The Yamaha XS1. The best engine that BSA has never built. That is quite a statement.
Good, but too late
If the Yamaha XS1 had been there a few years earlier, it would have wiped the entire British motorcycle industry off the map. But he came a few years later. And then he was no real threat to the Honda CB 750 Four and the Kawasaki Z900.
So the Yamahatwin did not have a too good start.
But the XS series grew into a motorcycle family that has since become pretty legendary.
At first, the quality of the bicycle part was lousy. But after that was resolved, the XS line became pretty much immortal and the Japanese twins have become heathen classics. The rinsing on authentic models has become nice. And with many of the later - usually ugly found - custom models, it is also pretty good: there are nice cafe racers.
On the other hand: When you XS 650 Googlet, you get a lot of pictures of converted Xsssen where the saying 'about taste can not be argued' must have been thought of.
In the April issue of AMK, Hans Smid tells the story about the 'primeval XS'. Buy that number!
