New Member Intro/81H Build, Icebreaker

[Arthur_of_Hex]

Hi Matt,

I recently purchased this nice example from a guy in Minnesota. 11K miles on the clock. Has been well treated over the decades. It was in a Yamaha dealer's collection originally. Everything is OEM on it including the paint as far as I know. If you need any pictures of specific areas of the bike, let me know.
Mike

Thanks Mike and everyone chiming in. I appreciate everyone's input and will continue to sponge up ideas and comments as I tear her down and build her into something great. Probably going to keep the bike fairing and bags free as it is now, however as I create ideas I welcome input from everyone. Restoring bikes at the shop has taught me to voice and hear ideas, comments, concerns on all builds...my own as well as the other guys'

[motoman]

Hi Matt,

I recently purchased this nice example from a guy in Minnesota. 11K miles on the clock. Has been well treated over the decades. It was in a Yamaha dealer's collection originally. Everything is OEM on it including the paint as far as I know. If you need any pictures of specific areas of the bike, let me know.



Mike

Hmmmm......had removed the instrument shade 34yrs. ago as I thought it wouldn't clear the stereo housing. Still have it along with the original Venturer seat which hasn't seen daylight for 34yrs. stored inside in closet.
I notice someone put the optional Yamaha Accessory lower slid-in backrest on your bike. The Venturer origially came with the taller tapered backrest that has the zipper pouch attached to backside. Have both, but the lower one fits nicely in the recessed area of the Yamaha Accessory tail trunk.

Except for the backrest change and added stereo, your bike is a perfect example of just the way it sat on the showroom floor back in 81'.

[TopCatGr58]

Hey there Matt,

I got your email confirmation reply...I had just checked that account BEFORE I got on here. Well, the OneDrive is still a bit of a PITA, so yes, we would still recommend using Photobucket instead. Also you can select to upload the photos in a smaller standard size, ie. 1024 x 768 which will reduce the MB size, and speed up the display on the site. Our size resizes them to 800 x 600, but allows members to click on the image to view the larger file size if it's larger than 800x600.

Apologies for the misinformation about the exhaust pipes! I didn't remember that they(Yamaha) changed them in the later years vs. the early standards.

As Greg said, it doesn have OEM gauges, but the headlight appears to be a substitute 7" round vs. the OEM rectangular one.

I also don't like a lot of windjammer/fairing up front...both for the added weight as well as the loss of view of the road. I'm a fair weather rider, but I can understand and appreciate those that want/need to ride 365 in inclimate weather!

I've got a couple of simplified wiring diagrams that others have created that I can email to you for your review....they removed all of the unnecessary relays and such for bobber or Cafe type builds.

You say "Restoration" which makes us think of OEM looking creations. See this thread by James England for an example of a true RESTORATION of a Standard: http://www.xs11.com/forum/showthread.php?t=41751

But if you're really going to be doing a REBUILD with some customizations to fit your desires, body type, aesthetics, etc., that's also good, we just want to be calling it by the right terminology so as not to offend some of the PURISTS here that might be expecting a RESTORE vs. a REBUILD. !

Just to catch the others here up on what I mentioned to you in the email:
Informed about Stainless steel braided brake lines; the HD dual piston caliper mod for the front; The Inexpensive Japan Cast Piston big bore kit; Catatonic Bug's Website/service manual download; ACCT vs. the 30 minute CCT Mod; The carb intake mount/boots cracking; Charging system weakness and LED mods.

I didn't suggest/mention the 850 final drive mod since it's already a standard so it has the higher ratio 17" rear wheel. Also will depend on what type of riding he'll be doing...touring vs. bar hopping??

And as you've seen, threads can sometimes get HIJACKED( the sport bike detour), but doesn't take much to get things back on track. We also suggest using the same thread for followups and such so that when/if you encounter problems, we can see/follow what you've done, what others have suggested, etc. when it's all in the same thread vs. spreading it out across several threads...ie. for ignition, another for carbs, etc.!

T.C.

[BA80]

Hijacked?.... Naw, the conversation just kinda drifted that way. All relevant to the "restoration" part of it. Just a little history.

The fairing only weighs 6 - 8 lbs. ( unless you stuff it with stuff you might need, like I do ) I don't even notice it carving the twisties. It's most noticeable when your riding in cold weather keeping the frigid air off your body. Like up in Maine.

