New member, doing some research

[Xray_Sierra]

Hello,

I currently ride a 1981 Suzuki GS1000 shaft drive and a 2006 Kawasaki Concours. I'm going to be selling the Concours come spring since I don't care for the riding position.

I'm looking for another 1000+cc standard style shaft drive bike, and this search has led me to both the XS11 and Honda V65 Sabre. I'm doing some research on both.

I'll read through the forum, but if there are any tips to look out for when shopping, I'd appreciate a heads up. I typically buy semi-project type bikes and fix them up. I just got done repairing the GS with an engine ring job, reseal, and charging system overhaul (stator and improved regulator/rectifier).

Looking forward to learning about the XS11.

[natemoen]

From my understanding the some of the v65s depending on year and or magical warranty work, have a pretty major oiling problem to the cams. There has been a setup made to compensate for it but its about 400 bucks.

My brother has a v45 and its a pain to work on compared to the xs, especially with all the extra electrical and the liquid cooled.

Who wants a b4 anyways, inline 4 is the way to go.

There is nothing major to really look for that can't be fixed cheaply at home on the xs. There is the 2nd gear problem, but that's a weekend fix. There is the crappy fuse block, 10 bucks and 1 hour to fix. There are the bad pickup coil wires, just splice in some new wires.

[crazy steve]

Nate covered the 'typical' issues, but I'll add a few observations...

If you're looking at running bikes, most faults will be obvious. The majority of electrical problems you may find (besides the fusebox) will be due to dirty switch/connector contacts which can be cleared by thorough cleaning of said parts. Missing/damaged parts can be a problem, particularly sidecovers and exhaust systems, so look for a bike that's as 'complete' as possible. A good, solid OEM exhaust is a big plus that would make me overlook some other faults. Seats can be another issue; new covers are easy to get, but rotted-out seat pans can be hard to replace and most are model/year specific.

While many parts will interchange across all years, 'Standard' parts are generally cheaper/easier to find compared to 'Special' parts, with the '81 Midnight Special and '82 XJ11 having the most 'oddball' parts that can be hard to find. For non-running bikes, figure on disassembling/cleaning the carbs and the brakes, and depending on how well a running bike was maintained, probably not a bad idea even on those.

Once these are brought up to 'spec', there's few bikes that can match them..

[CatatonicBug]

There's this post in the FAQ section that talks about what to look for. As Nate mentioned, the XS's are very simple to work on, and anyone with a little mechanical aptitude can fix just about anything that could go wrong on them. They were built to be bulletproof, and some have even hit over 300k miles with little more than routine maintenance. I wish you luck in your search, and hope you find an XS that strikes your fancy.

[natemoen]

One thing that was brought up a month or so ago about the seat is a company in England that is making repo seats and one member has one says its pretty good! they are on ebay here is the link to the seller.

http://myworld.ebay.co.uk/tight-fit-...MEFSX:SELLERID

[Xray_Sierra]

Thanks for all of the info.

I looked at my first Sabre today & was less than impressed. I didn't know they had drum brakes in the rear, plus it was corroded & rusty not to mention overpriced. The top oiling issue looks to be either time consuming (drilling into a main feed) or expensive (filter adapter, about $400 as noted above). The XS motor seems very similar to the GS one I have worked on recently.

I'm looking at a few of the XS "standard" models, as I think this is what I want- I don't want the "cruiser" style with the stepped seat & teardrop tank. My limited research thus far has shown these are the "special" models.

I'll keep you all updated as to what I end up doing.

Thanks again.

[cywelchjr]

I agree with much of what has been said, but have a couple of areas where I differ. I have found the opposite of what crazy steve says with regard to parts availability, where I find more special parts than standard parts. The only exception to that would be the front brakes for the specials which are unique to the 1100 specials, where the standards share parts with many others. But as for tanks, forks and such, I've found almost 2:1 in favor of specials out there.

Other than that, I too prefer the standard, and I got mine two years ago for $800 and have had to spend little more than normal maint money on it. I will admit I spent a bit on upgrades to stuff, but none of it was needed to operate the bike, just to get it configured the way I wanted. I did have to replace the engine due to a rod knock, but that was a $99 junkyard motor that I replaced over a year ago and it's still going fine over 10,000 later.

Some guys have trouble with oil usage, but I have had little to no trouble with that after a treatment with a seal conditioner product, which has me able to make it to the next oil change without having to add any, provided I don't really pound on it hard.

One other thing to be aware of, is you may want to locate through someone (generally someone on one of the two U.S. based boards) a new left rear wheel bearing, as they are NLA from Yamaha, and pretty much nobody else makes them, and the only ones left have to be direct ordered from Japan in batches, and take a couple of months to get (and their not cheap either). That said, most of them if taken care of at all, will last well over 100k, or even 200k, so you probably would never need more than one if you keep up on the maint.

