Are we destined to "graduate" to xs650s?

[Lou Ranger]

Last fall, early on in my return to riding, my SR250 was admired by a member of the Vintage Motorcycle Assoc. of Canada. He told me I should aspire to someday owning an xs650. That was before I discovered xs400s - which still seem to me to be all the "more" that I need.
Met several members of the VMAC this spring, who all admired the Maximum as "a stepping stone to an xs650".
I enjoy the 400 too much to take them seriously. I think I could be happy with it, its cheap insurance rates and its low gas consumption for many years.

But I continue to check the online ads periodically and recently ran into one which I thought you ALL might enjoy. It hasn't convinced me to consider a 650 over my 400, but it does capture a certain state of mind and perspective which, I think, might be shared by many of you.

http://kitchener.kijiji.ca/c-cars-v...0-Real-Bike-for-a-Real-Man-W0QQAdIdZ374078815

 

[dburrows6735]

I want to meet this guy!!! HAHAHA love it!

 

[FUBAR]

figured i'd post what the ad says just incase it gets deleted by some "perennially agrivated metrosexual" hahah great read


the ad states:


Real bike for sale. Vibrates like a real bike should. Not for women or nancy boys. 30 years old, and wears its scars and fades proudly. Are you man enough? Cause it ain't for sissies and grand prix racer wannabes trying to impress the other little boys. The real bike goes about her business with style and class. Stir her innards with a manly prod of the kickstart and she will burble to life, purring contently. But don't rush her, she ain't no fuel-injected pretty face, she has carbs, as real bikes do, and if you don't warm her up before slapping it in gear, she'll buck and kick, and you'll be stuck eatin chips on the sofa instead of ridin hard. As she enters her third decade, she knows what she want's, and if you neglect her needs, she might throw you a curveball or two, nothing serious mind, but she needs to know you're paying attention. So if you're the type of boy whose face drains and heart palpitates when you push the start button and nothing happens, put your testicles back in your purse, open a Gawker account and practice your irony, cause the real bike ain't for you. She ain't no featherweight plastic fantastic UFO. The real men who designed her didn't have some Peter Pan Titanium-Borax-Carbon-Carbon-Carbon shite to work with. She's made from steel and aluminum and copper and chrome, the stuff that won the war. Her older sisters came to life in 1969, and they were conceived even earlier than that. They were hacked out of solid metal by master swordsmiths, some bloody great roller bearings were chucked in the general direction of the crank and camshafts, and a legend was born. They were then sold by the boatload for about 15 years before real bikes became a thing of the past. She was designed by men who oiled their own slide rules and spent their evenings puking up Sake on the bullet trains on their way home, not poncing about rendering 3D cad designs and writing endless ECU code. The upshot of all this is, the real bike can be fixed with a screwdriver, a hammer, and two cans of Faxe 10%. If you are man enough of course. If your idea of a tool box is a credit card, go ahead and mince about on that shiny V-Star 650 or your CBZQLPDRRRRRRRRR600RRRRRR in your new Zox full-face, go buy some KY and take the reaming the dealer has in store, the real bike ain't for you. But if you fancy something different, and owning a bike is part riding, part wrenching and part learning, if heaven on earth is a slow cruise in the countryside with a two beer buzz, the real bike is waiting for you. Be a real man, and buy this bike before some perennially aggrieved metrosexual flags this ad as inappropriate.

 

[xschris]

Thats funny!

 

[Lou Ranger]

figured i'd post what the ad says just incase it gets deleted by some "perennially agrivated metrosexual" hahah great read

Thanks FUBAR, I should have thought to do that myself.
IF I WERE looking for an xs650, I would hit the road tomorrow to meet this guy and see his bike. It does look nice.

 

[bcware]

I actually like cornering on my xs400 better than my gsx-r 750. I like the gixxer's power, however. They're different for sure; I'd just get a second bike if you interested in something powerful.

