Hello XS11 Newbie here

[Mr.Bill]

A titled frame works my motor seems fine just was wondering if would be easier to restore my parts and put on a titled frame

[DGXSER]

Well admittedly, that would put you alot closer to being legal!!

[trbig]

An engine seems easier to come by than a good frame or a titled frame.

These things are just like boats and motors. Try to buy just a boat motor.. big bucks. BUT.. you can usually find a junk boat with a decent motor for a fraction of the price. Same with these bikes. With the fall and winter coming on, keep your eyes out on Craigslist. There'll be one that will pop up close enough for you to go get. I'm thinking people need Christmas money and they aren't riding them any more, so the prices usually get better. Seems that the prices start to go back up after Feb... when everybody starts getting their tax checks back and thinking about spring.


Tod

[Mr.Bill]

I see andres has a frame, but wow shipping to MD would be killer LOL.

If I found a local titled frame would go get it, even if not that local cross country is a bit far LOL

[planedick]

Shipping

Greyhound does large items for cheap and quick too

[redbone]

it's about time someone relativley close gets on here!
shame such a young machine [in miles] looks so old. you've got a lot of work to do. but if you neeed some help let me know. i'm no guru, but i can read catatonic's repair manual as good as the next guy.
good luck
redbone

[webbcraft2150]

Clean the carbs, check the fluids and ride that son of a gun. No matter what you do with that seat, it is still going to be uncomfortable after 200 miles, so just use some duct tape and off you go.

Its a Special, he ain't gonna get 200 miles on a tank no matter what. Gets a rest 'bout every 80-100 miles.

Like everyone said, clean the carbs (three times, read the tech tips), change the oil, put new battery in it and see what happens. Once you get it running, you can worry about the cosmetics. BUT, just cause its running, don't ride it yet!!!! Being laid up that long, brakes are gonna be the first fix (read the tech tips). Be prepaired to spend more than what some people thinks its worth.Be prepaired to be frustrated, pissed off, angry and happy, and that only the first night of working on it!!!!! ANYTHING that has gone wrong or broke has been addressed here, and someone will chime in and help you out. These bikes are pretty simple to work on with minimal tools. The first time you have it dialed in, and the tach clears 5k, your hooked, forever.

[Mr.Bill]

While doing some minor work on my project bike, I was concerned about what was mentioned in the tech tips, about cylinders being rusted and locked with sitting so long.

So I removed the plug and looking into the cylinders, did not see any rust anywhere, But went ahead and shot some PB Blaster into each one, and let it sit. After about a week I looked again and just another shot to be safe. Removed the timing cover (which was amazingly VERY clean and new looking under there), and she turned over very nicely (rotating clockwise with a wrench), some nice compression also. So looking good so far

Still going about the title tho, might go the rout here in MD and getting a salvage certificate, Unless a nice titled frame pops up in the near future

Onwards and upwards

Thanks again everybody for the words and offers of assistance.

Might have some over for cigars and beer (or your drink of preferance)

[fredintoon]

Hi Mr. Bill,
that's a '79. Model designation is XS11SF. You can tell by the non-slotted brake disks and the tubular grab rail.
Foreda says his is a '79 but the slotted disks and cast aluminum grab rail on the photo say '80 or XS11SG to me.
Yeah, the rust got to that bike pretty good. Alas, the rust pits in the fork tubes are going to eat up the fork seals.
This will spill fork oil onto the front brake calipers which is a bad thing.
Replacement fork tubes can be got from "Forking by Frank" and while by no means a cheap fix it
costs less than getting the rusty tubes centreless ground and then re-chromed.
And the hillbilly seat may give the look you want but it will soak up the rain to give you a wet arse as you ride.
If you think this is an added benefit, perhaps you shouldn't say so.

[DiverRay]

For the KEY issue, it should be a NON issue! I lost the key to my midnight Special in Santa Fe, NM while on a road trip. I was able to hotwire the bike the next morning and load it on the trailer.(Don't say it, SWMBO would NOT ride the 3K miles we did!) I was able to take the ignition switch in to a locksmith in the Phoenix area and have three keys made for $30. The numbers on the gas cap lock will be the same as the ignition, so you can use those numbers and take the ignition switch so you know they work. You may also want to look for a locksmith shop that has been around for 30 plus years. They seem to have ALL the blanks that the "newer" shops don't care about.

