XS Fever, Its getting worse

[HobbyMan]

I CAN'T BELIEVE IT. Just when you thought it was gone, the fever is back. This weekend I picked up and unbelievable XS for you guessed it, $400! Now we did spend some time and diesel fuel driving from FT. Worth to Chicago and back. With good mileage and cheap diesel, it was worth it. The "new" bike is a full dresser 1980 G. The PO burned it a little. Only 14K miles. The old uni pod filters are splattered over the engine. Some of the wiring is damaged and the carbs are black, no that isn't paint, but the fairing, bags, and tank are all in great shape. I have what I need to fix it already so this is my new winter project. I have pulled everything off of it except the engine, wiring, and wheels. Next weekend will pull the engine and clean the melted plastic off of it. I am going to do a complete restoration part by part and then put it all back together again. It is going to look factory showroom when I am done with it. I did notice some wierd stuff on it. Did Yamaha make a shock equalizer add on? I found some plastic tubing that was hanging by the rear shocks/springs and then was connected to an air chuck fitting. The shocks are not orginal, so the hose was not connected, but left dangling. I will have some photos soon of the fire damage and what it looks like. Anyway, keep on kepin on as the truckers say.

[John]

Did you ever get that new o ring for your M/C yet? Are you going back with a stock airbox on the latest aquisition? Where are you going to put all those bikes? That's what, 5 bikes now between you and your Dad?

[HobbyMan]

I did get the O-ring. I works great now. I still am wainting on a response for the emblem. I did clean and sync the carbs so my 80G has much more power. On the new bike, we have an airbox already, a spare wiring harness for the melted connectors and stuff, but I will fix the melted wires because the spare harness we have is for a 79 special. We have enough space right now but next summer we plan on selling the special, I believe. We want to keep it at 4. The special just doesn't fit in for the trips we are planning. The special needs a little cosmetic work, but other than that it is a good bike. I just need to sit down and work on it. My dad and I enjoy working on them as much as riding, so more bikes keep ending up at our house. Now people in my neighborhood who I have never even seen before keep stopping by to see what is going on in my garage. Gee, thats wierd.

[81xsproject]

XJ's had an equalizer tube that ran between the rear shocks.

[webbcraft2150]

Like some other ailments, XS fever has no cure. The best you can hope for is to control the disease. But alas, the controls are not covered by insurance or HMO's. Ya hafta foot the bill yourself. Nice score on your 80g hardbagger. You have the fever bad if you drove that far to pick it up.

[MAXIMAN]

Then I must have it extra bad. I drove 1700 miles from OK to Califfornia for my first one. The next one I drove to New Jersey.

Of course that's nothing for Phillip.

Nice score Hobby. Get it all slicked up for some long road trips. Maybe next year you and your dad can ride out to Tahoe with me for the annual rally.

[HobbyMan]

That sounds like fun. Here are some photos: The fairing and bags are in great shape. The tank has a few chips, but they can be fixed.

[Geezer]

Is that a Venturer? If so it should have that 6 g. tank you've been looking for...

Geezer

[John]

The Venturer was built in 81, and had Spcl pipes on it, and the ones in the pic appear to be the longer ones from a Std. This bike is an 80 G.
Here is a pic of the Venturer.
http://www.xs11.com/pix/ktalbot1.jpg

[Geezer]

There was a clean and low miles Venturer at a local dealer last year. They wanted $2000 for it and I was real tempted...

Geezer

[HobbyMan]

yes it is an 80G. My Dad and I do have the tank and all of the goodies. The paint needs to be repaired because of the fire. I am going to have it mached. I will test the colour on this tank and if it is good enough, I will use it on the damage that the brake fluid caused the other week for my 80G. Because this bike is "technically" my Dad's, restoration will go a little slower than I had planned. He like to be around when it is being worked on, which he isn't a lot.

[MAXIMAN]

Andrew

Looks like you're gonna need new carbs. I bet the diaphrams in that set look like candle wax! It could've melted the floats as well.

Also...if you are planning on using this bike for tuouring...I would highly recommend using a stock air box instead of individuals. The indys are not conducive to rainstorms.

[HobbyMan]

I do have the stock aribox which I got on ebay. I haven't opened the carbs up yet. AS I understand, It was a "flash fire" and it was put out "immediately." Who knows what that means. The rubber seals around the choke pushrods are about 50% destroyed. Hopefully there was gas in the float bowls which absorbed the heat and prevented the floats from melting. I do not yet know conditions of the diaphrams. From the looks, it just seems to be surface carbon. In the next few weeks, I should have time to dig into them. Since it did run on the individual filters, I don't know if it will have to be rejetted, providing that I get the fire damage repaired. Right now carburation is a long ways away. I have to get the electical fiqured out and the engine cleaned up.

[HobbyMan]

Ahhh. Today I finally made some space in the garage for her. This will be my most extensive restore yet. This bike will be perfect (hopefully) when I am done with it. I am starting to acquire the parts necessary now(thanks to ebay). I am going to tackle the running gear like brakes, forks, greasing swingarm and shaft, etc. Once it is ready to roll smoothly on its own, I will tackle the electrical, then engine. It shouldn't take too long, just long enough to get parts, or the money for the parts. I am sure most of you know how that goes. I am going to try to make this the most cost effective restore if possible. Although, some things just have to be replaced and they may be expensive. What is a pristine, full dress, an low mileage 80G worth with original paint?

[Special Ed]

Hobbyman my son, we XS geezers admire and appreciate your efforts. May you be blessed with curvy roads clear of overloaded campers and senile drivers. May the sun be always at your back, your tank always full, and your tires free of nails. Nam yoho XS11!
E.liberty