speed

[ratbyk]

Gaffer. point taken. It sounds like you have the power. If the front wheel won't lift even if you are trying hard I think your clutch is not locking up, taking a bite, what ever you want to call it. It is slipping a bit at the moment of launch. Instead of putting everything to the rear wheel it is slipping just a bit. Once all of the inertia that you built up has been used up the clutch finally locks up.
Try doing a clutch adjustment per the manuel, down behind the clutch adjustment cover and then at the lever so that it has 1/2" to 3/4" of free play. If it still won't lift then plan on replacing the clutch pressure springs with something stronger.
Ken/Sooke

[gaffer77]

geez i thort ud wash ur hands of me ,im really not an imbacile(may sound like it) so thanx for your time

my clutch did slip in third giving it a wristfull going up hill ,when i first got her,it slipped for a second or 2 ,i loosened it at the bar and it seemed allright (not slipping now)well not that i can tell ,but like you say i should adjust it precisely ,my clutch isnt a severe biter ,it is very tame ,prob one of the tamest clutches ive ever had on a bike maybe it is the springs like you say ,ill pull em out and check the whole clutch thoroughly ,like i say i dont want wheelies for the sake of it ,i want the front to lift to control it thats the enjoyment i want to keep it planted but want the buzz of eeks its coming up i want to feel a powerfull bike not necissarily use it ,and want some action to prove ,banter and stories and try and convert a few people i need to back it with a little action to fight my cause for the xs. i want to bak the xs and i need the xs to bak me that is all think ive got my point across sorry for the book ive put you through

[pgg]

Gaff, people need to get their heads out of the clouds. 600lb shaft drive tourers don't wheelie. Not without clutch dumping on the move. The front end gets light - may even lift 6 inches - under W.O.T. acceleration in gears 1 and 2 is all. Neither do XS11's easily pull 135 mph. A stock 78 model in tip top form might eventually reach the 135 mph mark on a looong stretch under very favourable conditions. Light weight, taller gearing and efficient aerodynamics are needed beyond that. XS11's have none of the above! I've devised a formula to apply to motorcyclist's top speed caims. Take the quoted figure, then multiply by 2. Subtract 50%. Then minus 12.5%. You will now have the true figure.

[ratbyk]

pgg, amazing how accurate a simple formula can be. A heavy motorcycle is a pig. XS's are heavy motorcycles. Fork braces, good tires, shocks, steering head adjusted right and tight swing arm bushings and an XS becomes acceptable. But it is still a pig compared to the new zip splats. It's achilles heel is the weight, height and center of gravity plus skinny tires. A good competent rider can hustle one but an equal rider on a new zip splat and an XS rider is risking a lot of skin trying to keep up.
I know this and even though I'll hustle it I still ride within my and my XS's limits. I like my skin and bones and my XS.
I get my enjoyment not just from the power of the XS but knowing that I'm able to go so quick so cheap. Cheap to buy, cheap to maintain, cheap to ensure. No payments and money in my pocket for what ever the beast needs. It is also different than anything else around unless I go to an XS meet I relay do not see any others around.
Ken/Sooke

[Dhost]

Wow this post has really drifted all over the place.

In 1989, when I got my XS1100LG from a bud who babied it and had only gone on one road trip (<5kmi), I felt that it had a *very* light front end. This was due I'm sure to the power and weight that was just south of my body weight. It kept me from pumpin' it up over 9k in any gear.

I too have kept it at high revs and never felt bad about it until, low and behold, the tensioner device failed. The Yamaha mechanic claimed it was due to high revving. I still don't know what the recommended revs are. Any input?

