jcw said:
Thanks.
Do you think the /6 will be as good or better than the XS? Different.
I've never ridden an XS but have a neglected /5 I've been meaning to get around to. Riding that briefly feels like riding a 70's Cadillac.
Apples and oranges. Stock, the BMW compared to the Yamaha is kind of like comparing a BMW car to a Honda. Both get the job done, and properly set up, the Honda will perform well. But, there's a distinct and noticeable difference in quality.
My Yamaha XS was far from stock. It had about the best possible suspension you could put on an old XS, had been lightened and stiffened, and had a race-spec motor in it. It would trounce the BMW on the road and around a track.
Your 45+ year old /5 probably is running on original suspension components. My /6 has Progressive springs, I rebuilt the front forks 8 years ago and it has Works shocks. It's getting a larger, stiffer swingarm from a 1981 R100 and I recently put a new brake rotor and pads on it.
So, it handles much better than it did before I upgraded the completely worn out old components, as it should of course. It's a great bike to ride long distances, but it's not going to compare to any modern sport bike. I've ridden it confidently at 90+ MPH through twisty roads, through the Tail of the Dragon and for a 2 week 2500 mile trip, and that was before upgrading the rear shocks and front brakes.
Now with all the upgrades and the bump to 1000cc forged pistons with nickasil cylinders, and all new BMW OEM valves/guides/springs (one piston was down to 110 PSI and the valves/guides were worn out), it should run like a bat out of hell. I also just put on a Jim Cray spec Keihan stainless exhaust system on it which are basically lightly baffled open silencers, so it's going to sound as good as it runs
The BMW is an investment and should last me the rest of my life with all the new bits. All my other bikes will be rusty hulks by then (except the 1966 CA95 baby dream which lives inside the house).
