Introduction

[Del Tysdal]

I am in Fargo North Dakota USA area. I have had 2 1978 XS1100E and enjoyed both of them. The current one has about 55K and last year the tranny got stuck. I hauled it to a repair shop, got a used engine on ebay, had it installed and it works fine. I am currently trying to re paint the top part of the tank and have asked the group for suggestions.

My clutch did slip last year a bit, once in a while. I noticed it especially from 60 to 80 mph and in high gear. I then carefully shifted so that it would not happen as often in any gear. When the replaced engine was put in the clutch went out right away as it had rust on the plates. New clutch fiber plates were put in and the dealer told me to change the oil often to get the miscellaneous gunk out. Perhaps I did not change soon enough at 1000 miles but it did seem okay most of the time.

To make the bike look nicer I put a tan simulated leather on the seat and it looks great. My wife likes the bike as it operates so smoothly much unlike a Harley sportster or even a brand new Honda Shadow Spirit 1100.

[mro]

I am in Fargo North Dakota

11°F
Sorry your in ND
Not everybody can be here in sunny California
(sometimes it seems like it tho )


mro
Welcome to XSland

[mro]

clutch slip

Read thru the tech tips
Clutch adjustments pretty easy to do,
also theres a tech tip for adding an extra steel plate to the clutch pack. Works very well.


mro

[81xsproject]

Like mro said, if you already have new fibers, pick yourself up an extra steel plate (read this Tech Tip), lightly sand the steel plates (as seen in this Tech Tip), and make sure you use a 4-stroke motorcycle oil made for use in 'wet clutch' applications.

You can pick up a new steel pretty cheap on feebay like THIS ONE or do like I did and just buy a whole used clutch basket for the same price and share the extras with other XSives that also have slipping clutches

HERE is the search I use for clutches as many of these bike use the same steel and frictions as the eleven.

[TADracer]

Welcome

Hi and welcome. This is a great forum as you by now have noticed.

Just to chime in, if your 'new clutch' did not include new heavy duty springs, they are cheap at less than $20.00 per set and are easy to change. If you are going to go into your clutch to for an extra steel, you may as well give it a new set of springs too.

[Del Tysdal]

Intro and clutch springs

Thanks for the help. I was able to get a 78E engine and its tranny on ebay for $450 shipped and $400 installed. It had 29K supposedly. Seems to run just fine after about 2.5 in the last 2 years. I may have trouble selling it with the new engine but have kept the old one for spare in case. Our laws require engine numbers on the title. I have heard it is hard to transfer title without verification of why the engine numbers are different. But I do not plan to sell the current bike anyway. I enjoy looking at Meriam Cycles for their interesting modifications.

[mro]

Another good clutch mod is installing some heavy duty springs.
Don't remember what they cost, but was cheep.

You should pick up a service manual.
Be surprised how many things (almost everything) you can do your self.
You could have rebuilt your original motor for less had you been willing to do most the work.


mro
Meriam Cycles....funny you mentioned that...
I just happen to have one of his 79 specials

[Del Tysdal]

Introduction

I have little experience in re doing things. My only project was to get a 1979 Honda 750F running after it sat in a barn for 7 years. It took some learning but it is now running. That was last year and this year's project is the 1978 E tank. Thanks for the helpful information. It is -2 degrees F here (Fargo ND) today and no mosquitos.

[mro]

no mosquitos

mro

[trapper_492001]

Welcome. I used to live in West Fargo then moved back to Detroit Lakes. You will really like this forum, there is a wealth of info here if you give enough info you can get just about any problem solved. I wish I would have found it when I was resurecting the SHotgun Speacil. Oil can have an effect on clutch slipage too.


Trapper

[Del Tysdal]

MRO

I do not know what MRO means as a reply? Thanks.

Someday we should meet at Zorbas in Detroit Lakes.

[mro]

Who's on first

I do not know what MRO means as a reply? Thanks.

That's OK...Sometimes I don't know either


mro

[trbig]

The current one has about 55K and last year the tranny got stuck

What do you mean the tranny got stuck? Could you just not shift gears anymore, or it just wouldn't roll anymore? If it wouldn't roll... Anyone else wanna bet middle drive on this one too?


Tod

[Del Tysdal]

1978 E tranny stuck

It would only run in one gear at about 40 MPH. My son hot rodded it up a short hill to a sudden stop and up or down shifted fast. It stayed in one gear only and we got it to a town where we left it until we could figure out where to take it. Got a used 19K engine and had it installed. Kept the old engine. Thanks.

[DiverRay]

He probably bent the shift forks.. About $130 in parts, and eight hours of work. The time includes reinstalling the stock engine.