[Mr.Bill]

Hi Mr. Bill,
that's a '79. Model designation is XS11SF. You can tell by the non-slotted brake disks and the tubular grab rail.
Foreda says his is a '79 but the slotted disks and cast aluminum grab rail on the photo say '80 or XS11SG to me.
Yeah, the rust got to that bike pretty good. Alas, the rust pits in the fork tubes are going to eat up the fork seals.
This will spill fork oil onto the front brake calipers which is a bad thing.
Replacement fork tubes can be got from "Forking by Frank" and while by no means a cheap fix it
costs less than getting the rusty tubes centreless ground and then re-chromed.
And the hillbilly seat may give the look you want but it will soak up the rain to give you a wet arse as you ride.
If you think this is an added benefit, perhaps you shouldn't say so.

LOL yea definately planning on a replacement seat cover or something.

Yep good call on the forks, again another bit of $$ for replacement forks.

Oily brakes..........fun ride LOL.

THanks.

[Mr.Bill]

For the KEY issue, it should be a NON issue! I lost the key to my midnight Special in Santa Fe, NM while on a road trip. I was able to hotwire the bike the next morning and load it on the trailer.(Don't say it, SWMBO would NOT ride the 3K miles we did!) I was able to take the ignition switch in to a locksmith in the Phoenix area and have three keys made for $30. The numbers on the gas cap lock will be the same as the ignition, so you can use those numbers and take the ignition switch so you know they work. You may also want to look for a locksmith shop that has been around for 30 plus years. They seem to have ALL the blanks that the "newer" shops don't care about.

I found a place i can order blanks, CatatonicBug mentioned his blanks state "YH49 X118" on them. and that works for all key locations (Starter, Gas Tank, Battery side cover and the helmet lock)
Was thinking of removing the Ignition, but again CB mentioned the helmet lock would be easier to remove to test the keys. All lock faces have the same number, so "should" all be the same (I hope) But looking at the face of the Gas Tank lock, the opening looks like a different key shape, and the Side cover lock is different also. (But that could be my eyes playing tricks LOL)

Thanks again for the replies.

[Mr.Bill]

Got Keys

All set for my keys, Found a great website. http://motorcyclekeys.com

Wonderfull and fast service. Keys work great. Now to get a new battery and work the electrical stuff

Any body have a nice clear picture of the main switch, mine is so aged, that I cant even see what the functions are while turning the key LOL.

Anybody know of where I can get labels for this if available ?

Thanks again all

Oh took a road trip to NE PA met XS11Lover, and his great collection of bikes. Think I am all hooked up with my title woes

And What a great guy, he hooked me up big time, with freebies that he did not need anymore, and some nice hey take this you might need it

so project "Frankenstein" is in swing LOL...............or might go with that Rocky Horror Picture show guy........Dr. Frank-n-furter, might be cool to have that mouth on my tank or side cover

[cywelchjr]

All set for my keys, Found a great website. http://motorcyclekeys.com

Wonderfull and fast service. Keys work great. Now to get a new battery and work the electrical stuff

Any body have a nice clear picture of the main switch, mine is so aged, that I cant even see what the functions are while turning the key LOL.

Anybody know of where I can get labels for this if available ?

Thanks again all

Oh took a road trip to NE PA met XS11Lover, and his great collection of bikes. Think I am all hooked up with my title woes

And What a great guy, he hooked me up big time, with freebies that he did not need anymore, and some nice hey take this you might need it

so project "Frankenstein" is in swing LOL...............or might go with that Rocky Horror Picture show guy........Dr. Frank-n-furter, might be cool to have that mouth on my tank or side cover

There is a guy on ebay that often had all the control labels for sale. Pretty reasonable too. Pretty much all the XS models share the same labels, and I put a set on my XS400, haven't gotten to that point with the 11 yet, still got a lot of other stuff to do before I worry about the labels. But the sets on ebay have the key switch along with all the other labels.

[xs11lover]