Newbie, here!

[Jamie]

Hey guys and gals (if there are some),
Found your site and love reading about the vintage bikes. I buy and restore old Honda's but am looking to buy a nice XS Eleven hundred to ride and enjoy once again. Would prefer the '81 or '82 but am open to what's available. Any ideas, I have seen some of the member's bikes for sale and very nice, are there other avenues for these beauties? Thanks
Jamie

[Wildkat]

Welcome Aboard!

Hey guys and gals (if there are some),

yes, there are some


You said you wanted an 81 or 82... That's going to cross over from the XS to the XJ as the last year for the XS was 81 and the XJ began (and ended) production in 82... extended years for Canada

The 78 XS (a Standard model) seems to have the fastest engine
In 79, the Special model was introduced... smaller gas tank, so fewer miles between gas stops.
XJs are very difficult to find parts for due to the short production time, but they are not impossible to find.

There are styling differences between the Special and Standard models... not all parts are interchangeable between models so if you buy one to restore (or need to replace any parts in the future), you will want to make certain what you are getting is correct for your year model.

Some other good places to look for bikes are Craigslist and Ebay.

Best of luck!

[Jamie]

Yes, thank you for the information. I am looking at the '81 XS and if the '82 XJ pops up great. I had a roomate in college that had a Midnight Special and fell in love with it. Are OEM parts still available from Yamaha for alot of the stuff? I'm going to begin with acquiring the appropriate manuals to become more familiar with everything. Thanks again.

[CatatonicBug]

If you need a manual, you can download one from the link in my signature. There are some OEM parts, more aftermarket ones though. NOS parts are usually rather pricey. Used parts that are still usable are the most popular, and are commonly found on ebay and other sources. This site seems to be the "Brotherhood of travelling parts" and lots of things are available from the members. Best idea is to ask here first, then if you don't get what you want, go looking elsewhere online.

Don't limit yourself to just the '81 though. All the years are just as good, with some small differences between them. You'll be happy with any of the years.

[Jamie]

Thanks for the information, and I sure will ask the "members" first for parts rather than buy them from some outside source. Appreciate the links to the manuals also, much needed and appreciated.

[Wildkat]

Parts

One of the members here is a very good source for parts...
andreashweiss

On eBay, we've had very good luck with georgefix for various parts...

TopCatGr58 (a member here) has a fuse box replacement (or at least did) that uses spade fuses rather than the glass

Geezer (a member here) sells a Reg/Rec that is a wise investment

MikesXS.net sells XS650 parts, but several parts work on our bikes as well (coils and shocks, as well as a few other items) and they have great prices... just don't tell them it's for an 1100... They don't like dealing with people who own anything other than a 650.

Tkat (a member here) offers a fork brace that makes a world of difference in handling and many of us have one of his braces on our bikes... You might have to do a search for his contact info if you're interested in obtaining one...

Hope that helps a bit..

[Jamie]

Wow! Thanks for all the great links and info. Now, just have to find the right bike. I sent dahondaboy a message, his looked great, but haven't heard back.