OLD BIKE AUSTRALASIA: 41pistons had some moisture damage but I was able to
get CRC into the motor and move it backwards and
forwards until I could get it to turn over. I wanted to
check the cam timing just to refresh my memory. So
I pulled it all apart and it was still in really good
order inside. I replaced all the main bearings and big
end bearings, honed the bores, ran the same pistons
and rings because they were in good order, cleaned
the valves and recut the seats, re-shimmed it, put a
brand new set of Keihin CR33 smooth bore carbs on
it, fired it up and she ran sweet as. It was John
Testore’s decision to fit the Keihins, but the original
Solex/Mikuni carbs were badly corroded and would
have taken a lot of work to get them back into
working order – more time than we had.
“I know the guy at the local trade school so I put it
on their dyno. This was the Tuesday night before IFoS
and we had to leave at 3am on Wednesday morn-
ing.He said it was a bit lean at idle, too rich in the
bottom range, nice at three-quarter throttle and prob-
ably a jet size out on the main jet. He said the torque
curve is a flat line; it’s incredible how much torque it’s
got. It was showing 108kW, or about 144 horse-
power, and that blew me away because we always
thought it was about 120 horsepower, but in those
days we didn’t have dynos – we’d just ride it and see
how it went. We were pretty impressed back then
because it was as fast as Robbie Phillis’ GSX1100 and
as fast as the CB1100R that Dennis Neill rode, which
had a factory Honda RC kit on it. But Honda and
Suzuki Yoshimura had all the experience whereas
Yamaha had no four stroke experience. The next
model they brought out was the FJ1100 which chassis
wise were not great but the motors were bulletproof
and great for making horsepower, and from there to
the FZR1000. So this bike was the stepping stone and
probably the first Superbike from Yamaha anywhere
in the world. I know Sonauto had the Fior one (also
chain drive which raced at the Bol d’Or) which had
the same race kit on it but we basically raced ours as
a full Superbike. All the cycle parts are standard –
heavy steel fuel tank. I reckon the bike now is around
200 kilos and I think it could lose another 15kg by
doing lots of little stuff.
A quick squirt
At Sydney Motor Sport Park, I was able to get a run
on the XS1100 during one of the IFoS Legends
sessions. After doing the earlier session on Murray
Kahler’s NCR Ducati that I had raced in the 1978 TT,
jumping onto the Yamaha was quite a contrast; one
low and long, and the other bike high, wide and
handsome. Mal Pitman’s son in law Nathaniel Wilson
had taken the Yamaha out for a shake down run and
reported fluffy carburation, so there was a quick hunt
through the pits for alternative jetting prior to my
ride. This went part of the way to curing the problem
but Mal says he’s still not entirely happy with it,
although considering the short space of time he had
to complete the work, it’s a job very well done.
Look at the period photos of Greg Pretty and you
will see a little bloke on a big bike. The power-to-
weight ratio was very good. When I hopped aboard
the XS I was immediately struck with the sheer
presence of the machine. It’s not just that it is
physically large, but the styling, especially the fuel
tank, make it appear that way. Nevertheless, once
you’re underway this impression disappears. What
takes over is the stonking mid-range surge of
power, and the overall performance package which,
for a machine originally conceived over 40 years
ago, is mighty impressive.
From my lofty perch it seemed a long way down
to the track, but the XS steers perfectly, and even
though I had been pre-warned about the efficiency
of the brakes, I found very little lacking there. I
definitely agree with Mal that Yamaha had the pick
of the brakes back then; even my own 1973 TX750with its single disc, twin piston caliper stopped quite
adequately, and I never had any complaints about
the range of TZ350s, similarly equipped, that I raced
in period. You do notice the weight, no question,
particularly at the downhill hairpin at SMSP, where
the force of gravity, coupled with a tight, decreasing
radius corner, makes changing direction a considered
exercise. But then comes the good bit, accelerating
away towards Turn 11 and the Yamaha fairly bolts,
with plenty of time between gear changes to savour
the experience. As Mal says, the carburation is not
yet spot-on, but it’s not all that bad either. Hey, let’s
put the Solex/Mikunis back on and try that!
It would be an interesting exercise if Mal could
indeed remove another 15kg, but in a way, I hope he
doesn’t. Here is a time-warm motorcycle, pretty much
exactly as it was raced in 1981. Even the paintwork is
original. Yes, true – it only required buffing, even after
all those years semi-submerged in the leaky shed.
Thanks to owner John Testore for allowing me the
chance to savour a real survivor of the battlefield that
was the early ‘eighties Superbike scene.■FOOTNOTE:Scott Heyes (son of Castrol Six Hour legend
Roger) has unearthed some historic footage of the
Pitmans Yamaha in action in the 1981 Coca Cola 800 at
Oran Park. Check it out here: http://www.youtu.be/h6xOJLLiDDM
and here http://www.youtu.be/GD4NMLjoGeIPITMANS YAMAHA XS1100 SUPERBIKE
A new set of 35mm Keihin CR carbs replaces
the original Solex/Mikunis – for the moment.Heart of the matter; the chain drive
in place of the original shaft.The editor tries the
restored XS11 at
the 2018 IFoS.