a bite to it.. uninformed is a bit smoother .. sort of like aged Irish whiskey..

Lee
(Sparks)

[James England]

Because unlike Europeans who need a UJM for everyday transport, Americans ride to project an image and alas, that image don't ride no boring ol' UJM.

No Fred, I don't think that's true actually. Very few people here in the UK use bikes as everyday transport. Yes, like anywhere, you get the little scooters for getting to work but the weather here is just not conducive to using a bike to commute even short distances. It's to do with a different philosophy about the motorcycle itself.

In the 1970's bikes got bigger, faster and more reliable. The Japanese took over forever from the British world dominance on bikes (yes, they were exported worldwide for decades) and the era of the 'Superbike' was born. More cubes, more BHP, faster, more powerful. This means we were raised on speed and means to achieve it. Even tourers were 'sports tourers' and the XS11 is a prime example of that.

At that time, the laid back, 'Easy-Rider' style a la Peter Fonda was regarded as typically 'American' and 'US styling' started to appear in the form of 'Specials' (eg Midnight Special). They were regarded as brash, vulgar and with a riding posture completely unsuited to the European taste and human comfort. Arms in the air, wrists at silly angles, feet stuck forwards, excessive rakes on the forks, chrome all over the place etc etc. Despite this, some people here liked that kind of thing but I must say that my peer group and the UK biking press looked down on these offerings as glorified toys. We had... XS1100, GS1000. Z1000, CBX1000, XS650/750, Laverda Jota, Benelli 6, Ducati Darmah et al,... serious superbikes. Only 'non-proper-bikers' bought the silly stuff and most of them flopped in the UK and Europe. That's why it's so easy for us re XS1100 spares here...we didn't keep getting offered all those models you got.

Then, of course, there were Harley Davidsons. I can honestly say that, in 1979, when I was really involved with clubs etc, nobody would have been seen dead on one. A mature student had a BMW R600 which excited no interest whatsoever from anyone and some resentment on bike runs because he couldn't keep up. You hardly ever saw a Harley and they were known as "Harley Worthit", "Harley Moving" etc etc. They were slow, you see. Not a 'superbike'. Not reliable and, according to our views over here, not pretty. But, indubitably, very expensive and regarded as a rip-off which sacrificed style to substance. They were alien, with alien things on them... tool-rolls over the front 'fender'? Tassles? Badges and chrome and bling? Noisy racket with no speed or acceleration... all with a big price tag and a huge question mark hanging over them as to what they were for. In Motorcycle News a letter from a disgruntled HD buyer in the UK was published. When it rained even slightly, his new HD misfired. He wrote to HD and MCN published the one line response... "Dear Sir. It does not rain in Milawaukee".... Mmm... very helpful. All part of the mystique. Like a girl I know who went on her honeymoon on a brand new HD and came back with it on a low loader. I sympathised and said how fed up they must be. "No, not at all" she replied "Riding a Harley is more a way of life than just a bike". Mmm......


So, here in the UK, we don't use UJM's for everyday transport and one could not describe many UJM's as "boring" (I know what you meant when you said this though). We regard the US styled, HD's and HD lookalikes as boring because we were raised on superbikes and really don't care about tassels, chrome and Indian chiefs painted on our bikes (cos it's ...boring). Japanese imports are rarer here...even the XS swirly wheels are called 'girly' wheels. Bikes here are not a statement of national identity, or national pride. They are something which we hurtle along at great speed on, eat the miles, run for decades with no problems and love and cherish for what they are themselves... fast, efficient, reliable, beautifully-engineered, functional machines meant to go fast if you want, slowly if you don't....mmm.... does that sound like a description of a HD or any of the Japanese HD wannabe's?

[James England]

Don't take it the wrong way though!

I re-read the above sermon by The Rev James England. Honest, guys and gals, I'm not dissing HD's or US styled bikes or whatever in order to be offensive. I mean, I did say I'd like one of those early simple Harleys, didn't I? And I've raged about Triumphs in the past! So, please don't be offended. And if someone can tell me the appeal of one of those HD Electroglides or the enormously huge Honda Goldwings, please explain......

