I found an old friend,met a new one.

[BamberBob]

I fell for the 1100 the first time I saw it in '78. I was struggling with a family and all that it entails. It was out of reach. A friend of mine got one in '79. He was ready to move on to a Gold Wing in '81. He sold me his XS Special. I still own it.
I bought a Miata in '97,traded it for a Corvette in 2000,both convertibles. My misses preferred the comfort of a car to the back of my XS. It became a "barn bike". I stopped riding completely by 2005. I threw a cover on it around 2008.
Fast Forward---- I never wanted to sell it because I felt I was giving up "my youth"! By this time I had the bike for 34 years! I looked at it in April and thought "you're being a ass, just sell it, It's just using space and you'll never ride it.
I put it on Craig's list for $495.With a photo. My in-box blew-up. I knew it was too cheap. I raised the price to $1000! Still got interest. One response got my attention,he is a member of this site. He told me of the chatter my ad had generated. I had a phone conversation with him and he said he would come over and check my bike out and run a compression test on it for me.,

[motoman]

I fell for the 1100 the first time I saw it in '78. I was struggling with a family and all that it entails. It was out of reach. A friend of mine got one in '79. He was ready to move on to a Gold Wing in '81. He sold me his XS Special. I still own it.
I bought a Miata in '97,traded it for a Corvette in 2000,both convertibles. My misses preferred the comfort of a car to the back of my XS. It became a "barn bike". I stopped riding completely by 2005. I threw a cover on it around 2008.
Fast Forward---- I never wanted to sell it because I felt I was giving up "my youth"! By this time I had the bike for 34 years! I looked at it in April and thought "you're being a ass, just sell it, It's just using space and you'll never ride it.
I put it on Craig's list for $495.With a photo. My in-box blew-up. I knew it was too cheap. I raised the price to $1000! Still got interest. One response got my attention,he is a member of this site. He told me of the chatter my ad had generated. I had a phone conversation with him and he said he would come over and check my bike out and run a compression test on it for me.,

......and the suspense lingers......

[phatts27]

Hey Bob, nice bike man. Thank God for nice people like Gordon, huh? He royally helped me too. Have you had any seat time since the awakening? Your bike looks ready for a cross country stint! BTW, you are a huge guy You make the xs11 look small!

[Eastcoaster]

Thanks

Thanks for the compliment Ed but I am a novice compared to the guys on the site. Without the great information and help I have gotten the past 2 years I would know very little.

Hopefully Bob will chime in on how this bike runs. I went to his 70th birthday bash Saturday night what a Blast!

Thanks goes to everyone on this site for teaching me and giving me the ability to bring one back from the brink!

[Prisoner6]

WELCOME, Bob!


For those who may be wondering, here is the thread that documents (the rest of) the story of Bob, his bike, and the involvement of Eastcoaster (Gordon):

79 special craigslist dresser project $500

And here is a pic of Bob on his reborn ride:

[jwhughes3]

Damn allergies kicking in...

Good job Eastcoaster!!

He looks mighty happy.

John

[motoman]

Nice......that smile he has has got to be well worth any frustrations you may have had gettin' it back up roadworthy.

J.W...........not allergies....you need a snorkel!.

[BamberBob]

"It's all original" the rest of the story...

I'm sorry about the break in the story but I typed the whole thing in the post not knowing it was limited! So Gordon(Eastcoaster) came over. I could see he was genuinely excited about the bike. "It's all original---- , I like 'em original" he says. It was,except for an aftermarket sissy bar. Eastcoaster fixed that the next time he came over, he gifted me an original in perfect shape. I guess he couldn't stand to look at that cheap crap on a great bike!

So after a few minuets he's tearing the seat off and getting to the carbs. I could see this guy had done this before! 160psi on the first. 160 on the 2nd, 160 on the 3rd, 145 or so on the 4th. "We can definitely save this one", he says. After some more talk he agrees to take the carbs home and clean them up.
I've never seen anybody take carburetors out of a bike so fast! It really made me feel confident that he knew what he was doing! He took them and the tank that day. The next week we talked. The carbs were all good and bench tested but he said he'd like to take the whole bike back to his shop. I was going to Fl. for a week and we couldn't get together before I left. I had a good feeling about Gordon when I met him. Those of you who know him, know what I'm talking about. So I hid a key to my shop and left instructions on the alarm system and went to Florida.
Now you have to understand, I had met him one time. I live in a remote part of the pines, it's isolated he could've carried the shop away! I can't say I didn't have thoughts about just that when I realized all our communication was still through the Craigs list site! All I had was a phone number and a Craigs list reply on this guy! Not even his real e-mail. He had the keys to my world!
Well, all my fear was baseless and when I got my bike back I got my old
friend back and I made a new one in "Eastcoaster". After about 12 years of no-riding, I also felt I got my youth back! I told Gordon he "saved my youth" He put a smile on my face that hasn't been there for awhile. I hope to put
many more miles on this bike and meet some of you XS lovers in the process!

[Prisoner6]

... Well, all my fear was baseless and when I got my bike back I got my old friend back and I made a new one in "Eastcoaster". After about 12 years of no-riding, I also felt I got my youth back! I told Gordon he "saved my youth" He put a smile on my face that hasn't been there for awhile. I hope to put many more miles on this bike and meet some of you XS lovers in the process!

Well said, Bob ... thanks for sharing that story!

Your excitement at getting your "old friend" back is contagious!

[mikubuilder]

Great story, and another save for the team !

[Poprock]

I like it too. Geezer got me going again after a 19 month layoff. Then later he got to haul me home from my (only) roadside breakdown. Main electrical plug melted. He had the parts, he had the smarts, and I enjoyed a moonlight ride home over the coast range the same day. XS11's are great bikes, excelled only by the fantastic people who care for them and for each other.