[gaffer77]

reply to ratbyk and pgg I BOUGHT THE XS FOR ALL THOSE REASONS CHEAP , PARTS AVAILABILITY THE CUSTOM ADD ONNS ONE BIKE HAS SO MANY VARIATIONS ITS GREAT

I ALWAYS WANTED A SHAFTIE,I LIKE THE WEIGHT I LOVE IT IT FEELS LIKE A MONSTER AND LOOKS LIKE ONE ,THIS WAS THE SENSIBLE OPTION FROM A VMAX FOR ME AND THE WAY I SEE IT IF ITS STILL RUNNING WELL AFTER 26 YRS WELL YOU DONT HAVE TO SAY ANYMORE DO YOU!! AWESOME !! I COULD HAVE GOT AN FJ BUT THE XS HAS CHARM ,LIKE IVE STATED OVER AND OVER I EITHER JUST WANT MY BIKE TO RUN TO ITS BEST CAPABILITIES OR WANT TO KNOW IF ALL THE WRITE UPS ARE EXAGGERRATED,HUSSLING ALONG ON ONE OF THESE IS A GREAT FEELING ,ITS GOT LOTS OF CHROME ,ITS COMFY THE LIST GOES ON


I JUST WANT TO STATE I AM AN XS FAN IVE LOVED EM SINCE I WAS A KID NOW I GOT ROUND TO GETTING ONE I WANT IT RIGHT ,HOW IT SHOULD BE , IM PASSIONATE I WANT WEIGHT , SPEED ,CHROME , A CLASSIC BIKE THAT LOOKS LIKE A MOTORCYCLE FEELS LIKE A MOTORCYCLE I DONT WANT TO FOLLOW THE CROWD I WANT A BIKE THAT SOUNDS LIKE A BIKE (I LIKE BSA AND TRIUMPH AND INDIAN TOO)JUST THOUGHT THE XS WAS MORE USABLE AND EASIER ON THE POCKET



I BELIEVED THIS IS WHAT ALLXS FANS WANT IT APPEARS THERES SOME PLODDERS OUT THERE MAYBE ITS THEM THAT SHOULD CHANGE THIER BIKE AS THEY ARNT USING THEM TO THIER POTENTIAL


BUT IM NOT TO SAY ITS EACH TO THIER OWN AND I THINK ALL BIKERS SHOULD RESPECT EACH OTHER AND THIER MACHINES AS LONG AS THIER NOT TEARING UP THE HIGHWAY CAUSING MAYHEM TO OTHERS AND BEING A NUISENCE (I LOVE BIKES AND A BIT OF SPEED , WHO DOESNT )LIKE IVE SAID IF I WANTED THE ULTIMATE RACER ID HAVE GOT A ZX10 ,FZR 1000 ,CBR1000 FOR THE SAME MONEY ,I LIKE CHARM FROM A BIKE PLEASE JUST UNDERSTAND I WANT IT AT ITS BEST COS AT ITS BEST ITS PROBABLY THE MOST POWER YOU COULD WANT OR EVER NEED ON THE ROAD , THE PERFECT BIKE WAS MADE NEARLY 30 YRS AGO ,


THATS ALL I WANT AN XS , AS IT SHOULD BE AND CAME HERE TO ASK OTHERS HOW IT SHOULD BE PEOPLE WHO LIVE WITH THEM ,THE MAGAZINES ETC ,ARE EITHER WRITTEN WHEN THE BIKE WAS NEW OR WRITTEN BY PEOPLE WHO DONT APPRECIATE THEM ,SO STOP SLATING AND GIVE ME THE FACTS THATS ALL I ASKED


WHAT IS THE PERFORMANCE SUPPOSED TO BE FOR AN XS1100


SIMPLE REPLY ,WHAT YOU GET FROM YOURS, I WANT TO KNOW IF I BOUGHT A DOG ,OR THE MAGS ARE LIEING,BEST PLACE TO ASK ,PEOPLE WHO RIDE THEM,,THE PEOPLE ON HERE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! WELL YOUD HAVE THOUGHT WOULDNT YOU, DONT GET ME WRONG I STILL LOVE YOU ALL ,JUST THE WRONG END OF STICKS HAVE CAUSED MAYHEM



THANXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


ALL I CAN SAY TO PUT MY POINT ACROSS CLEARLY IS IF YOU SAY I SHOULD JUST PUT UP WITH IT ITS OLD THIS IS WHAT THEYRE LIKE BLAH BLAH BLAH

I LOVE IT !!! I WANT IT HOW IT SHOULD BE !! TIP TOP NOT SOME HALF UNINSPIRING HEAP , IF I WAS GOING TO PUT UP I MAY AS WELL GET A SUZUKI GS550

[mitch]

my xj

0 to 180 in a heart beat, 180 to 200 took a while, 200 to 215 the most i ever had it down a hill with the wind behinde me ( not joking ) Thats klm per hour and thats what she would do. It didnt pull real hard till 4000 rpms and would pull the wheel in first if you abused it hard and some times shifting to second if you really abused it, but only just lift it maybe 3 inches. It would lay a nice strip of rubber though lol . When will i ever grow up Ha Ha .......MITCH

[TopCatGr58]

Hey there Gaffer,

No body is trying to make a pissing contest. We're glad that you are cautious about when and where you decide to open it up. We've had/seen lots of Young folk get on here and talk about their riding, wanting a 150hp performance out of a 20+year old bike! Mine gets very front end light, but doesn't easily wheelie unless I've got 2 up putting more weight leverage on/over the rear wheel, and I've got a "little" big bore kit in mine!! Of course mine is a later 81 model which allegedly was downpowered a touch, but it's still plenty of oomph for me!! I can flick the throttle and pass with impunity. I had mine up to just 110 running thru a local tunnel, no oncoming traffic lane, no crosswinds either! :P Had to shut it down due to catching up to traffic in front of me, but had plenty of power and rpm to go!!

The design of the rear drive shaft works to counteract the front lifting tendencies by pushing the rear up, front down as you accelerate due to the downward torque force of the shaft! By playing a little with the clutch, rev and pop it, I can get the front up, or by just running around 20mph and the quickly drop/flick the throttle and pull up on the bars, can bring it up, but I'm not too skilled at riding that way!!!

As for handling in the turns, going in hot is not the recommended way, but to let off a little until you have your angle/line set and then accelerate thru it! Getting a front fork brace if you don't have one will also help. Also what kind and how old are your tires? And one question that nobody has asked, is how long have you been riding!? Are you familiar with the COUNTERSTEERING technigue!?? A must especially with this heavy beast!!

Like Ratbyk said earlier, you will want to do the proper clutch adjustment at the engine case, there's a tech tip on here about how! If that still doesn't get your bike grabbing, then you may want to put a set of new friction plates in, and clean/deglaze your steels, and a new set of clutch springs, all for less than $100.00 US. What are the stats for your engine, the compression values, the valve clearances, which can also affect it's performance. IF the rings/valves are worn, it won't generate the power either! Okay,I'll shut for now!

PS, here's a little < 1mb sized mpg showing Godzilla doing a little wheelie!
Godzilla Wheelie

[gaffer77]

thanx thats great ,thanx for godzilla thats all i want from mine on a pull off just a bit of a thrill nothin drastic


right now then i know about counter steering,had a couple of attempts ,my head wont let me do it cos it feels like ypur goin to go the wrong way even faster than you already were (iive seen it done on telly so i know how it works and it is very practical ,i just got to get to grips with it .


havnt started on compression,valve shimms,carb balance etc,i like to do my own stuff ,havnt got the kit yet,i dont trust the shops to do what they say theyre going to do,i have got two or three technical buddies one takes yrs to get round to doing stuff the other doesnt like doin other peoples carbs(suspending the tank etc ,if you have to ,havnt got that far with the manual yet, so want to do my own ,i do have a good tool kit i do buy allot of snap on stuff,so im not a miser!!! its just for the stuff i aint got i need to invest $400.00 and i know i need to and i get to keep them for life but i wanted to know what the bike was supposed to do so i wont be dissapointed after spending out on the kit and it still running the same as it is id be gutted (but even if it does run the same at least id know it was all tweeked up)
I HAVN'T ASKED ANYONE HOW TO GET IT TO GO FAST,OR HOW TO HANDLE HER OR HOW TO PUT NITROS ,OR TURBO

