The six most reliable Yamaha motorcycles ever built

[LAB3]

Here's an article that came across my news feed where the XS11 makes the list of one of the six most reliable motorcycles Yamaha has ever built.

https://www.slashgear.com/1577040/mo...es-ever-built/

[DiverRay]

I've owned two of them! A Yamaha 650XS1, and a few XS1100's. The 650 took me from California to Fort Bragg, NC in 5 days in 1974. The XS1100 has taken me every place I wanted to go since September, 1977 when I took delivery of my first one.

[DEEBS11]

The irony of this line in an article about reliability.

[LAB3]

I'm more than willing to concede that the article is nothing more than click bait.

[jkorn]

I’ve owned my 1100F since new. No transmission issues.

[DEEBS11]

I have an 80 motor in a 78 frame. No transmission issues. The bike is very reliable and I love it.

LAB3, yes, I guess the article says more about the writer than the bike.

[Larrym]

Thx, LAB3. (✦ ‿ ✦)

ALL the UJM's in the 80s and 90s were head and shoulders reliability-wise above the Detroit-made cars at that time. ( •_•)

My choice of X-portation when I moved to AZ and found out the "Right-to-Work" situation resulted in wages so low that I, a graduate of the best Automotive Tech School in the state I came from, couldn't afford to buy/own/operate/repair a car even if I did all the wurky myself. (－‸ ლ)

But that's where the UJM's came to the rescue. All "used/pre-owned" of course so the purchase price was low but the task of getting them back to roadworthy wasn't just a weekend of wrenching. (╯•﹏•╰)

The outcome was a reliable and cost effective means of getting to/from work and school even with the "regularly scheduled" inspections/adjustments. (´◡`)

So MANY years later....my first XS1100 was a 79 Standard that had been abandoned under a tree for 2 years in the Pacific Northwest Rain Forest. The "To Do" list was longer than my arm and took over 4 months to complete. Upon completion this was the smoothest running and most powerful bike I had EVER owned with the UJM reliabilty I could count on. ᕙ(‾̀◡‾́)ᕗ

But with the Windjammer Fairing and the trademark UJM frame design it only wanted to go in a straight line. Essential fOaR the UJM's I drove in city traffic to wanna stay perfectly straight and not even drift out of the narrow lanes. But getting the Standard to do AnYtHiNg OTHER than a straight line meant Fighting the bike itself (a UJM on Steroids...) and Winning that fight. ┏( >_<)┛

The guy I sold it to was VERY happy wit'it. (~‾⌣‾)~

Well...until he was going over 110 approaching a sweeper turn with a 45 mph posted limit but only managed to get down to 80 cuz he just didn't like using the front brakes and preferred the back brake only. ≡≡≡(⊃´･Δ･`)⊃

Now VERY pleased with the 79 Special I own cuz of the reliability AND the ability to ride thru the sweepers effortlessly. (⌒_⌒)

[DEEBS11]

Larry, you are a master of ALT codes.

[Larrym]

Larry, you are a master of ALT codes.

Thx, Deebs11. (*^_^*)

( •_•)

(•_• )

(•_•) Just one of the ways imma hopefully showing I'za real person wit'a XS IRL and NOT a Chatgpt/AI BOT!

No way any self-respecting AI would respond to posts like I (caps intended) do. (◠﹏◠)

Yet... (⊙_◎)