Top speed!

[petevan]

I think it's the speed demon in me, but I am curious what is the top speed you guys have acheived on your XS. I'm not interested in what it is rated at, I want to know how fast you have either dared to take it or toped out at. Your wives aren't looking lets here it!

[Dragonrider]

135mph . . . it was still pulling, but that was red-line on the tach so I let off.

That was on this ride:
SPI Bikefest

Later I hit 140 indicated . . .
Wheelie

[John]

I saw 130 mph 3 times. Twice while I being passed (blown away) by SWMBO's FJ1100. Each time I ran out of balls before I ran out of throttle.

[Do Lee]

The need for speed!!!!!!!!
136... on a fully loaded 78 standard with passenger on board. 131... on 79 special with a fairing and 161... on 78 standard turbo with small wind screen. The turbo 1100 was certified at Bonneville salt flats. But that was back when I was young and adventurous. Now I just keep it at a nice and easy 80-85 pace.

[Pat Kelly]

78 model with less than 10,000 miles on it, 140 MPH......once. Power just dosen't seem to fall off. I took it there for just a few seconds and things were bouncing around but it looked to be around 9,000 RPM. I really don't intend to do it again, I've had some serious front-end wobbles at 125MPH on a couple of occasions.

[pathfinder]

135-140

Who knows after 100 the fence posts look allot like a picket fence. Can't really be sure as I was too thrilled (AKA scared $^%less) with 78 XS11 Standard with full Vetter fairing, the front end felt like it wasn't on the ground. If I'd have been on the water I would have sworn I was sailing. The big fairing turns into a sail at about 100 and at 120 into a giant wing. I don't remember what the revs were but I still had plenty of throttle left just not the guts. I bought this bike after it had set up in a garage for 6-7 years. My buddy was moving and could not take with him at that time and asked me if he could store in my garage. To make a long story short. I'm at a bar with another friend a couple weeks later and he is going out of town for 6 month and asked me if I would guard his Harley. I'm thinking I don't even know how to ride a bike and I'll have 2 in the garage, also thinking how can I get out of this. Then he says oh never mind I forgot you've already got that rice burner in there and I don't want my Harley to catch anything. Well thems fighten words so I made a drunken challenge to him that he give me 30 day to get the xs running then we would race. Never mind the fact that the only motor driven cycle I had ever ridden was Honda Mini Trail 90 And had no clue how to fix the "Rice Burner". Well anyway after cleaning carbs about 6 times, gas tank and Kream, tires, brake gunk. On the 29th day I got it running on 3 cly. Didn't know which three so stuck my hand in bucket of water and proceeded to do the touch test on header pipes, 1st, 2nd, 3rd forgot to put my hand back in the water and burned my hand, had a blister across four fingers of clutch hand. Could not ride even if I knew how, friend with Harley comes over, show him my hand and ask if he'll ride to prove my prior point, you remember the drunken challenge. Fixed wire on #3 spark plug. He removed seat off xs because as we all know all Harley riders think they have to have both feet firmly on the ground to be able to ride a bike. Puts folded towel over battery and takes of, I hear the xs in the distance roaring like the lion she is. He comes back all pale and pasty looking. He says the 2nd time he stopped, when he took off the front wheel came off the ground and scared the *(&* out of him. Well at that point I had proved my point. I bought the bike for $500 and loved every minute of it. About 42,000 miles all over 2 states one being Texas and it's afull big.

[xswilly]

125 then i twisted it to the stop
and it lurched forward like i had shifted again
smooth as silk
of course that was in 1978 the bike had 50 miles on it and
i was only 19

ahh the good old days
still have the same bike
its older, so am i

[Geezer]

Twenty or more years ago I knew the top speed of ever bike I'd had and my top speed record was 140 on an FJ1100 (it had more on tap but I backed off on the top of 4th.) Now a days I chicken out around 80 mph.

geezer