When you have no chicken strips and you're regularly replacing foot pegs, knee pucks, etc you should consider a bigger bike. Until then forget about it; you haven't mastered anything yet!

 

[xschris]

I had a xs650 for two years it was in perfect shape with 7000 miles on it and a lot of upgrades. It is nothing like the 400 at all much more a cruiser than a light snappy racer and vibrate a lot after 70+mph. I sold it for a profit and have not looked back.

 

[Drewcifer]

I love the idea of the guy puking up the sake on the bullet train home! Hilarious ad!

 

[226dark]

Seems he must have been flagged from a Craigslist viewer with him making that last comment. Can't find it listed for his local area, HA. Wait a second . . . what was he selling again? The XS650 is a truly beautiful engine and I want one but would love to restore the older sister XS-1 or 1972 XS-2, Yamaha's 1st 4-stroke if I'm not mistaken. This is possibly the Super Bowl ad of all bike ads! Good stuff, haha.

Another possibility to naturally grow into I would think is the XS500. (except unless you have the old style 400, may not like the older look). I'm not impressed with this ad and it's lack of creativity, haha, lacking in macho adspeak and only selling a bike What about the image that I want to buy? This one's out!
http://desmoines.craigslist.org/mcy/2972862942.html

 

[XSLeo]

The XS650 is a good step up. Just don't sell your XS400. Two bikes gives you two options on what you feel like riding. The XS400 is a lighter more nimble bike. The XS650 is heavier and handles longer rides with less wear on the rider. It can be almost as nimble as the XS400.
As far as vibration, keep it tuned well and the vibration is barely noticable.
Leo

 

[Lou Ranger]

... I'd just get a second bike if you interested in something powerful.
When you have no chicken strips and you're regularly replacing foot pegs, knee pucks, etc you should consider a bigger bike. Until then forget about it; you haven't mastered anything yet!

Thanks BC, and you too xsChris, xsLeo and 226 - you have confirmed where my instinct was taking me. I'm not really interested in something more powerful - but I was interested in how these Vintage guys have my future all planned (predicted?) out, and in what you xs400 fans thought.
Certainly, if mastery of what I have is the criterion for thinking bigger, I have a ways to go yet, and should stick to thinking "400".
I think I know exactly what you mean BC when you compare your two. My sr250 is going this Thurs and I have ridden it a couple of times to say goodbye. I know it's slower up my favourite twisty steep hill, but I can ride it closer to its edge than I can the 400 up that same hill, and it sure is fun.
If I can only keep one, the 400 wins hands down, so I was right to make the move. I can easily see myself sticking with it for years now without feeling I am falling behind somehow. Such a great bike for a short little old guy!

PS - I LOVE the look of that xs500, more than my Maxim. We will always love most what we loved in our teens and 20s.

 

[xs400neophite]

That was rich!! That guy needs to write classic japanese bike FANTASY books like "The fellowship of the Mikuni's" or "The Twin Pistons" or "Return of the King of all ignition Gremlins". Stories about real men, riding there real bikes against Borax carbon carbon enemies, vanquishing there foes in twisty highways and hard turns were grand prix wannabes hit the brakes and lowside or accelerate in the wrong gear and spin out to oblivion never to impress other little boys again! hehehe was great. Buy that guy a beer anytime!!

 

[1979XS4002-F]

Great AD Fubar,,,geezus...epic yet hilarious..love it and stealing it to show a friend tommorrow!

 

[sprocket]

Lou, you're only "destined to graduate to..." when you're bored with what you have. If ya wanna thrash your bike through curves and accelerate with authority, no 250 or even 400 is up to the task of real power (excluding 2 strokes).
You say you like the 250 better for pushing the limit on your fave uphill twisty, it's easier than the bigger bike. Of course it is! it's smaller, lighter and slow. You're comfortable with it's limits, enjoy!

