300 MILE REVEIW OF XJ1100J

I now have ridden my XJ for a few weeks and I find myself looking for excuses to take it out for a ride. I still have some small things to work on but it has preformed well.

I like the way the bike rides on the back roads it soaks up bumps and runs smooth. The seat is nice on my backside and helps my back issue on longer rides. I installed some highway foot pegs and adjusted the bars and It fits me perfect now. I would give it a 8 out of 10 on comfort.

The bike handles good for a big heavy bike. The center of gravity is higher then my other bikes and that was a bit strange at first. I am not completely comfortable going fast around sharp corners. But that's not what the bike is made for anyway.
I would give it a 7-10 for handling.

The engine runs smooth and strong and sounds good. I love the way it sounds at idle... like a built Chevy small block. It sounds good but it's not loud like the ones that piss me off at 2 am blasting by my house. It eats gas like bear before winter but still better then my car. It would be nice if it had just a bit more torque. The transmission is OK but Its a bit clunky and I would like to see a 6 speed in it. The shaft drive is great to have! I have always had chain drive and what a pain they are in comparison. I also like the way the back end lifts up with the torque.
I would give the engine a 9-10 the transmission a 6-10 and the shaft drive a 10-10

I would say that the engineering and quality of parts is much better then my Suzuki's. The bike is vary solid!

I bought this bike not ever having a Yamaha before. I liked the way it looked and it was affordable. I would definitely tell anyone looking to get a in line 4 cruiser to look at one of these bikes.

 

Thanks for the review!
These types of posts, as well as the tech stuff, are why sites like this exist.
Even those of us who don't have an XJ1100 (yet) can benefit from your wisdom and experience.

Posts like this are the lifeblood of this site.

Thanks again,
Christopher.

 

I also just started riding my 1100 after months of wrenching and cleaning. I thought it was just me thinking the trans was "clunky" Shifting from neutral to first and first to second especially. I was thinking the clutch needed to be adjusted but even after adjustment, it was still clunky. Then I thought about "Driver ignorance"....I found that I'm Not completely innocent . I found that if I shift from 1st to 2nd sooner than I'm use to, it shifts easily and no clunk. Around 15 -20mph instead of winding them out to far. It's a shame to hold back all that power for the first couple gears. But after that it's hard to keep my wrist from twisting just to feel all that power come alive.
I also found the bike to be a bit top heavy but it handles smoothly in the twisties.
After riding a 650 maxim for the past 10 years, It will take more than a couple hundred miles to get use to the 200 extra pounds. Counter steering, righthand U-turns. I have NO problem with lefthands. I'm thinking maybe 2nd gear instead of 1st would work better for the righthands.
Braking is also very good. I do like the rear pedal also operating one of the front calipers. Seems to make for a smoother stop without using the front brake as much. The only down side is the gravel road I live on. Front brakes and gravel do not go together very well.
The shocks adjustments are another thing. I road for a while on setting 2 for about 100 miles. switched it to no.1 and didn't see any difference. I put it on no.3 setting and it seemed to be a lot stiffer.I like being able to switch setting so easily. Just adjusting the front stiffness is a plus in my book. I was never able to do that on any other bike I've owned.
I road home late after a ride with an old friend, and the headlight also seems to be pretty good. There are no streetlights and lots of deer in my area and the high beam seems to be brighter than the ones on my minivan. Not too bad for a standard halogen lamp.
I'm sure it will take some time to get use to the heavier bike but everything takes time. Over confidence can get you hurt or even worse. I won't let the wife on the back yet as this is way too soon to be comfortable with a passenger right now. She does understand and wants to wait till I feel comfortable with every part of the bike. I do miss the backrest though (leaning back on her).I hope it won't take too long before I'm 100%
Ride Safe Everyone