How does your XS make you feel...?

[650Skull]

I agree with Fed...............Your post was rude toward people in the 50-60 age bracket.Lack of respect

It was rude to judge a car, to a persons ability to be able to buy what ever they choose and to do, if that decision or choice does no one any harm in any way.

it was rude to make reference to someones appearance who has lived for 50-60 years, and again it is their choice to dress, use whatever make-up they wish, and they have the right to do so and not be judged for who they are...................

You may not have intended to come across as you did but the plain truth is you did by making shallow comments.

 

[Alexs650e]

I agree with Fed...............Your post was rude toward people in the 50-60 age bracket.Lack of respect

It was rude to judge a car, to a persons ability to be able to buy what ever they choose and to do, if that decision or choice does no one any harm in any way.

it was rude to make reference to someones appearance who has lived for 50-60 years, and again it is their choice to dress, use whatever make-up they wish, and they have the right to do so and not be judged for who they are...................

You may not have intended to come across as you did but the plain truth is you did by making shallow comments.

Ok, agreed, I clearly didn't get my point through. Let me edit the original comment to stop insulting people. Thank you.

 

[Alexs650e]

I agree with Fed...............Your post was rude toward people in the 50-60 age bracket.Lack of respect

It was rude to judge a car, to a persons ability to be able to buy what ever they choose and to do, if that decision or choice does no one any harm in any way.

it was rude to make reference to someones appearance who has lived for 50-60 years, and again it is their choice to dress, use whatever make-up they wish, and they have the right to do so and not be judged for who they are...................

You may not have intended to come across as you did but the plain truth is you did by making shallow comments.

Does it make more sense now?

 

[Alexs650e]

Hi Alex,
when your teenage acne clears up enough that you can safely start shaving you'll start to realize that 50-60 year old women ain't old at all.
And some of them can drive better than you ever will.
Try googling Stirling Moss' bio. Look for a photo of him as a young man standing next to a pre-war MG sports car with it's hood completely
covered in car race trophies. They ain't his trophies. They're his mother's.

Does it make more sense now? I've edited the original post. It clearly was misleading and insulting

 

[TwoManyXS1Bs]

...my point was how different is the feeling of pure old school mechanics to new era engineering and electronics

Yes, I've had similar thoughts. You definitely need to know how stuff works with old-school. Plus, there's that feeling of freedom, independence, self-reliance and control with this old stuff. Coupla stories:

A few years ago, riding with a friend to an event. I'm on the ancient, dilapidated XS1B 'parts bike'. He's on a newfangled tupperware shrouded Suzuki 'Complicator'. Suddenly, my left cylinder skip-fires. We pull in to a convenience store, I slip off the fuel lines and pull the tank. I hear him in the backround, calling his friends: "I don't know if we'll make it. He's got his bike all apart! Right here in front of the store." His conversation continues with working alternative plans. I simply had an old coil connector making bad contact. Squeezed it a little, plugged it back in, refitted the tank and fuel lines, and announced "Let's go!". He's still in the depths of conversation: "What the..? Okay, I guess we're coming after all.".

About that same time frame, I get pulled over by a state trooper. He says that my headlight is burnt out, and starts to write me up. I tell him it works fine, and turn it on to show him. "What the..? You're supposed to have that ON!". I tried to explain about the headlight grandfather clause, only required to be 'on' for bikes made after 1974. He wasn't buying it, got pretty aggressive, wrote me a warning, with the promise that he would prove me wrong and followup with a warrant for my arrest. I never heard back.

Several months later, at a local shop to get the annual "Texas State Safety Inspection". The inspector hops on my bike, turns it on, and fiddles around the throttle grip. "Where's the starter button?". I tell him it's a kick-start. "A what??? I can't do that!" I tell him it's easy, "I'll show you how."

"No no no, you better do it. And, YOU ride it around while I watch."...

 

[Alexs650e]

Yes, I've had similar thoughts. You definitely need to know how stuff works with old-school. Plus, there's that feeling of freedom, independence, self-reliance and control with this old stuff. Coupla stories:

A few years ago, riding with a friend to an event. I'm on the ancient, dilapidated XS1B 'parts bike'. He's on a newfangled tupperware shrouded Suzuki 'Complicator'. Suddenly, my left cylinder skip-fires. We pull in to a convenience store, I slip off the fuel lines and pull the tank. I hear him in the backround, calling his friends: "I don't know if we'll make it. He's got his bike all apart! Right here in front of the store." His conversation continues with working alternative plans. I simply had an old coil connector making bad contact. Squeezed it a little, plugged it back in, refitted the tank and fuel lines, and announced "Let's go!". He's still in the depths of conversation: "What the..? Okay, I guess we're coming after all.".

