Yamaha XS 850SG Midnight Special

Yamaha XS 850SG Midnight Special

Make Model	Yamaha XS 850SG Midnight Special
Year	1981
Engine	Four stroke, transverse three cylinder, DOHC, 2 valves per cylinder
Capacity	826 cc / 50.4 cu in
Bore x Stroke	71.5 x 68.6 mm
Compression Ratio	9.2:1
Cooling System	Air cooled
Lubrication System	Wet sump
Induction	3 x 34mm Hitachi HSC34 carburetors
Ignition	Transistor controlled
Starting	Electric and kick
Max Power	57.7 kW / 79 hp @ 8500 rpm
Max Torque	66.7 Nm / 6.8 kgf-m / 49.2 ft-lb @ 6500 rpm
Transmission	5 Speed
Final Drive	Shaft
Front Suspension	Air assisted telescopic forks
Front Wheel Travel	175 mm / 6.9 in
Rear Suspension	Swing arm 4-way adjustable damping
Rear Wheel Travel	99 mm / 3.9 in
Front Brakes	2 x 267mm Discs, 1 piston calipers
Rear Brakes	Single 267mm disc, 1 piston caliper
Front Tyre	3.25H-19
Rear Tyre	4.00H-17
Dimensions	Length: 2175 mm / 85.6 in Width: 900 mm / 35.4 in Height: 1190 mm / 46.9 in
Wheelbase	1450 mm / 57.1 in
Grounc Clearance	140 mm / 5.5 in
Dry Weight	241 kg / 531 lbs
Wet Weight	258 kg / 569 lbs
Fuel Capacity	24 Litres / 6.3 US gal
Standing ¼ Mile	13.3 sec / 158 km/h / 98.2 mph
Road Test	Motor Cycling 1980 Two Wheels 1980

The late 1970s/early 1980s witnessed the birth of what are termed ‘factory customs’: models with laid-back ‘cruiser’ styling inspired by what Harley-Davidson owners had been doing to their machines for decades. Soon no motorcycle was safe from such treatment, which has even descended as far as single-cylinder 125cc ‘learner’ bikes. One of the very first ‘factory custom’, limited edition (LTD) models announced was Kawasaki’s Z1-based Z900LTD of 1976, which effectively established the style of this new kind of motorcycle and was later copied by all the other Japanese manufacturers.

Yamaha applied this new look to its existing XS850 sports-tourer in the form of the Midnight Star. The XS850 was a development of the XS750 that had first appeared in 1976 as Yamaha’s flagship sports bike. An all-new design, the XS750 triple was Yamaha’s first large-capacity multi-cylinder motorcycle and broke further new ground for the Hammamatsu firm by employing shaft final drive, a feature that was carried over to its XS850 successor. ‘The XS850 stands in its own right as a completely new motorcycle, despite its heritage,’ reckoned Bike magazine. ‘It’s undergone not a simple change but a radical metamorphosis from a cumbersome caterpillar into a beautiful black butterfly. It’s not just the styling that has been changed, but the entire nature of the beast, its heart and soul.’

Britain’s No. 1 motorcycle journal found that Yamaha had indeed addressed the XS750’s shortcomings, producing a machine capable of seeing off anything in its own class and many above it. ‘For specifications, performance and all-round ability, it has to be one of the best big bikes currently available. At 520lbs it weighs in no heavier than some 750s and with nearly 80bhp on tap, it is low, lithe and very rapid. Up to about 5,000rpm, it'll rumble along with only a hint of latent aggression. Let it loose beyond that and it will pick up like a rocket ship dialed into warp.’

Its name invoking a sense of excitement and curiosity, the ‘Midnight Special’ version was painted entirely in classic black - even the exhaust pipes were given a pearlescent black finish. To further distinguish the model, Yamaha developed a synthetic gold finish, which was applied to various trim parts, enhancing the custom look and feel of the model.

Source Bonhams