ALL I ASKED IS WHAT IS THE SPEED OF AN XS1100 ,JUST TO FIND OUT HOW MINE IS RUNNING AND WHAT IT SHOULD BE CAPABLE OF,BECAUSE I WONT BE CONVINCED BY ANYTHING OTHER THAN OWNER RIDER DESCRIPTIONS ,TO COMPARE MINE

I THANK YOU ALL FOR THE EXTRA INPUT IT IS WELCOMED JUST DONT LOSE TRAK OF WHERE IM COMING FROM

[Geezer]

Originally posted by Dragonrider
A properly tuned/running special will kick a$$ and take names. It can wheelie, and it will easily reach 135mph (that's red-line) and still be pulling.

Great bike....of course Midnight's are just better....

Damn, Dragonrider, we almost look like brothers. ;o)

You'll find a pic of me here. http://www.oregonmotorcycleparts.com/AboutOMP.html

Geezer

[gaffer77]

when i said wheelie i meant a 6-12 inch lift at the front in first and second not some power wheelie for qtr mile stretch !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! my heads not in the clouds ,i just want facts not fiction ,i want my bike to perform as if it was new ,is this so bad!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! geeeez wheres all the hard core out there !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[John]

Here's the last known facts of my XS.
Fastest speed attained: 1994:130 (twice) vs SWMBO's FJ1100 140 (twice)
Just this morning on my way to work I happened upon a long empty stretch of freeway. I was doing about 75 and I just twisted it all the way. I tucked down behind the big, full, windshield, and held it. It topped at 110, and that's when I decided to back out of it. I have an 1179cc big bore, Jardine 4-2 criss-cross pipes. Uni foam air filter, stock air box. I just increased my main jet size from 137.5 to 140, and this was my maiden blast with this set up, but I expected, well...more. I never did really wind it up before the jet change to determine what it's top speed was. When I did 130 mph, I was twisting it wide open in each gear, racing SWMBO's FJ11, and not just rolling on the throttle in 5 th at 75 mph, and I had no windshield at the time. I may just remove it next Sunday morning at 5:30 am (light traffic) and try it again. I know the windshield has reduced my fuel economy by 3 mpg, but I don't know what it's done to my top end.

I like the bike because... it's mine. I built it from a barely running, rat looking POS! . Nobody 'else' is riding one. It has more than enough power to either get into, or get out of trouble. It's very reliable. I'm not trying to beat the world, I outgrew that, and, well, they just freakin' look good. cool: It doesn't have/need any flashy, shiny bits. Chrome don't getcha home.
That's why I still own mine after 13 years, and 65,000 miles.
Here's what mine looks like.
http://community.webshots.com/user/john80sg

That's my bike. That's what I ride. It ain't the prettiest, flashiest, nor the fastest. It doesn't need to be.
I ain't trying to impress anyone.

[mitch]

Nice bike

Nice bike John , How old is your daughter? Mines 7 ( Hannah) hard to get out on my venture alone lately, she wants to go too! I dont mind the company though. Have a great day ,.....................MITCH

[John]

Hey Mitch. My daughter(s) are 8 1/2, and a son 6 1/2. Son has been on 30 mile ride but the girls are still tenative. Around the block is enough for them.

[fredintoon]

Maybe it's just an urban legend - - -

- - - but I remember reading somewhere that powerful bikes in the UK had restrictors moulded into the carb intake boots to slow 'em down a bit but you could carve 'em out with your pocket knife?
Or perhaps the performance reports you read were exaggerated or written by someone transitioning from an ex-GPO Bantam?
Performance is a perception while wheelies are a matter of technique and mainly just lead to 2nd gear failure.
What you could do is borrow another XS11 to ride and compare it's performance to your bike's.
Fred Hill, S'toon.