xs1100 junkie

[RichW1064]

silly me

I am so junkified with taming Molly RPM's at express speeds that I went to the sister .org site looking for an FD series 850, when you get around to picking yourself up off the floor, you can laugh again... lol... so the 850 all have 6 speeds... and all the same rear diff's... is there something going on in the rear drive unit? now I am really curious... gotta have one just to know... Man... I am so glad that I have friends like you guy's around... lmao...

[TopCatGr58]

about the RPM's on the express... Molly is only a five speed and as you know 70mph is around 5grand... been staying off the express with her, she wants it though... lol...

I will need to look into this Greg... lets see, gear lube with labor plus diff... could prove to be well worth the cost...

Hey Rich,

Don't be afraid of the Express.....these bikes will run 5-6K rpms ALL DAY LONG and ask for more.....they are engineered to like that. They aren't Hardley's, and won't shake you to death or themselves at that speed/rpm. Lots of folks have done the Final Drive swap and enjoy it. I don't do as much extreme highway speed so I don't care to swap, I like running and revving it up in the upper power bands! YMMV.

T.C.

[TopCatGr58]

Rich,

The 850's only have 5 gears also. The Final Drive ratio is taller on the 850s, so the driveshaft turns fewer rpms for the rear wheel to turn. The 1100's is slightly shorter, so it takes a little more rpms to make the rear wheel travel the same distance.

SO...putting the 850 Final Drive unit on the 1100 allows the crank to turn less rpms while still spinning the rear wheel fast enough to maintain the same road speed. The 850FDs are built better/stronger than the early 750s', and that's why they are preferred to perform the swap on our bikes.

People just say that putting the 850 FD on the 11 is LIKE getting a 6th gear because it lowers the rpms by ~4-500 at the same highway speed.

T.C.

[BA80]

I am so junkified with taming Molly RPM's at express speeds that I went to the sister .org site looking for an FD series 850, when you get around to picking yourself up off the floor, you can laugh again... lol... so the 850 all have 6 speeds... and all the same rear diff's... is there something going on in the rear drive unit? now I am really curious... gotta have one just to know... Man... I am so glad that I have friends like you guy's around... lmao...

No, I said it's LIKE having a 6th gear. Your bike will STILL have 5 gears but the taller rear gear lowers the engine RPMs about 8 - 9 hundred RPMs in 5th gear. Instead of 5K on the tach at 60 MPH it's 5K at 70MPH. It's virtually unnoticeable in the lower gears.

It doesn't install another gear in the transmission.

[BA80]

4-500 at the same highway speed.

T.C.

Closer to 8 - 900 rpm TC. Almost a thousand.

[RichW1064]

I get it...

No, I said it's LIKE having a 6th gear. Your bike will STILL have 5 gears but the taller rear gear lowers the engine RPMs about 8 - 9 hundred RPMs in 5th gear. Instead of 5K on the tach at 60 MPH it's 5K at 70MPH. It's virtually unnoticeable in the lower gears.

It doesn't install another gear in the transmission.

like the 4/11 compared to the 5/12 ratio... at the diff... are they doing something in the gear case? what could one dig in to in a case of re-engineering the complete drive for the 5 speed verse the 6 speed out drive to ground effects... less bottom but much more top at cruiser speeds... just a thought...

[BA80]

like the 4/11 compared to the 5/12 ratio... at the diff... are they doing something in the gear case? what could one dig in to in a case of re-engineering the complete drive for the 5 speed verse the 6 speed out drive to ground effects... less bottom but much more top at cruiser speeds... just a thought...

No room. This 5 speed transmission is already almost as beefy as one in your Civic.

[RichW1064]

once a 5 speed...

always a 5 speed... so if I consider changing the ratio at the gear drive, then add a tooth to the final drive I could in the essence be rolling in 2nd/3rd gear at 50mph reading a tach message that reports 2000rpm... possible..?

[RichW1064]

these things are strong...

and besides... at 2k rolling 45/50mph, you can lift these giants off the ground... drivers beware if you are in control... lol... (be in control!)

[BA80]

and besides... at 2k rolling 45/50mph, you can lift these giants off the ground... drivers beware if you are in control... lol... (be in control!)

If you can do that you aren't on an XS. These bikes weigh over 600lbs and the engine torques forward pushing the front wheel down. Not impossible to pull up the front because under the right conditions I've stood mine straight up, but pretty difficult to do in a normal situation.

[RichW1064]

here's where I am going...

Rich,

The 850's only have 5 gears also. The Final Drive ratio is taller on the 850s, so the driveshaft turns fewer rpms for the rear wheel to turn. The 1100's is slightly shorter, so it takes a little more rpms to make the rear wheel travel the same distance.

SO...putting the 850 Final Drive unit on the 1100 allows the crank to turn less rpms while still spinning the rear wheel fast enough to maintain the same road speed. The 850FDs are built better/stronger than the early 750s', and that's why they are preferred to perform the swap on our bikes.

People just say that putting the 850 FD on the 11 is LIKE getting a 6th gear because it lowers the rpms by ~4-500 at the same highway speed.

T.C.

love the bike... love the brothers.... throw out a hug for the sisters... time has come to re-design the XS/XJ finals from pony to ground... every bike has the ability for "your drive" needs... built into it..!

we need the engineer's to stand and be counted...


Rich

[RichW1064]

Brother...

If you can do that you aren't on an XS. These bikes weigh over 600lbs and the engine torques forward pushing the front wheel down. Not impossible to pull up the front because under the right conditions I've stood mine straight up, but pretty difficult to do in a normal situation.

these things can and will surprise you... you do know this Greg... 1981 I watched my friend with a XS1100Special walk down the expess at 70mph on simply the rear tir for nearly a full mile, with his best sitting on the high seat, puzzled and amazed, happy to get off and find the girl's room... stock and all balls..!

[RichW1064]

know when...

to lift it up... (rev on)

[BA80]

these things can and will surprise you... you do know this Greg... 1981 I watched my friend with a XS1100Special walk down the expess at 70mph on simply the rear tir for nearly a full mile, with his best sitting on the high seat, puzzled and amazed, happy to get off and find the girl's room... stock and all balls..!

Put a couple hundred lbs. of counter weight on the rear and that is a "condition". Feel sorry for his SO.

[TopCatGr58]

Hey again,

Another thing to consider is that the Special has a 1" shorter rear wheel, so you loose a few hundred rpms right there compared to the Standards 17" rear. SO...if you want to lower the rpms a little more, along with the 850 FD, you can also put on a Standard Rear wheel/tire. However, the Standard 17" has less variety of tire choices than the 16".

Now as to your friend, the Special running the 16" rear gave him better leverage to get the front end up, along with the extra passenger ballast in the rear at the rear tire provided additional leverage to bring the front end up.

Like Greg, I, too brought mine up to almost vertical during one of the 3 drag tune and time runs I did many years ago...had it revved to 5K and accidentally dumped the clutch too early, was able to hold on, but just barely, got it back down to earth safely. I'm running 4" extended forks on mine, and my rake/trail was reduced a couple of decades ago due to a front end collision that bent my frame/steering neck unbeknownst to me or the repair shop. SO the front end sits up a bit more to begin with, so it's easier for me to get it to wheelie than others. But that will changed once I complete my frame swap to an UNBENT frame.

BTW, here's an image of a skilled rider having some fun back in the 70's!



T.C.