Like a virgin

[81xsproject]

Man, I did the CA DMV test on my '82 XJ650 which is only slightly smaller than the 11. I thought the test was ridiculously simple. I'm not trying to boast, here. All we did was ride in and out of tight circles, start from a stop, weave through some cones, and shift through the gears...

[bigray03]

dmv

dmv test I guess are going to be different everywhere but from what I remember of it, you should have nothing at all to fear of it. very simple. If you can ride well enough to make it to the DMV, you have to be able to pass the test.

[CatatonicBug]

I got my permit and helmet already. Here in MO, I am told that the test has to be done really slow too. That's what everyone here warns me about. The balance issue is the only real problem with that though. After TONS of practice, driving around the block over and over, and once I am super comfortable with the controls, and I can do it all in my sleep, I think I'll be fine.

I ordered the petcock rebuild kit, and should get it this week. I'm glad to hear that this should help the leak. It took a bit of research, but I finally figured out (on this site) where the diaphragm from that kit actually goes! I also ordered a single carb rebuild kit, since the needle valve on carb #1 is leaking. I took the bowl off while everything was still all connected, and tested the float/needle. It kept dripping, even when holding the float up as high as it would go. Hopefully, after rebuilding the carb and the petcocks and octo, it will be all set.

The only other problem I have is the electrical connections from the generator to the rest of the bike. The 3 white wires that come out of the generator went into a connector that had melted around the wires. I managed to remove the plastic from the wires, and started the bike, and the tach actually started working! Then it died again... The electrical tape that I had wrapped around the wires had actually melted and shorted the tach again... I need to figure out a way to separate the wires and reduce the heat on those connections. Maybe removing the terminal connectors and just soldering them together will reduce the resistance in the wires and reduce the heat. Any suggestions on that?

[Ken Talbot]

Originally posted by CatatonicBug
The electrical tape that I had wrapped around the wires had actually melted and shorted the tach again... I need to figure out a way to separate the wires and reduce the heat on those connections.

Sounds like you need to spend some time going all through the electrical system, cleaning connections from one end to the other. If you're getting that kind of heat, something is not right

[Crazcnuk]

Heat is caused by resistance. Usually because the old connectors have oxidized.

If you can't clean them effectively, you may be bes off to put new connectors on?

Talking about the soldered on ones, not just the plastic. Moisture may have got inside the connetors and oxidized where you can't see it.

[CatatonicBug]

The connectors that are on there now are crimped-on. They were inside the big plastic connector - probably from the original factory installation. I smashed the plastic connector that had melted over the wires. They are a bit rusty, so that may be part of the resistance issue. I think I will try to clean the connectors first and then if that doesn't stop the heat, then I will cut the connectors off and strip the wires back to fresh metal and just solder them together. has anyone ever had a negative result from doing this?

[Crazcnuk]

That's what I would do. It just means that, if you ever have to change things, you will have to desolder, but that's it.

[DiverRay]

Do NOT solder the wires together!!!!!!
Look for the CAUSE of the problem!
1. Pull the seat, tank, and both side covers.
2. Pull the fuse block holder so you can get to the large connectors that are melted.
3. Pull and clean ALL OF THE GROUND wires, including the bundle that is held on to the top of the regulator/rectifier.
4. Pull the headlight and CHECK THE THREE WIRE BUNDLE THAT GOES TOO THE IGNITION SWITCH!! This a MAJOR problem are. make sure the brown wire is in good condition, as this is the "sense" wire for the reg/rec.
5. Use NO-OX on all GROUND connections, and Dielectric Grease on all CLEANED power connections.
Geezer can sell you the proper connectors and crimp tool at a reasonable price so replacing the melted connectors, and the three wire at the ignition switch as well.

[CatatonicBug]

I already took off all the removable parts (tank, seat, fuse box, etc.) and smashed the connector into bits to remove the melted plastic from the wires. The connectors that are left are all corroded, and look like they have seen better days. I have checked all the other wires to be sure of proper connections and this is the only location that there is any excessive heat. I figure that the issue must be related to the fact that the old metal connectors became exposed to moisture at some point, and rusted. This then raised the temp and melted the connector around the wires, shorting out the Tach. When I separated the wires physically, the tach works again, but the wires still heat up. I think I will try cleaning the connectors and see if that helps the heat issue before going any further.

[DiverRay]

I have had to cut back about 1" on the wires to fix that problem. I DID put in the connectors from geezer, as they are the proper type, and keep the bike easy to work on.

