Like a virgin

[DiverRay]

CatatonicBug,
The 81 carbs have a screw that holds the seat in, with an "O" ring to seal the gas. REPLACE ALL the "O" rings on all 4 carbs!!! If you do one, you will be back in very soon to do another. You can buy just the "O" rings, and probably get them from a local auto parts store, for about $0.75 each. Look at the Tech Tips from the MAIN forum page, and you should be able to find the pictures and text of what you need to do.
As for the middle and final drive, check the oil level FIRST, before draining. Sometimes you will have a LOT of problems getting the allen head plug out of the gear boxes. An easy way is put in a GOOD, tight fitting allen, and tap with a hammer. If the allen is a cheap one, or the wrong size, you may strip out the head on the cap. Be careful !!!

[bikerphil]

Originally posted by CatatonicBug
is the tire on my '81 midnight tubed, or tubeless?

81's have tubeless tires/rims.

[CatatonicBug]

Thanks Bikerphil.

I have determined that the fuel leak is due to the needle valve not sealing all the way I have ordered one rebuild kit fo the carb, and at $20 each, I can't afford 4 sets all at once. Maybe I can take the one from the kit to the auto parts store and get just 3 more of those. I'm glad that removing the carbs isn't a horrible ordeal. Once I figured out how to slide the airbox back out of the way and to use WD40 on the boots for the re-assembly, everything goes together nicely. I will wait for the rebuild kits to arrive later this week and hopefully I can start learning how to ride this weekend without worrying about dumping fuel all over myself.

I'll look for the gear oil fill plugs... I found the link to make my own dipstick, so I will probably make one this weekend out of plexi. anyone have a diagram that points to the fill plugs on the '81?

[65oldsboy]

My first STREET bike was a 79 XS1100 Special. I had ridden ATV's and dirt bikes for 10 years before that. Getting used to the weight and power of the XS took a while. I think that all of the dirt bike experience saved my butt several times on the street. If you haven't ever ridden a motorcycle at all, I would think twice before learning on a bike this large. Dumping a 250 lb bike in the dirt is a lot less painful than dumping a 600+ lb bike on asphalt or concrete.

I DID take the MSF course and it was great. I definitely did learn a tremendous amount of information. It made me a better car driver also. I definitely recommend it. About 2/3 of my class had obviously ridden before and were very comfortable on the bikes. The other 1/3 should not have been on the road at all. In fact, one lady who had never ridden before laid her trainer bike down and slid herself and the bike UNDER a chain link fence. Not only did she have road rash, she also was bloody on the other side from the fence. Needless to say, she never finished the course.

I don't want to sound like a kill-joy but from a safety perspective I think that maybe you have gotten in over your head. Evasive maneuvers on a bike often require immediate reaction. Having to think about what you are going to do instead of immediately reacting could be painful.

[bikerphil]

Originally posted by CatatonicBug


anyone have a diagram that points to the fill plugs on the '81?

Click on this link (PDF file) and scroll down to pgs. 28+29.

http://web.ebscohost.com/serrc/pdf?v...0sessionmgr108

[CatatonicBug]

I can definitely appreciate the vote of caution. I am banking on the fact that my short, 1.3 mile commute will give me a relatively safe training ground, and I will be able to spend the whole winter practicing there and in a couple of large parking lots near my house. I also have several local biker friends that have offered coaching and whatever training they might be able to give me. I have felt the weight of this bike, and I can see the difficulty of manuevering it in stressfull situations. Believe me - I am not a crazy driver, and I plan to take it slow and cautious. I can see the benefits of the MSF classes, but at this point, I just don't have the cash. It is all I can do to dig through the couch cushions to find enough change for an air filter and a new tire. Oh yeah - I still have to pay the sales tax to the state in the next 3 weeks to I can title it. Maybe by spring I will be able to gather the funds for the class.

[CatatonicBug]

Thanks Bikerphil! That's exactly what I needed!

[barberad]

Originally posted by CatatonicBug
I can definitely appreciate the vote of caution. I am banking on the fact that my short, 1.3 mile commute ..... Believe me - I am not a crazy driver, and I plan to take it slow and cautious. I can see the benefits of the MSF classes, but at this point, I just don't have the cash.

The banking on is the worrisome part and it's not YOUR crazy driving.. it's the cages on cell phones, distracted by they're kids or otherwise living their lives in they're mobile offices. Like I mentioned before, I didn't get ahold of your state safety office, but they probably are a little cheaper than the colleges are, so sign up now for training in the spring.
Other than that I say "enjoy your new bike!"
Dan

[CatatonicBug]

Not sure what you mean by "State Safety Office". The only courses that I have found here are held by community colleges ($200) or Private companies (up to $400).

[barberad]

http://nm.msf-usa.org/msf/ridercourses.aspx?state=MO bottom one on the list (sent this in my response on page 1 of this thread)

MISSOURI HIGHWAY AND TRANSPORTATION SPRINGFIELD 65803 GREENE (417) 864-2037

$200 from the colleges seems reasonable. Good luck
Dan

[CatatonicBug]

Do you know how far away Springfield is from St. Louis? That's a 4-hour drive. Not a chance. It's got to be in St. Louis County.

Thanks though.

[bigray03]

Classes.

I know it does not pertain to your area But there is a guy that travels around putting on classes in Louisiana who has become nationally recongnized. He trains all the police forces in my area that are on motorcycles. You know, the syncronized riding, dragging the pegs and all that stuff. I hear this guy is awsome. Just mentioning something like that, if maybe your area has something like it.