If it does I don't notice. Rear end lift??

[mharrington]

Do our XS11s rise in the rear during acceleration? When Im going thru the RPMs for a thrill I notice the front comes up- like any bike with power but I thought the Yammies were different than older BMWs. I honestly dont feel the rear coming up. It was a co worker Harley ignoramous that made the comment in a slam about my "plastic Hondasaki"............(I pointed out that Yamaha was the FIRST production bike to break into the 11s with the XS1100 in 1978- and Harley finally made it into the 11s with the V Rod around 2000.)

[TopCatGr58]

It depends on what rear shocks you have. The OEM ones I've been told were supposed to provide expansion dampening, but not compression dampening.

However, my OEM's back when I first had my bike and got it broken in DID have the bucking bronco type ride when I would really get on the throttle in the lower gears. My OEM shocks were relatively new with only 500+ miles on them, had the dampener set to max, but still didn't help.

When I did my rebuild in 2000, I put on some inexpensive MONZA shocks, but this time after the topend rebuild, I got on the throttle and was pleasantly surprised that the bucking bronco affect was GONE! YMMV!

T.C.

[BA80]

Yup they do. It may not be so noticeable to you if you have your rear suspension set up stiff. With the XJ shocks on the rear of mine it will toss me up in the air a bit when I hammer through the gears.

The whole bike will lift on acelleration.

[jetmechmarty]

Yep. It jacks pretty good. I have 140/200 Progressive springs on the back of mine, so it has been minimized. Now, if I run over a dime, I can tell if it's heads or tails.

[bikerphil]

Do our XS11s rise in the rear during acceleration? When Im going thru the RPMs for a thrill I notice the front comes up- like any bike with power but I thought the Yammies were different than older BMWs. I honestly dont feel the rear coming up.

I think Yamaha solved the problem that shaft drive bikes had by having the engine run backwards. I'm sure someone else can explain it better than I can.

[mharrington]

Yes I heard or read this but......One guy said that the beemers lifted because the shaft is on the right- that Yammies do not because the shaft is on the left.
Interesting. My shocks are the original 1979 items.

[BA80]

Reversing rotation of the engine kept the front end down unlike tha kawi 1100 that was always in the air but with the shaft drive it forced the rear wheel into the ground so when you get on it the front comes up but not over and the rear swingarm being forced down by torque lifts the rear. Thus, the "lift".

That's why it's hard to wheelie or spin the rear tire on these bikes. The best of both worlds.

I think it feels cool.

[WMarshy]

Reversing rotation of the engine kept the front end down unlike tha kawi 1100 that was always in the air but with the shaft drive it forced the rear wheel into the ground so when you get on it the front comes up but not over and the rear swingarm being forced down by torque lifts the rear. Thus, the "lift".

That's why it's hard to wheelie or spin the rear tire on these bikes. The best of both worlds.

I think it feels cool.

Thats my understanding of it too Greg, I remember reading about it some where... Anyways, I definitely notice it. Its kind of weird because the whole bike starts to lift off. The fron comes up first then the rear suspension starts to expand once you get it wrapped up in the meat of the power band!

[BA80]

I rode a 84 Kawi LTD 1100 for a while. It was a fun bike but it was pretty easy to spin out from under you with the chain drive and the front end was always in the air if you twisted the throttle in the lower gears.

I was pleased and suprised at how the XS11 would just grab and go and the lift is just, the only way I can explain it, freakin' COOL.

[James England]

Yes, the XS11's do this. My XS11 with nitrous oxide was impossible to wheelie. When the power really kicked in, the back end of the bike used to lift. I liked this because isntead of lifting the front end and wasting energy, it was all pushed onto the road at the rear of the bike........

[ExcessiveBiker]

Lift or not to lift, that is the question.

with my first shaftie, a 1976 XS750 triple, the lift was very noticeable, after many miles on previous chain drives. Having put 33,000 on the 750, I got an 81 XS1100SH, and have not noticed any lift symptoms.
Possibly, after so many miles on the 750, I don't notice it, anymore. It is what it is, and I like both bikes for different reasons, so if it is there, I don't care.

ride on,
ExcessiveBiker

[tcoop]

I never noticed it with the XS's But the XJ noticed it the first time I got on the throttle....I agree with Greg, It's kinda cool.