About that same time frame, I get pulled over by a state trooper. He says that my headlight is burnt out, and starts to write me up. I tell him it works fine, and turn it on to show him. "What the..? You're supposed to have that ON!". I tried to explain about the headlight grandfather clause, only required to be 'on' for bikes made after 1974. He wasn't buying it, got pretty aggressive, wrote me a warning, with the promise that he would prove me wrong and followup with a warrant for my arrest. I never heard back.

Several months later, at a local shop to get the annual "Texas State Safety Inspection". The inspector hops on my bike, turns it on, and fiddles around the throttle grip. "Where's the starter button?". I tell him it's a kick-start. "A what??? I can't do that!" I tell him it's easy, "I'll show you how."

"No no no, you better do it. And, YOU ride it around while I watch."...

Hahaa, niceee... I got no stories yet here, I'm young and young in this country. 6 years here and I got my first bike with my own money here. Luck made it to be an XS650. Very rare in Greece. CBs were more famous. But I was always hooked with old bikes and Yamahas as my first bike was my father's 1978 YB50. Where others 14 year olds had Honda Cub50/90 and their offsprings(tubeframe with tank under the seat) I had a proper motorcycle with tank between my thighs and a clutch. So I did reseach and between the XS650/750/1100 I decided that that's the one to start with. And here is the one I learned how to ride(same model and color and decals but not the actual one)

 

[fredintoon]

To me, anything you can fix with your hands and electric at most tools is old school. When you need a laptop then that's it. There are still machines built that way today.

Hi Alex,
by your definition the XS650 stopped being "old school" with the 1980 model's TCI system because there's no way an average rider diagnosing a "no spark" problem can tell a good TCI unit from a bad one except by swapping it for a "known good" one.

 

[Alexs650e]

Hi Alex,
by your definition the XS650 stopped being "old school" with the 1980 model's TCI system because there's no way an average rider diagnosing a "no spark" problem can tell a good TCI unit from a bad one except by swapping it for a "known good" one.

Yes, I still have points on mine. Not that I would mind the conversion but to have a spare couple of points and a coil in your backpack ain't a big deal.

 

[Yamaha77]

Hi Alex,
your post didn't read like that to me, it read like someone enviously winging on about a mature woman driving a nice car.
Hence the gratuitous insult. I've no idea about the state of your complexion. Hopefully it'll clear up soon.
At my age an XS650 IS new school. It's got electric start & rear suspension & everything. Old school is a 1930s Velocette.

I dont think he meant to be malicious. I sometimes say off color things without realizing that it may hurt someone's feelings. I think the larger point is, he realized his first post might have been a bit mean of off-color, and edited it. I think thats a good thing.

And I suppose, to someone who is in their 20s, 50 *IS* old and I can understand how ppl in their 50s might get upset at that post. But its all about your reference point and being mature enough to be respectful (I mean old ppl not getting offended when someone calls them old).

 

[Mailman]

"How does your XS make you feel?"

Kinda like this, 20 years old, full of piss and vinegar, with a full head of hair!

 

[MaxPete]

Yeah man - JUST like that.

 

[azman857]

How does rideing your XS650 make you feel? I feel young( compared to being 60) and painfree (until numbbum sets in). I feel alive. It's about the only time I feel truely in charge of my being. I enjoy the smells and the sounds. Feeling my bike respond to my commands. Hearing the exhaust tones rise and fall. Seeing new sights on new roads.

 

[David Toll]

Alex your choice of words was unfortunate. Respect is a quality hard earned but, be in no doubt, all we 60 year olds were 25 once and, unless my memory is failing me entirely, pretty cool dudes according to the standards of our era. That's why we still ride bikes today with failing eyesight and compromised reflexes that put our lives at risk with every road trip. My 52 year old "bimbo" wife still looks great in a bikini but she drives carefully because she realises her mortality. The decline into old age awaits us all and we need to address it gracefully. Very little that you have done would impress me but those things you have done that did impress me I would acknowledge because along the way to dotage, I have learned to respect, regardless of age. Your original post was mildly offensive. I can live with it because I don't give a rat's arse about your opinions but, please learn to moderate your position if you expect to have your posts taken seriously in this forum. As Yammie 77 has said, you appear to have learned that lesson. Well done son!
Regards

 

[TimeMachine]

78e makes me feel soothed and relaxed. I escape the present on my cycle and with helmet on am able to live as I once did in simpler times. Your 78e is beautiful to me. As for racing women ? Did it. Loved it when some older Cali Lady in a Kompressor took on speed with me on my FJ1200 very fast down by Monterey. Even after my two friends shut down this lady kept the gas on till we went separate ways. Was a ride (fantasy) I'll never forget. "Women in fast cars" "Women with no dress"