What did you do to your bike today?

[dbbrian]

Exhaust gaskets. Last year replaced just one leaky one, learned my lesson.

This year all five....yes five... on my standard.

No sure if this was a mod after factory, but sure is handy. Used my wire tool, and it was easy peasy, leaving the headers re-installed last year with new gasket, in place.





Wire tool in action - assisted with muffler replacement



Moniey shot






And the ACCT install






Brian

[thebottle]

Hi thebottle,
That looks like a decent crimper and the multi jaws make it very versatile. I have never seen a set of keys like that. they will make it a lot easier for disassembling connectors when you need to. That style of stripper requires more effort but are easy enough to use. Nice touch having a pouch and screwdriver. If I had not recently purchased a crimper i would be tempted to get it.

Wrapping the headers will promote RUST so not a good long term solution as stock header pipes are getting hard to find in useable condition.

Phil

Yeah, the crimper is pretty good, which is the important bit of the set, . And the keys are a nice touch too, I did use them to de-pin the connector when normally I would use a tiny eyeglass flathead to do it.

The stripper is trash though, I have that style from Harbor Freight and love it. The build quality of the one that came is in this set is horrible. The locking tab was bent out of shape, spring fell out, and was just crusty opening and closing it. Even after spraying some LPS on it. And some of the edges that should have been broken weren't broken. Just cheap and not in the good way. The screwdriver is just another screwdriver, good enough to go in the tray with all the other cheapies, .

I'll take that into consideration about wrapping the heads... I'll hold off on it for now.

The pipes look good, the rattlecan paint won't last as long as an expensive powdercoat but it works.

Yeah, I'm hoping to get a couple years out of it, but I know it'll scratch and scuff waaay easier so may not even get that from it. Especially since I didn't put down an etching primer. But it's just something to make it look good quickly for now.

[MaximPhil]

Hi thebottle,
That looks like a decent crimper and the multi jaws make it very versatile. I have never seen a set of keys like that. they will make it a lot easier for disassembling connectors when you need to. That style of stripper requires more effort but are easy enough to use. Nice touch having a pouch and screwdriver. If I had not recently purchased a crimper i would be tempted to get it.

Wrapping the headers will promote RUST so not a good long term solution as stock header pipes are getting hard to find in useable condition.

Phil

[3Phase]

Right on -- thanks!

The pipes look good, the rattlecan paint won't last as long as an expensive powdercoat but it works.

[thebottle]

That's a cool connector, now I want one!

Got it here on Amazon.

It doesn't have the right ends to fit into the connector, so I used it as an excuse to get a crimper too, .

I got this crimper so I could crimp female 1/4" ends that would snap back into the connector. The screwdriver and wirestripper are absolute garbage, I actually threw the wire stripper away. The crimper and heads are alright, for as little as I need to crimp things, it'll be great for me. But if you do a lot of crimping, I'd get something better.

I gave my exhaust a few coats of flat black this weekend. I used Rustoleum 2000 degree High Heat spray paint. We'll see how it holds up. I'm going to follow the directions to basically bake it slowly by idling the engine for a certain time, letting it cool, doing it again. We'll see. The headers are getting wrapped anyway. Mostly the tips that I care about looking good.

[3Phase]

That's a cool connector, now I want one!

[thebottle]

I probably don't need to change the front springs either, but it made such a difference on my KLR that I'm going to do it. It's a fraction of the cost to swap those compared to the rear so **** it... what's another $100 and some change.

Anyway, i have the carbs back on the bike and need to sync them. Hoping this weekend. We'll see. This week I did get some of the wiring fixed.

This is what the previous owner had wired for the headlight which was melting.



I de-pinned the molex(?) connector and replaced it with this which has ceramic in it.

[Bonz]

I went with Sonic Springs in all of my bikes that I change things in. Honestly with the air assist on my 80 SG I never felt a need to change the original springs. Switched over to the Showa rear shocks off of a Honda Shadow which was the single best improvement once the stock shocks started leaking shortly after I got the bike years ago.

[thebottle]

Nice, I wish you well with getting the bike running!

Thanks my man.

Your bike came with progressive springs. Are you sure they're sacked?

I meant the Progressive Suspension brand... I like that brand... put in my KLR 650 and made a huge difference offroading. Check out this testing upgrading a KLR supsension,see here... shaved a ridiculous amount of time off the track. Suspension has come a long way since the 80's... and even 90's as evidenced by the KLR testing I linked, and it's easy to change.

I know the rear end is definitely sacked. It was bottoming out over everything and sending jolts up the spine, talking tiny bumps and train tracks. I figure if I change out the rear, might as well change out the fronts and seals.

I like the brown color choice. Back in the seventies, it was popular.

I feel like brown doesn't get as much love as it should... it's my favorite color. I like all Earthtones but brown is my favorite.

