Buying my first bike...and it's a '79 XS Eleven Special

[gaines]

I'm not sure if this is the right forum, but I thought I'd share my excitement on what I expect will be my new favorite forums. Tomorrow I plan on closing the deal on a 1979 Yamaha XS-1100 Special for $1,000. I don't know a lot about motorcycles yet so I have a mechanic friend or two who are going to go check it out, but in my inexpert opinion it seems like a solid bike with 25k on it. It is coming with saddle bags and a number of other goodies too.

[dragxs11]

Welcome gaines,
XS11's are great bikes, as anyone here will say. Actually not bad learner bikes for their size. Common issues though are pick-up coil wires breaking and if abused, 2nd gear can be thrashed. It's a good idea to take a compression guage with you to be safe. This was my first streetbike as well, and after 7 years and about 40K I recently bought a beemer. The xs now will pull touring duty.
This site has people to answer all your ?'s so don't be afraid to ask.

[gaines]

Originally posted by dragxs11
Welcome gaines,
XS11's are great bikes, as anyone here will say. Actually not bad learner bikes for their size. Common issues though are pick-up coil wires breaking and if abused, 2nd gear can be thrashed. It's a good idea to take a compression guage with you to be safe. This was my first streetbike as well, and after 7 years and about 40K I recently bought a beemer. The xs now will pull touring duty.
This site has people to answer all your ?'s so don't be afraid to ask.

I try not to ask questions that might have been answered elsewhere on the forums, but I would really appreciate more comments such as yours about things to look out for and tips.

I looked up compression testing on the internet and got a general idea of what the process is.

To check compression, all the spark plugs are removed. The ignition coil is then disabled or the high tension lead is grounded. The throttle is also held open. The engine is then cranked for a few seconds using a remote starter switch or a helper while a compression gauge is held in a spark plug hole. The maximum compression reading is noted, then the process is repeated for each of the remaining cylinders. The individual cylinder readings are then compared to see if the results are within specs (always refer to a manual for the exact compression specs for your engine because they do vary from the ballpark figures we quoted earlier).

Being a novice at motorcycles and engines I'm not sure if all this is accurate for the XS11. It seems like a LOT of trouble and I don't know what the "specs" should be. I did a search on the forums and came up with this thread, but it's all greek to me.
http://www.xs11.com/forum/showthread.php?threadid=382

I'm expecting to leave in a couple hours to go inspect the bike and, if everything looks right, pay the man and bring it home. Any last minute advice on things to look for/avoid would be greatly appreciated...although I'm thinking that for $1,000 as long as it runs fairly well I don't really need to worry about it being a bad deal.

[TopCatGr58]

Hey Gaines,

Hopefully you'll see this before you leave. There's a thread in the MISC section from the MAIN FORUM PAGE, called "What to look for in a neglected XS11". It'll tell you the things to look at and ask about when contemplating buying one. Check out the dates on the tires, if more than 4 years old, then you could possibly talk him down a bit. Find out about service on it, last time was done, any major repairs. How old the battery is. Lots of things will need to be replaced to get it road worthy and safe!

The specifications are listed on the main page, yellow column. Around ~140 psi at sea level is considered good new stock level. The other concern is also that all cylinders are within 10% of each other! These machines are tough, and can easily get 100k miles.

If it's in good condition, garage kept, chrome nice, etc., then the $1.00 per CC rate is about right!

Then after you get it, you and your mechanic friends need to read thru the tech tips.....ALL OF THEM, before attempting any work on it. THings can easily get broken and very costly if done incorrectly! Congrats...hopefully on your new machine.
T.C.

[dragxs11]

You can probably tell if the seller cared about the bike by looking it over. Attention to cosmetic detail might indicate mechanical as well.
When he fires it up for you, watch the red light on the console... it should go out almost immediately. And if he starts reving the crap out of it before it has a chance to warm up, he probably doesn't understand much about engines. Also a good indicator is the carburettor intake boots. If they're really weathered, he may be the kind that rides em into the ground.
These engines have always been known for their smoothness. But you'll get a little vib at around 3000 rpm.
In short, if he's maintained it well, it should be fine. Like Mr. Cat said... these are pretty though bikes. Any bike thats 28 years old is gonna have a history... some of it probably not so good. But an XS11 will stand up as good as any bike it's age.

[gaines]

I bought it. The bike really does appear to be in good condition, so I'm happy. Thanks for all the tips. They made me feel much more informed when I went to make the purchase.

In one of the articles it suggested changing all the bike's fluids. Is there a good guide that goes through each of the fluids and how to change them? Are there any other things that I should clean/change such as the air filter in order to make sure that I'm starting off right?

Thanks,
Gaines

[gaines]

Here's a pic of the bike.

[mro]

Is there a good guide that goes through each of the fluids and how to change them?

Get a manual.
Clymer manuals easy to find, OEM can be found but may take awhile.



mro

[TopCatGr58]

Gaines,

In the Links section, you'll find a link for a USER's Manual for an 81SH, although the ignition components are a bit different, the fluids are the same. The manual is in PDF format, about 6 MB, scanned from my own manual, it'll help you with the basic maintanence procedures until you get a true service manual.
T.C.

[JWSanders]

Hey! I saw that one on the Nashville Craigslist. Good to see someone got it that wants to keep it alive. You'll find it to be an excellent bike. Tons of power!

Good to see another Tennessean on the boards too! Welcome!!

Being that this is your first bike, I strongly recommend taking the MSF class at www.learntoride.org as soon as it gets warm. The classes are held on the Nashville Tech campus on White Bridge Road. Great bunch of teachers there and what you learn will save your butt someday...count on it. Register early! The early spring classes fill up fast.

You also get to waive the exam for getting a TN motorcycle endorsement if you take a MSF class.

My first was also an XS11. It's a lot of bike to handle right off the bat, but with good instruction and some healthy respect for it's power, it will serve you well for years to come.

[gaines]

Yes, I'm planning on taking a class at the end of the month, although I still don't know if I'm going to shell out the $$$ to take the Harley Davidson course or not.

I started the bike up today in my back yard and took a lap around the yard. It'll take some getting used to, that's for sure.

It's leaking pretty bad, but really only when it's running or just after it's run. If you're interested in messing around with an old XS11 I'd absolutely love someone who knows these bikes looking over my shoulder as I go to make repairs.

[TopCatGr58]

Hey Gaines,

There's another guy in Nashville, called NashvilleBill, nice guy, he might also be able to provide some help/assistance!?

If you do a search for Tennessee, you'll find a thread listing folks in your area! Check it out, and post your stats while you're there!
T.C.

[gaines]

Cool. I replied to the TN/KY thread and sent a few of the closest members emails saying hi.

- Gaines

[jimboreeno]

...and I sent you one back! WELCOME!
The pic of your bike makes it look kinda small and red, and x-shaped!
I see the pic was on craig's list. We'll look forward to seeing it in your dirveway!
Welcome! You will be hard pressed to ask a question that can't be answered on this forum!

[gaines]

That'd be excellent. What I'd really love is if a local XS owner would be willing to perform their regular maintenance where I can watch what they do and duplicate it on my my bike. I was intending to just follow instructions from online or a manual to change the fluids and such, but the more I read the more I realize I should check or change. Maybe instead I should be looking for a good bike mechanic and just pay to have everything checked and tuned.

Oh, and it looks like the seller took down the Craigslist post which had the picture he took of the bike in it. That's ok. I'm sure I'll have it looking even better before long and will take a REAL picture...like on a grassy lawn by the lake.