Poll. I have owned a brand-new XS1100

[James England]

A simple one here........

[crazy steve]

I have owned a brand-new XS1100

.... and still own it....

[James England]

.... and still own it....

Maximum points for you. Mine was stolen.....in Amsterdam

[Tat2demon]

I was born the same year as mine but would still love to have an original.

[TopCatGr58]

Well, I answered YES because mine was never registered, nor was it broken in, only had 17 miles on it from rolling it out of the Navy Exchange in Japan to the ON BASE parking, to the apartments back yard where the PO fired it up once a month and rode it around the yard!

I got it 2 years later in '83 and brought it back to the States.
And I still have it, albeit rather modded, been wrecked and rebuild but still have it.

T.C.

[tcoop]

Owning a brand new bike back 80 (year I graduated High School) never crossed my mind. Still dosen't. But I wish I did.

[natemoen]

Wasn't even born yet....

[DGXSER]

I was alive, not driving just yet, when these were new. Well, I was driving for the XJ. Only bike I had looked at then was a CB350 at a local garage sale. Still remember that bike, the dark green one, 73 model IIRC. Anyway, never have owned a brand new bike.

[James England]

Anyway, never have owned a brand new bike.

I never have since. Bought my XS11 on credit at 19 years of age. Regretted it and then it got stolen and the insurance cleared it. I've never had a new one since and would NEVER buy one on credit!

[jimbyjimb]

If I were travelling with Doctor Who I'd make a point to nab an E in 78, along with an Eldorado Biarritz in 59 and a Ferrari 250GT Lusso in 62.

Sadly, no. My mom and dad were graduating highschool in 78 and just met in 82. I came along two years after that. Now, if my child-self had known about the taxes on the old beasts at the time and had more than a couple quarters to rub together, I suppose I could have put an effort into procuring an NOS XS or XJ from some dealer that had one lurking around in the back someplace. An LG or LH would have been cool.

Still, love the E though! Damn pretty bike!

[CatatonicBug]

I was born at the same time the E was being first displayed in the showrooms. Getting a bike never really crossed my mind until about 30 years later...

[fredintoon]

Hi James,
it's good that I didn't buy an XS11 new, I'm really pleased that I didn't.
Back then I had a really nice Triumph Bonneville that I traded in as a down payment on a sailboat that I sold to pay for a European vacation and then I had nothing.
Losing the Bonneville was bad enough, trading an XS11 for an envelope full of photos would really suck.

[fredintoon]

If I were travelling with Doctor Who I'd make a point to nab an E in 78, along with an Eldorado Biarritz in 59 and a Ferrari 250GT Lusso in 62. - - -

Hi Jim,
Lotsa room in the TARDIS so don't forget to nab a 2207 Yamabeemer 2 place skyzoomer to go with them.

[James England]

Hi Jim,
Lotsa room in the TARDIS so don't forget to nab a 2207 Yamabeemer 2 place skyzoomer to go with them.

And what is TARDIS an acronym for.....?

[jimbyjimb]

Hi Fred,

Agreed.

A bit off-topic BUT...

I often notice that those of a certain generation show a fondness toward things of their generation. That being said, some things had their time. Construction of the 20's, spectacular. Classical music had it's era, though plenty of great classical is still created. Sculptor's had the renaissance. Cars had the 50's and 60's, like the muscle era, the bat-mobile Caddy wings and Healey's, Jag's and Ferrari's. I think for bikes that era was mid seventies to mid eighties.

The 'Max, Interceptor, Sabre, CBX, 70's Ducati's, Ninja 900, CX500 turbo, etc. All stemmed from that era. The looks, the styles, the experimentation. The XS was born of that era and while modern machines may be better in every measurable standard they are absolutely not better in any non-measurable one. The XS lands square in the middle of my motorcycle measuring-stick, in every way it can. Love it.