[Crazcnuk]

"Do NOT solder the wires together!!!!!!
Look for the CAUSE of the problem!"



That's a gimme. However, since the problem can only be corrosion on those ends, cutting them off will cure the issue. Soldering them together is the most efficient way of getting back on the road, and is only a problem to the NEXT owner.

If you really wanted to reduce your problems with, and make the charging/electrical system more reliable and efficient, you'd remove ALL the convenience connectors and solder the whole works together.

We DO like our convenience, though, and the extra 2 minutes to desolder resolder when needed is just intolerable.

[FANNING507]

I got my '81 MNS in June 08; I had trouble with #2 carb. I put new seats and float needles and it still leaked. Had to bend the tang it get it to shut off. Learn to use the search on this site. It's invaluable. Make sure you check all the easy stuff; fluids, gear oil, brake fluid. If you don't have a middle gear and final gear dipstick, there a diagram in the threads on how to make one. The threads show how to check the float levels with clear tubing. Welcome to the site. If you need anything I can help you with send a personal message. Kim

[CatatonicBug]

Thanks for the ideas! Mine has the little window on the side of the oil pan to see the oil level, but I did notice that it's a bit hard to see through. Maybe a dipstick would be a good idea. I am trying to do this while spending as little money as possible, so any cool shortcuts like that are a bonus!

I'm hoping that rebuilding the #1 carb and the petcocks/octo will stop the fuel leaks (fingers crossed). After that, I need to locate an oil and air filter, and give it an oil change, and I will need a new front tire. Thankfully, ebay seems to have these things readily available.

I kinda feel dumb asking this, but in case anyone knows, is the tire on my '81 midnight tubed, or tubeless? The writing on the side is hard to understand, ans seems to mention both options. I believe I have the original stock wheels, so nothing has been changed there.

[ClarkGriswald]

Just a thought, usually you can look up the dmv and find out what the test consists of.. for instance in michigan one is weave thru the cones, but it goes on to tell you that there are 5 of them 15 feet apart on a 3 foot offset (from centerline). Or U-turn, they give ya 20 feet if your under 500cc or 24 feet for us. So with that info for your area you could hit a highschool parking lot or something like that on a weekend and put some spots of tape on the ground instead of cones or whatevever. Never hurts to practice, sure helps when you roll into the test that morning and you "Know" that you will pass it either cause youve just been riding forever and know your good enough or because you just started and have done your homework and practiced the stuff.


Also you could make a much tighter set of cones/tape and just do em on a regular pedal bicycle. Its all the same moves but you can exaggerate them on a bicycle. XS is quite heavy so slow banking can be dangerous but you should learn to lean the bike back and forth without moving your body like you normally would.. Take a look at a Moto GP race (mabye utube or something I dont know) but watch how they can go thru an extreme S curve, bike goes from one extreme lean to the other. Try doin that with a bicycle so incase you dump it its no biggy cause you can do it in grassy lawns. After watching a few guys on 1100 V-stars doin the test recently I wouldnt want to try it.. They were pullin in the clutch to try and slow down because 1st gear was so "chunk, chunk, chunk, lurch". First guy barely made it and the other one failed. Fail enough tests and youll have to take the class just to get liscenced. I'd seriously consider borrowing someones smaller bike, something that is light and has a first gear that is real slow and smooth.

I felt bad about the one guy, he said he was 68 but he had one working eye and wasnt following directions. Only thing is he was joking around earlier about almost bringing someones elite scooter that he knew.. he should have and he'd have had it.

[FANNING507]

The window on the right side of the bike is the engine oil. There is a high and a low marking--check it when you have it on the center stand. The dip stick is for the middle drive and the final drive. Each is independent of each other and of the engine oil. There are metric allen wrench plugs to access the fill spots--they may have the flat plastic caps secured to the fill plug. Might want to consider synthetic gear oil instead of the petroleum 80-90 weight oil. Synthetic runs cooler, and less wear. My bike only had a light film of grease on the gears. You might want to check those; see the threads; also check out the tech tips; wealth of info. Look up octupus on search. There is a thread I used to replace the diaphram in the octupus. There is an upside and downside, as well as left and right. Pay attention to the small hole perforations. The diaphram won't help your gas overflow on the #1 carb. These appearantly are common problems with this bike. The float could be catching on the float gasket, or the tang needs to be adjusted, or one side of float is higher than the other, or there's a hole in the float, or something else.