hi i am new

[powerram50]

i just picked up a 81 xs11 2 weeks ago.been working on getting it running it has sat for 3 years.

[fredintoon]

Hi Dan & welcome,
the '81 a Standard or a Special? If it's sat for 3 years the first thing to do is check out the brakes. If the engine runs before the brakes are working you will try a short ride anyway despite the risk of so doing. The next three things you should do is clean the carbs. Then clean the complete fuel system. Betcha if it still has a battery it's fritzed. WTF, top it up with water and see if it will take a charge. Good luck.

[ScottsXS]

welcome!!!!

welcome!!!! is it a standard or special? and pics, we love pics

[powerram50]

ok i am way new to these bikes so i will have alot of questions.as far as i know the special was fully dressed right?than mine is standard.but than again in my repair man it has several desenagtions like 1100g 1100h 1100sh 1100lh and on and on.how do i know witch one mine is.

i bought a brand new batt,changed the oil,tranny and final drive fluids.pulled the tank and drained it out.pulled the drain plugs on the carbs and drained them and shot a bunch of carb cleaner up there.the brakes work but seam to drag.it fires and runs but misses at low rpm's.upper rpms it takes off like a bat out of he$$.i would like to get it running good enough to drive this summer with out rebiulding the carbs and then do that this winter.i have a bunch of barrymans in the fuel tank so the more i run it i am hoping it will help clear the carbs out.it already runs way better than it did the first time i fired it.

[Wildkat]

If you have an 81...

you have a H they go alphabetically by year (78 E, 79 F, 80 G, 81 H.. if it's a Special it will have an S also.. if it's a Midnight... it will be an L)... not all of the Specials were fully dressed... I have an 81 Special that's bare butt nekkid...
You can find out exactly what you have by following this link:
Serial Number
You can generally tell by the sidecovers... the 81 Specials have a checkmark on the side... and say Special on them...

The Special tanks are tear drop shaped while the standards are squarish with indents in the side... standards have square headlights... specials have round... Okay... lots of differences...


Lower RPMs are generally affected by the pilot circuit... You might want to make certain it's cleaned REALLY well... Carbs are a number one problem with these...

Good luck and WELCOME!

[powerram50]

i dont have the side covers.but my tank is more tear drop shaped and my head light is round.it is not a midnight becouse those had gold trim right?and to that one link i have a sh.thanks alot.cool i have a special.

[fredintoon]

Yamaha is like Lego

Hi Dan,
thing is, there's many parts that will swap from a Standard to a Special and the other way too which can confuse all the specifics that Wildkat has posted about. The thing that's least likely to have been swapped is the front forks and they are easily distinguished. The Standard fork has it's axle directly underneath the fork sliders and has "normal" front brake calipers. The Special fork has a longer fork slider with the axle mounted on the front, perhaps 3" up. The Special has ATE style front brake calipers thet mount on swivel-posts and use tapered brake pads. Regardless of what swappable parts the bike is wearing today, the serial number on the frame will tell what it started out as.

[Wildkat]

Side covers

When (if) you go to replace the side covers... you have to be careful as they won't swap from model to model... I know the 80 Special covers will fit the 81 Special, but the emblems are different and so are the mounting holes for the emblems...

Other models and years have different tabs for the sidecovers themselves, some are rounded and some are oblong (slotted)... The angle from the seat, IIRC, is also different on some of them...

Here's an invaluable tool that one of the members has put together:

Lamric's Parts Cross-reference

It'll give you a good idea of what will work and what won't...

Good luck! and as always... please post pics...

[fredintoon]

Hi Wildkat,
thanks for the link to Lamric's partfinder site. I signed up and attempted to find what year/model sidecovers would fit my SG. I may be getting a touch simple in my old age but how the F*** does one get an answer from that site? I'd have expected a layout thus:-
First box; what year/model bike you need parts for?
Next box; What part do you want?
Answer box; these year/model bikes have a part that will fit.
Secondary answer box; but it's a different colour/needs a hole drilled in it/whatever.
Silly me for expecting that, right?

[Bigfoot]

Welcome to the site. Be carefull though, it can be rather addicting.

[Wildkat]

My bad...

What I SHOULD have said was

Part Number Finder

NOT cross-reference...
Sorry about that Fred...

[powerram50]

i do plan on getting some pics for you guys.i did a little riding today.it is running pretty good just dont want to idle.plus my rear caliper is toast.it is sticking.it rides great,especially when i put more air in the tires.

[Wildkat]

Air in the tires is good...


Glad you were able to get in a ride!

Hey! You CAN use that site for cross reference on many parts... I thought you could (not as senile as I thought I was)... just not on side covers...

[DJinNH]

Originally posted by powerram50
ok i am way new to these bikes so i will have alot of questions.as far as i know the special was fully dressed right?

Here's a photo of my 1980 SG. It looks identical for the most part to my '81 SH. Both are Specials but neither are fully dressed. It all depends on what the owners want on them. You'll find other photos on this site from owners who have their Special decked out with fairings, saddle bags, etc.

Don

[tarzan]

Hey powerram50 welcome'
I'm fairly new to this site too.I have been around bikes all my life though and this is my second XS Special.I had to go through the carbs first thing on both the ones I have owned.In fact I'm working on a friends carbs right now.If read many posts here especially people who just acquire these bikes,almost everyone has carb problem from sitting.The carbs are great dont get me wrong,but you have to completely disassemble them ,except dont remove the butterflies.Clean them thoroughly inside and out.Make sure passages are cleared out.If you do this now you will save much heartache later.It should only take about 1 day to do.Also do one at a time so you dont mix parts up and you will have a reference if if you forget where things go.
As for the brakes,both the ones I have owned I had to take the calipers completely apart clean and flush system and reassemble .I didnt need to buy parts ,just clean everything out good.And add new fluid and bleed brakes and they work great.
Good luck and have fun with it.