long distance on a special?

[Crusty Snippets]

[QUOTE=Courtney;405523]Haha, I have an awesome picture of this in my head Crusty.
The motor really messed up the handling.
The geniuses in Victoria wondered why I did not use my truck.
I told them the easiest thing to do is spend money, creativity requires some thought.
Would have cost at least $200- to bring the truck down and back, and there is nowhere to park in Vic.
After Vic I went to the mainland, more $$ if I had the truck.
Rode the Suzuki down today, the back brake on Yami was making strange sounds.
Unkle Crusty

[mcompton1973]

Well, I have it narrowed down to an XS11 that's north of Tulsa or a Suzuki GS850 that is owned by a guy in Lincoln that I know takes care of his bikes well. I'm going to look at the XS11 tomorrow I think. If its nice and we can agree on figures I will buy it. If not I'll look at the Suzuki again.

[jetmechmarty]

I use this one to go long and go often. It does the job. The right windshield makes it work for the highway. It does not, however, get 40 miles per gallon. For me, it's more like 30. Comfy ride and a lot of fun just the same.

[Dragon Tamer]

My Fire Dragon is a '79 Special with a full Vetter V with lowers. Very comfortable on longer trips and I have done many. Steady highway speeds at 60 or less she will do between 36 to 40 mpg and occasionally a bit better. This translates to between 100 to 120 miles to the tank full without having to hit the reserve. And that is with full hardbags and tour pack plus whatever else I can strap on it. I have owned many bikes over the years and never had one that was quite this comfortable on longer hauls. The weight of the big 11's makes for a much better ride and resistance to being pushed around by the wind also.

There is the occasional bike with more power, there are a few that handle better and maybe one or two that ride a bit better and several that get better mileage. But there is no one bike that I have ever found that will do it all as well as the mighty XS11.

[Courtney]

[QUOTE=jetmechmarty;405593]



LOVE your Continental Kit Spare!

[mcompton1973]

Well, I pulled the trigger on a 79 XS11 special. I won't pick it up until sometime next week. I went and checked it out and rode it, but I can't take it with me right now, so I paid for it and he is holding it for me a few days.

It's rattle can painted red...above average job but not perfect. Has pod air filters. It came with a 'parts bike'. That bike has a title...but it's pretty much in boxes. The engine looks bad. Might have been a midnight special...engine is black. But it does have original airbox and another set of carbs that look pretty good shape. Has a fairing, but not the mounting brackets so thats probably junk. it does have some hard bags, that are off, but they are there. Tires are good, rear and mid fluid changed last year, about 500 miles ago. So there are some goods.

The bad, I am going to have get a decent windshield. The guy replaced 2 petcocks on it last year but 2 carbs still drip a little fuel of you leave them on. I am thinking maybe a float bowl issue? The guy said that he changed the jets when he put on pods but didn't know to what. NHL was an older guy so....I give him benefit of the doubt. It runs good, but probably needs some tune up things, carb boots show wear etc.

[650mark]

special for road trips?

only 100 miles per tank of gas? I get 40mpg all the time on my '80special(all stock). the low fuel light comes on at 125 miles and I have 1 gallon left. just rode 250 miles yesterday with some friends, kept the speeds at 65-70 all day, had the wife with me,and I got 41mpg. very comfortable bike, no problems sitting on it all day.

[crazy steve]

The '80-up bikes get a bit better mileage compared to the '78-79 models due to the detune Yamaha gave them. Expecting 40 mpg out of the early bikes is not something you'll likely see; mid/high 30s will be more typical. It will also depend on riding 'style' and conditions; windy or hilly conditions can move mileage +/- 5 mpg easily. Running pod filters or non-stock exhaust can also impact mileage, usually negatively.

[Dragon Tamer]

only 100 miles per tank of gas? I get 40mpg all the time on my '80special(all stock). the low fuel light comes on at 125 miles and I have 1 gallon left. just rode 250 miles yesterday with some friends, kept the speeds at 65-70 all day, had the wife with me,and I got 41mpg. very comfortable bike, no problems sitting on it all day.

So what tank do you have on there? The tank on my '79SF holds 3.7 gallons from completely drained, of which about 3.5 are usable as it cannot seem to get that last little bit out of the bottom before it quits. Reserve is just over 1/2 gallon (right around 20 miles). The low fuel light usually comes on just after I have had to hit reserve. This will usually be just under 120 miles on the tank. The math works out every time. Just under three gallons available before the reserve has to be used @ about 40 mpg (on the highway) gives me the above 120 range or so with an available 20 miles left in reserve.

So when the trip odo get to pushing 100 miles I start thinking about taking a break and finding some gas before I find out the next station is 45 miles away. If I have been running around town and doing the stoplight thing I for sure will be looking fast as then my mileage will be between 32 and 36 mpg.

My average fillup runs around 2.9 gallons.

[haywardguy929]

Might be easier/cheaper to buy a piece of plexiglass and cut your own windshield.

[Dragon Tamer]

Well, I pulled the trigger on a 79 XS11 special. I won't pick it up until sometime next week. I went and checked it out and rode it, but I can't take it with me right now, so I paid for it and he is holding it for me a few days.

It's rattle can painted red...above average job but not perfect. Has pod air filters. It came with a 'parts bike'. That bike has a title...but it's pretty much in boxes. The engine looks bad. Might have been a midnight special...engine is black. But it does have original airbox and another set of carbs that look pretty good shape. Has a fairing, but not the mounting brackets so thats probably junk. it does have some hard bags, that are off, but they are there. Tires are good, rear and mid fluid changed last year, about 500 miles ago. So there are some goods.

The bad, I am going to have get a decent windshield. The guy replaced 2 petcocks on it last year but 2 carbs still drip a little fuel of you leave them on. I am thinking maybe a float bowl issue? The guy said that he changed the jets when he put on pods but didn't know to what. NHL was an older guy so....I give him benefit of the doubt. It runs good, but probably needs some tune up things, carb boots show wear etc.

Fairing mounts are not hard, depends of course on which fairing you have there. For long distance riding a fairing beats a windshield every time. Find out what breed fairing it is or take a picture of it an post it here and we will be able to tell you. I have a spare fairing mount or two around and I think that BA80 may also have some and he is closer to you.

[650mark]

I have the original stock tank on my bike. this motor is running extremely well, must be tuned just right it has gotten 40mpg since I got it, the carbs have never been off (still had the factory lead plugs in them). I have a windshield, saddlebags, o.e.m rear luggage rack with passenger backrest and a soft tailpack installed for hauling all of our gear. makes a pretty good touring bike, and at about 120 miles we are both ready to take a break so I guess no complaints about the smaller fuel tank

[Dragon Tamer]

Just curious as you stated that after about 125 miles (around three gallons @ 40 mpg) you had a gallon left.

[fredintoon]

More is better

- - - at about 120 miles we are both ready to take a break so I guess no complaints about the smaller fuel tank

Hi Mark,
never mind the 120 miles, I gotta stop every hour these days just to take a leak.
The trouble with a small gas tank is having to plan any out-of-town ride around where's the next gas pump? rather than around Where's a good place to view scenery?
{A place to leak is no problem, there's ditches everywhere}
Even with my XS11 sidecar rig's pathetic (27mpg) gas mileage the 5.3 gallons in the Standard tank + the 2.5 gallons in the Jerrycan means that locating the next gas pump ain't my major problem.

[mcompton1973]

yes, I know the XS 11 will not get the MPGs that I was hoping for, but this bike is nice, well taken care ofand I think will be a good bike for me. At the end of the day, it still gets as good or better than the rental car, and I'm not paying fees for the rental car.