What part of your Eleven does it touch the ground first (while cornering)

[Czekus21]

foot pegs solo. Center stand two up. SWMBO dosn't like it though, when I take 35 mph curves at 70. That's about the comfort limit two up. After stopping, she made me aware that I will not do that agian. Yeee,, Haaa,,, another challenge..

[fbcaf]

My Ego

I haven't been over far enough yet. By the evidence from the PO, the left footpeg hit first, then the outmost edge of the full fairing and the engine guard hit about the same time. On the right side, it looks like the muffler and the engine guard and fairing all made contact. The right footpeg must have been replaced - there's not a scratch on it.

I have added highway pegs to the engine guards, and I think they will make first contact when I find guts enough to get into that zone. So far, I have doubled up on the speed signs and felt that I was really edgy, but haven't scraped anything. I don't have a fork brace, and on one occasion I was surprised on a left twisty, the front end played some tricks, but I saved it and still didn't scrape anything. I am cured.

[Parr8hed]

When the suspension is compressed (if I hit a bump in the corner) then the bottom of the 4-1 collector hits. If I don't hit a bump then I scrape the pegs on either side. I usually hit my toes first though.

I am going to go with a sportier suspension this winter, I hope to be dragging my ears or shoulders next year.

[7911special]

long sweeping corner i have to point my toes up (sz 14 might account to that) or they get ripped off the pegs....usually on a righter it is the bottom pipe of the 4-1, starting to leak a little, luckily it is right where the megaphone slips on.

only scraped twice goin left and the is the center stand, just don't feel as balanced goin left

[sixtysix]

When I still had one, everything scraped!! At the PA rally I did pegs, centerstand, muffler clamps on both sides....I hit something in every corner...that's when I knew my time with the XS11 was up.

[Doyle]

Improved handling and cornering clearance

I started to reply to the "What part of your XS scrapes first" thread but wanted to say more so here goes....If you sometimes ride hard in the canyons or even a track day now and then(I've seen Gold Wings out there, it's great for skill building) my experiences are probably important. My 1980 Standard runs with new crotch rockets in the tight stuff for the following reasons: both type fork braces up front, progressive fork springs and 15wt fork oil(with internal fork slider holes slightly enlarged), superbike bars, Dunlop V rated tires, Koni rear shocks 1/2 inch longer than stock, Raask rear sets, 4 into 1 modified to more upswept, aluminum sidecases cut at bottom and rewelded at angle, no centerstand(I use a lift at home), side stand raises higher against Raask rearsets baseplate so it's out of the way, and finally a steel strap welded across both the top and the bottom of the swingarm barrel with 5 weld points each. I realize alot of these mods may be either unnecessary or impractical for some but I've seen enough highly modified XS's on this list to know that this info will be meaningful for others. I might add that everything I just listed helps handling on its own merit but all together the bike is absolutely unreal, especially if one considers 25 year old design technology! When I go for a ride with modern sport bikes, no apologies need be made, it's a proud feeling when I roll up with the "leaders" for a coffee break. Doyle

[GNEPIG]

.. hey, you forgot to change your rubber motor mounts to solids for a more rigid feel, also a mount special made from the upper frame [under the fuel tank]to the top of the motor[the intake side of the valve cover] would help stiffen things up a little more ... you said every little bit counts.. the xs650s have the top motor mount why not one for the 1100
..i would like to see some pics, this bike sounds like its me
i would also like to know more about the bracing on the swing arm

just some thoughts

[Doyle]

good advice regarding addl frame strengthening, the thing with me is that, although I've been through scores of bikes, I bought my 80 XS in 1980 and through the years when some handling quirk reared its ugly head, I did the mods to make it go away, then, as the bikes performance(handling) improved, something else would manifest. This is hard to explain but, when riding the bike on the edge with an improvement installed, my lap times would go down but a more advanced negative symptom would manifest......then I would address that symptom. For example, when the bike was suspended right, I noticed a small but significant hinge feeling during braking then full throttle transitions, I went to a guy named Gary Schumake (company named SPEC II in No Hollywood, CA, may not exist anymore) and he did the swingarm straps saying that's where the flex was. Sure enough it absolutely eliminated the hinge feeling! 20 some years of this evolution has brought my scooter to a level that I'm perfectly happy with. Most riders will enjoy their XS's for years with none of these adjustments (rightfully so) but I always measured my XS next to my FJ 1200, GSXR 1000, etc. so it had to improve for my satisfaction. I'm now 58 years old so I may take a ride and go incredibly slow for 3 hours but the good feelings I get knowing my bikes capabilities (whether I use them or not) surpasses anything like riding a new high performance bike produced by a factory....not that that isnt kool or anything, it's more about the years of a special relationship I've developed with my XS, unlike something from a showroom floor. I guess I'm rambling now but those are my feelings and passions about something I'll never sell! It could've happened with a Guzzi or a Ducati, but it didn't, it happened with a 1980 Yamaha XS 11 Standard and I'm sticken with it! Doyle