YAMAHA XS1100

YAMAHA XS1100

 YAMAHA XS1100

There was not a great deal of subtlety about the XS1100. Yamaha's first four- cylinder superbike was huge, heavy and rather basic. And the big bike's styling reflected its personality, combining a bulbous fuel tank and sidepanels with a large, rectangular headlamp that merely emphasized the brute's enormous weight of well over 6001b (272kg) when that tank was full.

Any such criticism was forgotten when its rider, cruising at a gentle pace in top gear, saw a straight piece of road stretching out ahead and wound back the throttle. Even with as little as 50mph (80km/h) showing on the square-shaped speedometer, the Yamaha's massively torquey 1lOlcc powerplant sent the bike storming forward with a breathtaking surge of low-rev acceleration that no other superbike could match.

Such arm-wrenching performance was fun, but not really what the XS1100 was all about. Despite the Yamaha's twin overhead camshafts, 95bhp peak power output and top speed of over 130mph (210km/h), it was designed less for violent acceleration and flat-out blasts than for effortless long-distance travel. For all its size and intimidating look, the bike nicknamed the 'Excess Eleven' was a bit of a softie. Softly tuned powerplant

There was plenty of evidence to support that claim in the engine which, although it shared its basic air- cooled eight-valve transverse four-cylinder layout with the Suzuki GS1000 that was launched at the same time, was a less highly tuned unit. The Yamaha's impressive peak power figure was produced at 80()0rpm, but a more relevant statistic was that much of its torque was developed much lower, between 2000 and 6500rpm. 

 YAMAHA XS

 

Not only that but, like Yamaha's XS750 triple, the big four had shaft final drive.

It also had a heavy-duty chassis, based around a twin-downtube steel frame that had ample bracing, plus fairing mounts as standard fitment. The swingarm was made from box-section steel on the right, and incorporated the driveshaft housing on the left. Like the rear shocks, the front fork legs were adjustable for spring preload but not damping. The specification sheet included cast wheels and a triple-disc brake system.

How efficiently the Yamaha XS1100 worked depended largely on how fast its rider liked to travel, and on how straight the road was. On an empty American freeway it was happy to sit at whatever speed the pilot dialled in, remaining stable and always having a burst of acceleration ready at the end of the throttle wire. Even on twistier roads, its effortless torque made for pleasant riding and allowed its rider to make minimal use of the rather slow five- speed gearbox.

 YAMAHA XS1100

But if asked to deliver more sporting performance, the Yamaha struggled. Its power and weight overwhelmed the chassis when pushed hard, resulting in some nasty wobbles. Steering geometry that was designed for high speeds gave a rather awkward feel in slower turns, and the bike's bulk was inevitably a handicap in town. Although the XS found admirers among riders in the wide open spaces of America, it failed to catch on in Europe.

Yamaha did at least make efforts to improve the basic XS, firstly by creating an upmarket Martini touring version whose innovative full fairing incoiporated a top section that turned with the handlebars. The mean and stylishYAMAHA XS1100 Sport, launched in 1981, featured black paintwork and a bikini fairing. It emphasized the Eleven's muscular nature and earned a cult following, but by this time the big shaft-drive four was even less of a genuine sport bike than ever. 

YAMAHA XS1100  prices 2014 

MINT                   $5,500             £4,800

GOOD                  $4,200           £3,200

FAIR                     $3,300             £2,000

PROJECT             $950,             £800