Posted April 25, 20168 yr I was wandering around my local bike mechanic/dealer and found something very unusual. A big old air cooled 4 cylinder, sort of thing you'd expect to see in a Z1000, but it had a King and Queen seat, and had a semi cruiser style and a big tear drop tank. Poor thing looked like it had been laying on it'#s side in a shed for decades. Didn't have any identificatgion on it apart from a Yamaha badge on the tank. Kinda as if someone had stuck a 4 cylinder air cooled motor into an xs650 Does anyone have a single clue what it could have been?
April 25, 20168 yr Moderator a picture would help as your description is vague. Â xs1100? http://motorcyclesfsale.com/wp-content/uploads/38/76/55beb3f0cd3a22b942a58077.jpg
April 25, 20168 yr Author 40 minutes ago, drewpy said: a picture would help as your description is vague. Â xs1100? http://motorcyclesfsale.com/wp-content/uploads/38/76/55beb3f0cd3a22b942a58077.jpg Ahh yeah that's what it was. Sorry for the vague description, you could hardly see it through the other bikes, it was half buried.
April 26, 20168 yr They used to race the XS1100. same style as the Morwaki Kawasaki ,  , I liked the custom look, like this Zed,
April 26, 20168 yr I wouldn't fancy racing on an xs11. Mine had rubber hinges in the frame, at least it felt like that. I like the Ltd range of Kwaks and the Z1000ltds occasionally come up on ebay. Wouldn't mind one
April 27, 20168 yr Moderator 13 hours ago, blackhat250 said: ,. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=goXeJtSSXBw that was ace, cbx1000 too.
April 28, 20168 yr Author On 4/26/2016 at 7:09 PM, blackhat250 said: They used to race the XS1100. same style as the Morwaki Kawasaki ,  , I liked the custom look, like this Zed, Currently helping in a restoration of this exact bike, a 1980 Kawsaki KZ1000 LTD, didn't mention as this is a Yam forum. Thus far got it running, fixed the tank, electronics and clocks. Slowly working through. Believe it or not it still have the original tires from 1980 (The test ride after the first fire up was sketchy with those flat spots, bump bump bump bump), original chain and sprockets, brake pads, everything, only 8000 miles from brand new. I'm convinced these old lumps had better build quality than any modern bike, everything just works, plus with some mods you can get them up to 150hp believe it or not. This is said KZ:  I LOVE these old air cooled 4 cylinder, they sound mean and sound properly pissed off when you really get onto it.
April 29, 20168 yr On 4/26/2016 at 1:41 PM, jimmy said: Don't know about the US Custom versions, but my 79 xs1100 didn't have a kickstart  On 4/28/2016 at 8:54 PM, Variomatic said: Currently helping in a restoration of this exact bike, a 1980 Kawsaki KZ1000 LTD, didn't mention as this is a Yam forum. Thus far got it running, fixed the tank, electronics and clocks. Slowly working through. Believe it or not it still have the original tires from 1980 (The test ride after the first fire up was sketchy with those flat spots, bump bump bump bump), original chain and sprockets, brake pads, everything, only 8000 miles from brand new. I'm convinced these old lumps had better build quality than any modern bike, everything just works, plus with some mods you can get them up to 150hp believe it or not. This is said KZ:  I LOVE these old air cooled 4 cylinder, they sound mean and sound properly pissed off when you really get onto it. We are a broad church here Vario my son , and can respect all of Gods creations .
May 4, 20168 yr On 25 April 2016 at 11:23 PM, Variomatic said: Ahh yeah that's what it was. Sorry for the vague description, you could hardly see it through the other bikes, it was half buried. Sold in the US as either the XS1100 Special, or the XS1100 Maxim (there was also a de-chromed version called the Midnight Maxim). My word, those Americans really loved naming cars and bikes (think they still do !).
May 5, 20168 yr When I started out on my little SR250SE special this was a model line in 400, 650 & 1000V variety if I recall correctly. The top of the range 1000Â could be had in the Midnight Special livery. I drooled over that bike but could not afford at the time. Or I'm making all this up? - it was 30 years ago afterallÂ
May 5, 20168 yr I was the same, my first road bike was an xs250 (long may it rot in hell) but along the road from me was an xs1100...That bike I wanted and finally owned one 7 yrs later. The big bike never once let me down, and I regretted selling.........In fact of all my bikes the only two bike I have regretted selling was my xs1100 and my xjr1200...all the others , I never gave them a second thought
May 5, 20168 yr I think that by the time the XS 250 was around, the 2 strokes were already on the wane, with the exception of the X7 and the 250 Elsie - the biggest selling 250 at the end of the 70's and early 80's will undoubtedly have been the Honda Superdream. There was also the GSX 250 and the Z 250 (Scorpion) - even sold in Kork Ballington replica colours. From '77 to late '81 I rode my 2 stroke KH 250 and hated the 4 strokes - sounding like farts, but able to go much further on a tank of petrol.
May 6, 20168 yr 10 hours ago, blackhat250 said: Did you never have a 2stroke jimmy, ? they were the vogue back then , Unfortunately not mate. I missed the whole smoker experience. No regrets at the time, but reading all the posts on here I feel I missed something very significant. For about the first six months on the bike (April 81 - Sept 81) I was absolutely sh!t on a bike (no compulsory training then) and would fall off quite regularly, so I would have probably killed myself on a 250LC which was the 2smoke of choice then
May 6, 20168 yr Moderator Missed the 2 stroke thing???? Its still there, im in it, and if most people are honest about it. Even the modern generation of fuel injected, universal sports motorcycle riders will accept there is something about a sweet 2 stroke. There is an almost primal element. They feel alive but at the same time just a little risky. Im not using learner stuff that is not in the same game. Have a go on one. You'll see.
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