New member ... Old Bike :D

[4strokes]

Just thought I'd introduce myself & say hello to everyone here.

Picked up a 80 model XS1100 G yesterday, hopefully it will be a good runner once I manage do some minor bug killing. Unfortunately the guy I got it from inherited it from his dad who passed away so I have to depend on what he remembers about it.

Has 37K & some change on the clock but hadn't been cranked in a year until yesterday & as you can imagine the pilot jets were clogged. Still cranked good, just had a little sputter off idle transition. Carbs were stipped down & have been soaking since last night.

Carbs still have stock jets so maybe now is the time to re-jet because it's running the K&N & Kerker header .. he gave me everything he had including the old set of plugs that looked really white (running lean) in colored ... what do you guys think ?

He said the bike ran real good when the carbs were clean, no spit or lean pops .. so I have to wonder, my 31 years in the shop makes me think otherwise after looking at the white color plugs.

Also noticed some wiring issues that will need sorted out, the blinkers come on but don't blink unless the hazard button is pushed. The brake light comes ON (front or rear) without the ignition switch being turned ON.

I did a battery volt drain check & found none so at least it's not draining the battery. Can see where the previous owner ran some wires from the brake light switch to the battery ... so haven't had time to check that yet but I will find out WHY he did that ? Can also see where he replaced a few of the fuses with modern flat blade fuses ... but not all of them ?

Anyway ... hope everyone is staying out of the heat & enjoying your weekend.

[natemoen]

Welcome! and good luck with the bike.

I would say for now might as well but the carbs back together with the original jets and see how it runs. You can always change the jets later as well. It may run fine with the original jets. Cant necessarily trust year old plugs that have not been used.

[WMarshy]

Welcome...

Sounds like you have the proper knowledge to get your Eleven breathing fire in no time. Couple of things Im not sure your aware of is, be careful with soaking the entire carb bodies as the butterfly shaft seals can be damaged if you submerge them in carb cleaner. Also, you should use a wooden dowel to press out the brass emulsion tubes (where the main needle slides into). Some people don't know they come out or are justified too lazy to take them out. There is a lot of information, tricks, and tips in the maintence section of the form. I suggest you take a look, might find some usefull information in you rebuild. Also, if you don't have a manual you can download a free one from member Catitonicbug's signature. From the sounds of your setup and plug color you should be 1, maybe 2 jets larger than stock. Good luck and post some pictures!

[DenyP]

Welcome to the club!

Deny

[TopCatGr58]

Hey there 4strokes,

Well, the brake lights shouldn't come on without the key, so he's hotwired that circuit to provide power directly from the battery. You will probably find the OEM fuseblock messed up, or non-existent!? I provide replacements at a fair (cost of block/shipping) for folks, see the For Sale Forum, Sticky thread.

Yep, white plugs does sound a touch lean with those pipes and filter, but the later years were jetted leaner for emissions controls (EPA). You may not necessarily need to up the pilots, just turn the pilot jet screws out a bit more. Also, the 80 year is where some folks come across some bastardized carbs due to the transition from the 78-79 series bodies to the 80-81 series, check for a tunnel between the pilot and main jet towers, and note whether the pilot jet tower is capped off with rubber plugs or not. You'll want to keep them the same way, and adjust the jets according to what you find. You don't have to do the staggered richer in the middle like the books say, same across all 4 is fine.

The turn signals use 2 separate flashers for the turns vs. the emergency. The OEM flasher is known to go bad/corrode, you can either try to take it apart and clean the internal actuation contacts, or get a 2 prong replacement, the 3rd leg is for the self cancelling feature which you'll loose with any aftermarket flasher...2 prong!!!

Good luck...YES, If you've already fully soaked the bodies up to the shaft seals, then there are some tricks to unswell them..I think it involved using mineral spirits but not totally sure....a search may reveal the answer.... otherwise, you'll need to get replacement seals.....see www.mikesxs.net or Georgefix on ebay....and you'll need to grind off the peened end of the butterfly valve/shaft seals to get the small screws out, then use locktite to put them back together.

T.C.

[4strokes]

Thanks

Thanks for the warm welcome.

Carbs were put in a large ultrasonic tub/cleaner with heat & soapy solvent especially safe for motorcycle carb bodies & won't hurt the shaft seals. I did remove the emulsion tubes with a set of wood dowels so no worry there.

I went ahead & assembled the carbs & used the stock jets, have a box full of this stuff if needed later.

According to my serial number 3J6010845 the color should be Black Red or New Ruby Red but it's Diamond Silver instead ... so don't know what's going on there. This entire bike could be a mismatch, color, carbs, & who knows what else.

More questions than answers right now but we'll get it figured out.

Pretty sure these are the bastardized carbs you spoke of T.C. but no plugs on the pilots .... but they very well could have been removed before I opened them up.

I might have made a mistake on the pilots from the get go because I didn't realize that they could be different sizes... but according to the manual this carb set uses all 42.5 pilots & 110 mains & the numbers were so worn or weak that I couldn't read them all anyway even with a magnifying glass.

For sure this blinker set is aftermarket, looks like a cheap re-make of early Honda 350 one wire series. They do flash when in hazard mode but only light up when turned to Left or Right blinker mode.