Funny thing is, my first XS was a 750 triple, then an XS650 that I KONGed. I have 3 XS650s and a few extra motors (XS1 and 2 are among them), I have 2 XS1100s, the 2 XS400s I have are among the last bikes I've bought. Well past graduation here...lol... hell, I saw a few Yammy MX80s for sale last week. I might pick up one of them as that was the first motorcycle I ever rode. Maybe I'll chop it and use for a pit bike at the race track.

Screw the vintage wanna-be-experts! Do what YOU like, ride what YOU like. "Graduate" when you feel the need.
Personally, if all I had was a 400cc bike, I would be bored as hell. But then I'm used to working on 800 CI nitrous motors making 2500 HP, so even the 1100cc become a bit of a letdown. I can't help it, I'm a horsepower junkie!!!

 

[Lou Ranger]

Do what YOU like, ride what YOU like. "Graduate" when you feel the need.

Thanks Sprocket, sage advice.
Someday I hope to be bored with "only" a dohc 400, but I won't live long enough to have as many years of experience as you so I may never get to anything nitro-fuelled ... For now I am happy learning and practising.
I got good advice when I started up again last fall after 36 years off: Start on something simple and a little less twitchy than the KS1A I sold in '75. If I had bought the xs400 then, I am sure I would not have progressed as I have.

 

[sprocket]

I doubt I'll ride a nitro bike either. Honestly I'd be terrified as much as excited to do it. I still WOULD do it!! I'm 49yo and I know impact pain in a personal way. And I've seen a dude thrown off his bike @ 200mph+ just because he lifted his hand off the left side handlebar after the finish line, and his hand acted like a parachute and pulled him off the back.
I used to be on a Pro-Mod crew, the car ran 6 second 1/4 mile@229mph. I didn't drive it, but making it fast was my full time job for 6 years.
Yeah the slow comment WAS kinda snarky, but it was all in jest. My bike certainly isn't gonna win many races, but it's fast enough to white knuckle it every once in a while.
I just can't not push limits, it's against my nature. Ask my mom

 

[bcware]

I'm only interested in cornering at high speed. I've yet to meet another person locally that can keep up with me in the twisties regardless of the bike they have. Very few people on the street are able to steer a motorcycle worth a damn, but I'm a nerd and go out practicing almost every day for hours.

I will have to get some footage of me thrashing the Yamaha on the streets

 

[bentwrench]

I like that ad. But part of me really hopes a woman buys the bike, and rides away doing a burnout while flipping him the bird.

My last bike was an SV650, and a Bandit 1200 before that. Completely different. I like the 400 - I called it my hero bike the first time I rode. An inline 4 sits much higher, and I'll never use everything the Bandit 1200 could give me.

I might get other bikes, but it won't be because I'm graduating. It will be because I'm ready for something new. I just like variety too much.

 

[Scorpio1963]

You know I thought about it,I would like a bike thats better for long road trips and has a bit more power.Being new to the riding sceen I happy over all with the was my 400xs feels.Not heavy but fast enough to give you an adrenaline rush around curves.Its great first bike to learn on not just riding but also the mechanics part of it as well.

 

[Lou Ranger]

You know I thought about it, I would like a bike thats better for long road trips and has a bit more power. Being new to the riding sceen I happy over all with the was my 400xs feels. Not heavy but fast enough to give you an adrenaline rush around curves. Its great first bike to learn on not just riding but also the mechanics part of it as well.

I know the feeling. Every time I run into someone with 750 Shadow, V-Star 650 or V-Strom 650 it starts me thinking. But so far, I haven't really had an opportunity to go on a long road trip so I haven't missed it. I can cruise comfortably above the speed limit on any secondary road that exists, so for my solo cruising at least, my 400 gets me there.
I'm pretty sure though that once I get a proper storage shed, I will indulge myself with another bike. But I don't think I will part with the xs400. I'd rather aspire to be another guy with 5 older bikes than someone who has to figure out which single bike he is in the mood for this year.