Parts bike or restore ?

[TopCatGr58]

RESTORE, RESURRECT, REHABILITATE.

Hey Skipt,

I got my 81SH new in JAPAN(US NAVY EXCHANGE) in 83, rode it for 9 years, 1st and 2nd gear crapped out in '92. I parked it, didn't have a GARAGE, had a tarp over it for a few years until it dissolved. In Va., lots of humidity, didn't know about how to properly store it. Got corroded and rusted badly.

Moved to a new house WITH A GARAGE, some spare $$ some 8 years later. My dad passed away...hit me...life's too short, get off my butt and fix it. FOUND the then XS11 Yahoo group, learned the Dremmel fix, spent a few grand on topend rebuild...big bore, forks, seat, tires, etc. but did all the mech work myself. Started in Fall of 2000. Was riding it Spring of 2001. Attended Rallies in 2002, 3, 4, 5, 6.

You can't buy a new one for twice what I spent fixing mine, and it's Unique, I can work on it, know how to fix other things that can break or go wrong. I'm still working, modding it, and having fun doing it as well. And with the brotherhood I've found on XS11.com, there's essentially nothing that we can't collectively figure out!

RESTORE and REFRESH YOUR SOUL!

[BIG MIC]

No retreat No surrender...
it would be hard press to part out a complete bike
ater all it is an xs11 right?
short side RESTORE NEVER DESTROY

**Mic, you forgot the closing vb codes [ / color and size]** FIXED, T.C.





Rubber down Throttle back

[HobbyMan]

Must I even reply? You must be out of your mind to part out an XS1100. Its hard enough to get a completely stock XS with one or two owners these days. If you part it out, you will be forever haunted by your XS's spirit. Waking up in the middle of the night sweating through your cloths will be an every night occurrence.

[79XS11F]

Again ... I say RESTORE her ... You will be proud to own this bike once your done.
Myself I am now VERY close to having a completely stock 79 XS1100F, right down to the spark plugs :-) This bike once assembled will in deed be a rare find... even more so here in Canada .... I can hardly wait to get the frame painted so the actual rebuilding can begin. But as Murphy's STINKING law goes it is -15 C in the wind here today and blowing snow ... GRRRRRRR :-(
Rob

[skipt]

thanks

Well I've been gone for a couple of days...company sponsered
trip -home to Sacramento to Bay Area to Los Angeles to home.
Whew!!

But enough small talk. On to the XS thing. Thanks for all the
input. I really appreciate it. I guess my biggest concern would
be availability of parts and such. Both the front and rear master
cyclinders are dry and I am guessing will need to be rebuilt.
Also is there any oil that is better than others for putting through
the plug holes to prelube before trying to turn the engine over?

The questions have now begun.

Skip

[81xsproject]

It has been said that ATF does a really good job freeing up frozen cylinders as does Marvel Mystery Oil, just don't reinstall the plugs until you are sure whatever you put in is gone.

While most of the cosmetic stuff for old Yamahas is discontinued, all the parts that were made to eventually wear out are still available through one source or another (nearly all being significantly cheaper than the a dealer). So, I wouldn't worry about that part.

[Czekus21]

Glad to see ya made the right decision to restore. Looks like I've been sleeping out here in cold country. Didn't catch this till now. I would have suggested not to restore or part it out. Ida suggested that ya just sit on it for a few more months till I can get the time to come out and pick it up. Then I could have a "next project" HeHeHeHeHeHeHeHeHe.......
PBBlaster. Use it liberally and let it sit for a little while. Turn the motor over by hand.

[TopCatGr58]

Congrats on the "RIGHT" decision!

For turning the engine over by hand, IF it's stuck, you'll want to use a wrench, but on the ALT balancer side, NOT the timing plate side. The timing plate isn't that strong and you can only use a crescent wrench on it, whereas the alt balancer nut is 6 sided, can get a large wrench on it!

Take some time to go thru the Tech Tips, the LINKs section, etc. There's a thread in the MISC section about what to look for in a neglected XS11, can guide you on what systems to check, but essentially you're going to go over every system, from mechanical, fuel, electrical, etc.!

Several places we frequent for parts are listed in the links, like Partsnmore, Bikebandit, oldbikebarn, mikesxs, and several others.

The front MC C-ring is deep inside it, there have been recent discussions about where to get or make cheap snap ring pliers long enough to be able reach inside that far. OR..if your plastic reservoir is cracked and you would like a new one, you can get a complete replacement front MC 16mm bore for dual calipers from PNM or MikesXS for $79.00 IIRC!
T.C.

[mason79]

yeah post some close up pictures...like you don't have enuff to worry about