General Performance Questions

[Petersg_99]

Fortunately I haven't added anything to the oil, and I'm not getting any clutch slippage. I think bumping the idle up will help with the stalling at lights along with just getting used to the bike, I generally only stall once in a while. It kind of goes against my nature to rev the engine that hard, so I tend to let the clutch get ahead of the rpm.

The oil additive question was just because I wish I could do a little something to quiet the chain. The noise isn't bad, but it seems to get quieter after I've had her running for a bit, so I was hoping there was a way to get the oil to stick to the chain, unfortunately any additive effects the clutch, so I guess I'll just to have to think of the chain noise as the bikes unique way of singing...

I still need to check the valve shims, but trying to lay in a supply of shims in case I need them looks like it's not real practical. I guess I'll just have pull the cover twice, once to figure out what I need, and a second time to install them once they arrive.

The bikes a blast and as an added benefit, it's a practical hobby (you can't ride a stamp collection).

[Schming]

The symptoms you described on page 1 and above, definately lean toward your valve shim check and adjustment.

Along with that, CCT adjustment should be done also.

Once that is done then a proper carb synch and color-tune will get ya spot on.

You'll most likely notice less noise coming from the valve train, smoother clutch release and the sputtering and popping will probably diminish also.

Good Luck HTH

[Poprock]

CCT: Don't adjust...replace with one from a Venture, VMax or Raptor. They auto adjust. install and forget.

[mack]

Noise

If you redo your valve shims correctly, it will be a lot noisier than before.
As Steve said, adjust your idle up to 1k and as bug said, make sure your brakes aren't dragging. It should roll freely with a gentle push.
If all your circiuts are clean in the carbs and they're properly sync'd, you shouldn't have any dead spots in the tach at all.
Chugging around town at 2k trying to improve milage is not good for these bikes. Drop it back to 2cd or 3 rd, so if you have to roll on the throttle to get out of trouble, it'll come out of the hole like a scared cat.

[Petersg_99]

I noticed the carbs looked like they were weeping, so I decided to pull the carbs and look at the float height.

I got a couple of surprises.
1) Vacuum leaks on the intake boots at the cylinder
2) Floats a smidgen to high
3) 1 missing bowl screw
4) none of the bowl screws truly tight
5) 1 of the sync screws was the wrong screw type/thread & stripped out (and I didn't notice until just now )

It was all sort of working but hopefully this will get rid of the weeping carbs and improve my mileage.

Getting the other set of carbs ready to try out on the bike probably isn't a bad idea either...

[jetmechmarty]

I went through my SG thoroughly last year. I adjusted the valves IAW the early spec, adjusted floats, jets, mixture, etc. I have it running better than it ever has in the ten years I've owned it. It pulls hard and there are no popping noises from the exhaust upon deceleration. I now get less than 30 miles per gallon.

My bike has the stock airbox on it and a 4 into 1 exhaust. There isn't much torque on the bottom, but it comes alive in a big way at around 5K rpm. I have an XS650 and it starts pulling at 1500, while the XS11 is more like 2500. I've come to believe this is all pretty normal. I think I'm in line with the first use.

I bought a new MAC 4 into 2. I hope it will move the torque curve down just a bit.

[650mark]

hi, mark in mesa here. i consistantly get 40mpg from my '80 xs1100 special and it pulls like a tractor from 2,000rpm all the way up to 7,000(never been any higher). all stock, all original except for a k&n air filter in the stock air box so perhaps your 27mpg is a little bit low. if you haven't sync'd your carbs you might want to do that asap. it does make a difference. i have a morgan carbtune if you'd like to do your carbs sometime. i installed an acct a while back and that also makes my bike run smoother and quieter.

[Petersg_99]

I've been using my budget sync rig shown below.

It works fairly well, but there's an offset of about 2lbs because of the Harbor Freight quality of the vacuum gauges.

getting the intake vacuum to read the same isn't hard, but my carbs don't seem to behave the way their supposed to when it comes to setting the air fuel ratio. I've got a second set of carbs that I'm going to go through and try on the bike and see how that works out.

[crazy steve]

I've been using my budget sync rig

Build this set-up, and whether or not if the gauges match won't matter..

http://www.xs11.com/forum/showthread.php?t=986

[BA80]

You get what you pay for. True with all things.

[trbig]

You get what you pay for. True with all things.

Really? So you believe a $30,000 Ford is better than a $20,000 Chevy? How about my Wife's Coach purse at $300 VS a regular purse at $50? My Craftsman (Before K-mart) $100 wrench set isn't as good as the $500 Snap-on? My $300 Remington 870 shotgun isn't going to last as long as the $3,000 Benelli?

Duped by advertisement to make that statement...

[BA80]

Seasoned by experience. That's why I have a Chevy and don't carry a purse.

I wasn't speaking of buying a NAME BRANDED item, simply that it costs a little more for the correct functionality. Kinda like the difference in a Hardley and a Yamaha. Both perform the same function but the Hardley your buying a name brand. You could mount a Briggs and Stratton on a Shwinn and it would be cheaper but the functionality would be nowhere near the Yammi or Hardley.

[Petersg_99]

I considered buying a set of sticks. From what I've read it looks like you can't get mercury for them anymore, and it looks like storage of the sticks becomes problematic once they're filled. I noticed they have mercury replacement liquid, so I suppose that problem has been solved, but I guess I'm old fashioned, I don't like the idea having to use something other than mercury for the sticks.

I saw the piece on the single vacuum gauge setup that Nashville_bill posted and I thought about making one of those, but wanted to see at least two readings at one time, so ended up making a trip to Harbor Freight to get two vacuum gauges to try this out.

They do work, and as long as I do a quick calibration before I start it's no big deal. One day I'll have to see if I can open up one and fix it so it reads the same as the other gauge.

I know it looks kludgy and cheap, but that's because it is!

Oh, and by the way, not all aquarium air manifolds are equal. I bought an assembled complete air manifold first and it disintegrated from the exposure to fuel/fuel vapors, the individual valves that you have to assemble into a manifold work much better.

[BA80]

This is what I have and you can calibrate all 4 guages to read the same. Fairly inexpensive too.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/4-CARB-SYNCH...de6e55&vxp=mtr

[oldnortonrider]

If you redo your valve shims correctly, it will be a lot noisier than before.

If he has "too much" clearance on some of the valves ~~ and he does reduce the clearance ~~ will make for less noise. One doesn't usually run on to excessive clearance very often ~~ but I have seen it to be the case.