Just bought XS11 22 years later

[BOYZSBLUE]

try 26 years later

I just turned 50 and sitting around one night thinking, I thought of my old days and the thought of my xs1100 came to mind. Started looking around and found one. NOW I'm an owner of a 1980 xs1100 special that I'm almost done redoing. Will put up pics when I can figure out what I'm doing wrong to transfer pics. got before and after..... .....someday soon.

answer is 26 yrs


boyzsblue ( Leon )

[gotaplay]

My first bike was an old 100 twin that I traded for a set of drums
I then bought a 650 off a friend and rode that several years until I met " Mrs Right" who of course dictated in no uncertain terms " it's me or the bike " ( she also didn't like my 68 Z28 camaro )
The fellow I sold the 650 to had a shinny new xs1100 in his garage and let me take it for a ride and from that day I was hooked .. A few weeks ago I got the fever again and looking through local adds found a 78 XS11 that although it has minor cosmetic issues runs like a dream . THe bike has 25,000 miles on it and I picked it up for $1500. and considering the previous owner had just spent over $2200 on it I figure I did well ..
Darn its raining again .....

[Meatloaf]

Hi gotaplay,

You got the reverse of me. Mine is cosmetically perfect but isn't running so great.

Where in Ontario are you?

[gotaplay]

Hi Meatloaf
I live in London ... ottawa huh .. was there at least 8 times this summer .. ( drive a tour Bus )
I do have one slight problem with mine though
At lower speeds the front end seems to bounce .. very slight but noticable . At higher speeds this goes away .. Can't figure it out yet ..
New tires ,balanced, new fork seals and streering berring , front tire pressure is about 32 pounds , just wondering if from sitting a year or so the tire got a flat spot .. Oh well
Bought a Shoei Farring for it last night so I might go work on that and hope the rain quits

[Targetman]

Hey gotaplay,
When I was 18, I sold my drumset to put my first streetbike on the road ('73 cb750).
Was living in St. Marys at the time, just northeast of you.
Have gone through the cb750, a suzuki Tempter of all things (what a piece of crap that was), the same cb750 bought back from a friend again, then an Fj1100 for 3 yrs. until I was sideswiped on the 401 by a girl in a station wagon at 70 mph. Didn't ride again for 6 yrs then got the 72 cb500, then saw my xs1100 sf sitting on a lawn for sale.
The first time I ever heard of the xs1100 was from watching this movie- Take it to the Limit . Anyone remember that one? It starts out with Kenny Roberts firing up an xs and taking it out on the street up to about 120 with an onboard camera on the instruments.
I gotta find that movie again...

[xssiveone]

Originally posted by gotaplay
Hi Meatloaf
I live in London ... ottawa huh .. was there at least 8 times this summer .. ( drive a tour Bus )

Who do you drive for? I drove one in a former life. Been gone from the industry for almost 11 years now. Spent most of my career driving for Greyhound.

Obligatory XS11 content:

At lower speeds the front end seems to bounce .. very slight but noticable . At higher speeds this goes away .. Can't figure it out yet ..

I know you said you replaced the steering head bearings, but I would check them again for proper adjustment. Get the front wheel off the ground and center the handlebars. They should stay centered. With just a gentle nudge in either direction, the bars should slowly go to full lock.

As for the flat spot in the tire, I would think that it would get worse at speed, not better. More speed=more tire rpm=more thump thump thump. Just my opinion mind you, and worth every penny you paid for it.

[gotaplay]

Hi
Let me appologize first off for getting off the topic of this thread .
I worked for Erie ..part of Coach Canada

THanks for the tip .. I did increase my tire pressure slightly and it seems to lessen the bounce but I will check into the other ...

[motoman]

Yeppers Meatloaf..........bought my 81 Venturer 1100 in 81 new.........sold it 10yrs. later, it left the state(Colo.), apparently spent 7 of those years in Phoenix. My work transferred me here in Grand Junction some fifteen years ago where 7yrs. ago saw the bike, tried to by it back then and finnially got it back last August for $100! This past week, even got my one free carb sync. some 25yrs. later some 220 miles from here in southwest Colo. (Durango) celebrating by having sales person who now owns shop ride it exactly 25 yrs. to the day of the last time he was on it and took pictures. He said it's power and smoothness is the same as it was 25yrs. ago!.........Now is that being in the right place at the right time or what?............Yeppers. Also have put another 8K on it since last October.

[79XS11F]

Originally posted by Meatloaf
Hmmm...just to bring this hijacked thread back on track...

Has anyone else out there owned one of these bikes years ago, sold it, and then bought another one years later? I'm interested in seeing if anyone can a top 24 year "leave of absence".

You beat me by a year or so. I bought my first 1978 XS1100E in 1980. It was "lost" stock in the box. I sold it 3 years later .. I think. Anyway I bought a 1979 XS1100F in March of this year. From what I am seeing here i paid too much (2K) but i don't care. I wanted an XS11 and i got one :-)
Rob (I'm also in Ottawa)

[Meatloaf]

Don't feel bad Rob. I paid $1200 for mine and have dumped another 2K into it (most of it excessive labour charges at the shop) and still can't drive it. Next weekend I should be up and running.

On the flip side I searched auto trader and tried to see what else I could have gotten for my 3K. There was nothing that appealed to me so I don't regret the investment.

[mro]

Don't feel bad Rob

2 XS's for over 5K

If you guys were close by I like working on these old scooters. Between this site and the manual the XS isn't very difficult to work on, and really not too Xspensive.

Can be a drag that you can not just go to local shop for parts tho..... hate to start something then have to wait a week or so for parts to arrive


mro

[TopCatGr58]

1XS11 now close to 6K$

I paid ~ $3200.00 for my 81SH in 83, drove it for 9 years, that's about $350.00 a year, then parked it for 9 years, then rebuilt it for another ~$2500.00, have driven it for over 5 years, again about $500.00 a year. Money well spent!!
T.C.

[mro]

XS Big Bucks

Don't think I should comment on what I've paid do far , but
just offered a guy $125.00 for a non running XS11 and it's also missing some parts. have found a few other deals latley too


mro

[79XS11F]

Re: Don't feel bad Rob

Originally posted by mro
2 XS's for over 5K

If you guys were close by I like working on these old scooters. Between this site and the manual the XS isn't very difficult to work on, and really not too Xspensive.

Can be a drag that you can not just go to local shop for parts tho..... hate to start something then have to wait a week or so for parts to arrive


mro

You do know that a lot of the engine seals and gaskets along with normal wear and tear parts can be ordered from your dealer. If they say NO they just don't want to bother so look for a different shop. Pricing is not too bad ether. There is of course NO PLASTICS or PAINTED parts from dealers.
Rob

[Pat Kelly]

Bought my E for $60. It had sat outside, neglected, for 20 years. $400 got it roadworthy tho looking like a rusty dumpster. Quite a sleeper (hey kid, wanna race ). Now I have about $4,000 into it. Only shop labor was the seatcover.