New XS in the stable and an introduction.

[Garagamus]

So...made the wife really happy this week by coming home with a new project. Helped a buddy pick up his new (used) '02 ZZR12 and myself and PO got to bike talking. Told him I've put together a couple of light cafes out of old litre bikes but had nothing in the garage at the moment, he asked if I wanted one for the stable. Takes me into his backyard and shows me a really clean '81 XS1100 standard that's been sitting since '09. Said he had the carbs professionally cleaned and a new 4 into 1 pipe put on before he parked it. Clear title, 2 keys and $200 lighter in the wallet and its mine. Don't think its an original standard model as the seat doesn't seem to fit under the tank end, but it is the sought after large standard tank (badly repainted, top looks good, underneath paint can be peeled by hand (no primer). Cleaned up everything, (carbs, oil, brake fluid), at home, bought a battery, turned engine with seafoam by hand, let it sit for a night and voila...started right up. Runs rough and won't hold idle, but for so little, I'm pretty impressed.

[jetmechmarty]

Runs rough and won't hold idle,

It must be that professional carb cleaning.

Welcome to the madness! Now, show us the pictures!

[mspivey1566]

Congrats on the find. Definitely need pics

[donebysunday]

but for so little, I'm pretty impressed.

Welcome !
Don't worry we've seen worse for sure ! Let's see some pics !!!!!

[Garagamus]

I pulled the carbs on day one, (just to see what 4 yr old crud looked like), to my surprise...no rust, no cracked rubber bits, could see sunlight through all the little jet holes, didn't even need new gaskets. Dry as a bone with a little dust disk in the bottom of one float bowl. Like I said, it ran and won't idle, pulls strong after about 3500, (if you can feather it up there without bogging out). Seriously blued the two left side pipes, so I would image two of the carbs are running very lean. Took out the carbs again last night and tore'em down one by one, (the XS11 tutorial was awesome), haven't put them back yet, still have to bench test as I don't own a synch tool yet. Thinking of checking the ignition first as the plugs are black again, (wipes off, but black). The PO changed the wires but I've read that my idle prob could lie somewheres around there. Had a beautiful '79 GS1000 a year ago that I cafe'd, but it was a good runner to begin with. Sorta new territory for me. Build the GS for around $1500 all in and drove into a car dealership with it...came home with a 68 Chrysler Newport 2 door in straight across trade, (I was only going out for milk). Missed having an old bike though, now I have, hopefully, a worthy winter project.

[Garagamus]

I'll get pics as soon as I figure out how to post'em.

[Garagamus]

Which image hosting site are most of you using? I haven't set one up in years.

[jetmechmarty]

Photobucket is popular here.

[fredintoon]

So...made the wife really happy this week by coming home with a new project. Helped a buddy pick up his new (used) '02 ZZR12 and myself and PO got to bike talking. Told him I've put together a couple of light cafes out of old litre bikes but had nothing in the garage at the moment, he asked if I wanted one for the stable. Takes me into his backyard and shows me a really clean '81 XS1100 standard that's been sitting since '09. Said he had the carbs professionally cleaned and a new 4 into 1 pipe put on before he parked it. Clear title, 2 keys and $200 lighter in the wallet and its mine. Don't think its an original standard model as the seat doesn't seem to fit under the tank end, but it is the sought after large standard tank (badly repainted, top looks good, underneath paint can be peeled by hand (no primer). Cleaned up everything, (carbs, oil, brake fluid), at home, bought a battery, turned engine with seafoam by hand, let it sit for a night and voila...started right up. Runs rough and won't hold idle, but for so little, I'm pretty impressed.

Hi Kurtis and welcome,
that story sure beats my own delivered in a truck with the brakes seized for a grand.
Photobucket is your friend for posting pics here.
What happened to the stock exhaust BTW, is it still available?
ANY kinda XS11 exhaust in good shape sells for what you paid for the complete bike.

[bikerphil]

The pilot circuit passages on these carbs are tiny and if even slightly blocked will cause the bike not to idle. Blow carb cleaner and compressed air thru them and you should be fine.

[Garagamus]

Sorry Fred, I had inquired as well about the stock pipes. Too bad they had been reclaimed by the earth some time ago. I've heard the stocks are easier to tune to, but insanely expensive. Since this one is going the café route as well, (something about driving a stripped down litre+ bike just screams danger & chuckles), I will have some decent original parts coming off it. The chrome rear fender and lights are mint, as well as the side covers (although previously repainted). When I post the pics I'm gonna need feedback on the bump seat. Made it from a halved '78 GS tank I had lying around. Looks too stock being the same width as the seatpan, may have to skinny it up a bit.

[Garagamus]

pics are coming up as black boxes with "x"s in 'em...even after resizing to 640x480

[TopCatGr58]

pics are coming up as black boxes with "x"s in 'em...even after resizing to 640x480

Hey there, you were close....you had one too many http:// in the URL for the photos, I editted them and they are showing just fine now!

Aside from the need for the pilot circuits to be pristinely clean, what sticks in my mind is the PO's statement of "Pro" cleaned....probably with KITS...K&L brand, and they are notorious for the wrong sized pilot jets that cause excessive richness in the low rpm circuit=black plugs....and the pipes are chrome Mac 4-1's, single walled, and excessively rich can also blue them.

Would suggest getting a set of true Mikuni pilot jets from either local dealer, or other online sources....jetting guide suggests 1 size up for your intake/exhaust mods for Pilots, and 2-3 sizes up for the MAINS from STOCK, but you may still need adjustments afterwards.

Your air filter pods are the quality XS brand, but we've found that these CV carbs like velocity stack type mounts for them to help straighten the air flow, and has been reported to improve the low rpm throttle response. See the tech tips/mods for examples and ideas.

T.C.

[mspivey1566]

They all look visible on my end

[Garagamus]

Wow, been on all of one day and already my head is swimming with useful intel, thanks. I'll probably be on here a lot and drive everyone nuts by asking a question then finding a prior post that answers it, (I'll try to limit that). Great forum! I might just try hooking the carbs back up and see what she does after the cleaning, I didn't check the jet sizes until pretty well done but the one was a 117.5 (manual says to use 115's), so it does look like he went bigger when changing to the 4into1. Haven't had it started long enough to even see if it still has its second gear intact, but it is only reading 35k kms.