Oh well .... I sure hope I don't have my pilot jets in the wrong slots, that would suck. My Wifes eyes are better than mine & she said she thought one pilot read 40, another read 37.5 & two read 42.5 ... so this might turn into a BIG can of worms

[TopCatGr58]

Well,

The odd carb bodies that share the fuel between mains and pilots will usually have the pilot towers capped, but both if yours were NOT capped, AND your plugs were still WHITE, then that's probably the right setup for them. IF they had the sharing tunnel, and the pilots were not capped, that tended to make them terribly rich=black plugs, etc.! The pilot jets can only go into one spot/tower due to there size...not totally sure what you meant about in the wrong spot?? But, with that mix/mash of sizes?

Also, check the top front of the carbs, the pilot jet/IDLE Adjustment screws are down in those tunnels often under an OEM/factory installed brass cap, that can be easily removed. The screws have small rubber and metal washers down in there, those can also be obtained from www.mikesxs.net if needed...they often get stuck down there, or fall off when you pull the screws out and aren't expecting them!

The standards used dual filament signals/running lights on the front, but only single for the rear. After market lights often use a bit lower wattage bulbs, or even LEDs, which don't draw enough current to throw the thermal flasher, requires 2 bulbs at 27 watts ea for the flasher to heat up enough to cycle. You can still use the these signals, just as stated before, get a 2 prong.... NOW you'll probably need an electronic type flasher that doesn't require high current loads to work, and you can still have turn signals, but you will still loose the self cancelling feature.

With your 31 years experience we should have known you would have known about the shaft seals, but we can't tell what new folks know or not, have seen some "stuff" from otherwise experienced AUTO mechs...these bikes are a bit different!

Okay, will ask you to post NEW questions in the TECH discussion forum, this one is more for the FUN stuff, intros like you did..I just turned it into a tech thread!

T.C.

[malber]

Welcome brother to the real xs11 site! Great to have you.

[4strokes]

Update ... the bike feels like it's running pretty good, very smooth ride compared to my Z1.

I have one cylinder that runs richer than the other 3 & adjusting the air doesn't make a big difference in color. I can make it go from medium brown to dark brown but not tan or white like the others ... it's the outside right cyl. #4 but as stated ... the bike seems to run just fine. It pulls hard when cracking the throttle & has a smooth idle ... so I guess I'll let it stay brown unless I realize some brain fart occured while doing that carb but I've went over it twice & got the same results.

Float level is good, all jets are clean, needle & slide looked good ... oh well

[Roy Bean]

Well, This goes to prove, "you never know who's going to show up". Roy

[cywelchjr]

Update ... the bike feels like it's running pretty good, very smooth ride compared to my Z1.

I have one cylinder that runs richer than the other 3 & adjusting the air doesn't make a big difference in color. I can make it go from medium brown to dark brown but not tan or white like the others ... it's the outside right cyl. #4 but as stated ... the bike seems to run just fine. It pulls hard when cracking the throttle & has a smooth idle ... so I guess I'll let it stay brown unless I realize some brain fart occured while doing that carb but I've went over it twice & got the same results.

Float level is good, all jets are clean, needle & slide looked good ... oh well

You know, if the idle jets are really different sizes, it sounds like the 42.5 jet might be in #4, in which case you may need to replace that jet with either a 40 or 37.5 jet (under normal jetting the larger jets would normally be in 2 and 3 with the smaller being in 1 and 4), the normal jetting is supposed to make the center two cylinders run a little cooler since they have less surface area to cool them.

[4strokes]

Hey Roy

Well, This goes to prove, "you never know who's going to show up". Roy

Well hey there Roy
The guy who bought my 78 A2A 2 weeks ago lives in Murray just a little bit down the road from you in Sedalia. If I'd known you lived that close by we could have met up for some lunch.

Almost have my drag bike ready to go ... waiting on some air shifter parts & another chain but pretty much a done deal.

[4strokes]

You know, if the idle jets are really different sizes, it sounds like the 42.5 jet might be in #4, in which case you may need to replace that jet with either a 40 or 37.5 jet (under normal jetting the larger jets would normally be in 2 and 3 with the smaller being in 1 and 4), the normal jetting is supposed to make the center two cylinders run a little cooler since they have less surface area to cool them.

Yeah I understand the principle but since some were smudged I never could accurately read the numbers on them.

I might go with 40's all the way across & see how that does, this bike doesn't have a oil cooler installed on it so I sure don't want to be running to lean until I can get a cooler on it for sure ... especially in this heat.

[DiverRay]

this bike doesn't have a oil cooler installed on it so I sure don't want to be running to lean until I can get a cooler on it for sure ... especially in this heat.

I ran my bike at 85MPH ALL DAY in 114 Degree desert heat, NO oil cooler. The engine STILL runs well, 20K miles later. These bikes will do OK without an oil cooler, though I agree, they stay closer to perfect with the cooler.
Welcome to the site.

[cywelchjr]

Yeah I understand the principle but since some were smudged I never could accurately read the numbers on them.

I might go with 40's all the way across & see how that does, this bike doesn't have a oil cooler installed on it so I sure don't want to be running to lean until I can get a cooler on it for sure ... especially in this heat.

I run mine around all over the place around here is 100+ temps, and a lot at low speeds because of congestion (which BTW is worse that high speeds since there is not as much air running over it to cool it) and have never had a problem. I wouldn't worry about it, these things were designed to handle the heat with nothing more than the build in cooling.