[WSL91]

I re-read the above sermon by The Rev James England. Honest, guys and gals, I'm not dissing HD's or US styled bikes or whatever in order to be offensive. I mean, I did say I'd like one of those early simple Harleys, didn't I? And I've raged about Triumphs in the past! So, please don't be offended. And if someone can tell me the appeal of one of those HD Electroglides or the enormously huge Honda Goldwings, please explain......

Only an HD owner can explain the HD thing but like many others I've taken a 4000+ mile trip on a bike here and prefer a bigger heavier machine. The 900lb super cruisers are less affected by cross winds and are much easier on the owners chassis. My other ride is a 850lb 107hp machine that's best suited for pounding out the miles on the super slab. It's kind of like the older American cars that handled poorly but went fast at the drag strip.

[bikerphil]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PHpa0kE86MA

[sparks]

I must be ignorant too, I thought it was a Frank Zappa song.

Well it's part of a line in a Zapa song... Joe's Garage.. Had something to do with kitchen machinery...

Lee
(Sparks)

[sparks]

ooooooops made a dupe

[jimbyjimb]

I re-read the above sermon by The Rev James England. Honest, guys and gals, I'm not dissing HD's or US styled bikes or whatever in order to be offensive. I mean, I did say I'd like one of those early simple Harleys, didn't I? And I've raged about Triumphs in the past! So, please don't be offended. And if someone can tell me the appeal of one of those HD Electroglides or the enormously huge Honda Goldwings, please explain......

James,

Do you mean to imply the British have no term for 'reverand,' slang or otherwise, that sounds cooler!?! You have 'Royal' mail! Give yourself a proper British title for Queen's sake!

[BA80]

Well it's part of a line in a Zapa song... Joe's Garage.. Had something to do with kitchen machinery...

Lee
(Sparks)

There was a night club in Fort Worth when I lived there 20+ years ago called "Joes Garage". Everyone was dressed in black leather with black eye makeup and the music in there was the kind of grunge crap that the lead "singer" sounds like there is a 2 1/2 ton truck rolling over his chest.

My buddy Mike and I were bar hopping and stopped in there just for a laugh. We were sill laughing about that place last month.

[tv5150]

I re-read the above sermon by The Rev James England. Honest, guys and gals, I'm not dissing HD's or US styled bikes or whatever in order to be offensive. I mean, I did say I'd like one of those early simple Harleys, didn't I? And I've raged about Triumphs in the past! So, please don't be offended. And if someone can tell me the appeal of one of those HD Electroglides or the enormously huge Honda Goldwings, please explain......

Until you actually RIDE a GL18 Goldwing, you'll never understand what the appeal is, just be forewarned, if you ride one, be prepared to buy it, cause you won't want to get off of it. Think of a sport bike only real comfortable (don't ask how I know, I've owned every model of Goldwing since 75 and the GL18 is THE best all around bike I've ever owned and I've owned 6 GL18's in the last 11 years)
I have been diagnosed with motor-sickle cell anemia sickness to which I have yet to find a cure...The closet thing I've found for a cure for me is "More Cowbell" But you know what they say "To each his own and Ride your Own Ride"

[Poprock]

My bro had a Gl1800. Swapped it for a Can Am Spyder. My friend has a GL1100 Interstate. Big heavy thing that sounds like a sewing machine and feels like it has an electric motor. You roll the throttle, nothing happens, but you're going 20 mph faster. I bang my ankles on the jugs.
My SG has a presence. It looks bigger than it is. It sounds bigger than it is. When I roll the throttle lots of stuff happens and the scenery flies by. People stop and look at it in parking lots. Old men have a story about... Even my GL friend says "That's a nice bike."
I bought it because it was bigger than my XJ 650. I had no clue about the history of XS11, but I began to learn. It's taken me about 40000 miles, it's good for 12 hr days, and I can get $100 worth of groceries in the bags and top trunk. Groceries are high these days. I hope the guys who spend big bucks on newer bikes are getting a better machine. For me, this one is so good it would take 10 or 12 grand to improve on it, and I'd rather take some trips on The King of Kong. It's big enough, it's fast enough, and doggon it, there are people out there who like it. It's a keeper for me.