I bet those tread plate bags of yours weigh more than a fairing TC.

[Arthur_of_Hex]

81H Rebuild

Terminology accuracy noted, apologies to those folks whom I may have confused. We are always using restoration for the old metric bikes we do. They start sad and rusted, tired and siezed....etc. we do restore them to an extremely functional facsimile, with upgrades like lights, bars or any other requests from the owners. granted they are not showroom flawless, but amazing given our budget from each customer. I'll definitely remain aware and address my build with care.


Oh, and photobucket test on my non stock gauges

[BA80]

Hey! You won!!!!!!!
That speedometer is from a 78 or 79. The 80 or 81 only went up to 85 mph. ( Thanks Ralph Nader). But, they are the original design for that bike.

[Arthur_of_Hex]

It's most noticeable when your riding in cold weather keeping the frigid air off your body. Like up in Maine.

Funny you mention it, 2 weeks ago my drive to work at 3:30 am was 39 degrees. There I was, in reflective ski-doo gear perched on a black and chrome v star 1100 with NO fairing or windshield. Thankfully there are no photos

[BA80]

Funny you mention it, 2 weeks ago my drive to work at 3:30 am was 39 degrees. There I was, in reflective ski-doo gear perched on a black and chrome v star 1100 with NO fairing or windshield. Thankfully there are no photos

been there, done that.

I didn't like the fairing either until I was getting ready to make a late fall ride to NW Arkansas a few years back. It was COOOOOLD and I had a fairing sitting in the shed so I installed it.........................................never went back to my old masochistic ways. The fairing remains.

[Arthur_of_Hex]

Since we are on the topic of fairings, I've been eyeballing projector beam streetfighter style lights with subtle built in windshields. About halfway down this thread he uses one. These lights are readily available on ebay. Just curious what others think of this on an xs.

http://www.svrider.com/forum/showthread.php?t=139529

Also because my oem bucket is cracked beyond repair.

[BA80]

Looks like it'll keep the air off the gauges, maybe the gas cap too.

Pretty much just a place to hold some paint.

[TopCatGr58]

Hey Matt,

Well, it looks like he went with that to be able to mount an HID Bi-Xenon(hi and low beams) type projector in it.

Take a look at this megathread for some info and ideas regarding the OEM style of headlights and TRUE Projector HID conversions vs. just using an HID type bulb in the standard Halogen Reflector=bad idea!

http://www.xs11.com/forum/showthread...=hid+projector

That mini-fairing styling just doesn't seem to match the XS11.

Yeah, Greg my saddlebags are LIGHT, it's the stuff I put in them that makes them so heavy. But I can handle the rear weight and how it affects the handling more than the front weight. But like I said, I don't ride in the COLD anymore....did that for 1.5 years, rain/ sleet, etc., snowsuit, no thank you!

T.C.

[MPittma100]

Venturer Backrest

I have what I believe to be the taller slide in backrest installed on a Special.

Hmmmm......had removed the instrument shade 34yrs. ago as I thought it wouldn't clear the stereo housing. Still have it along with the original Venturer seat which hasn't seen daylight for 34yrs. stored inside in closet.
I notice someone put the optional Yamaha Accessory lower slid-in backrest on your bike. The Venturer origially came with the taller tapered backrest that has the zipper pouch attached to backside. Have both, but the lower one fits nicely in the recessed area of the Yamaha Accessory tail trunk.

Except for the backrest change and added stereo, your bike is a perfect example of just the way it sat on the showroom floor back in 81'.

[MPittma100]

Venturer Seat Backrest

According to this article/picture that Greg posted, the Venturer appears not to have come with a seat backrest at all?

My bad, I see you said it was an 81 in the first post.

That IS the correct exhaust for the Venturer.

THIS is what it's supposed to look like..

[BA80]

That's just what popped up when I searched Mike. These things aren't always accurate.

It looks like that luggage rack has a place for a sliding back rest in the pic though.

[motoman]

According to this article/picture that Greg posted, the Venturer appears not to have come with a seat backrest at all?

They ALL came with the taller tapered one 'out of the crate'.

Also, the red side reflectors came on some, not on others. Some had the hole in chrome center piece for the reflector stud, others didn't. Mine didn't, and no, I wasnt the one that punched holes in the sides of cases and installed them(long story) as seen in the pic Madmax-im posted
I've since replaced those sidecases with matching near new ones.