Black anodized fork lowers will protect them from wear and continue your color theme.

I'll probably leave those the way they are for now, but may do that in the future. I want some things to still pop. I like the headlight bucket chrome, the arms(leading back to the forks), the actual forks themselves (unavoidable), lower forks (left the way they are), and maybe even fender to still be chrome and pop off the front of it.

[jetmechmarty]

is what it looked like last time I rode it. Want to slowly start getting rid of chrome and making it flat black and brown. Although, thinking it would be a real shame to flat some things, like the front fender and headlight bucket. Might keep that chrome just for styles.

There are plenty of rusty fenders and headlight buckets available for cheap. Buy them and paint them.

Why do you want or need Progressive springs? They're as old school as the bike. Your bike came with progressive springs. Are you sure they're sacked? Clean out the forks and put fresh oil in there. They'll be great!

I like the brown color choice. Back in the seventies, it was popular. Progressive Suspension does offer black shocks. Black anodized fork lowers will protect them from wear and continue your color theme.


Factory color 1974.

[Bonz]

Nice, I wish you well with getting the bike running!

[thebottle]

Hey excellent to hear you might try for Colorado this summer! Post up in the Colorado thread then you can keep track when guys post and as I post updates related to things still being on track.

There's a thread on the forum about Showa shocks from a Honda Shadow, I ran them on my 80 SG and they were fantastic. Easy peasy and cheap on eBay. Here's the link to that thread I believe.

http://www.xs11.com/forum/showthread...ighlight=Showa

Yeah, I would really like to run out there. Wife even gave me permission, even said she'd take care of my dog in my absence... unheard of! Been riding a KLR 650 last 5 years. Honestly love it, offroading is soo fun, but yet severely miss this old XS1100 beast... launching at 5k and beating half-litre sports bikes up to 70mph before I run out of gear. Ohhh... how I used to beat this old beast! Oh, how I love this mother ****er! Had to rebuild the clutch every year with new frictions, at least! Now I just want it running good, and I'm going to baby it. Well... of course, if somebody pulls up next to me to give me the what now, maybe I will give it to them... but going to try to keep the dogs in 1st-2nd in tact for the most part, . Started popping out under hard acceleration before I swapped 'em recently.

I'll post in the CO rally when I know more certain if I'll be able to make it. Really not sure right now. Like to get a thousand or so miles on it before I take it that far. But I do have the ambition, and the permission from the old lady, .

[Bonz]

Trying to sort out carbs, I've cleaned and bench synced them so far. Trying to get my baby back on the road again... been a long time. I'll throw them on and try to get them in line with 4 vacuum gauges. I also have a color tune if I need it. Ya'll helped me figure some wiring out recently, much appreciated. Going to flat black the headers and tips, and probably wrap the headers. Now I just need to get it running good, carb issue has been plaguing me. Anyway, I live in Wisconsin, and thinking I might try and make the CO rally if I can get it in order by then. Going to try really hard, miss this beast. I also want to get some progressive front springs for it. And it definitely needs new rear shocks.

Hey excellent to hear you might try for Colorado this summer! Post up in the Colorado thread then you can keep track when guys post and as I post updates related to things still being on track.

There's a thread on the forum about Showa shocks from a Honda Shadow, I ran them on my 80 SG and they were fantastic. Easy peasy and cheap on eBay. Here's the link to that thread I believe.

http://www.xs11.com/forum/showthread.php?t=30050&highlight=Showa

[thebottle]

Trying to sort out carbs, I've cleaned and bench synced them so far. Trying to get my baby back on the road again... been a long time. I'll throw them on and try to get them in line with 4 vacuum gauges. I also have a color tune if I need it. Ya'll helped me figure some wiring out recently, much appreciated. Going to flat black the headers and tips, and probably wrap the headers. Now I just need to get it running good, carb issue has been plaguing me. Anyway, I live in Wisconsin, and thinking I might try and make the CO rally if I can get it in order by then. Going to try really hard, miss this beast. I also want to get some progressive front springs for it. And it definitely needs new rear shocks.

is what it looked like last time I rode it. Want to slowly start getting rid of chrome and making it flat black and brown. Although, thinking it would be a real shame to flat some things, like the front fender and headlight bucket. Might keep that chrome just for styles.

[IanDMacDonald]

Went to storage last night to pull the carbs. Forgot my key, so the left side cover had to stay on. Going back up there soon after my shower to pull thrm for a Spring triple clean. Pulling the battery to throw on the battery tender.

Once I get it home, it's getting the exhaust system swapped from an '80 Standard, so I gotta make shims for the headers. Speaking of that, I need to order exhaust header gaskets.

After that, I need to tighten-up the steering head after replacing the bearings last year. Then oil change and she's good to go.

XS-EAST is now tentative. I still hope to go. If not, so be it.