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The
decade we blame for bell-bottoms and Abba is also
responsible for the birth of the factory "special" and the
fore fathers of the modern cruiser. Before the Seventies the
only specials or customs rolling out of  motorcycle
factories were purpose built race machines. Boulevard
cruisers were the realm of bike customizers and motivated
enthusiasts. But the Age of Aquarius changed all that as the
Yamaha XS750SF, this month's used bike, shows.
One of the
earliest examples of a factory custom was the Harley
Superglide. It had long forks and bobbed fender, but in
spite of its poor sales was a sign of things to come. For it
wasn't long before many companies were building specials.
The Japanese with their dominance of the US market were no
exception, every brand from the Land of the Rising Sun had
one. The XS750SF "Special" is a prime example.
The XS line from
Yamaha featured a full line up, from twin cylinder tiddlers
like the XS360 to big bore road bikes like the XS1100. Now
don't let the XS moniker fool you, these bike were neither
extravagant in features nor blessed with overabundant power.
I guess it was just a name. The XS750SF falls in the middle
of this line up, meant both as a machine for Saturday night
cruises of the boulevard and cross-country trips. And the SF
part of the name meant it was badged as a "Special" and
received certain extras from the factory, but more about
that later.
 The
three cylinder motor found on the XS750 is a strange duck.
It was never a popular setup until the Seventies when the
British, Japanese, and Italians all offered their own
version of the triple. After that they fell out of favor
until being resurrected by BMW and then Triumph.
The odd feeling of
a three-banger comes from the dual life it leads. It tries
to blend the torque of a twin with the fast revving
horsepower of an in-line four and in my opinion does an all
right job of it. The XS750 is no exception, it's strong
running right off the line and makes a fair amount of power
through its rev range. Not to say that it's a tire shredding
beast, but rather a competent motor for hauling around a
rider or two and their gear.
 Fairly
basic by design Yamaha's triple is air-cooled with twin
overhead cams running two valves per cylinder. The
transmission is the usual five speed with a shaft for the
final drive. The tranny and motor are reasonably reliable
except for 2nd gear which has a habit of destroying itself
and the motor is very sensitive to substandard fuel (read
below 92 octane). Low grade gas will cause knocking, pinging
and fouled plugs, but keep it well fed and it will reward
you with miles of uninterrupted service. But I must add the
addition of fresh plugs and some octane booster to the 750's
tool kit is always wise.
As may be apparent
from the lines of the XS750, it was the father of Yamaha's
hugely popular Virago series, which continues production
nearly twenty years since its introduction. And this by
default makes it sort of the father of Japanese cruisers.
The chopperesque raked out front end made the XS a stable
ride on straight roads but did nothing for the confidence of
the rider in any corner.
The frame was a
simple double down tube style and was semi-rigid for its
day. But that didn't matter since the long forks and average
rear shocks were not intended for anything but straight
roads. The frame also has a tendency to "wind up" in
corners. This is the way a frame flexes to the side like a
spring in corners and then snaps back when upset by a
bump.
The three into two
exhaust blats out a sort of exploding raspberry sound
through the shorty megaphones when on the road and they hang
low enough to touch down very easily.
As mentioned
before the XS750SF "Special" had certain parts installed at
the factory to give it that one of a
kind built by the thousands look. Twin disk brakes up front
and a disk rear brake were standard on the SF and they
worked very well, but it is really hard to ride the bike
fast enough to take full advantage of all that Seventies
dinner plate brake disk technology.
Another "custom"
item for the SF were the big buckhorn bars which had a
certain appeal in times gone by, but now only flex pitifully
and contort your wrists. The bike was topped off by a wide
bucket style seat although the one I rode had been replaced
by an after market saddle. The fuel tank is a long teardrop
shape, holding five gallons, and just so no one would miss
what you were riding--the side panels were emblazoned with
the words "Special 750".
 When
the rubber hits the pavement one thing is clear. The SF is
supremely at home on wide open flats like the straight roads
of the Dakota's. This is where traits like soft suspension
and straight line stability are enjoyed not admonished. The
seating position is comfortable, even for tall riders but
the bars bend your wrists to odd angles. Long hours of
riding is possible but a backrest would make that easier.
Still it is fairly competent for around town duties, not
being too much of a bike to maneuver through city traffic.
As a used machine
the SF is a fair bike if it's been maintained properly, with
good clean examples going for around a thousand dollars. Be
wary of ratted out barn fresh examples though since they
usually cost more to fix than they are worth. Don't pay much
more than a grand for one either, no matter what the owner
says it is not a rare bike with huge historical
significance. Some of the other problems to look for would
be leaky petcocks, once they start leaking they never stop,
and the voltage regulator is notorious for going soft. But
other than that the XS750 and its big brother the XS850 are
good values for a rider on a budget and well preserved
examples will reward their owners with years of
service.
M.M.M.
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