[crazy steve]

..I have found the opposite of what crazy steve says with regard to parts availability, where I find more special parts than standard parts. The only exception to that would be the front brakes for the specials which are unique to the 1100 specials, where the standards share parts with many others. But as for tanks, forks and such, I've found almost 2:1 in favor of specials out there..

Cy, I think the difference is there's a bigger selection in the used parts market for the specials, but the new replacement parts market favors the standards. The specials were only sold in any numbers in north america; standards were the rule everywhere else. But both models have hard-to-find trim parts depending on what you're looking for, so again, make sure the bike is as complete as possible. The main failing of the specials is it's weird front forks/brakes, which are unlike any other bike. If you're interested in doing a brake upgrade (swapping to better calipers), the standard forks is the only choice.

If the looks of a particular model are important to you though, remember that swapping trim items between models and/or years (other than fuel tanks) is very difficult. And I'll stress that you want to find one that has a good, intact exhaust on it as this is one of the hardest, most expensive items to find for any model...

[natemoen]

If you find an online add for an xs, post a link here and we all can help look it over and give suggestions on it.

[cywelchjr]

Cy, I think the difference is there's a bigger selection in the used parts market for the specials, but the new replacement parts market favors the standards. The specials were only sold in any numbers in north america; standards were the rule everywhere else. But both models have hard-to-find trim parts depending on what you're looking for, so again, make sure the bike is as complete as possible. The main failing of the specials is it's weird front forks/brakes, which are unlike any other bike. If you're interested in doing a brake upgrade (swapping to better calipers), the standard forks is the only choice.

If the looks of a particular model are important to you though, remember that swapping trim items between models and/or years (other than fuel tanks) is very difficult. And I'll stress that you want to find one that has a good, intact exhaust on it as this is one of the hardest, most expensive items to find for any model...

That makes sense. I don't go buying too much by way of new parts (the SOFA and tires being an exception) as I figure my bike is just used parts anyways. Plus, new parts tend to stand out what with not having the patina the rest of the bike has gathered over the last 30 years. I don't want parts that stand out, I want parts that look like they have always been part of the bike.

[Xray_Sierra]

If you find an online add for an xs, post a link here and we all can help look it over and give suggestions on it.

Thanks for offering. Here's the first one:
http://lakeland.craigslist.org/mcy/2068889848.html

I'm going to call today & see what it needs and is missing.

EDIT
#2 (in more ways than one no doubt ) :
http://daytona.craigslist.org/mcy/2099652730.html

At least in includes the trailer. No title is no deal though. I had a big enough hassle with the GS since the guy I bought it from didn't title it in his name.

I see the '79 models have real speedometers on them. The 80+ appear to have the crappy 85 MPH ones (not that I go 86+ often, it's the principle). I added a 140 unit to my GS.

[Xray_Sierra]

Here's a third in the Atlanta area:
http://atlanta.craigslist.org/nat/mcy/2062017636.html

Looks good, but probably gummed up gas & a full brake rebuild needed.

[crazy steve]

Out of these, it's definitely number three! The $500 bike looks like it may be a rust bucket, and for sure has bits missing. If you're looking for a touring bike though, it may be worth a look. # 2, I agree, no title, no deal, besides the even more missing parts; you'd be buying a $500 trailer IMO. Number three is worth a serious look, as it looks all there with only the original exhaust missing but has what looks like nice aftermarket pipes. Looks pretty good cosmetically too. Price might be just a bit high, but cash does talk...

It's not so much a 'project bike', but you can easily spend the difference finding missing parts. Low miles are a big plus too.

Good luck!

[natemoen]

I agree with Steve. #3 would be the winner for me too for basically the same reasons. I also agree its a not high priced but that's all negotiable and relative though.

[Xray_Sierra]

Thanks.

I know the price is relative. The Sabre I looked at today was "worth every penny" of the $750 asking price according to the seller. When I got there, it was a rusty corroded mess that couldn't be started, was missing parts, and not even a V65 (1100)- it was the V40 (700). The seller had pulled his ad on CL after a week. I guess he figured it was such a bargain I'd be buying it. Ditto the guy selling a GS1100 that didn't run for $1,500 a few months back. He wouldn't take anything less when I contacted him about it over the summer. Last month, he was down to $800 and still no sale.

I like #1 for it having the fairing already on- it's a must have for me. That said, I'd rather have a bike with less work needed, since it's not that difficult to add a fairing (did so for my GS). I'll see if #3 is still for sale and the ad is only 3 weeks old. Both 1 & 3 are about the same distance from me and within trailer range.