It was definitely love at first sight. I wandered into my local Kawasaki dealer (I had a KZ400 twin then) and there, lined up against one wall were half a dozen of these new, silver gems which he was storing for a friend. It looked the perfect machine for what we wanted; ideal for touring the Continent two-up and with half a ton of camping gear. It also sounded like a real motorbike, not like a miniature car. Unfortunately, although not very expensive, it was more than we could afford. Still, there was no harm in wishful thinking. I collected leaflets and every magazine road test I could lay my hands on. In spite of critical comments of heavy, clunky gears, shaft drive lock-up most of which are true, incidentally - I continued to want one above all other contenders. A conviction deepened by seeing one somewhere near Tottenham Court Road with a Pantera fairing and panniers in matching silver. It looked grrreat!
Then came an opportunity. A friend had bought one and offered it to us for a day to test ride. That was it! Once my wife had experienced the comfort of the larger machine I received full backing to save up in earnest. By the time we had negotiated a bank loan that we were in a position to actually repay, some changes had taken place. The colour had changed to electric blue and silver (or maroon), new carbs, filters, choke and electronic ignition had been introduced. I ordered a Pantera fairing in black, collected my loan from the bank and, then, disaster... a nationwide lorry drivers' strike had been called and no dealers had one in stock - except one, 200 miles away. I zipped off a cheque and four days later we set off on one of the then strange new Inter City 125's to collect.
The bike is now eight years old, has done 23000 miles and I still love it, warts and all. Perhaps I should start with the warts, then you will have some idea of what to expect. Weight, first of all, then. I had some inkling of what to expect from the very first. Hardly ever did I see an XS750 sitting on its centre stand. They were always canted over on their side stands. With a full fairing and panniers it can seem a real pig to lug around.
A ride on a Suzuki GS1000 made me. realise what was actually happening. The centre of gravity of a bike like the GS1000 is kept low (sure, sure - Ed) so it feels light, but the riding position is low too, making for a much less comfortable ride over a long distance. We had come to expect the need for a rest every hour to soothe back and knees on the 400, but we could ride indefinitely on the XS without any discomfort; once rolling the weight is not so noticeable.
Another complaint of the whizz-boy journalists was the shaft drive and its tendency to lock the wheel when shutting off the throttle too suddenly. Strange, it's never happened to me, but then I don't spend my time thrashing around tracks trying to tear the guts out of a machine to prove some point. The same can be said of the gearbox. You do need to get the revs just right for a perfect change, it is true. And, OK, it's also quite clunky when compared to the ultra slick and remote boxes on, say, a Suzuki, but clunkiness to me gives a feel of strength, a comforting commodity in a tinsel world (rather like excusing vibes from a tuned B25 as merely the engine giving an hint of its presence - Ed).
My main beefs concern the brakes and the electrics. Stainless steel discs (two front, one rear) may look pretty but they are lethal in the wet! A moments lack of concentration on a rainy day and you are in for a dose of temporary - or worse permanent - heart failure for at least ten seconds after you apply the brakes. One day I may try these modern pads. Now to the electrics. All I can say is a Yamaha apprentice must have done the soldering and wiring loom. Joints falling apart, leads lying across the frame so they chafed through and blew fuses, switches that turned on any light but the one the handbook said they should, were all part of the learning process in the first few hundred miles.
The battery is too lowly rated, even at full charge it struggles to turn the motor from cold. I have had frequent cause to be heartily thankful that this model retains a kickstart. I continue to pray regularly that the rectifier doesn't fail because it's located in a position where it is virtually impossible to remove (my friend's went, that's how I know). And I do wish I could afford to buy original silencers. The baffles only last six months, anyway. There are plenty of 3-1 systems available, but they spoil the looks and the sound.
The oil cover is so difficult to remove that it discourages all but the most desperate of home maintainers. If all else fails, whacking the nut with a hammer and cold chisel works - you can then have a go at filing new corners on the bolt. One more wart. The suspension is rather weak for the mass, even without the fairing. It often bottoms the rear shocks, something that was rare with the Kawasaki even fully loaded up. This phenomenon may account for the more than average rear punctures I've suffered.
Incidentally, if you are going for one check to see if there is a wire strop (eh? - Ed) in the tool kit. This is needed to remove the rear wheel spindle as the suspension has to be compressed and the strop hooked between frame and swinging arm. If you don't do this you have to take the silencers off to remove the axle bolt. You also have to raise the rear mudguard, which is hinged for the purpose. Also, if you're weak and puny (like me) it's next to impossible to heave the bike onto its stand with a flat tyre. Help is needed.
The stud holding one of the shocks to the frame sheared off. This may have been due to the stresses caused by the carrier which is fixed at this point. The local Yamaha dealer could only suggest that I buy a new frame. I hacksawed away the remains of the stud, drilled through the frame and inserted a hardened steel bolt.
A cheap and fairly easy repair which has prove quite satisfactory.
Handling and running cost are both reasonable in the context that this machine is used as a tourer and not a street racer. Go much beyond the speed limits, and yes, the Yam bounces around and the mass can pull things way out of line. But if you want to ride like that, you shouldn't buy an XS in the first place.
I do not think there are any really serious niggles - apart from the silencers (which is an almost universal problem). I have enjoyed owning and riding the machine. Try as I might (as I do from time to time) I cannot find another model to replace it.
Malcolm Bott